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Movie Reviews Reviews of new movies, classic and art films, foreign films, and popular movies. Featuring Bob Mondello, Kenneth Turan, David Edelstein, and Mark Jenkins.

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Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Rachel Sennott in a scene from Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn. A24 hide caption

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A24

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

Bodies Bodies Bodies starts with a fairly standard horror-movie premise: A group of wealthy and attractive pleasure-seekers gather at a mansion to party and ride out an oncoming hurricane. But things get quickly messy when one of them turns up dead. With a cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, Myha'la Herrold, Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson, and Lee Pace, the movie mixes horror, comedy, Gen-Z satire, and a whodunit-style mystery that will keep you guessing.

Horror and comedy collide in a pileup of 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'

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'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey. David Bukach/20th Century Studios hide caption

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David Bukach/20th Century Studios

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

The new film Prey isn't just another installment of the Predator franchise. For one thing, it's a prequel to the original 1987 movie — set more than 300 years ago. More important is who's telling the story this time: Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a tough, smart, young Comanche woman determined to prove herself, as well as to protect her people — and her dog — from a seemingly undefeatable enemy.

'Prey' is set in the past, but takes the 'Predator' franchise forward

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'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

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Sony Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

In the new film Bullet Train, Brad Pitt plays an assassin hired to steal a briefcase from a pair of rival assassins played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. Also in the mix are Andrew Koji, Joey King, Bad Bunny, and Hiroyuki Sanada. It's directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw).

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

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Three great movies under 90 minutes

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Screen Gems

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great movies under 90 minutes

What do you do when you need a good movie, but you don't have much time? The answer is that you find a short one. We recommend three films that deliver a lot of punch without taking up your whole day.

Three great movies under 90 minutes

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In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

Ashton Kutcher and B.J. Novak in a scene from the film Vengeance. Focus Features hide caption

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Focus Features

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

B.J. Novak (The Office) wrote, directed, and stars in the new indie comedy Vengeance. He plays Ben, a New York City journalist who decides to turn the mysterious death of his former hookup into fodder for a podcast. The film features Issa Rae as his podcast editor and Ashton Kutcher as a record producer.

In 'Vengeance,' a podcast bro messes with Texas

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It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

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Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

The Netflix movie The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling as an inmate who becomes an assassin for the CIA in exchange for his freedom. When a mission goes awry, he has to contend with a sociopathic ex-agent played by Chris Evans. It's directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who made the Captain America and Avengers movies for Marvel.

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

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Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea in Jordan Peele's latest film, NOPE. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

The film Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings and horse wranglers living in a small California town where things get weird, people disappear, and a threat must be stopped. Jordan Peele wrote and directed the film, so there are bound to be some surprises. So we're hitching a ride on horseback into spoiler territory.

Yup, we're spoiling 'Nope'

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'Nope' is a wild, awe-inspiring spectacle

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Nope' is a wild, awe-inspiring spectacle

Jordan Peele's third film Nope comes with some hefty expectations: eclectic thrills, unexpected twists, and standout performances. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings who get caught up in some weird occurrences in a small California town, the film is giving Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan vibes. And it's sure to stir up a lot of debate.

'Nope' is a wild, awe-inspiring spectacle

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Dakota Johnson can't save Netflix's 'Persuasion'

Dakota Johnson stars as Anne Elliot in the Netflix adaptation of Persuasion. Nick Wall/Netflix hide caption

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Nick Wall/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Dakota Johnson can't save Netflix's 'Persuasion'

The novel Persuasion is the story of a woman who gives up a great love, then finds him again. Written by Jane Austen, it's now the subject of a Netflix adaptation starring Dakota Johnson. The film tries to be of its own time and contemporary, with Austen characters talking about self-care and being "single and thriving."

Dakota Johnson can't save Netflix's 'Persuasion'

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In 'Where The Crawdads Sing,' a bestseller gets its big screen moment

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Sony Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Where The Crawdads Sing,' a bestseller gets its big screen moment

The new film Where The Crawdads Sing stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, a girl who was abandoned in the marshes of North Carolina as a child and raised herself into adulthood. It's part mystery, part courtroom drama, part love triangle, and part nature film. The film is based on Delia Owens' bestselling novel, and features a new Taylor Swift song.

In 'Where The Crawdads Sing,' a bestseller gets its big screen moment

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Dreaming of Dior, a charwoman follows her bliss in 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'

"You have the proportions of a model," the fitter tells cleaning lady Ada Harris (Lesley Manville). Her reply: "Model railway, more like." Dávid Lukács / Focus Features hide caption

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Dávid Lukács / Focus Features

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Dreaming of Dior, a charwoman follows her bliss in 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'

A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London sets her heart on a designer dress in this charm-filled adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1958 novel.

