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Lennon Sherburne
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Lennon Sherburne

Thursday

'Paradise' gives us Sterling K. Brown, action hero

Sterling K. Brown in Paradise. Brian Roedel/Hulu hide caption

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Brian Roedel/Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Paradise' gives us Sterling K. Brown, action hero

In Hulu's twisty drama series Paradise, Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent caught up in a web of intrigue after the president of the United States (James Marsden) is assassinated, with no suspect in sight. But at the end of the first episode, we learn this show is about way more than the murder of the head of state. Paradise was created by Dan Fogelman, who created the hit show This Is Us.

'Paradise' gives us Sterling K. Brown, action hero

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Friday

In 'The Monkey' the goring is never boring

Theo James in The Monkey. Neon hide caption

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Neon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'The Monkey' the goring is never boring

In the new horror-comedy The Monkey, Theo James plays a pair of identical twin brothers who get saddled with a cursed wind-up toy monkey that causes people around them to die freakish, gory deaths. It's based on a Stephen King short story, and directed by Osgood Perkins, who made last year's Longlegs.

In 'The Monkey' the goring is never boring

Listen · 21:57
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Wednesday

Need a laugh in these trying times? 'One of Them Days' is the comedy for you

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Review

It's Been a Minute

Need a laugh in these trying times? 'One of Them Days' is the comedy for you

Keke Palmer and SZA play two down on their luck friends who run into a series of hilarious unfortunate events in One of Them Days.

Need a laugh in these trying times? 'One of Them Days' is the comedy for you

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Monday

'Paddington in Peru' puts a mild bear in the wild jungle

Ben Whishaw voices the titular bear in Paddington in Peru. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. hide caption

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Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Paddington in Peru' puts a mild bear in the wild jungle

In the new movie Paddington In Peru, Paddington Bear and the Brown family fly across the globe, into the wilds of Peru, in search of Paddington's Aunt Lucy. Along the way, they meet a not-remotely-suspicious singing nun (Olivia Colman) and a boat captain (Antonio Banderas). The adventure that follows involves lost treasure and narrow escapes — and leads to new revelations about Paddington's past, and a new appreciation for what it means to be home.

'Paddington in Peru' puts a mild bear in the wild jungle

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Friday

'Captain America: Brave New World' is a major misfire

Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World. Eli Adé/Marvel Studios hide caption

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Eli Adé/Marvel Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Captain America: Brave New World' is a major misfire

Anthony Mackie is the new Captain America, and he's finally got his own movie. In Captain America: Brave New World, Cap finds himself battling President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) who is hiding quite a few secrets.

'Captain America: Brave New World' is a major misfire

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Friday

'Love Hurts' has big fight-movie skills

Ke Huy Quan in Love Hurts Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Love Hurts' has big fight-movie skills

In the new action movie Love Hurts, Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan stars as a real estate agent who has remade his life after leaving the employ of his terrifying gangster brother. But when a beautiful and mysterious former associate (Ariana DeBose) returns into his life, everything goes haywire. The movie has hand fighting and a touch of romance--just in time for Valentine's Day.

'Love Hurts' has big fight-movie skills

Listen · 21:16
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Wednesday

'You're Cordially Invited' to an old-fashioned wedding comedy

Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon star in You're Cordially Invited. Glen Wilson/Amazon MGM Studios hide caption

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Glen Wilson/Amazon MGM Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'You're Cordially Invited' to an old-fashioned wedding comedy

In the raunchy movie You're Cordially Invited, Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon face a mortifying conundrum: Their families' destination weddings have been double-booked for the same weekend. They reluctantly agree to share the venue, but, unsurprisingly, nothing goes smoothly as planned. Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors), the movie feels like a familiar throwback to the 2000s.

'You're Cordially Invited' to an old-fashioned wedding comedy

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Tuesday

Highlights from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

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Sundance Institute

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Highlights from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

We watched many films at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Today, we're recommending some of the best things we saw, including a thrilling debut from a writer on The Bear, a timely doc about the wave of book bans across America, and a bizarro horror comedy starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco.

Highlights from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

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Friday

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

In the smart, twisty thriller-comedy Companion, three young couples gather at a swanky lake house for the weekend. One of the couples is not like the others – that's because the girlfriend (Sophie Thatcher) turns out to be a companion robot, built to satisfy the boyfriend's (Jack Quaid) every fantasy. Inevitably, things go wrong, which sets off a chain of twists and revelations that comes with a body count.

In 'Companion,' a robot seizes CTRL of her life

Listen · 18:24
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Tuesday

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

Callina Liang in Presence. Peter Andrews/Neon hide caption

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Peter Andrews/Neon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

In the new Steven Soderbergh film Presence, a family moves into an old house, and weird stuff starts happening. But what's different about this haunted house story is that the movie told from the point of view of the ghost. We only get glimpses of the family, but gradually we start to piece together their brittle dynamic.

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance?

Listen · 20:27
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Monday

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

Noah Wyle in The Pitt. Warrick Page/MAX hide caption

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Warrick Page/MAX

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

The Max hospital drama The Pitt stars ER veteran Noah Wyle. It takes some elements that are common to the medical genre and mixes them with some very contemporary thinking about health care and an inventive structure. Each episode follows one hour in the ER over the course of a very long day – so the layout is less Grey's Anatomy and more 24.

Is 'The Pitt' a cure for the winter TV doldrums?

Listen · 18:57
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Wednesday

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

Keke Palmer and SZA in One of Them Days. Anne Marie Fox/Sony Pictures hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

Keke Palmer is one of Hollywood's most charismatic leads, and SZA is one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, they've teamed up for the raunchy buddy comedy One of Them Days. The movie is about two best friends in L.A., who endure a wild series of misadventures as they try to make rent over the course of one very eventful day. It's rowdy and profane, but it's also got something to say about gentrification, predatory businesses, and other factors that make it hard to survive and advance in America.

'One of Them Days' turns Keke Palmer and SZA loose

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Friday

'Wolf Man' is toothless

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Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Wolf Man' is toothless

Everything old is new again, it seems, and there's no reason that wouldn't apply to werewolves. We now have a chance to enjoy a new Wolf Man starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. Directed by Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man), it maintains that sometimes the monster is inside you all along. Plus, we take a minute to remember director David Lynch.

'Wolf Man' is toothless

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Wednesday

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

Shawnee Pourier and Betty Gilpin in American Primeval. Matt Kennedy/Netflix hide caption

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Matt Kennedy/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

In Netflix's gritty, brutal Western series American Primeval, Betty Gilpin plays a woman determined to get herself and her son across the frontier. But along the way, they find themselves caught up in a brewing war between the federal government and a violent Mormon militia. A gruff guide (Taylor Kitsch) might be of some help, but the land is rife with violent factions with competing claims to the blood-soaked soil.

'American Primeval' is a nasty and gritty Western

Listen · 18:53
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Tuesday

We debate the best one-hit wonders
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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We debate the best one-hit wonders

Some bands are The Beatles and some singers are Beyoncé: Smash after smash, their legend grows. And some artists aren't. For any one of a bunch of reasons — commercial, artistic and mysterious — some artists have one big hit song, but they don't have others. But what makes for a great one-hit wonder? Today we're debating: what is the best one-hit wonder of all time.

We debate the best one-hit wonders

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