2025 Sundance Film Festival: Best Movies

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 2025 Sundance Film Festival Highlights

Episode Title: 2025 Sundance Film Festival: Best Movies
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Hosted By: Aisha Harris
Guests: Monica Castillo (Senior Film Programmer at Jacob Burns Film Center), Christina Escobar (Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Latina Media Punto Co.)
Podcast: Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

Introduction

In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, host Aisha Harris welcomes film critic Monica Castillo and entertainment journalist Christina Escobar to discuss standout films from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The trio delves into a curated selection of movies that captured their attention, offering insights into what makes each film noteworthy. Below is a detailed summary of their discussions, complete with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

1. Together

Directed by Michael Shanks
Starring: Dave Franco and Alison Brie
Genre: Horror/Thriller

Overview:
Monica Castillo introduces "Together" as a breakout feature from Sundance, recently picked up by Neon for wider release. The film centers on a couple, portrayed by real-life spouses Dave Franco and Alison Brie, who relocate to the countryside amid relationship strains and encounter a mysterious cave that transforms their lives.

Key Discussions:

• Symbolism and Themes:
  Monica highlights the use of body horror as a metaphor for toxic codependency, drawing parallels to films like The Thing and Honeymoon. She remarks, “I love how this movie uses body horror as a sort of metaphor for toxic codependency and how messy everything gets” ([00:46]).

• Performance and Special Effects:
  Aisha appreciates the chemistry between Brie and Franco, noting the high-quality special effects: “I also really appreciated the special effects here. Were pretty top notch” ([02:23]).

• Audience Reaction:
  The film was well-received by audiences, becoming a crowd-pleaser despite its weirdness. Aisha adds, “It seems like this felt like one of the crowd pleasers, just like a really weird movie” ([02:53]).

Conclusion:
"Together" is set for an August release and is recommended for viewers seeking a blend of horror and relational drama wrapped in engaging special effects.

2. Virgin of the Quarry

Directed by Laura Cassavey
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Christina Escobar presents "Virgin of the Quarry" as a distinctive horror film that stands out in the indie circuit. Set in early 2000s Argentina, the film explores themes of political oppression intertwined with a coming-of-age narrative.

Key Discussions:

• Unique Genre Blending:
  Christina appreciates the film's dynamic approach to horror, combining political commentary with traditional genre elements. She states, “the director decided to turn this into a movie about what he would have made. And basically it's him narrating... the deconstruction and critique of the entire true crime documentary genre” ([14:35]).

• Character Development:
  The protagonist, a teenage girl, embodies both evil and relatability, allowing audiences to root for her despite her dark actions. Christina notes, “the main character is growing in her power in a way that is perhaps evil, but also really easy to root for” ([05:45]).

• Political Context:
  The film subtly integrates Argentina's early 2000s political climate, enhancing the narrative's depth. Monica adds, “she doesn't have all the information because she's a child. So you're appreciating her perspective and how scary and confusing this all is for her” ([13:44]).

Conclusion:
"Virgin of the Quarry" is lauded for its intelligent blending of political themes with horror, making it a must-watch for fans seeking depth in indie horror films.

3. Lurker

Directed by Alex Russell
Starring: Theodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox
Genre: Dark Comedy/Drama

Overview:
Aisha Harris singles out "Lurker" as her favorite narrative film from Sundance. This feature marks Alex Russell's directorial debut and offers a sharp take on parasocial relationships within the celebrity culture.

Key Discussions:

• Concept and Execution:
  The film is compared to All About Eve, Ingrid Goes West, and The Other Two, focusing on the dynamics between a retail worker infiltrating a pop star's inner circle. Aisha describes it as, “a really sharp take on parasocial relationships” ([03:24]).

• Performance:
  The chemistry between Theodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe is highlighted, with special mention of Zack Fox’s standout role: “as soon as he pops up, you know what you're getting yourself into” ([06:23]).

• Directorial Vision:
  Alex Russell's keen insight into Gen Z’s social media influence on celebrity perception is praised, emphasizing the film's relevance and dark humor. Aisha praises, “Russell the director has such a keen eye for the sort of Gen Z social media take on celebrity” ([06:23]).

