15 Songs You Never Realized Went Number 1

Chart-topping hits often feel obvious in hindsight, particularly when you listen to popular music on the regular. Believe it or not, however, the Billboard Hot 100 is far less predictable. Some songs dominate radio, streaming, and pop culture for years without ever reaching number one, while others quietly hit the top spot and fade from memory.

That disconnect creates a strange category of tracks people assume either did or didn’t reach the summit. In particular, certain number one hits don’t “feel” like chart-toppers in retrospect, whether due to novelty status, timing, or being overshadowed by bigger songs. These are tracks that surprisingly did reach number one, even if many listeners never realized it.

“Ice Ice Baby” Vanilla Ice

Often remembered more for controversy than dominance, this track still made history as the first hip-hop song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, surprising given its novelty reputation and debates around its borrowed bassline.

“Baby Got Back” Sir Mix-A-Lot

With its humorous tone and unconventional subject matter, this song stood out from early 1990s pop trends. Its spoken-word intro and bold style made its rise to number one feel unexpected compared to typical chart-toppers.

“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” Brian Hyland

A novelty-style track with a playful premise, it hardly fits the mold of a dominant chart hit. Its catchy, almost comedic tone makes its number one status feel surprising in hindsight.

“The Macarena” Los del Río

More associated with its dance craze than chart success, this global phenomenon still topped the Billboard Hot 100, despite being viewed primarily as a novelty hit tied to a specific cultural moment.

“Sexy and I Know It” LMFAO

Known for its comedic tone and viral appeal, the song’s intentionally absurd style makes its number one achievement feel less obvious compared to more traditional pop hits.

“Harlem Shake” Baauer

Driven almost entirely by a viral meme, this track reached number one largely through user-generated content and streaming, highlighting how unconventional hits can dominate charts without traditional radio buildup.

“We R Who We R” Kesha

Despite strong popularity, this song is often overshadowed by Kesha’s other hits. Its debut at number one makes it a surprising entry among her discography.

“Part of Me” Katy Perry

While Katy Perry is known for multiple chart-toppers, this particular song often flies under the radar compared to her biggest hits, despite debuting at number one.

“This Is the Night” Clay Aiken

Associated more with its reality TV origins than long-term impact, this song reached number one but is rarely remembered alongside other hits from the same era.

“Do I Make You Proud” Taylor Hicks

Another competition-driven hit, its chart success contrasts sharply with its limited cultural longevity, making its number one status easy to overlook.

“Inside Your Heaven” Carrie Underwood

Despite Underwood’s later success, this early single is not among her most iconic songs, even though it debuted at number one following her reality show win.

“God’s Plan” Drake

A massive streaming success, yet often overshadowed by Drake’s broader catalog, making its number one debut less immediately obvious compared to his more culturally dominant tracks.

“You Are Not Alone” Michael Jackson

Not as frequently discussed as Jackson’s biggest hits, yet it made history by debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” Whitney Houston

Often overshadowed by Houston’s more iconic songs, this track still debuted at number one, making it a less obvious chart-topper in her catalog.

“I’ll Be Missing You” Puff Daddy

A tribute song with a somber tone, it dominated charts despite being stylistically different from many mainstream hits of its time, making its success feel unusual in retrospect.

The 15 Video Games a Parent Would Least Want Their Child to Play

A good way to avoid your child playing something they shouldn’t is by checking age ratings; if the game isn’t for children, it’ll be labeled as such. But we all know parenting isn’t that simple, and kids will often ask for games that, while targeted at mature audiences, might not really be that bad.

Well, these next few games are that bad, and no child should really play them. Some of their covers give the problems away, but not all of them. If you need to know the most controversial games your child shouldn’t play, or if you’re looking for something with true adult themes, these are the games to watch out for.

Dead Island 2 Builds

Dead Island 2

Known for its hyper-detailed gore system, the game emphasizes dismemberment and realistic damage to enemies. Its focus on graphic violence makes it one of the most viscerally disturbing mainstream releases in recent years.

Doom the Dark Ages review

DOOM The Dark Ages

Fast-paced combat revolves around tearing apart demons in brutal, close-range executions. The game’s emphasis on aggressive violence and graphic finishing moves makes it unsuitable for younger audiences.

Mortal Kombat 1 Reboot

Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)

Famous for its “Fatalities,” the game features highly detailed finishing moves involving dismemberment and gore, pushing boundaries of violence in fighting games and making it particularly unsettling for children.

The Last of Us Part II

Beyond its violence, the game is emotionally heavy, depicting revenge, trauma, and morally complex decisions. Its realistic brutality and bleak tone make it especially intense for younger players.

Grace in Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem

Combines survival horror with graphic violence, including disturbing enemy designs and intense combat scenarios, creating an experience that can be frightening and overwhelming for younger audiences.

Dead Space Remake

Dead Space

Players must strategically dismember grotesque enemies, with the game leaning heavily into body horror and unsettling imagery, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most disturbing sci-fi horror experiences.

Outlast Trials

Set in a disturbing experimentation program, the game features torture, psychological horror, and disturbing scenarios, making it one of the more unsettling modern horror experiences.

Scorn

Its biomechanical world is filled with grotesque imagery and disturbing design, focusing more on discomfort and atmosphere than traditional gameplay, creating an experience that can be deeply unsettling.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077

Features mature themes including violence, drug use, and explicit content. Its open-world freedom allows players to engage in morally questionable activities that parents may find inappropriate.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto V

Still widely played, the game includes crime, drug use, and explicit content, allowing players to engage in violent and illegal activities freely, making it the most common concern for parents.

Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Combines parkour with brutal zombie combat, featuring graphic dismemberment and intense horror elements that make it unsuitable for younger audiences.

Alan Wake 2

A psychological horror experience with disturbing imagery and themes, relying on tension and fear rather than constant action, making it deeply unsettling in a different way.

Sniper Elite 5

Features detailed “kill cam” sequences that show bullets impacting bodies in slow motion, including graphic internal damage, which can be unsettling despite its tactical gameplay.

God of War: Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarök

Combines intense combat with mature themes about violence, fate, and loss, making it more emotionally and visually intense than its fantasy setting might suggest.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Includes mature themes such as violence, explicit romance options, and morally complex choices, giving players freedom that may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Hitman 3

Centers on assassination gameplay, encouraging players to creatively eliminate targets, often in morally questionable or darkly humorous ways.

