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Matt Olien's Movie Reviews
Fridays during Main Street, at 3pm CT and a repeat at 7pm CT

Television producer Matt Olien doubles as Prairie Public's resident movie critic, and uses his background in film studies and extensive knowledge of movie history to review a current film. Stay tuned until the end, where he's quizzed with obscure Oscar trivia.

  • Matt reviews, "Cabrini," a movie about the first American Saint and also updates us on the Academy Awards.
  • Matt reviews "Dune: Part Two" (2024): Paul Atreides allies with Fremen for revenge in this deeper saga of power and destiny on Arrakis. Directed by Villeneuve.
  • Matt reviews "Wonka" (2023): An origin tale of Willy Wonka's chocolatier dreams, facing a greedy cartel. Stars Timothée Chalamet; directed by Paul King.
  • Matt reviews "The Taste of Things," a 2023 film by Trần Anh Hùng about a cook and her gourmet employer's romance in 1889, inspired by Dodin Bouffant.
  • "Perfect Days" review: A Tokyo toilet cleaner's life reveals dignity & loneliness through his unseen role, showcasing the value in all work.
  • Matt reviews the Netflix film on Diana Nyad's Cuba-Florida swim stars Annette Bening, Jodie Foster; praised for focus, performance, and not sugarcoating Nyad's obsession.
  • Matt Olien lauds "Godzilla minus one" for blending emotional depth with historical insights, elevating it above past films as a critical and visual triumph.
  • Matt reviews "The Zone of Interest," A film about Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife's life near the camp, contrasting domesticity with genocide.
  • Matt reviews: "Anatomy of a Fall,"A film exploring the mysterious death of Samuel and the troubled marriage with his author wife Sandra, leaving viewers in suspense.
  • Matt reviews "Poor Things," which reimagines Frankenstein with a twist, blending satire and sci-fi in a tale of a woman revived with her unborn child's brain.