Dreaming of Dior, a charwoman follows her bliss in 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'

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'RRR' is an inteRRRnational phenomenon

Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. star in RRR. S.S. Rajamouli Prod / DVV Entertainment/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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S.S. Rajamouli Prod / DVV Entertainment/Alamy Stock Photo

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'RRR' is an inteRRRnational phenomenon

RRR is one of the most expensive and highest grossing Indian films ever made, and also the most-watched non-English language film on Netflix. It's a sweeping and bloody sort-of-historical epic about an unlikely friendship between a villager fighting against India's British colonizers (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and a soldier working with them (Ram Charan). Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, RRR has breathtaking stunts and stirring songs that's made it an international phenomenon.

'RRR' is an inteRRRnational phenomenon

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'Both Sides of the Blade' is a French melodrama about intimacy and illicit desire

Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon play a couple whose relationship is threatened by another man in Both Sides of the Blade. Courtesy of Gaëlle Rapp-Tronqui hide caption

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Courtesy of Gaëlle Rapp-Tronqui

'Both Sides of the Blade' is a French melodrama about intimacy and illicit desire

Fresh Air

Juliette Binoche is a woman whose life is disrupted by the return of a former lover. Both Sides of the Blade sounds like soap-opera material, but nothing about the film feels trite or predictable.

'Both Sides of the Blade' is a French melodrama about intimacy and illicit desire

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'Thor: Love And Thunder' puts the pedal to the (heavy) metal, again

Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth star in Thor: Love And Thunder. Jasin Boland/Marvel Studios hide caption

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Jasin Boland/Marvel Studios

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Thor: Love And Thunder' puts the pedal to the (heavy) metal, again

Marvel's Thor: Love And Thunder follows in the footsteps of the much-loved Thor: Ragnarok. Both are directed by Taika Waititi, and both offer a lighthearted take on the godlike superhero, played again by Chris Hemsworth. The new film introduces Christian Bale as a villain named Gorr, The God Butcher, and brings back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster — who now wields Thor's hammer.

'Thor: Love And Thunder' puts the pedal to the (heavy) metal, again

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In the Greek film 'Apples,' a mysterious condition leaves people without memories

Aris Servetalis plays a man who inexplicably loses his memory in Apples. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group hide caption

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Courtesy of Cohen Media Group

In the Greek film 'Apples,' a mysterious condition leaves people without memories

Fresh Air

An unnamed man inexplicably loses his memory in this strange and singular film. Apples is about how we deal with grief and loneliness, especially when memory becomes more of a curse than a blessing.

In the Greek film 'Apples,' a mysterious condition leaves people without memories

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Those chaotic tater tots return in 'Minions: The Rise of Gru'

Minions: The Rise of Gru is the latest movie in the Despicable Me film franchise. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Those chaotic tater tots return in 'Minions: The Rise of Gru'

Minions: The Rise Of Gru is the fifth film in the animated Despicable Me series. Set in the late 1970s, the new movie chronicles the early days of the supervillain Gru (voiced again by Steve Carell) and his relationship with the silly yellow babbling banana-loving henchmen who do his bidding.

Those chaotic tater tots return in 'Minions: The Rise of Gru'

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Ticking down a checklist of qualifications in 'Mr. Malcolm's List'

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays Mr. Malcolm, the most desirable bachelor in 1818 London. Ross Ferguson/Bleecker Street hide caption

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Ross Ferguson/Bleecker Street

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Ticking down a checklist of qualifications in 'Mr. Malcolm's List'

A 19th-century British gentleman's requirements for his bride lead to a scheme with many complications in Mr. Malcolm's List, a Bridgerton-like romance based on Suzanne Allain's 2020 novel.

Ticking down a checklist of qualifications in 'Mr. Malcolm's List'

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Should you pick up 'The Black Phone'?

Ethan Hawke stars in The Black Phone the latest film from Scott Derrickson. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Should you pick up 'The Black Phone'?

In the supernatural horror film The Black Phone, Ethan Hawke plays the Grabber, a sinister masked figure who abducts a series of teenage boys in a Colorado suburb. When 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) gets grabbed, he's locked in a dank basement, waiting to be murdered, when suddenly a disconnected telephone on the wall starts to ring.

Should you pick up 'The Black Phone'?

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