Far Cry 6

Depicts a violent revolution with torture, executions, and intense combat scenarios, making its themes and imagery unsuitable for children.

Dead by Daylight

A multiplayer horror game built around chasing and killing survivors, featuring iconic killers and disturbing imagery that can be frightening for younger players.

Horses

A controversial indie title exploring themes like abuse, slavery, and psychological trauma, so disturbing it was removed from major storefronts, highlighting just how uncomfortable its subject matter is.

15 Artists Who Never Won a Grammy But Probably Should Have

The Grammy Awards are considered the highest form of recognition in the music industry, even if their history is filled with notable omissions. Across its history, some of the most influential, commercially successful, and critically respected artists still have never taken home a competitive Grammy.

We’re talking about musicians who have racked up multiple nominations, chart-topping hits, and lasting cultural impact, yet remain overlooked when awards are handed out. This list highlights artists frequently cited in that conversation, focusing on names whose absence from the winners’ circle feels increasingly difficult to justify given their legacy.

Katy Perry

Despite numerous chart-topping hits and over a dozen Grammy nominations, Katy Perry has never won a Grammy. Her dominance of late 2000s pop, including multiple number-one singles, is often cited as a major gap in Grammy recognition.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj has earned multiple Grammy nominations across rap and pop categories but remains without a win. Her influence on modern hip-hop and mainstream crossover success is frequently highlighted in discussions about major Grammy snubs.

Snoop Dogg

With more than a dozen nominations, Snoop Dogg holds one of the longest Grammy droughts among major artists. His decades-long career and cultural impact make his lack of a win one of the most commonly cited oversights.

Brian McKnight

Brian McKnight has amassed a high number of Grammy nominations without winning, often cited as one of the most extreme examples. His consistent presence in R&B over decades contrasts sharply with his lack of awards.

Björk

Known for her experimental sound and critical acclaim, Björk has received multiple nominations but never won. Her influence on alternative and electronic music is frequently contrasted with her lack of Grammy recognition.

ABBA

Despite global success and enduring popularity, ABBA never won a competitive Grammy. Their continued cultural relevance highlights how major commercial impact does not always translate into awards recognition.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has maintained decades of success across music and film, yet has never won a Grammy. Her commercial achievements often come up in conversations about mainstream artists overlooked by the Recording Academy.

Busta Rhymes

With numerous nominations and a long career, Busta Rhymes remains Grammy-less. His influence on rap performance and style is often cited as deserving stronger recognition.

Sia

Sia has received multiple Grammy nominations for both her own work and songwriting contributions. Despite critical acclaim and commercial success, she has yet to win, making her a recurring name in snub discussions.

Blake Shelton

A major figure in country music with numerous nominations, Blake Shelton has never won a Grammy. His long-standing popularity contrasts with his absence from the winners’ circle.

Lana Del Rey

Critically acclaimed and highly influential in alternative pop, Lana Del Rey has been nominated multiple times but remains without a win. Her artistic impact is often highlighted in debates about Grammy recognition.

Arctic Monkeys

Despite critical and commercial success, Arctic Monkeys have never won a Grammy. Their consistent output and influence on indie rock make their absence notable.

Depeche Mode

Pioneers of electronic and synth-pop music, Depeche Mode have received nominations but no wins. Their long-term influence is frequently cited as deserving greater recognition.

Journey

Journey’s enduring popularity and iconic songs have not translated into Grammy wins. Their omission is often mentioned when discussing classic rock acts overlooked by the awards.

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses achieved massive success and influence but never secured a Grammy win. Their continued relevance makes their absence from the winners list stand out.

17 Movies Remembered Entirely for One Scene

All filmmakers want their movies to be remembered as a whole experience, marking lives with their message. Yet, many films survive in pop culture almost entirely because of a single unforgettable moment. Usually, it’s a shocking twist, a quotable line, or a visually striking sequence, making these scenes take on a life of their own, often eclipsing the rest of the movie.

In some cases, they even become more famous than the film itself, referenced and parodied far beyond their original context. This phenomenon highlights how one perfectly executed idea can define an entire production. These are movies that, for better or worse, are largely remembered for just one standout scene.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Alec Baldwin’s aggressive “Always Be Closing” speech dominates the film’s legacy, despite appearing in only one scene. The performance became endlessly quoted, often overshadowing the rest of the drama, which has faded compared to that singular, explosive moment.

Basic Instinct

Sharon Stone’s interrogation scene, particularly the leg-crossing moment, became one of the most infamous sequences in cinema. Its shock value and cultural impact far outlasted the film’s plot, which is often considered secondary in discussions.

Risky Business

Tom Cruise’s dance in a shirt and socks became a defining pop culture image. The scene’s simplicity and energy turned it into a lasting icon, often remembered more vividly than the film’s broader narrative.

Deep Blue Sea

Samuel L. Jackson’s sudden death mid-speech stands out as the film’s defining moment. The shock and timing made it memorable, while the rest of the movie is often regarded as a fairly standard creature feature.

Mac and Me

The infamous wheelchair cliff scene became widely known through repeated parody, particularly in talk show gags. That single moment largely defines the film’s reputation, overshadowing its broader narrative and quality.

Taken

Liam Neeson’s “particular set of skills” phone call is endlessly quoted and parodied. While the film itself is a straightforward action thriller, that single speech became its lasting cultural footprint.

A Few Good Men

“You can’t handle the truth!” remains one of the most famous courtroom moments ever. The intensity of that confrontation often overshadows the rest of the film, which is less frequently referenced in pop culture.

Thelma & Louise

The final scene of the car driving off the cliff became iconic and widely referenced. That ending defines the film’s legacy so strongly that it often eclipses the journey leading up to it.

Free Willy

The whale jumping over the boy is the image most people associate with the film. Its emotional payoff became so iconic that it effectively represents the entire movie in public memory.

Up

The opening montage depicting Carl and Ellie’s life is widely regarded as one of Pixar’s most emotional sequences. It is frequently discussed independently, often overshadowing the film’s more whimsical main adventure.

Say Anything…

The boombox scene, with John Cusack holding it overhead, became a defining romantic image. Many recognize the visual instantly, even if they struggle to recall the rest of the film’s details.

Al Pacino as Tony Montana Dies in Scarface

Scarface

“Say hello to my little friend” is one of the most quoted lines in film history. That climactic shootout scene has become shorthand for the movie, often eclipsing its longer narrative arc.

Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze on the set of Ghost

Ghost

The pottery wheel scene became a defining romantic moment in cinema. Its cultural impact, aided by music and chemistry between leads, often overshadows the rest of the supernatural storyline.

American Psycho

The business card comparison scene is widely shared and parodied. Its tension and absurdity made it one of the most memorable moments, often standing apart from the film’s broader narrative.

The Sixth Sense

“I see dead people” became one of the most quoted lines in modern cinema. The line’s delivery and context made it synonymous with the film, often recalled even by those who haven’t seen it.

Dirty Dancing

The final lift during the closing dance became the film’s defining image. That moment is frequently referenced in pop culture, often standing in for the entire movie.

Psycho

The shower scene remains one of the most famous sequences in film history. Its editing, music, and shock value made it iconic, often eclipsing the rest of the movie in public memory.

15 Movies Clearly Designed for a Sequel That Never Came

Hollywood has increasingly leaned on franchise-building, with many films designed less as standalone stories and more as the first chapter in a larger saga. This approach often leads to endings filled with cliffhangers, unresolved arcs, or explicit sequel teases meant to hook audiences for future installments.

However, not every gamble pays off. Call it weak box office returns, mixed reception, or behind-the-scenes complications; many of these planned follow-ups never happen. The result is a collection of films that feel incomplete in hindsight, frozen mid-story. These are movies that clearly aimed for more but ultimately remained one-offs.

Rosa Salazar - Alita Battle Angel

Alita: Battle Angel

Ending on a direct setup for a larger conflict, the film introduces a major antagonist in its final moments while leaving its central revenge arc unresolved. Despite its ambition, a sequel has yet to materialize following its mixed reception.

Eragon

The fantasy adaptation concludes with a clear continuation in mind, leaving its central war and character arcs unfinished. Its poor critical reception and box office performance effectively halted any plans to continue the intended franchise.

Green Lantern

The film’s post-credits scene explicitly teases a villain transformation meant to carry into a sequel. Negative reception and underwhelming box office results led to the franchise being scrapped instead.

Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan in Fantastic Four (2015)

Fantastic Four

Despite a troubled production, the reboot ends with the team newly formed and positioned for future adventures. Poor reception led to immediate cancellation of any planned sequel.

The Mummy

Intended as the launch of Universal’s “Dark Universe,” the film ends by setting up a shared monster franchise. Its failure at the box office caused the entire cinematic universe plan to collapse.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Planned as the first in a six-film series, the movie lays groundwork for a larger mythology. Its commercial failure ensured the broader saga never moved forward.

The Last Airbender

Ending with its villain’s rise to power, the film clearly sets up the next chapter of the story. Critical backlash prevented any continuation of the planned trilogy.

Dredd

While more subtle, the film establishes a larger world and future cases for its protagonist. Despite strong fan support, financial performance stalled any sequel plans.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Designed as the first installment in a trilogy, the film leaves room for continuation. Plans for sequels were ultimately abandoned despite the source material offering a clear path forward.

Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany in Master and Commander

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Concludes with its characters setting off on another mission, mirroring the episodic nature of its source material. Despite critical acclaim, no sequel followed.

Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Finishes with a clear path toward adapting the next book, but declining box office returns halted further entries in the series.

Ender’s Game

Leaves its protagonist embarking on a new mission, clearly setting up a continuation of the story. Underperformance prevented adaptation of the remaining books.

I Am Number Four

Introduces a larger mythology and multiple surviving characters meant for future installments. Despite franchise intentions, the sequel was never produced.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Ends with unresolved threats and a clear continuation setup, positioning its protagonist for future adventures. Lackluster box office performance halted any sequel plans.

Van Helsing

Builds a broader monster-hunting world and leaves its protagonist’s journey open-ended. Intended as a franchise starter, it never received a direct sequel despite its scope.

15 Things That Really Didn’t Need Their Own Movie

Studios have spent decades turning recognizable IP into feature films, often stretching thin concepts into full-length productions. From books padded far beyond their scope to video games and toys with little narrative foundation, many adaptations have faced criticism for existing more as brand extensions than creative necessities.

While some projects find success, others become shorthand for excess, misjudgment, or missed potential. Here, we highlight films frequently cited in that conversation, focusing on releases that struggled to justify their own existence despite built-in recognition. Each example reflects a broader trend of prioritizing familiarity over storytelling in modern Hollywood production cycles.

Battleship

A loose adaptation of a board game with minimal narrative basis, widely criticized for generic blockbuster storytelling and poor reception, ultimately losing significant money despite its massive budget.

The Care Bears Movie

Frequently described as a feature-length commercial for a toy line, emblematic of early merchandising-driven filmmaking despite moderate box office success.

Bratz

A doll-based adaptation heavily criticized for shallow storytelling and poor execution, often cited among failed attempts to turn toy brands into viable film franchises.

UglyDolls

Based on plush toys, the film drew criticism for predictable storytelling and reliance on brand recognition rather than compelling narrative.

Playmobil: The Movie

Compared unfavorably to more successful toy adaptations, often criticized for lacking originality and failing to justify its existence beyond brand promotion.

Max Steel

A box office failure based on an action figure line, criticized for weak plotting and generic superhero tropes.

The Emoji Movie

Widely mocked as an example of adapting non-narrative concepts, criticized for being overly commercial and creatively thin.

Monster Hunter

A video game adaptation frequently cited for straying from its source material and delivering a generic action narrative.

Borderlands

Borderlands

Critically panned upon release, with reviewers calling it generic and poorly executed, often listed among the worst films of its year.

Doom

Based on a minimal-story shooter, often cited as an example of stretching a thin premise into a full-length feature.

Ouija

Based on a spirit board, frequently cited as a concept stretched into a horror film primarily due to brand recognition.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

A big-budget adaptation of the video game series that drew criticism for its generic adventure tone and deviations from the source material, often cited as an unnecessary attempt to launch a franchise that never materialized.

Jem and the Holograms

A poorly received adaptation of a toy-linked franchise, criticized for failing to capture the appeal of its source material.

Papa Smurf in 2025 Movie

The Smurfs

A heavily commercialized adaptation often criticized for blending live-action and animation without strong narrative justification.

Assassin’s Creed

Despite the popularity of the games, the film received mixed-to-negative reviews for its convoluted narrative and heavy exposition, frequently referenced as a case where a strong IP didn’t translate into a compelling or necessary film adaptation.