Conclusion:
"Lurker" is celebrated for its intelligent humor, dark undertones, and insightful critique of modern celebrity culture, making it a standout debut for Alex Russell.

4. Omaha

Directed by Cole Webley
Genre: Drama

Overview:
Monica Castillo introduces "Omaha" as a poignant road trip drama featuring a father and his two children facing eviction and uncertain futures. The film is noted for its emotional depth and stellar performances.

Key Discussions:

• Emotional Impact:
  Monica describes the film as "heartbreaking" and emotionally stirring, stating, “it was really gorgeous... incredibly jaw-dropping work from everybody” ([12:04]).

• Performance:
  John Magaro’s portrayal of a father struggling to maintain composure is particularly lauded. Aisha echoes this sentiment, mentioning Molly Bellwright’s devastating performance as a standout: “she has to play a character... that is both old enough to sort of know that something's wrong, but not old enough to be able to really do anything about it” ([12:10]).

• Critical Reception:
  While Monica praises the film’s emotional resonance, Christina offers a contrasting view, finding the narrative somewhat opaque: “I did not love this movie... I felt like I had no window into why he made that decision” ([12:10]).

Conclusion:
"Omaha" elicits mixed emotions but is universally acknowledged for its beautiful cinematography and strong performances, particularly by the child actors.

5. The Librarians

Directed by Kim A. Snyder
Genre: Documentary

Overview:
Christina Escobar introduces "The Librarians" as a compelling documentary that delves into the resistance against book bans in Southern states, highlighting the heroes behind these battles—local librarians.

Key Discussions:

• Subject Matter:
  The documentary focuses on librarians defending access to diverse books, portraying them as unsung heroes. Christina notes, “they’re just women who want to help kids, which feels very sympathetic” ([14:35]).

• Perspective and Impact:
  Kim A. Snyder strategically showcases librarians from various backgrounds, emphasizing the real-life consequences of book banning on young people’s access to representation: “it really does something a little bit different” ([03:24]).

• Emotional Resonance:
  Aisha expresses regret at missing the film's premiere, underscoring its timely and urgent message: “it feels very very powerful and of this moment” ([16:58]).

Conclusion:
"The Librarians" is praised for its strong perspective and emotional depth, making it a vital documentary for understanding the current state of censorship and its impact on youth.

6. Zodiac Killer Project

Directed by Charlie Shackleton
Genre: Documentary/Meta-Critique

Overview:
Aisha Harris highlights "Zodiac Killer Project" as an innovative documentary that not only explores the infamous Zodiac Killer case but also deconstructs the true crime genre itself.

Key Discussions:

• Innovative Approach:
  The film begins as Shackleton attempts to adapt a book about the Zodiac Killer but transforms into a meta-critique of true crime documentaries. Christina remarks, “it was really a lot of fun for just like, a talking head movie with, like, building shots” ([19:28]).

• Genre Critique:
  Shackleton scrutinizes the true crime genre’s tropes and clichés, offering both admiration and criticism. He is quoted saying, “it just felt different” ([20:35]).

• Reception and Impact:
  Despite initial skepticism about the film's format, both hosts agree that Shackleton successfully maintains engagement through its self-aware narrative: “he absolutely sticks the landing” ([19:28]).

Conclusion:
"Zodiac Killer Project" stands out for its self-referential critique and intellectual engagement with the true crime genre, offering audiences a fresh perspective on a well-trodden subject.

Final Thoughts

Monica Castillo, Christina Escobar, and Aisha Harris each brought unique perspectives to the discussion, offering listeners a comprehensive look at some of the most impactful films from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. From horror masterpieces to emotionally charged dramas and thought-provoking documentaries, this episode serves as a valuable guide for cinephiles eager to explore the festival's best offerings.

Notable Quotes:

• Monica Castillo on "Together": “I love how this movie uses body horror as a sort of metaphor for toxic codependency and how messy everything gets.” ([00:46]).

• Aisha Harris on "Lurker": “Russell the director has such a keen eye for the sort of Gen Z social media take on celebrity.” ([06:23]).

• Christina Escobar on "Zodiac Killer Project": “the director clearly is a fan of true crime, but also his eyes are open to the genre's beats.” ([19:28]).

Additional Resources

For a complete list of featured films and more in-depth reviews, visit Pop Culture Happy Hour's Letterboxd account.

