Pop Culture Happy Hour

More than 20 years into the Fast & Furious franchise, the saga keeps roaring on with the latest installment, Fast X. With a star-studded cast including Vin Diesel and Jason Momoa and many more, the film has plenty of absurd action sequences and logic-defying stunts that have become a trademark. But after all this time, does the magic of fast cars, backyard BBQs and family persist?

In the charming Amazon Freevee sitcom Primo, Rafa is a typical 16-year-old kid navigating life with the help of his enterprising mom and five very colorful uncles. The show was created by journalist and podcaster Shea Serrano and is executive produced by Mike Schur (The Good Place, Parks & Recreation). So unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of pop culture references, silly situations, and a heartfelt moment or two.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

The Fast & The Furious debuted as a scruffy car-culture movie, and it was a hit. The franchise, fronted by Vin Diesel, has become a blockbuster machine. In anticipation of Fast X, we're encoring our episode about the legacy of the Fast & Furious franchise.

Book Club: The Next Chapter is a sequel that reunites four legendary actresses: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. In this iteration, the ladies jet-set to Italy. It's a light-hearted, very silly romp with a meet-cute, an old paramour, lost luggage, and multiple jokes about meatballs.

Today we offer up a guide to some of the most exciting movies, TV, and music you can check out this summer.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Books can take you anywhere. Across oceans, across borders, to places you may have never seen. And those books are some of the ones that we treasure the most. Today we're recommending great books that take you around the world.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, and Succession will conclude this month, and it's not easy to end a TV series. So we decided to debate: what is the greatest TV finale of all time?Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

After two seasons of Bridgerton, Netflix is ready for a spin-off. The new series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story dives into the past as it explores the monarch's long marriage to King George III, the way her racial identity affects her experience and her country, and her early relationship with her dear friend Lady Agatha Danbury. It both is and is not like the Bridgerton we know.

In Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, our heroes are attacked by a new mysterious villain, and must embark on a dangerous mission to save the life of Rocket Raccoon. Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie brings back Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as our ever-expanding Guardians team. It's in theaters now.

A nun, an all-knowing AI, the Holy Grail, a secret society of women, and a falafel shop. These are just some of the many elements that collide in the messy, delightful, joyfully silly Mrs. Davis. Starring Betty Gilpin, and co-created by talent from Lost, The Leftovers, and The Big Bang Theory, the Peacock series lives up to all the chaotic promise of that lineup.

Judy Blume's 1970 novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was a staple of countless childhoods. But until now, it's never been adapted into a film. Like the book, the movie tells the story of a preteen girl who moves to New Jersey, makes new friends, and waits for the arrival of her period.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

John Mulaney wants to talk about drugs. In his latest Netflix comedy special, Baby J, he recounts the intervention in late 2020 that sent him to rehab. He talks about his resistance to giving up cocaine, his schemes to avoid sobriety, and how it feels to have your star-studded friends tell you how worried they are over Zoom.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

In the fun, genre-mashing action comedy Polite Society, Priya Kansara plays Ria, a spunky teen who aspires to be a movie stuntwoman. When her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) suddenly gets engaged, Ria becomes determined to sabotage the wedding. The movie is the feature debut of Nida Manzoor, who created the acclaimed series We Are Lady Parts. And it's a sharp, yet loving exploration of sisterhood — though with a bit more fighting and stunts.

In the extremely divisive film Beau Is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix stars as a schlubby, anxiety-ridden man whose existence is an extended nightmare of guilt, shame, dread and paranoia. Written and directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), the film follows Beau as he attempts to visit his mother. But he gets repeatedly frustrated by a series of deeply disturbing obstacles that may be real, or may be entirely of his own making.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

The iconic singer, humanitarian, and actor Harry Belafonte died today at the age of 96. His career spanned many decades, giving award-winning performances, where he dazzled regardless of the genre. We're remembering Belafonte's life and legacy – and talking about some of his great performances.

Sam Raimi's 1981 horror movie The Evil Dead became a cult classic, spawning two sequels, a TV series, and a 2013 film that "reimagined" the franchise. Now, the series gets another reset with Evil Dead Rise – complete with a new writer and director (Lee Cronin), a new cast (including Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland), and a truly extraordinary amount of blood.

In the new Netflix drama, The Diplomat, Keri Russell plays an ambassador who's thrust into an international incident with massive stakes. She's also sorting through a tumultuous marriage with her husband, a hotshot veteran diplomat (Rufus Sewell). The series combines the tension of Homeland with the administrative drama of The West Wing – which makes sense, given that The Diplomat's creator worked on both shows.

Judy Blume has been a prominent author for more than 50 years and her books are incredibly beloved. She's written for kids and adults, and has faced controversy. Perhaps her most treasured book, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, is about to get its first film adaptation, and Blume is the subject of a new documentary. Today, we're talking about why we love Judy Blume, and recommend some of our favorite books.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Jean-Luc Picard captained the starship Enterprise on the beloved series Star Trek: The Next Generation some 30 years ago. Patrick Stewart returned to that iconic role in the Paramount Plus series Picard. Now in its third and final season, Picard has brought the old Next Generation gang together for one last mission. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

In Showing Up, Michelle Williams plays a sculptor preparing to exhibit her work in a small art gallery, even as family and friends complicate her life and steal her focus. It's the latest feature from Kelly Reichardt, a director known for quiet, intimate films about isolation, alienation, and community.