Clayface Brings the Horror Genre to Superhero Movies

Almost by definition, superhero movies are about hope and goodness. Even when things get dark for guys like Batman or the Punisher, their respective films end on notes of redemption. The Hulk may roar and Wolverine may growl, but eventually, the real baddies are defeated and the innocents are saved.

Not so with Clayface, the latest entry in the DCU. The first trailer for the adaptation of the classic Batman villain doesn’t reveal much about the film’s plot but it does make sure we understand the tone. Clayface will be a horror movie, complete with sharp music stings, plenty of gore, and some disturbing images of melting faces.

Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising film star whose career falls apart after he experiences a horrible accident, resulting in the bandaged imagery seen in the trailer. Through scientist Dr. Caitlin Bates (Naomi Ackie), Hagen participates in an experimental procedure that transforms his body into moldable clay… at first. Where the comic book Clayface uses his new condition to commit crime, the trailer suggests that Hagen’s melting body creates a sense of visceral terror.

The trailer’s tone shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, given the pedigree of the creators. Clayface comes from co-writer Mike Flanagan, the man behind the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. To hear DCU co-head James Gunn tell it, Flanagan came to him with a pitch for Clayface that was so compelling, he had to put it into production. To helm the project, Gunn chose James Watkins, recently of the Speak No Evil remake.

Moreover, the trailer seems to be bringing Clayface back to horror roots. When the character debuted in 1940’s Detective Comics #40 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, he was Basil Karlo, a B-movie actor who lost the ability to distinguish between the real world and the movies, becoming the killer he played on screen. Another Clayface, Matt Hagen, first appeared in Detective Comics #298 (1961), courtesy of Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. This Clayface transformed into a hulking slime beast after exposure to a strange plasm.

Clayface is hardly the only superhero character who borrows from horror fiction. Batman and villains like the Joker have clear connections to the scarier side of pulp fiction. The Hulk began as a riff on Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, with some Frankenstein thrown in for the design. The Fantastic Four and Ant-Man stemmed from the Twilight Zone-style stories that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee were telling throughout the ’50s.

And yet, few movies have been willing to fully embrace the horror side of superheroes. While indies such as Spawn and Faust: Love of the Damned mix capes with creatures of the night, only the Blade franchise and The New Mutants really went into horror—and even then, they return to superheroics by story’s end.

If this trailer is to be believed, Clayface will do something very different. It will remold the comic book superhero movie into something new, shocking, and completely unexpected.

Clayface arrives in theaters on Oct. 23, 2026.

Coyote vs. Acme Trailer Mocks Warner Bros. Tax Write-Offs

You’d think that Warner Bros. would know more about things exploding in your face. For more than 75 years, the studio has been producing cartoons about Wile E. Coyote, the genius scavenger whose plots to catch the Roadrunner are thwarted by faulty contraptions from the Acme Corporation. And yet, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav decided to shelve the completed movie Coyote vs. Acme because he thought a tax write-off would be more profitable than any box office revenue it could generate.

Yet, thanks to fan outcry and the efforts of distributor Ketchup Entertainment, Coyote vs. Acme will finally see the light of day. And the first trailer for the picture has no intention of letting bygones be bygones with its old studio. The teaser includes plenty of gags at Warners’ expense, conflating the Hollywood stalwart with the inconsistent and unethical Acme.

The trailer lays out the basic premise of Coyote vs. Acme, directed by Dave Green and based on a screenplay by Samy Burch (who created the story with James Gunn and Jeremy Slater). After years of dealing with Acme’s substandard products, Wile E. Coyote employs a crusading lawyer played by Will Forte to bring the company to justice. Complicating things is not only Acme’s lawyer, played by John Cena, but also the owner, the apparent toon-traitor Foghorn Leghorn.

The blustering rooster threatens Cena to keep Acme’s secrets hidden, and says in the closing voice-over, “The Acme Corporation is releasing this film for accounting purposes only!”

That last bit may be a clear shot at Warner Bros. choosing tax breaks over Looney Tunes, but the entire trailer has a whole anti-corporate feel. Forte, costumed like he’s the most embarrassing member of the Spotlight team, rages, “These companies think they can do whatever they want. We’re sick of it!” Conversely, Acme’s lawyer trots out the time-tested tactic of blaming the individual for any of the products’ shortcomings.

Also, the trailer is full of classic Looney Tunes bits, including Bugs Bunny in drag, Daffy Duck going bonkers, and, uh, Tweety Bird with a shotgun. Not sure what that last one is about.

In total, Coyote vs. Acme looks like a delightful combination of Looney Tunes bits and courtroom comedy. That last part may be particularly important, because as wonderful as the original Looney Tunes certainly are—especially the Coyote and Roadrunner shorts made by Chuck Jones—the characters don’t always work in movie form, no matter what deluded millennials say about Space Jam. In fact, Ketchup Entertainment also rescued The Day the Earth Blew Up from Zaslav’s cuts last year, but the movie barely made back its budget.

If Coyote vs. Acme can capitalize on the goodwill we feel toward the characters and combine Looney Tunes wackiness with a successful legal comedy, then maybe Ketchup Entertainment will have a hit on their hands. And everyone else will have one more reason to laugh at WB’s lousy tax strategy.

Coyote vs. Acme arrives in theaters on August 28, 2026.

Stranger Things: Freddy Krueger Actor Returns to Hawkins, But as a New Character

Stranger Things owes a lot to ’80s horror. There’s the Stephen King font used by the titles, the heavy use of synths on the score, and a scary monster who represents the sins of generations past. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have paid that debt in several ways, including by casting Robert Englund, Freddy Krueger himself, as Victor Creel, father of the boy who would become Vecna.

With the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the Duffers are paying back that debt twice by bringing Englund back as a new character. According to a release in EW, Englund will play “Cosmo Russo … editor-in-chief of The Weekly Watcher, a Hawkins tabloid magazine that’s notorious for its sensationalized, often exaggerated, and false accounts of local scandals, mysteries, and supernatural occurrences.”

In a way, England’s recasting falls in line with the way that Tales From ’85 is approaching all of its characters. Although the show features recognizable names like Mike Wheeler, Chief Hopper, and Eleven, the faces have changed. Instead of Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour, and Millie Bobby Brown, it’s Luca Diaz, Jeremy Jordan, and Brooklyn Davey Norstedt providing voices. Rounding out the cast is Marty Supreme standout Odessa A’zion as cool kid Nikki Baxter, comedian Janeane Garofalo as her mother Anna, and The First Power star Lou Diamond Phillips as new character Daniel Fischer.