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Produced by Hafsa Fathoma and Lennon Sherburn. Edited by Mike Katsiff. Supervising Producer: Jessica Reedy. Theme Music by Hello, Kamin.

Transcript

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[Aisha Harris]

We watched many films at the Sundance Film Festival, and we're recommending some of the best things we saw this year. They they include a thrilling debut from a writer on the bear, a timely doc about the wave of book bans across America, and a bizarro horror comedy starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco. I'm Aisha Harris. And joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is film critic and senior film programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center, Monica Castillo. Welcome back, Monica.

[Monica Castillo]

Glad to be here.

[Aisha Harris]

Great to have you. And also here is entertainment journalist Christina Escobar. She's the co founder and editor in chief of Latina Media Punto Co. Welcome back to you too, Christina.

[Christina Escobar]

Thanks for having me.

[Aisha Harris]

So great to have you here. So Christina, Monica and I all went out to snowy Park City, Utah, to cover the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. I ran into both of you there. It was great seeing you both. And now we're all back and we're gonna share some of the films that are worth keeping an eye out for as they hopefully, fingers crossed, get wider release in the coming months. So let's get into it. Monica, I'm gonna start with you. This is a movie that we actually sat next to each other for. Tell me more about it.

[Monica Castillo]

Yeah. And it's appropriately named Together.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Monica Castillo]

It was one of the, maybe one of the breakouts that people are gonna hear out of this year's Sundance. It also just got picked up by Neon, which is super exciting. So there will be an opportunity for people to check this out. But this is a feature film debut from Michael Shanks, and it stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple who might be at the end of their relationship, but they decide to move to the country for her new job. And of course, they come across a mysterious cave with some mysterious things. And things get oh, so weird. I love how this movie uses body horror as a sort of metaphor for toxic codependency and how messy everything gets. It reminded me of the thing and of this movie called Honeymoon. I had so much fun with it. I was afraid I was having maybe too much fun and maybe, you know, shrieking a little too loud. But that's the kind of fun movie this is. So I really enjoyed it. This was one of the highlights of My Sundance this year.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, I thought this was really fun as well. And, you know, Alison Brie and Dave Franco are, of course, married in real life. So you kind of get that peek, perhaps, or not into their relationship. Probably less so because this is a really dark movie. It gets really weird. I also really appreciated the special effects here. Were pretty top notch.

[Monica Castillo]

Yeah, they're pretty gnarly.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, it's pretty gnarly. I mean, this has been like, quite a few years for body horror. Between this and the substance, I don't think it's quite as difficult to watch as the substance.

[Monica Castillo]

It's still out there.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But also still really, really funny and really enjoyable as well. So I also really liked watching this, and the audience that we saw it with was very into it. It seems like this felt like one of the crowd pleasers, just like a really weird movie. And, yeah, it's just pretty fun. And this is gonna be released, it looks like sometime in August. So that's together. Directed by Michael Shanks. Christina, let's go with your first pick here, which is the Virgin of the Quarry. Tell us about it.

[Christina Escobar]

Yeah, my first pick is another horror film. To me, this is like, why you go to Sundance, is to see films like this where there's nobody you recognize, like a true indie film. And it's a really dynamic way to play with the genre, because while it is, yes, a horror film and it's a young girl coming to age horror film, it really does something a little bit different. So I think whenever you have those basic plot points, you're going to start thinking of movies like Carrie. The protagonist is oppressed and she strikes out, which is basically what happens in this film. But it feels so very different because while there is oppression, it's largely political oppression. They're teens growing up in Argentina. There's a big political situation in the early 2000s there that they're facing. And our main character is growing in her power in a way that is perhaps evil, but also really easy to root for. I was like, get em. Which felt a little bit different than perhaps some of the other things you felt. I really love this film. I had a chance to interview the director, Laura Cassavey, and she mentioned that the true demon, she thought, was the political situation, which I thought was just so smart for how it played out in the film.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, this is one I got to catch up with as well. It is pretty gruesome. Yeah, there's a lot of blood in this movie. I also like the way this film plays with the idea of the lead character, you know, like a teenage girl being evil and not really wavering from that. Also, I love that it's set, you know, in the early 2000s, so you've got, like, this sort of. There's a lot of moments where we're talking online on, you know, AIM or whatever, in an Internet cafe. Remember those? What a time. And the way that, like, it has a really unique sense of time and place and what it was like to be perhaps a teenage girl in that era, which I was at that time, not in Argentina, but, like, there was a lot that I could sort of pick out from that character, who's played by Dolores Oliverio. I saw so much of myself in her, even though, you know, I don't think I was a bad teenager. But this idea of, like, jealousy and wanting to lose your virginity, like, all these things were very, very relatable, even amongst all the horror tropes.

