Movies

Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand play Shakespeare's famously murderous couple in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Arts

This 'Macbeth' adaptation distills Shakespeare's tragedy to its furious essence

1:52pm December 23, 2021

by Justin Chang

Director Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth is a bewitching piece of craftsmanship, featuring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as the murderous power couple.

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Illustration showing a person gazing into a glowing green Matrix. Their reflection smiles lovingly back.

Arts

'I, too, was living a double life': Why trans fans connect to 'The Matrix'

8:50pm December 22, 2021

by Connie Hanzhang Jin

Long before writers Lilly and Lana Wachowski confirmed that the original film was written as a trans allegory, fans connected to its themes of self-actualization.

Arts

Penélope Cruz says just reading the script for 'Parallel Mothers' left her in tears

1:26pm December 22, 2021

by Terry Gross

In her latest film, Cruz plays a 40-something single woman who becomes pregnant unintentionally. While at the hospital, her character meets a pregnant teen who is very unhappy about having a baby.

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Books
Arts

'Cabaret' actor Alan Cumming unpacks his 'Baggage' in a new memoir

1:34pm December 20, 2021

by Terry Gross

The Tony Award-winning actor previously wrote about his childhood in Scotland and his abusive father. Cumming's new memoir centers on love, sexuality, career and mental health.

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Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star in Being the Ricardos.

Arts

'Being the Ricardos' takes a legendary comedienne seriously, with mixed results

7:00am December 20, 2021

by Aisha Harris

Aaron Sorkin's take on the scandals and controversies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is Sorkin-y to a fault. But Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and the rest of the cast keep things interesting.

Uzo Aduba on her role in new film exploring college athlete compensation debate

4:58pm December 19, 2021

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with actress Uzo Aduba about her new movie, National Champions.

In Sing 2, a troupe of singing animals take a big gamble on hitting it big in a Vegas-like resort.

Scarlett Johansson, Tori Kelly and Bono gamble big for superstardom in 'Sing 2'

4:58pm December 19, 2021

by Mandalit del Barco

In a sequel to the 2016 hit animated film, koala-bear mogul Buster Moon and his talented troupe try to land a dream booking, by promising to enlist a reclusive superstar.

Adam McKay talks new doomsday satire movie, 'Don't Look Up'

5:16pm December 18, 2021

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with director Adam McKay about his newest film, Don't Look Up.

Books

The message of 'It's A Wonderful Life' rings true 75 years later

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon speaks with Michael Willian, author of "It's a Wonderful Life: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film," about the 75th anniversary of the movie.

(Clockwise from upper left) Passing, The Souvenir Part II, Drive My Car, Parallel Mothers, Memoria and The Green Knight are among Justin Chang's favorite films of 2021.

Arts

Justin Chang pairs the 10 best movies of 2021 — plus 1 film that stands alone

11:31am December 17, 2021

by Justin Chang

Drive My Car tops Chang's list of the year's best movies, but plenty of other films made the return to theaters extra special.