However, bringing back an actor from the main series but putting him in a new role seems to be part of Tales From ’85‘s plan to separate itself from the mainline Stranger Things mythology. Set between seasons 2 and 3 of the main series, Tales From ’85 certainly has stuff about the Upside Down and features recognizable monsters like the Demo-Dog. But the show’s trailers have emphasized a light-hearted, carefree tone, bringing the series back to the kid adventures that made it such a massive hit.

That reset feels even more important now, after the much-hyped final episode of the main series. While the feature-length fifth season did certainly generate much discussion, enough to justify Netflix‘s decision to put the last episode in theaters, the reception has been mixed, to say the least. While some thrilled to the epic stakes the series developed, others felt like Stranger Things lost the things that made it special.

Tales From ’85 is primed to give those fans what they want, as demonstrated by Englund’s shifty new character. Per Netflix: “Cosmo is fully aware of his reputation as an opportunist, but he simply doesn’t care. His focus is on the people who eagerly line up at the supermarket, drawn in by his bombastic headlines, compelling them to pick up a copy. Despite his public sensationalism, he privately believes that Hawkins is genuinely steeped in strange happenings.”

Strange happenings and supermarket tabloids? A goofy opportunist played by a horror legend? That sounds like pure, nostalgic fun, and an ’80s horror icon is the perfect person to make it happen.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 streams on Netflix on April 23, 2026.

“If You’re a Dreamer, You Better Be a Doer”: Inside Netflix’s New Lainey Wilson Documentary

Even if you aren’t a country, it’s decent odds you’ve heard of Lainey Wilson: a Grammy-winning country artist who has also racked up 16 Academy of Country Music Awards and nine Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 2023 and 2025. Taylor Sheridan even created a role specifically for her on the final season of Yellowstone, casting her as a love interest for Ryan (Ian Bohen), who mirrored Wilson’s own signature style and even performed several of her own songs. 

But now, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix documentary, Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, everyone’s about to find out why she’s become such a big star. Directed by Amy Scott, the filmmaker behind such documentaries as Sheryl, Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, and Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately, Keepin’ Country Cool aims to chronicle Wilson’s transition from living in a camper trailer to one of the most recognizable names in country music. 

“Musicians and artists are really fascinating to me,” Scott tells Den of Geek at SXSW 2026. “I like to understand how they work, how they make the things that they make, and they usually lead really unique lives.” 

Scott wasn’t overly familiar with her subject before making the film. But she was won over fairly quickly by Wilson’s work ethic and charisma. 

“I didn’t know a lot of her work [before I made the film],” Scott says. “But country is one word that means a lot of different things historically. So, I was a big fan of country, but maybe more so of older stuff. I wasn’t as familiar with her. But now we’ve spent a lot of time with her, and I love her music. I think she’s an incredible entertainer. She’s got it.” 

Wilson released her first album in 2014, but didn’t land a major label deal until five years later. Her first number one single, “Things a Man Oughta Know,” was released in 2020. And now seemed the right time to tell her story. 

“There were some producers that had the idea, and they all make really cool films, and they got together with Lainey’s team and thought this might be a really interesting year to capture because she’s on this rapid ascent,” Scott says. “And those moments are fleeting that an artist will let you come into their world and be vulnerable as they take off. So [the film] had been conceived, and they had seen some of my previous films about musicians. It was a good fit.”

While Wilson herself wasn’t involved with determining the documentary’s direction or its day-to-day filming choices, Scott says both she and her team were very collaborative. 

“She wasn’t involved in any creative decision in terms of the film,” Scott says. “You don’t want someone sort of dictating what you’re going to film or not. She’s extremely down to earth and very open, let us come into her world with a very small crew, who are all incredible documentarians, and we’re all filming. And then a cool thing that happened with her team — and this had not happened to me before — but she had a photographer too, and they’ve [been] friends and known each other for years. He filmed a lot of video and worked with us to share footage, and we sort of became one team. I thought that really [added an] additional layer of intimacy and accessibility that would have taken us a lot more time to build that trust.”

As with any documentary, Keepin’ Country Cool is about showing off many different sides of its subject, from Wilson’s abilities as a performer to her more unexpected personal traits.

“Vulnerability can come in many different flavors. It can be a vulnerability about struggles. But vulnerability is also when you can be funny and have a really unguarded, self-deprecating nature,” Scott says. And what we realized very early on is she’s really, really funny. That was kind of like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that about her, so I think we definitely have to showcase this woman’s sense of humor.”

One of the film’s repeated themes involves the often-unseen hard work — not to mention the considerable time — it takes to become a success, a win that many often (incorrectly) perceive as an “overnight sensation.”

“You know, it’s a story about dreaming,” Scott says. “She says this line at the beginning, it’s in one of her speeches, but I thought it was so profound:’ If you’re going to be a dreamer, you better be a doer.’ That’s just the point of the whole thing. Nothing is given to you, but if you can dream it, then you should go and do it. So I think it’s really inspirational for anyone else [who’s] chasing their dreams.”

For Wilson, this means constantly working — both when it comes to her present-day activities like touring and other professional commitments, and thinking about what’s coming next. 

“One thing, and I don’t know if this is the case for all musicians, but it was a new thing for me, is to see that she’s on tour constantly. She never stops. She doesn’t sit still. But when she does, she goes, and she starts songwriting the next record,” Scott says. “So she’s banking all these songs, and she’s constantly looking to make the next record. So we did capture a handful of the moments in the process of her looking forward, not just touring past records, but building toward [the next one].” 

According to Scott, no documentary is ever crafted in a straight line, and Keepin’ Country Cool doesn’t tell Wilson’s story that way, either. Instead, she, like those of us watching at home, is really just along for the ride. 

In an ideal world, you map it all out, and you get all your checkpoints along the way and everything like that. But that’s just not realistic. Documentaries are not narratives that way,” Scott laughs. “They take twists and turns, and after a while, it became apparent that we’re not chasing the tour. We’re chasing Lainey. And her life is all over the place. Her life is not a straight line. So we just tried to hold on to that mechanical bull ride.”

Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool premiered March 17 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. It is now available to stream on Netflix.