[Christina Escobar]

Yeah, I think that was really the trick of the film, where it's like, in some ways a descent into darkness, but in other ways, it felt like her stepping into her power. And because she was so relatable, it was easy to root for her, even when she's, I mean, blowing the whole thing up, going south. And it was really bloody and, like, interesting. The interplay of, like, what it was to be a teenager back then, but also then layering on the political situation and how that might affect somebody growing up and their sense of self and their sense of justice. And also just, like, regular teenage girl emotion stuff. Like, what does it mean to be passed over? How does that feel? It's not good.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, absolutely. So that is the Virgin of the Quarry Lake, and it's directed by Laura Casabe. It sounds like it has a distribution from a Spanish studio called Filmax, but no release date as of this taping. So we'll have to keep an eye out to see whether or not that gets picked up at some point. But sounds like me and Christina both really enjoyed it, so you should definitely keep an eye out now. We're gonna stay in evil, weird, quirky territory from my first pick, which is Lurker, directed by Alex Russell. This is the feature film debut for him. He's written for the Bear and Beef, so if you've seen either of those shows, you might know where this is going. I think it might have been like, my favorite narrative film out of the entire festival. It's kind of like All About Eve meets Ingrid Goes west meets the Other Two. It's this really sharp take on parasocial relationships and Stand it stars Theodore Pellerin as a retail worker who kind of worms his way into the inner circle of this on the rise pop star who's played by Archie Madekwe who you might recognize as Farley from Saltburn. He is great here. They both are great here. And what I love about it is that you know, Pellerin plays the sort of like starstruck Barnacle and then Madekwe is playing like this very self serious pop star who's always aiming to like he's trying to be the best that he can be. But then he also just like is so insecure and has all of these like his entire inner circle is just people who are yes people. They do whatever he wants. One of them is Zack Fox who is being Zack Fox if you are familiar with him. He played Janine's ex boyfriend, the crazy ex boyfriend from Abbott Elementary. So as soon as he pops up, you know what you're getting yourself into. I just really that it handles familiar themes in a really clever way. It's smart, it's funny and it's very, very dark all the way to the end. And I really loved it. And I think just Russell the director has such a keen eye for the sort of Gen Z social media take on celebrity that I think, you know, shows like I already mentioned the other two but like it feels very of that piece dark, funny and I just loved it. So that for me was one of my favorites. It's Lurker, directed by Alex Russell and we're going to take a quick break before we get into our second and final picks of Sundance, so don't go away.

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[Aisha Harris]

Are back and the three of us are going to continue talking about our favorite things out of Sundance. Monica, give us your second pick.

[Monica Castillo]

My next pick is the movie Omaha, which is also a feature film debut from Cole Webley. It follows a dad who takes his two kids and hits the road as quickly as possible after an eviction. And we don't quite know where they're headed or what's going on. Things come together kind of piecemeal. And when things really come together. Whoa, hold on. Bring the tissues. It's gonna pull at the heartstrings. It was a really tough watch, but it's really gorgeous. I loved, love, love the performances of everyone in the cast. I mean, that was the thing that stood out to me, was that I believed every single one of the actors here. And two of them are children. They're babies and they're so good. John Magaro, who you might have seen in movies like First Cow and Past Lives, plays the father. And this one, he's trying to restrain his emotions so, so much that it feels like you're starting to see the cracks little by little as you go further along in the road trip. And it's just heartbreaking. But he does such a beautiful job. And he does such a beautiful job with the two young actors who are Wyatt Solis and Molly Bellwright. I mean, just incredible jaw dropping work from everybody.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. I think this is the one pick that all three of us have seen. Christina, your thoughts?

