Saoirse Ronan says her experience as a child actor continues to shape her work Ronan credits her parents and the filmmakers she worked with as a child for keeping acting fun. She stars as a woman struggling with addiction in The Outrun and as a World War II mother in Blitz. Ann Marie Baldonado
Al Pacino says he almost turned down 'The Godfather Part II' Pacino says the initial script for the Godfather sequel was so bad he nearly passed on the project — until it was rewritten. The Oscar-winning actor looks back on his life in the memoir Sonny Boy. Terry Gross
A mother and son are separated by the London 'Blitz' in this quietly radical film In a film that has powerful moments of wonderment, humor and joy, Saoirse Ronan plays a London factory worker trying to protect her young son as German bombs fall across the city. Justin Chang
Remembering actor Teri Garr, of 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Tootsie' fame Garr, who died Oct. 29, started out as a dancer in Elvis films, and was later nominated for an Oscar for Tootsie. David Bianculli offers an appreciation, and we listen back to a 2005 interview. Terry Gross
Oh the horror! A director-critic tells us her favorite scary flicks of 2024 NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with horror movie director and critic Rebekah McKendry about her favorite scary movies of 2024. Mallory Yu
In 'A Real Pain,' Jewish cousins tour Poland, cracking jokes and confronting the past In this almost perfect little film, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins who reconnect in Poland to honor the memory of their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. John Powers
What giving "it all up willingly" means to singer-songwriter, Laura Marling Musician Laura Marling is out with a new album called "Patterns in Repeat." Justine Kenin
Papal politics take an unholy turn in the clever thriller 'Conclave' When the pope dies, backbiting, infighting and ruthless smear campaigning taint the effort to find his successor. Ralph Fiennes stars in a film perfectly timed for this nail-biting election season. Justin Chang
Ralph Fiennes manages ambition and deceit as the Catholic church picks a new pope in ‘Conclave’ The new movie Conclave dramatizes the Vatican's search for a new pope — and the perils of ambition within its ranks. Ralph Fiennes talks about his starring role. A Martínez
For painter Titus Kaphar, forgiveness is 'a weight lifted off of your shoulders' Kaphar draws on his own painful relationship with his father in his film, Exhibiting Forgiveness. He says the project gave him "a sympathy for my father that I never had as a young man." Tonya Mosley