Project Hail Mary Throws Oscars Curveball with Surprise Contender

Pretty much everyone agrees that making Rocky’s voice that of his lead puppeteer, James Ortiz, was absolutely the right decision. Though Project Hail Mary makes a point of trying out different voices for the alien before settling on Ortiz, even Meryl Streep isn’t the right fit for the plucky Eridian, who pulls out all the stops to save the stars alongside Ryan Gosling’s Dr. Ryland Grace in the smash hit sci-fi movie.

But Ortiz’s impact may go much further than his initial performance as everyone’s favorite rock-like alien chum. Variety has revealed that he will be submitted for Best Supporting Actor at next year’s Oscars.

Ortiz still has a potentially bumpy road ahead, despite being eligible for the award. It’s not a sure thing because the Oscars still have to decide to nominate him. If that actually happens, it would be unprecedented territory for the Academy, which has never recognized a puppeteer or voice performer behind a puppet character in its acting categories. Nor has it ever recognized motion capture performers in those categories who voice characters, like Andy Serkis and his iconic Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

All that might be about to change thanks to Ortiz’s outstanding puppetry and voice performance in Project Hail Mary.

“Typically, we talk about puppetry as a technical achievement, and it is,” Ortiz explained. “It’s a spectacle. For me as a performer, however, that’s never my entry point. I’m interested in the heart of the character — what they’re trying to communicate, what they’re feeling underneath all of it. When we can take a medium like puppetry, which is often seen as decorative, and bring to life a character with a beating heart in a way that genuinely affects people, then we’re doing something truly meaningful.”

If Ortiz is indeed nominated for Best Supporting Actor, fans of this year’s hopeful blockbuster could start to believe that the times, they are a-changin’. The move might also generate early buzz around next year’s Oscars ceremony after ratings for the 98th Academy Awards hit a four-year low in the U.S..

Invincible Season 4: Lee Pace On What Really Motivates Thragg

Through its first three seasons, Prime Video super hero series Invincible put forth an imposing rogues’ gallery for title character Mark Grayson a.k.a. Invincible (Steven Yeun) to contend with. Mark’s antagonists have ranged from weak Z-listers (The Elephant, Doc Seismic), to challenging but manageable apocalyptic threats (the Thraxans, Sequids) to terrifyingly powerful supervillains (Angstrom Levy, Conquest).

What the adaptation of Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley’s comics has been missing up to this point, however, is a “big bad.” That has all changed in Invincible season 4 with the introduction of Grand Regent Thragg. The new and all-powerful leader of the dying Viltrum Empire, Thragg is the monster at the end of the story. He’s the archnemesis, the final boss, the endgame villain. It’s against him that all other Invincible baddies, minor or major, shall be judged from here on out.

Though the show is already blessed with an impressive roster of voice acting talent, co-showrunners Robert Kirkman and Simon Racioppa knew they had to go above and beyond to find Thragg. Thankfully, they knew just the guy to reach out to.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Lee Pace,” Kirkman told Den of Geek. “I would run into him at events and things and admire him from afar. He just has this quiet power that he exudes with his voice that we thought would be absolutely perfect for that character. So the casting process was basically asking if Lee was available.”

A genre staple since 2007’s Pushing Daisies, the Oklahoma-native Pace has popped off the screen in projects like The Hobbit trilogy the Twilight saga, and Halt and Catch Fire. He’s also become something of a go-to man in the hyper-specific character category of “galactic tyrants,” having played Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy and multiple generations of “Brother Day” Emperor Cleon clones (it’s hard to explain) in Apple TV’s excellent Foundation.

Pace chatted with Den of Geek about why he took the role of Thragg, what drives the zealous leader, and how he differs from his other major sci-fi strongmen.

What was the process of getting this role like? Robert Kirkman mentioned he crossed paths with you during The Walking Dead/Halt and Catch Fire AMC days and thought you’d be great for Thragg.

They called and said “would you do it?” I did some poking around about the show and I saw how cool it was, this thing that they were making. I think Kirkman is not only a really fun person to spend time with but he’s made such an interesting world here and such a cool character with Thragg that I was like yeah let’s do it. This is a fun beast of a character. Let’s jump in. 

What do you find most appealing about Thragg? What do you like most about him as a character, if not necessarily a person or alien?

I guess what I found fun about him is not only is he a real badass, he’s insanely durable and violent and that’s a fun thing to play. But he’s desperate. His people that he’s responsible for have been through hell and are almost on the brink of annihilation. And he’s got a lot of fight in him but he’s got a big fight ahead of him.

Obviously with something like this, so much of the story is told visually. We can bring what we can bring to it. I thought what I can bring to it is a sense of character with the voice that can hopefully go on that journey with the audience. They’ve got a relationship to this character. I just wanted to make him fun. Honestly I think the fight in him is a lot of fun. His violent “never say die” attitude. I will kill anyone I need to kill to get the justice I need to see – that’s a fun character to play. That’s got a lot of diesel behind him. 

When doing the voice work, did you ever get to see any early animations of Thragg in motion? How does that help inform the performance?

I did a lot of my recording for this season [early] and then we don’t come back until much much later. I see how it came together and do a little bit of cleanup. But I researched the character and came in prepared so I had a sense of what I wanted to play. I also very much put my hands in Kirkman and Simon. I wanted to give them all the options they need to play the character. I’m gonna do it like this, I’m gonna do it like that, I’m gonna try to give you every color you might want to use to work with it.

When you have the other actors you’re playing with, the rhythm, the speed of the scene, the intention of the character – all those things are what you’re working with as an actor. In a situation like this where you’re alone in a booth I thought the best I could do was give them options. But now I’ve seen my voice with the animation and I think, going forward, there is a definite sense that I’ve learned something about it – that I’ve settled into the character. 

Having now seen Thragg in action, are you surprised at how still he is? I think maybe that’s why Kirkman thought of you for the role: the ability to express power with little kinetic motion.

One thing we talked about, which I enjoyed seeing expressed in the animation, is that he’s a pretty cool customer. He keeps a lid on it. And he has for a very long time. He’s playing a very long game. When he loses his temper, he really fucking loses it and becomes a sociopathic, rageful beast. Until then he’s very clever, he’s very strong. He understands the power he holds. Because he’s earned it. I think the stillness communicates a lot. The calmness I wanted to bring to these beginning scenes is in line with that. We’ve got a long way to go with the character. I want to pace it. [Editor’s Note: The interview then made a “You want to Lee Pace it?” joke that Mr. Pace politely chuckled at. I am so sorry.]

