Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Great Movies We Missed"

Release Date: December 16, 2025
Host: NPR
Panelists: Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Aisha Harris
Guests: Bob Mondello (NPR film critic), Badatri D. Chaudhary (Philadelphia Inquirer arts and entertainment editor)

Episode Overview

This end-of-year episode focuses on spotlighting notable movies from 2025 that didn’t get their own full episode coverage on Pop Culture Happy Hour. The panelists and guests each champion a film that might have gone under the radar, ranging from a tense Brazilian political drama to a gentle queer romance to a witty feminist fable. The lively, knowledgeable discussion both celebrates these "missed" films and explores themes of cinematic storytelling, representation, and what makes a movie linger beyond the credits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of Year-End Recommendations

• Glenn Weldon introduces the idea that, with so many movies and limited episodes, the team likes to highlight favorites they didn’t get to cover during the regular season.
  • Quote: "Look, it's just logistics. Every year there's lots of movies worth talking about and only so many episodes of this show." (01:58)

2. Movie #1: The Secret Agent

Recommended by: Aisha Harris
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Starring: Wagner Moura
Setting: Brazil, 1977, during Carnival week and under military dictatorship

Synopsis & Themes

• Wagner Moura plays a widowed father and political refugee who returns to Recife under an alias to be with his son.
• A complex, ensemble-driven narrative weaving personal drama with the political volatility of the era.
• Visually lush cinematography juxtaposes the vibrancy of Carnival with the underlying menace of dictatorship.

Panel Reactions

• Aisha Harris: Praises both the film’s immersive atmosphere and standout supporting character, Donna Sebastiana.
  • Quote: "There are just all these little great moments in this movie that really come together. And also the cinematography. Ugh, beautiful." (06:44)
• Badatri D. Chaudhary: Notes the film’s deep cinephilia and its status as a "love letter to cinema," while not shying away from violence and political tension.
• Glenn Weldon: Highlights the film's "wonderful weirdness," inventive narrative devices, and its insight into propaganda and distraction under authoritarianism.
  • Quote: "There’s a framing device...then there’s that interlude about the leg that comes out of nowhere...you realize, oh, it's here for the power of propaganda." (07:54)
• Bob Mondello: Applauds the film’s world-building and emotional warmth ("Maura especially is just radiating... He loves his kid."). (08:00)

Timestamp Highlights:

• Introduction & Recommendation: 04:48
• Extended panel discussion: 06:13–08:44

3. Movie #2: Come See Me in the Good Light

Recommended by: Bob Mondello
Director: Ryan White
Genre: Documentary
Subjects: Poet Andrea Gibson and Megan Fowle

Synopsis & Themes

• Documentary following Gibson's life and relationship with Fowle as they navigate art, life, and terminal illness during the pandemic.
• Deeply intimate, affirming, and surprisingly funny depiction of love, creativity, and mortality.

Panel Reactions

• Bob Mondello:
  • Quote: "There is no way that I'm going to be able to make this sound as upbeat and rousing and hilarious as it is...I was just sort of blown away by it." (09:39–10:38)
• Badatri D. Chaudhary:
  • Quote: "It's a lesson in how to approach end of life in a way that is joyful [and] does justice to the life you've led. The documentary does not reduce them or their love to the last few days..." (10:38)
• Both Bob and Glenn remark on the film’s humor and life-affirming approach despite heavy subject matter.
  • Glenn Weldon: "This is maybe the most life affirming tough sit that I've ever tough sit through. They're funny and they're artsy and they are unsentimental." (11:36)

Timestamp Highlights:

• Main discussion: 08:58–12:16
• Notable quote (Bob): 09:39
• Badatri review: 10:38

4. Movie #3: Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda)

Recommended by: Badatri D. Chaudhary
Director: Rohan Kannavadi
Language: Marathi
Setting: Rural Maharashtra, India
Theme: Queer love and grief

Synopsis & Themes

• Anand, grieving his father's death, returns from Mumbai to his home village for mourning rites and gradually rekindles a relationship with childhood friend Balya.
• The film explores the intersection of queerness, grief, rural identity, and family acceptance in India.
• Noted for its tenderness, gentle tone, and nuanced portraits of love and family dynamics against a backdrop of cultural and legal constraints.

