Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

A new movie about talking sheep who solve a murder case is making waves at the box office. Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Justine Smith and Kristy Puchko join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the crime comedy’s surprising buzz, plus what’s happening on the ground at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Once a small-scale private event for comedians, the celebrity roast has become a massive arena event live-streamed around the world on Netflix. Comedian/podcaster Ashley Ray and media personality Matt Hart talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about last weekend’s all-star roast of Kevin Hart and what it says about the state of comedy in 2026.

Plus, a new Hallmark movie that premiered on CTV Life called 'All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong' has raised a lot of questions around Asian representation. Film critic Rachel Ho reviews the movie and unpacks the backlash.

After eight seasons, the time travel romance series 'Outlander' is coming to an end this week. Like its lead character, Outlander is stuck between two worlds: the harsh prestige TV of the last decade and on-screen romances of today. Culture critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Kayleigh Donaldson talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about how Outlander has stuck around despite never quite cracking the mainstream.

Also, video games like 'Stardew Valley' and 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' are surging in popularity. The trend even has a name: cozy gaming. Niko Stratis joins Elamin to talk about what makes a game “cozy” and why she loves playing them.

The Montreal Canadiens are the last Canadian team left in the NHL playoffs. But before you start calling them “Canada’s team,” let’s be clear, this is Quebec’s team. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with Montreal Gazette writer Brendan Kelly who wrote the book 'Habs Nation: A People's History of The Montreal Canadiens' and Biz, a rapper whose Habs anthem is everywhere right now. They’ll talk about the team’s connection to the sovereignty movement, and why these playoffs are about something much bigger than hockey.

And Vulture's Hershal Pandya talks about the new documentary 'Marty, Life is Short' which looks back on the decades-long career of Canadian comedian Martin Short and features all the famous friends he’s made along the way.

The new musical 'It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken' uses the Tragically Hip’s songbook to tell the story of an Iraqi immigrant adapting to his new home in Canada in the early 2000s in Kingston, Ontario. Globe and Mail critic Aisling Murphy and theatre historian Karen Fricker chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about how the Hip’s songs translate to the musical-theatre format.