I don’t always love the “Did X role help inform how you play Y role?” question but I think it’s apt here. Has playing multiple generations and iterations of Cleon on Foundation helped you better understand Thragg or at least give you a toolset to better capture this tyrant?

I can’t say “no” because you never know what’s gone into the machine and become a part of the software. But I guess the way I approach the Cleons is they are very messy humans in a world where you’ve got stuff like incredible intellects, very sophisticated robots, and a fourth dimension; and they’re just these bloody animals who are doing the best they can. They’re holding onto power the best they can and standing in their own way. They’ve got blindspots, they’ve got mistakes that not even they’ve made but their ancestors or previous iterations of themselves have made. I just think about them as increasingly messy.

But Thragg is not a mess. He’s got his shit together and he’s fighting an impossible fight. When we find him there are like 50 Viltrumites left. He still has the ambition to bring them all back. He’s got nothing. He’s playing with no cards in his hand and he still thinks he can win it. That’s who he is. There’s nothing but fight in him. He’s coming to this at the right time. Coming to Mark, coming to Omni-Man at the right time to figure out what his endgame is. And it turns out to be… well, you know, but he comes to it with a lot of fight. He’s ready for this. He’s expecting this.

All eight episodes of Invincible season 4 are available to stream on Prime Video now.

Over Your Dead Body: Jorma Taccone Wants a Remake “With Teeth”

As one-third of the legendary comedy trio The Lonely Island, Jorma Taccone is best known for his originality. Alongside childhood friends and collaborators Andy Samberg (star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Akiva Schaffer (director of The Naked Gun), Taccone has helped introduce the world to novel concepts like SNL Digital Shorts, Grammy-winning comedy rap, and the hot mess that is MacGruber.

Taccone’s career is so wrapped up in originality that, when presented with the opportunity to direct Over Your Dead Body, an adaptation of 2021 Norwegian action comedy The Trip, he hesitated.

’ll be completely honest: I did not want to make a remake,” Taccone tells Den of Geek. “Then I watched the original and I absolutely loved the original. I love [writers Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney’s] first draft that I read. It was the challenge of it. Can we do all of these tones?”

There are indeed a lot of tones to tackle when it comes to Over Your Dead Body. Jason Segel and Samara Weaving star as Dan and Lisa, an unhappily married couple who abscond to Dan’s father’s cottage upstate, each with secret plans to murder the other. While that premise alone could easily sustain 105 minutes of a dark romantic comedy, the film continues to up the ante in increasingly grim and unexpected ways. A pair of escaped convicts (Keith Jardine, Timothy Olyphant) and their collaborator guard (Juliette Lewis) stumble their way into the plot and before you know it everything and everyone is covered in blood.

“It feels like it’s almost three movies in one,” Taccone says. “It’s sort of a suspense drama, then it becomes more of a home invasion movie, then it becomes an action movie.”

According to the movie’s writers, the duo known as BriTANick, that escalation and diversity of tone was a blessing, not a burden.

“I think what’s so fun about adapting it is that the story structure is excellent,” Nick Kocher says. “It basically remained intact. The way that we’ve been describing it is we got an empty house that we got to decorate. We changed stuff up with the characters, the motivations, and the dialogue. And got to inject our humor into it. It was really fun and easier than having to come up with structure all by yourself.”

“Structure’s the hardest thing to write,” Brian McElhaney adds. “This movie just worked and we just got to take it, make it our own thing and add our comedy to it. It was actually a really great writing process, which isn’t always the case.”

The end result is a movie that Taccone says he is happy he bent his “no remakes” rule to make.

“I’m just so proud to have made a remake that I feel like has teeth. I feel like American remakes don’t always have the teeth of the original. It’s dark, it’s fucked up, and it’s more gory than the original, weirdly enough.”

Over Your Dead Body premiered March 14 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. It releases in theaters on April 24.

The Top 10 Movies and Shows Streaming Right Now, How Many Do You Know?

Streaming platforms continue to rotate fresh hits into the spotlight, with both returning favorites and newer releases pulling strong viewership over the past month. From reality TV and crime docuseries to anime adaptations and major film releases, the current lineup reflects a wide range of audience tastes.

There are certainly some old timers in here, but quite a few entries here are from new and fresh IPs. Based on recent viewing figures, these are the movies and shows audiences have been watching the most right now. Here’s a look at the top performers and what’s driving their popularity across streaming platforms.

Ripple: Season 1, 2,000,000 views

A serialized drama centered on interconnected lives, Ripple has steadily gained traction through word of mouth. Its first season’s performance suggests growing audience curiosity, positioning it as a developing contender among recent original series.

Beauty in Black: Season 2, 2,300,000 views

Returning with its second season, Beauty in Black continues exploring ambition, relationships, and personal struggles. The increase in viewership indicates sustained interest, likely driven by ongoing character arcs and expanding storylines.

Virgin River: Season 7, 2,400,000 views

A romantic drama about a nurse practitioner who relocates to a small town, Virgin River remains a consistent draw. Its seventh season maintains the show’s steady appeal, reflecting a loyal fanbase that continues to follow its ongoing drama.

Homicide New York: Season 2, 2,600,000 views

This true crime docuseries continues to attract viewers with its second season. Its performance highlights the enduring popularity of true crime-inspired storytelling on streaming platforms.

WWE Raw, 3,000,000 views

The long-running wrestling program remains a reliable performer in weekly streaming metrics. Its March 30 episode drew strong numbers, underscoring the brand’s continued relevance and dedicated fanbase.

Love on the Spectrum: Season 4, 3,400,000 views

This reality series continues resonating with audiences in its fourth season. Its growing viewership reflects ongoing interest in its heartfelt and personal storytelling approach.

One Piece. (L to R) Emily Rudd as Nami, Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro in season 1 of One Piece.

One Piece: Season 2, 3,500,000 views

Following a successful debut, One Piece returns with strong numbers for its second season. Its continued performance shows the adaptation is maintaining momentum among both new viewers and longtime fans.

The Predator of Seville, 4,700,000 views

This crime-focused limited series has emerged as a notable performer, drawing significant attention. Its centered on a dangerous predator, detailing the investigation and impact of their actions on a community.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen: Season 1, 6,900,000 views

One of the biggest breakout shows in this list, its debut season has attracted a substantial audience. It’s a thriller series built around an impending crisis, following characters as tension escalates toward a major, unavoidable event.