[Christina Escobar]

I did not love this movie. I had a hard time with it. I agree. The acting was beautiful. The shots were beautiful. I predicted the ending a little bit, which parts were there, But I guess I just felt like this was a film about a person making an impossible decision, and I felt like I had no window into why he made that decision.

[Aisha Harris]

No. I think I fall somewhere in the middle between both of you. This movie definitely felt like it was the theme for it was withholding to a fault, maybe, But I also think there were just so many moments, especially the performance by Molly Bellwright, who I think is just, you know, child actors. I have mixed thoughts about it, especially concerning all we know about what that world is like for them behind the scenes or can be like for them behind the scenes. If you put all that away and you look at what's on the screen. Here she is giving such a devastating performance. She has to play a character, a child who, like, is both old enough to sort of know that something's wrong, but not old enough to be able to really do anything about it or even just, like, fully grasp what the possibility could be. This felt very Sundance y, like, prototypical Sundance movie for me, for better and for worse. But overall, I think it's definitely something worth watching. And I agree with Monica completely that, like, you might need some tissues, you might need. You might be bawling and taking off your glasses or whatever. It's that kind of movie.

[Monica Castillo]

I wish I could have found mine in the dark, that I kind of regretted that I was like, oh, it's just happening. All right.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Monica Castillo]

The story was so interesting to me because, yes, it does feel Sundancey, but in, like, a good. In the best possible, better possible way of what we think of. Of a Sundance movie, because it is a little different. They don't tell you everything that's happening, and that's why you're also figuring this out as an adult. And then she doesn't have all the information because she's a child. So you're appreciating her perspective and how scary and confusing this all is for her. But also, I, you know, kind of saw it from the dad's perspective as well, where he can't tell these kids what's going to happen next. It's. It's really, like you said, Christina, an impossible situation. So, yeah, heartbreaks all around. But I enjoyed the movie, and I enjoyed those performances quite a bit.

[Aisha Harris]

So that is Omaha, directed by Cole Webley. Christina, give us your next pick.

[Christina Escobar]

Yeah, so my next pick is the Librarians, which is a documentary film that I thought was absolutely stellar. Evocative, strong perspective. I saw the press screening of it at Sundance, and it had the most reaction of anything that I saw. And I saw like Selena y Los Dinos in a theater filled with Latinos. I saw Kids with the Spider Woman. JLO was there and, like, literally everyone was reacting so, so strongly to the librarians. So it follows librarians over the course of years as they encounter and grapple with requests to take books out of their libraries. And in political documentaries, there's kind of like two different types, right? There's the ones that feel partisan and really have a strong perspective. And then there are the ones that try to, like, make both sides equal. This one is definitely has a strong perspective. It is clear that book banning is wrong and these librarians are heroes. However, how it shows that and the librarians, the filmmaker Kim A. Snyder picked is very strategic. So she focuses on a set of librarians who are in these Southern states. They talk about being veterans, about the churches they're a part of. Like, like, they're not the stereotypical left wing person. They're just like women who want to help kids, which feels very sympathetic, no matter sort of where you are on the spectrum. And then they face this really extreme consequences for doing what is in the librarian Code, which the film references over and over again. I think the documentary succeeds in explaining both the consequences to, like, the librarians themselves, but it also goes into and really shows what happens when people don't have access, when young people in particular don't have access to books that represent them. And the stakes are just so clear and so heavy. And it all combines to create this story that feels visceral, even about something perhaps not everybody finds super sexy, which is libraries and librarians. But it does this sort of amazing switch that I felt was very, very powerful and of this moment.

