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PODCAST

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Trying to keep up with the latest in pop culture? We’ve got you covered. The Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast helps you find the best new binge-worthy tv shows, movies, music, and videogames.Join hosts Linda Holmes, Aisha Harris, Stephen Thompson, and Glen Weldon four episodes a week - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture enthusiasts. It’s your fix for reviews, recommendations, and recaps of the pop culture everyone is talking about. From lowbrow reality TV to Oscar-winning movies to the stuff in

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

18:07

Carrie

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/10/12

The new series Carrie updates the Stephen King book for the digital age, and plays with what we think we know in some surprising ways. Streaming on Prime Video, it follows a young Carrie who has led a sheltered life with her overbearing mother. But as Carrie enters high school, she has a rough go of it. The signposts are familiar – the showers, the prayer closet, the prom, the pig’s blood – but showrunner Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass) builds out the world around those

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26:24

The Social Reckoning and What’s Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/10/09

Don’t call it a sequel: The Social Reckoning is a companion piece to The Social Network. While the first movie chronicled the invention of Facebook, this one focuses on where Facebook is now. Jeremy Allen White stars as a crusading reporter alongside Mikey Madison, a Facebook insider with damning information about the business’ practices. The film also features Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, will it be added to the canon of great films about investigative

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25:29

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/10/06

Mahershala Ali’s new movie isn’t the Blade reboot, but it’s still worth your time. Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother follows a newly widowed hitman who wants out of the game. He's also a devout Muslim, and after his wife’s death, he is forced to adjust to being a single dad to three kids, while trying to balance his work and faith. But his boss (Laith Nakli) has other plans for him.If you’re looking for more great movies and TV about parenthood, check out these episodes:‘Last Seen’ is a new spin

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14:16

Forgotten Island

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/29

Forgotten Island is a wonderful new animated feature from the team that brought you Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. We’re introduced to childhood friends Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano). One is a free spirit, the other an aspiring scientist, and they’re both getting ready to go their separate ways. But during their last night together, they’re transported to a magical island. The film is full of mythological creatures and fantastical settings, but it’s also rooted in

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26:00

The Love Hypothesis

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/28

The Love Hypothesis brings the beloved trope of fake dating to the world of science and academia – but does it bring a fresh take to the bestselling book by Ali Hazelwood? The new Prime Video movie follows Stanford graduate student Olive (Lili Reinhart). Her best friend Ahn (Rachel Marsh) is holding back from pursuing a guy because she thinks Olive is interested in him. Olive wants Ahn to follow her heart, so she lands in a fake-dating situation with a notoriously harsh post-doc Adam (Tom Bateman),

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22:03

Great documentaries you don’t want to miss

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/21

We talk a lot about movies and TV shows, but new documentary films sometimes can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. So today we’re highlighting some new documentaries that are worth your time and you don’t want to miss – including Remake, The History of Concrete, Black Zombie, The Oldest Person in the World, and You Had to Be There.Looking for more films that might have flown under your radar? Check out these episodes:Great movies you may have missedFun movies you may have missedOur favorite movies

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17:39

Last Seen

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/17

The new Apple TV series Last Seen is a compelling thriller. It stars Patrick Brammall (Colin from Accounts) as an emergency dispatcher named who gets a call one night from a girl he thinks might be his long-missing daughter. The show follows him as he becomes obsessed with finding the truth, even at the cost of his own stability and sobriety. It also tackles some thorny questions about who stands to gain and lose from solving this case.Looking for other compelling thrillers? Check these out:Emmy

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33:49

Unapologetically basic TV and movies that we love

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/10

When you hear the words “pumpkin spice latte,” maybe you think of fall. But maybe you just think about the pleasures of something unapologetically basic. The same can be said for movies and TV. Today, we are revealing some of the most basic things we really love – including National Treasure, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Dateline NBC, and The People’s Court.Looking for more episodes like this? Check out: We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love themWe debate the best

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18:23

Watch this: Filipiñana

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/08

Are you tired of the same eat-the-rich narratives churned out by Hollywood? There is a great new film Filipiñana offering a new take about the inner-workings of a country club in the Philippines. It’s both beautiful to look at and an emotional gut-punch. From director Rafael Manuel, this film kind of feels like if Wes Anderson made an explicitly anti-colonialist satire.If you want a few more stylish and biting films, check out these episodes: ‘Is God Is’ interrogates misogyny in a vivid, scathing

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26:06

The hidden money financing your favorite songs

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/07

We all need a trusted source for music discovery – a music-savvy friend or family member, a music site – or someone on social media. But are influencers taking money to promote music and not telling you? Today we’re bringing you an episode of NPR’s It's Been a Minute, where host Brittany Luse talks to NPR music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento about the details and broader implications of this practice.Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:Letterboxd / FacebookOur weekly newsletterSupport public