Panel Reactions

• Badatri D. Chaudhary:
  • Quote: "I like this film because again, it's a queer love story. It doesn't make too much noise about, you know, the gayness that is a part of the story but not the focus...this is such a soft, beautiful, gentle love story." (12:16)
  • Adds context about the challenges of queer narratives in Indian culture and law.
• Bob Mondello: Praises the film’s visual beauty and atmosphere.
  • Quote: “It's really quite beautiful. I Remember a scene where they're… are they sitting under the tree? …It's quite lovely as a film.” (15:13)
• Glenn Weldon: Analyzes its pacing and emotional risk, offering cultural comparison.
  • Quote: "It's gonna get lumped into the sexy LGBTQ romance. And I'm like, I mean, sure, yes, so much more..." (15:29)
  • Notes, “What's fascinating...is that the family seems more offended more by the fact that he won't tell them the truth… than by the truth itself.”

Timestamp Highlights:

• Badatri’s intro & analysis: 12:16–15:13
• Glenn’s commentary: 15:29

5. Movie #4: 100 Knights of Hero

Recommended by: Glenn Weldon
Based on: Graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg
Cast: Micah Munro, Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine, Charli XCX
Genre: Queer feminist fable

Synopsis & Themes

• Set in an alternate-history, deeply patriarchal society.
• A young bride’s maid distracts a persistent suitor for 100 nights with stories, riffing on the structure of 1001 Nights.
• Celebrated for its humor, production design, and playful subversion of fairy tale tropes.

Panel Reactions

• Glenn Weldon:
  • Quote: "It's a very funny, goofy movie. And it's also based on a really terrific graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. And one reason I'm championing this film so much is because I want to more of that to happen. Make weird little films out of weird little graphic novels that look this good." (15:29)
• Aisha Harris:
  • Quote: "I love a tight 90 minutes. Yes...there's sort of sly humor...It's funny. It was very, very fun." (19:08)
• Noted for its tight runtime, subversive wit, and surprising elements such as Charli XCX's supporting role.
• Badatri D. Chaudhary and Bob Mondello both express their interest and eagerness to watch after hearing the pitch (19:59).

Timestamp Highlights:

• Glenn’s intro & pitch: 15:29–19:08
• Panel banter: 19:44–20:01

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's everywhere. It's also the cinephilia in this film...such a love letter to cinema. Like, you know, there are pivotal scenes that happen in a theater."
    — Badatri D. Chaudhary on The Secret Agent (07:07)

• "This is maybe the most life affirming tough sit that I've ever tough sit through."
    — Glenn Weldon on Come See Me in the Good Light (11:36)

• "Tender, quiet, mournful...it moves at its own pace."
    — Glenn Weldon on Cactus Pears (15:29)

• "If you're in the mood for a weird little movie...but man, it's a lot of fun."
    — Glenn Weldon on 100 Knights of Hero (20:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction/Theme: 01:58
• The Secret Agent Discussion: 04:48–08:44
• Come See Me in the Good Light Discussion: 08:58–12:16
• Cactus Pears Discussion: 12:16–15:29
• 100 Knights of Hero Discussion: 15:29–20:01

Tone & Style

The conversation is lively and collegial, full of enthusiasm for overlooked movies and sincere analysis. The critics dig into both the artistry and the emotional impact of their picks, swapping personal reactions and funny asides in classic PCHH style.

Summary

The PCHH team closes out 2025 by championing under-discussed gems from world cinema, documentary, and indie storytelling. Each recommendation opens up broader discussions—about the power of cinema to transport, challenge, and comfort us. Even films that might sound heavy or unconventional are discussed with warmth and humor, offering listeners a curated watchlist and a reminder of the multitude of stories cinema can tell.

Recommended Films:

1. The Secret Agent — Political thriller set in 1970s Brazil
2. Come See Me in the Good Light — Life-affirming documentary on poet Andrea Gibson
3. Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda) — Gentle queer romance and meditation on grief in rural India
4. 100 Knights of Hero — Playful queer feminist fable based on a graphic novel

Listeners are invited to share their own favorites on Facebook and Letterboxd.