One had Nora Ephron’s pen; one had Liv Tyler’s plaid skirt. You’ve Got Mail and Empire Records weren’t exactly armed with equal strengths, but what the movies in this Paramount double feature have in common – beyond offering us in 2025 a healthy dose of Nineties nostalgia – is an admirable premise about supporting independent businesses. The rom-com master’s Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks bookstore war kicks off the night before the 1995 ode to ragtag ensembles – and Rex Manning – celebrates 30 years of saving the Empire. One ticket gets you into both films. – Carys Anderson