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22:45

Sterling Point and What’s Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/04

The buzzy fantastic new TV drama Sterling Point has it all. A mysterious inheritance. A teen love triangle. Secrets and lies that echo across generations. The Prime Video series has twists, turns, and heart. You won’t want to miss it. Want more Gen Z drama? Check out these episodes: ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ has drama, romance and the music of Taylor SwiftGen Z awkwardly transitions into 'Adults''I Love LA' reinforces our love for Rachel SennottConnect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:Letterboxd /

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21:04

Beyond Wordle: Our Favorite Online Games

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/09/03

Millions of us play little daily games on our phone. But if you’re looking to expand the horizons of your morning distractions beyond Wordle and Connections, we’re here for you. Today we’re recommending some fun daily online games, including MapTap, Catfishing, TimeGuessr, The Loop, and Clues by Sam.Looking for more conversations about fun games? Try these episodes:Wordle is a daily dose of delight, despair, and sometimes smugnessIn 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' the open world is wide

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25:46

Coyote vs. Acme and Dolly Parton

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/28

The movie Coyote vs. Acme comes with some buzzy lore: it was famously shelved, and almost didn’t see the light of day. But it’s here now, and it’s good and looney! It follows Wile E. Coyote when he decides to sue the Acme Corporation for manufacturing crappy, ineffective products. The cast includes Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor. We also talk about our favorite Dolly Parton musical performances. If you want more animated capers, check out these episodes: 'Minions & Monsters' is, oddly enough,

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19:19

Adults

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/27

Every generation gets its own version of a “20-somethings hang out and make mistakes” sitcom. And Gen Z’s got Adults, a silly series about a group of friends cohabitating in Queens, New York – and it makes for fun and all-too-relatable TV fodder. Adults is back for its second season on Hulu, so today we’re revisiting our episode about the series. If you want more bingeable comedies, check out these episodes:‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ is (30) Rock-solidMeg Stalter shines in the rom-com

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25:39

Fictional teachers we wish we had

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/26

It’s back to school season, which has us thinking about our favorite teachers. The ones who really saw us, changed our points of view, or set us on new paths. But of all the teachers we've seen in TV and movies, which of them do we wish we'd had to educate us in real life? Today we’re talking about fictional on-screen teachers – from My Girl, My So-Called Life, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and Dune: Part One. If you like want more episodes like this one, check out:The reality TV show I'd like to

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24:11

Lanterns

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/24

HBO’s new DC superhero show Lanterns is not the show you think it is. It’s about a couple of space cops: Kyle Chandler plays Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a grizzled, impulsive old-timer reluctantly training up his backup, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Yet the story avoids cosmic sweep and spectacle in favor of a character-driven mystery and a grounded setting. Does this series thread the needle to appeal to comics nerds and newcomers alike?If you need more superhero stories, check out these

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22:27

Tony and What’s Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/21

In the new film Tony, we meet chef and author Anthony Bourdain before he was in the public eye. He was a wayward, overconfident young guy, and, as played by Dominic Sessa, kind of a piece of work. The movie focuses on a pivotal summer in 1975, when Tony worked in his first kitchen, a tiny hole-in-the-wall in Provincetown. But does the film break out of the familiar biopic formula to tell a compelling story?Do you like biopics about complicated artists? Check out:‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From

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23:15

Phoebe Bridgers’ album Lost Weekend

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/19

Phoebe Bridgers is your favorite pop star’s favorite pop star. And she’s just released a gorgeous new solo album, Lost Weekend. It’s packed with guest stars including her boygenius bandmates, pop superproducer Jack Antonoff and her partner, Bo Burnham. The record’s 16 songs are full of lore, lush sonic ideas, and quotable insights about love, sex, and death. But does Bridgers’ long-awaited return make up for lost time?If you need more multifaceted pop music, check out these episodes: Ariana Grande

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22:53

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/17

The new movie Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a bloody and bewildering queer slasher film. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow), it stars Hannah Einbinder as a queer young filmmaker tapped to reboot a defunct slasher franchise, and Gillian Anderson as a reclusive actress. The movie is a meditation on slashers and film itself, sexuality and identity – and it’s also gore-filled fun you won’t want to miss. Want more queer indie horror? Check out these episodes:'I Saw the TV Glow' is

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22:07

Summer blockbusters we somehow missed

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2026/08/13

Summer blockbusters are hugely popular and as a result, financially successful, and seen by lots of people. So with summer blockbuster season coming to a close, we decided to revisit our conversation about our own personal blockbuster gaps, and finally watch a movie that absolutely everyone saw – except for us — including Armageddon, Beverly Hills Cop II, Ghost, The Fast and the Furious.If you need a bit more summer magic, check out these episodes: What’s the best summer snack? The votes are

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