PopaHALLics #117 "Unpleasant People"
They're self-centered ... pushy ... arrogant ... and sometimes murderous. But difficult people—an orchestra conductor, a marathon swimmer, two battling cops, even a serial killer—can make for great pop culture, as this episode attests.

Streaming:

• "Maestro," Netflix. Bradley Cooper cowrote, directs, and stars as conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan plays his actress wife in this drama about their relationship. The film received 7 Oscar nominations.
• "Nyad," Netflix. In this true story, Annette Benning plays marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who decides at age 60 to swim from Cuba to Florida. Jodie Foster is her long-suffering best friend and coach. Both received Oscar nominations.
• "True Detective: Night Country," Max. In the spooky 4th season of the series, a sheriff (Jodie Foster) and state trooper (Kali Reis) frequently butt heads as they investigate the strange disappearance of 7 men from an Alaska research station.
• "Boston Strangler," Hulu. In this 2023 movie based on a true story, reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) is the first to connect the murders of 13 women and report on the notorious serial killer. With Carrie Coon.
• "Zorro," Prime. This 2024 Spanish TV series reinterprets the avenging vigilante in black, first created in 1919. Miguel Bernardeau plays the swordsman in a show with lots of action and a greater emphasis on indigenous and Mexican characters.
• "The Man From Nowhere," Netflix. In this intense South Korean action flick, a little girl befriends her next door neighbor, a reclusive pawn shop owner. When bad guys take her, they quickly discover he's much more than he appears.

Books:

• "Shuggie Bain," by Douglas Stuart. In this acclaimed novel, young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain is a sweet, lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in Glasgow. "A heartbreaking story of addiction, sexuality, and love" (Goodreads).
• "The Music Shop," by Rachel Joyce. In London in 1988, a music shop owner has the gift of connecting people with just the music they need. A beautiful young woman asks him to teach her about music—but she's not what she seems. Named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post and The Times (UK).