Film

Paul W. Downs co-created and stars in the HBO Max Series 'Hacks'. The series centers on Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart), a veteran comedian whose career is waning. In response, Deborah's manager (played by Downs) brings in a Gen-Z comic named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help freshen up her act. Along the way, Hacks explores themes of sexism in comedy and the nuances of "cancel culture" — as when some of Deborah's old offensive jokes resurface.

In the new Marvel Comics-inspired movie "Deadpool And Wolverine," Ryan Reynolds revisits his role as the wise-cracking antihero Deadpool, while Hugh Jackman returns as the fiercely brooding Wolverine from the "X-Men" films. Our critic Justin Chang says the new movie is as rude and crude as its target audience will want and expect but that it also offers a few nuggets of nostalgia for old-school X-Men fans. Here's Justin's review.

After making the hit film "Crazy Rich Asians" and the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "In The Heights," my guest, Jon M. Chu, is now adapting "Crazy Rich Asians" into a Broadway musical. He's directing a film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Wicked," which is expected to open in November.

David Leitch, is a former stuntman, who directed the new film, "The Fall Guy," about a stuntman, who ends up having to execute spectacular stunts in his real life in order to save the film he's working on, regain the love of the woman who's directing it and save his life. Inspired by the '80s TV series, "The Fall Guy," Leitch's new film is a blend of action film and rom-com, starring Ryan Gosling as the stunt man, and Emily Blunt as the camera operator-turned-director.

The new movie "Twisters" stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones as two intrepid storm chasers who compete with each other to find the biggest tornadoes. The movie is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, whose previous film, "Minari," was nominated for the Academy Award for best picture. Our critic-at-large, John Powers, says "Twisters" is a pleasurable summer blockbuster, with all the virtues and limitations that phrase suggests.

In the hit thriller "Longlegs," Maika Monroe plays an FBI agent tracking a serial killer with a possible satanic connection. It also stars Nicholas Cage and Blair Underwood. It's the latest from writer-director Osgood Perkins, whose previous horror movies include "The Blackcoat's Daughter" and "Gretel And Hansel." Our film critic Justin Chang has this review.

Our book critic, Maureen Corrigan, was in the mood for something different this week. She found it unexpectedly in a novel about plunging deeply into Shakespeare's sonnets. Here's Maureen's review of "Practice," the debut novel by Rosalind Brown.

Things have been looking up at the summer box office with the successes of "Inside Out 2" and the alien invasion thriller "A Quiet Place: Day One." It's a prequel to the first two "Quiet Place" movies, and it stars Lupita Nyong'o as a woman who finds herself in New York City when the deadly attack on humanity first begins. Our film critic, Justin Chang, has this review.

Towne, who died July 1, was nominated for an Oscar in 1974 for his screenplay for The Last Detail, and won the Academy Award in 1975 for his screenplay for Chinatown. Originally broadcast in 1988.

"Janet Planet" is the first feature film from the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker. The movie is set in 1991. Julianne Nicholson stars as a woman looking after her 11-year-old daughter in Western Massachusetts during a long, hot summer. "Janet Planet" is now in theaters. Our film critic Justin Chang has this review

Bazawule is best known for directing the 2023 adaptation of The Color Purple: The Musical. He also co-directed Black Is King with Beyoncé. His new exhibit of paintings is about growing up in Ghana.

The award-winning playwright talks about his provocative Slave Play, which earned 12 Tony nominations. A new HBO documentary chronicles the making of the production. Originally broadcast June 2023.

Oyelowo plays a formerly enslaved man who went on to become one of the nation's first Black Deputy U.S. Marshals in the Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Oyelowo also produced the series.

Nine years after "Inside Out" became one of Pixar's most successful animated features, a new sequel takes us back inside the mind of a girl named Riley. In "Inside Out 2," Riley is now 13, and she and her five emotions - Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust - are about to experience puberty. The movie opens today in theaters, and our film critic Justin Chang has this review.

The comic, actor and filmmaker came to the U.S. from El Salvador in his 20s. Torres tackled immigration in Problemista; his new HBO comedy series is Fantasmas. Originally broadcast March 24, 2024.

In the new Western "The Dead Don't Hurt," Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps play two lovers in a small Nevada town who are separated during the Civil War. Mortensen also wrote and directed the movie, which opens this week in theaters. Our film critic Justin Chang has this review.

The new Italian film "Kidnapped" tells the true story of how a young Jewish boy was taken away from his parents by the Catholic Church. The film was made by the celebrated director Marco Bellocchio. Our critic-at-large John Powers says it's a strong, often surprising film that uses a historical incident to raise issues that are of the moment.

Miller directed the first Mad Max in 1979, as well as Mad Max: Fury Road in 2014 and the new prequel Furiosa. In 2016, he revealed that he was never sure how his movies would hold up over time.

Corman, who died May 9, made hundreds of films, including the cult classics House of Usher and A Bucket of Blood. We listen back to a 1990 interview, plus critic John Powers offers an appreciation.

Our film critic Justin Chang named the Oscar-winning Japanese drama "Drive My Car" the best movie of 2021. Now the film's writer and director, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is back with "Evil Does Not Exist," a new drama set in a rural small town.