Pop Culture Happy Hour

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Sense and Sensibility Oct 20, 2026

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A new Jane Austen adaptation is going to give you love, family and honor, repressed emotions and probably financial peril that can only be resolved through marriage. A new film version of Austen's Sense and Sensibility touches on those familiar themes with the Dashwood family, which include the two oldest sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles). They are, in true Austen fashion, at the mercy of laws that deny widows and daughters financial security. But is this new film a sensible addition to Austen’s film canon?
Looking for more buzzy adaptations? Check out these episodes:
Truth is elusive in the erotic thriller ‘Verity’
'East of Eden' brings a light modern touch to an epic literary classic
Should you test out ‘The Love Hypothesis’?
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Whalefall and What's Making Us Happy Oct 19, 2026

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Guy meets whale; complications ensue. That's basically the plot of the new survival thriller Whalefall. It stars Austin Abrams as Jay, who goes diving in search of his deceased father (Josh Brolin) – and is swallowed by a whale. Based on the book by Daniel Kraus, the movie also has a lot to say about fathers and sons, as well as the lessons they have to teach each other.
If you’re looking for more with Austin Abrams, check out these episodes:
‘Resident Evil' is a grisly, funny fight to survive
In 'Weapons', the kids aren't at all right, not in the slightest, nope
High school is hazardous in the stylish 'Do Revenge'
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You Can See Everything Oct 16, 2026

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About a month before Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes went to prison for defrauding her investors, she and her partner Billy Evans invited a film crew to document their lives at home with their kids. And they didn't make a deal with a conventional filmmaking team. They connected with Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. Fielder’s unusual nonfiction work blurs the lines between truth and artifice, so the resulting documentary, You Can See Everything, depicts Fielder's efforts to figure her out using some very unusual methods.
Check out these episodes next:
‘Primetime’ sits you down with sleaze
'The Rehearsal' is about reality... and surreality
'The Dropout' finds the voice of Elizabeth Holmes
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The Lowdown Oct 15, 2026

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The great FX series The Lowdown stars Ethan Hawke as a freelance investigative reporter with a knack for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and getting that nose punched. He gets drawn into the seedy goings-on of one of Tulsa's most prominent families. Created by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), the modern-day Western noir comedy has an excellent ensemble including Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Killer Mike. The Lowdown just returned for a second season, so today we’re revisiting our conversation about the series.
If you need more comedies with great casts, check out these episodes:
‘Widow’s Bay’ is an island in the scream
Lisa Kudrow returns in 'The Comeback,' and we did need to see that
Gen Z awkwardly transitions into 'Adults'
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ is (30) Rock-solid
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Other Mommy Oct 14, 2026

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The trailer for the movie Other Mommy went viral when it dropped a few months ago. It dominated the box office this weekend, but was panned by critics. But is it really one of the worst movies of the year? It’s about a 7-year-old girl who is visited by a mysterious entity who takes the form of her mother, played by Jessica Chastain. It’s a lean, intense horror film full of dark family secrets and grisly body horror.
Looking for more horror films? Check out these episodes:
‘It Ends’ is horror as hangout
'Backrooms' brings YouTube horror to the big screen
In ‘Obsession,’ love hurts. It really, really, really hurts.
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Carrie Oct 12, 2026

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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 events.
Looking for more TV and movies inspired by Stephen King? Check out these episodes:
Glen Powell is ‘The Running Man’ in the latest Stephen King adaptation
A new generation is down to clown in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’
‘The Long Walk’ is a long walk to nowhere
Dance with Tom Hiddleston through 'The Life of Chuck'
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The Social Reckoning and What’s Making Us Happy Oct 09, 2026

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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 journalism?
Looking for other potential Oscar contenders? Check out these episodes:
The movies and TV we’re most excited about this fall
‘Primetime’ sits you down with sleaze
Tom Cruise in 'Digger' is loud, divisive and intensely committed to the bit
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East of Eden Oct 07, 2026

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A new series on Netflix is taking a bold crack at the American classic. Maybe you read John Steinbeck’s East of Edenin school. Or maybe you’ve seen the very loosely-adapted film starring James Dean. Anchored by a fantastic Florence Pugh performance, this new adaptation follows multiple generations of the Trask family. The series is an epic retelling of their story that offers a fresh perspective for new audiences.
Looking for more adaptations of classic literature? Check out these episodes:
Little House on the Prairie
‘Lord of the Flies’ gets the Netflix treatment
Only Guillermo del Toro could've made this 'Frankenstein'
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Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother Oct 06, 2026

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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 on troubled detectives
'Margo's Got Money Troubles' is a smart adaptation well worth your time
‘One Battle After Another’ is revolutionary — and revelatory
'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You' shows off Rose Byrne's dramatic chops
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Verity Oct 05, 2026

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Verity stars Dakota Johnson as a struggling novelist who gets an unusual assignment. She's been asked to ghostwrite the final books by a superstar writer, played by Anne Hathaway. It’s an erotic thriller about marriage, manipulators, and (of course) murder. Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, Verity is a story of deceit that wants you to keep guessing until the very end, and maybe even after that.
Looking for more books adapted for the screen? Check out these episodes:
"Wuthering Heights" is rude, moody and broody
'No Other Choice' is the perfect movie for our moment
'Little Women' Is A Dynamic Sister Act
Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
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