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In 'The Monkey' the goring is never boring

Theo James in The Monkey. Neon hide caption

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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

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'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' is an effective story of grief

Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' is an effective story of grief

For more than 20 years on screen, Bridget Jones has been making her way through dating, working, having a baby, and even ending up in jail. Now in the fourth film, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) is dealing with a whole new phase of life, and a new pair of possible love interests.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' is an effective story of grief

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We fantasy cast 'The Traitors'

Alan Cumming in the third season of The Traitors. Euan Cherry/Peacock hide caption

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Euan Cherry/Peacock

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We fantasy cast 'The Traitors'

The Peacock reality show The Traitors continues to be a delightful mix of treachery, foolishness, and Alan Cumming's outfits. In the United States, the cast is made up exclusively of so-called celebrities. So today on the show we're fantasy casting who we think should be on the next season of The Traitors.

We fantasy cast 'The Traitors'

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'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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Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Bridget Jones' is back – and this time, the story is bittersweet

It is an adjustment to see Bridget Jones in a sad story on-screen. But in Mad About the Boy, Zellweger is still in touch with Bridget's tireless efforts to connect with her own sunniness, which have taken on new meaning.

'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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The green Duolingo owl on a phone screen and background behind it.

Duolingo announced the death of its owl mascot, Duo, this week. He was known for his snarky social media presence and sometimes-threatening way of reminding people to do their daily language lessons. NurPhoto/via Getty Images hide caption

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NurPhoto/via Getty Images

Business

RIP Duo, the Duolingo owl. Why would the company kill its own mascot?

Duo was fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck, the language-learning company announced this week. The snarky owl has been the face of Duolingo for over a decade. Why his sudden demise, and what's next?

Syl Cole and Ashley Abaya

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Chloe Veltman/NPR

Valentine's Day

Squeeze into a photo booth for a Valentine's Day smooch

In honor of Valentine's Day, we stop in at the new Photo Booth Museum in San Francisco to find out how people are using the booths to celebrate their love.

Squeeze into a photo booth for a Valentine's Day smooch

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Demi Moore's 'The Substance' will get under your skin

Demi Moore in The Substance. Christine Tamalet/MUBI hide caption

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Christine Tamalet/MUBI

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Demi Moore's 'The Substance' will get under your skin

The Substance is a bloody, campy, fiercely feminist body horror film. Demi Moore plays a TV aerobics instructor who learns of a mysterious drug that causes another younger, entirely separate version of herself (Margaret Qualley) to splurt out of her back and assume her consciousness. The movie has earned Moore her first Oscar nomination, and she's the frontrunner in this year's best actress race. So we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit our conversation about the movie.

Demi Moore's 'The Substance' will get under your skin

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Mike Leigh on 'Hard Truths,' James Bond and more

Mike Leigh of 'Hard Truths' poses in the Getty Images Portrait Studio Presented by IMDb and IMDbPro during the Toronto International Film Festival at InterContinental Toronto Centre on September 06, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for IMDb hide caption

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Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Mike Leigh on 'Hard Truths,' James Bond and more

We welcome director Mike Lee back to the show. He talks with us about his recent film Hard Truths and what it was like to reunite with actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste on the project. He also tells us about how he reacted to reading one of the first rave reviews he received as a filmmaker.

Listen to This Episode

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Our guide to the great shows on network TV

Wendi Mclendon-Covey as Joyce in St. Denis Medical. Ron Batzdorff/NBC hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our guide to the great shows on network TV

In the age of streaming content and "Prestige TV" it's easy to forget that old school TV networks are still out here, pumping out television shows. ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC have launched new series that adopt familiar formats – cop shows, lawyer shows, doctor shows – but each has something special to recommend it. So we're talking about St. Denis Medical, Doc, Doctor Odyssey, Matlock and High Potential.

Our guide to the great shows on network TV

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We recap the 2025 Super Bowl

Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images hide caption

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We recap the 2025 Super Bowl

At this year's Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. During the halftime show, Kendrick Lamar performed his Grammy-winning diss track "Not Like Us," and brought out special guests Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, and SZA. And we watched plenty of commercials featuring celebrities.

We recap the 2025 Super Bowl

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Karla Sofía Gascón attends the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Awards in January.

Karla Sofía Gascón attends the Palm Springs International Film Awards in January. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Society hide caption

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Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Society

Oscars 2025

Karla Sofía Gascón's posts derailed an Oscars run. In Spain, that raised eyebrows

Before Oscar-nominated movie Emilia Pérez, star Karla Sofía Gascón was relatively unknown in her home country. Now, Spanish news shows are filled with commentary about the actress and the fallout over her tweets.

SPAIN REACTION TO KARLA SOFIA GASCON TWEETS

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Teardown is a video game where players steal and destroy things for shady clients.

If you are in the mood to break stuff and smash into walls, Teardown is the video game for you. Screenshot by NPR/Tuxedo Labs, Saber Interactive hide caption

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Screenshot by NPR/Tuxedo Labs, Saber Interactive

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and gaming

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Chef John Mitzewich, Star Trek, the return of baseball and the videogame Teardown.

'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

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Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power
Islen Milien

Code Switch

Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power

Critics point out the apparent hypocrisy of a pro-Black rapper like Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, since the NFL isn't exactly an institution that's known for its support of Black lives. So on this episode, we're digging into the history of hip hop and how it's been co-opted.

Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power

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'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

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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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In this video, YouTuber Post 10 clears a massive drain in a lake.

The world is full of unsolvable problems and sometimes you just want to see something get fixed. Above, YouTuber post 10 unclogs a backed up drain in one of his videos. Post 10/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Post 10/Screenshot by NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Sometimes, you just need to take a break and watch a guy unclog a drain

The world is full of unsolvable problems and it's nice to see something get fixed. Millions of us are turning to YouTube to watch people unclog drains, deep clean rugs, and do other satisfying tasks.

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