[Aisha Harris]

I'm sad that I missed this at Sundance, because every year at Sundance, there's always the sort of splashier celebrity documentaries. And this year we had Sly Stone 1, directed by Questlove, which I enjoyed and you also had. So, as you mentioned already, Christina Selena Ilostinos. There was one about Pee Wee Herman, but I always tend to gravitate towards the ones that are more subject or thematic as opposed to focused on one person. And this one just sounds also just super of the moment, timely, urgent, and it looks like it's going to air on PBS as part of Independent Lens. So I definitely look forward to checking that one out. That is the Librarians, directed by Kim A. Snyder. And for my last pick, I'm actually going to stay in the documentary realm this is probably the first movie that I watched at Sundance that just kind of blew me away. And that is Zodiac Killer Project. How do we describe this one? So it's directed by Charlie Shackleton, and the premise of this doc is that he wanted to make a documentary about this book called the Zodiac Killer Cover up the Silenced Badge by Lyndon E. Lafferty, which was published back in 2012. And Lafferty was this California highway patrolman who became convinced that he encountered the Zodiac Killer sometime in the late 60s or early 70s, and then spent decades trying to bring him to justice and failed. And so Shackleton wanted to get the rights to this, but Lafferty's family wouldn't grant him the rights. So instead the director decided to turn this into a movie about what he would have made. And basically it's him narrating, like, shot by shot, beat by beat, the sort of documentary he would tell. But then it turns into this deconstruction and critique of the entire true crime documentary genre. It's very self aware. Like, Shackleton clearly is, like, drawn to this subject, just like so many of us are. But he's also very, very pointed in his critique. You know, he calls out making a murderer the jinx. Like all of these different. The things that we. We have gobbled up as a society over the last, like 10 years or so of 10, 15 years. About a third of the way through it. I was like, I wonder how he's gonna sustain this. Like, it's short. It's only like 90 minutes long. Is he gonna stick the landing? And in my opinion, he absolutely sticks the landing. Christina, I know you also saw it. Do. Do you feel similar?

[Christina Escobar]

I really liked it. I really liked it. And I had that same thought. I was like, is this going to keep going like this? Are we going to. Is it going to change? Is it going to go different? And no, they really stuck to their concept and I thought it worked because the director clearly is a fan of true crime, but also his eyes are open to the genre's beats. You know, like even how he describes the footage that they would use. And, like how there's always, like birds taking off in an opening sequence. Like, some of this stuff is so good and it's such an interesting meta textual analysis while he's doing the thing that he's talking about. I thought it was really fun. And even though I was a little bit like, is this gonna keep going like this? I'm glad it did. And it kept me sort of looped in to be like, how Are we gonna go? Where is it gonna end? And it felt like, yeah, there's a movie within a movie within a movie. And yet somehow it is both intellectually interesting and the plot keeps us going through in a way that was arty and different, but not alienating. Like maybe some of the other arty films I saw at Sundance. I really like this one.

[Aisha Harris]

The thing is, all of these critiques that he's making in the movie aren't new. We've heard it in podcasts, we've seen the parodies, but this just felt different. I do wonder, again, this does not currently have distribution at the time of us recording this. I do wonder if what will pick it up? Who will pick it up? Just because, again, he calls out Netflix and HBO and there are clips from Making a Murder in here. There's a jinx like it's there. But I do think this is such a great experiment and project and a new way of thinking about the true crime genre that I'm just so glad exists.

[Christina Escobar]

Well, and it was fun to hear the critiques from an insider, right? Like somebody who wants to make a true crime film who is invested in the format professionally. So it's like he critiques Dahmer pretty hard, but then he also goes, but it was great. He means it. He means both things. And I think that approach as like, a fan and a filmmaker really makes it unique and fun to watch kind of wherever you fall on the true crime spectrum reaction situation. And so it works and is fun also. It just was, like, a lot of fun for just like, a talking head movie with, like, building shots, you know? It was good.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, that is Zodiac killer project, directed by Charlie Shackleton. Hopefully, at some point, everyone else will get a chance. Chance to see it, too. There's a lot going on and a lot to discuss when it comes to true crime, and this is a great way of doing it. Well, we saw so many more great movies. We obviously couldn't get to all of them here. So we will have a list on our letterboxd [e-mail] nprpoculture we'll have a link to that in our episode description. And that brings us to the end of our show. Monica Castillo, Cristina Escobar, thanks so much for being here.

[Monica Castillo]

Thanks for having us.

[Christina Escobar]

Thank you.

[Aisha Harris]

This episode was produced by Hafsa Fathoma and Lennon Sherburn and edited by Mike Katsiff. Our supervising producer is Jessica Reedy, and hello, Kamin provides our theme music. Thanks so much for listening to pop culture. Happy hour from npr. I'm Aisha Harris, and we'll see you all tomorrow.

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