XO, Kitty: Season 3, 12,900,000 views

Leading the pack, XO, Kitty continues to dominate with its third season. The teen romantic drama’s massive viewership highlights its strong appeal and sustained popularity within the streaming landscape.

Let Him Go , 3,700,000 views

Moving on to movies, we have a drama that has found renewed life on streaming, drawing solid numbers. Its performance shows how older releases can gain fresh audiences through platform availability.

Gru in Despicable Me 4

Despicable Me 4, 3,800,000 views

The latest installment in the franchise continues to attract viewers. This animated comedy continues Gru’s story as he balances family life with new threats, alongside the antics of the Minions.

Madagascar (2005)

Madagascar, 4,900,000 views

A familiar animated favorite, Madagascar remains a strong performer years after release. Its continued viewership highlights its lasting appeal among family audiences.

Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters, 5,100,000 views

This title has gained noticeable traction, drawing a sizable audience. It continues to be the most watched movie of all time on the Netflix platform; we are only considering last month’s viewing numbers here.

Jamie Bell as Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, 5,900,000 views

Expanding on the popular series, this film has attracted significant attention. It follows Tommy Shelby as he faces new power struggles and lingering consequences of his past.

War Machine, 6,100,000 views

This war-themed film continues to pull viewers on streaming. Its consistent performance reflects ongoing interest in military-focused narratives.

40 Acres, 6,200,000 views

A lesser-known entry that has gained traction, 40 Acres has drawn a solid audience. Its streaming numbers suggest growing visibility among viewers.

The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, 6,700,000 views

This true crime documentary has resonated strongly with audiences. Its high viewership reflects continued demand for real-life stories and investigative content.

Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, 8,400,000 views

Part of the Untold series, this installment has achieved major numbers. It goes over Lamar Odom’s career, personal struggles, and recovery after a near-fatal overdose.

Anaconda, 9,900,000 views

Leading the movie side of the list, this modern reimagining is doing surprisingly well on streaming platforms. It already crushed it at the box office, so it continues to see renewed success.

15 Movies Where the Twist Raises More Questions Than Answers

A great twist is supposed to change how you see everything that came before it. Some, instead of providing clarity, do the exact opposite. There are movies that reveal just enough to shift the narrative, only to leave key details unexplained or open to interpretation.

These are the twists that spark endless debates, theories, and rewatches, due to how they refuse to answer all the questions. Whether it’s ambiguous endings, unreliable realities, or unanswered queries, these films embrace uncertainty. In many cases, that lack of resolution is exactly what makes them so memorable long after their prime.

Inception

The spinning top ending leaves one central question unanswered: is Cobb still dreaming? The film provides clues but no resolution, turning its final moment into one of the most debated conclusions in modern cinema.

Mulholland Drive

Its late-film shift reframes everything as a fractured dream or reality, but never confirms which is which. The twist doesn’t clarify events, it complicates them, making interpretation part of the experience.

The Thing

The final scene leaves viewers unsure whether either survivor is infected. The ambiguity reinforces paranoia, offering no clear answer and ensuring the story’s tension continues even after the credits.

Enemy

The sudden final image reframes the entire film in symbolic terms, leaving viewers questioning identity, control, and reality. Rather than explaining anything, the twist deepens the mystery.

Donnie Darko

Its time-loop resolution answers some plot points but leaves the mechanics and meaning unclear. The twist creates a framework, but not a full explanation of what actually happened.

American Psycho

The ending questions whether the murders were real or imagined. Instead of resolving the mystery, it reinforces ambiguity about Patrick Bateman’s actions and mental state.

The Shining

The final photograph suggests Jack has always been part of the hotel, but offers no explanation. The twist raises more questions about time, identity, and the hotel’s influence.

Black Swan

The reveal of Nina’s injury blurs the line between reality and hallucination. It leaves viewers questioning what actually occurred and whether her transformation was literal or psychological.

The Lighthouse

As the story descends into madness, its final moments offer no clear explanation of what’s real. The twist-like ending embraces ambiguity rather than resolution.

Annihilation

The ending suggests duplication or transformation, but never clarifies what the characters have become. The twist expands the mystery instead of resolving it.

Coherence

The twist introduces multiple overlapping realities, but never fully explains how they function, leaving viewers uncertain about which version of events is “real.”

No Country for Old Men

The film’s ending avoids resolution entirely, shifting focus to reflection rather than answers. Its final monologue raises more questions about fate and justice than it resolves.

Burning

The disappearance at the center of the story is never explained. The final act suggests possibilities without confirming any, leaving the truth deliberately uncertain.

Under the Skin

The ending raises questions about identity and transformation, offering little explanation about the protagonist’s nature or purpose.

Sorry to Bother You

Its late twist radically shifts the film’s reality, but instead of clarifying the narrative, it expands its themes into something even more surreal and open-ended.

20 Interesting Movie Facts That Are More ‘Unsettling’ Than ‘Fun’

Sadly, not every behind-the-scenes story is a fun bit of trivia. Some reveal just how far productions have gone in the name of realism, ambition, or simply getting the shot. Over the years, certain movies have become tied to stories of unsafe conditions, real injuries, or decisions that feel quite questionable.

These aren’t the kind of facts that make a film more enjoyable. If anything, they can make certain scenes harder to watch once you know what actually happened. From risky stunts to troubling production choices, these are the movie facts that stick with you for reasons that are anything but entertaining.

The Exorcist

Multiple injuries occurred during filming, including actors being physically harmed by rigged effects, while a mysterious fire destroyed much of the set. These incidents fueled long-standing claims that the production was “cursed.”

Poltergeist

Real human skeletons were used in a pool scene because they were cheaper than props, something the actors reportedly didn’t know at the time, adding an extra layer of discomfort to an already intense sequence.

Candyman

Tony Todd agreed to be covered in real bees for key scenes, receiving multiple stings in the process. The realism comes at the cost of genuine physical discomfort.

Scream

Ulrich was accidentally stabbed in a sensitive area during filming due to a prop mishap, and his reaction in the scene was genuine pain rather than acting.

The Wizard of Oz

The Tin Man’s original actor suffered severe breathing issues due to aluminum dust makeup, forcing a recasting, while others dealt with toxic materials used for costumes and effects.

Alien

The famous chestburster scene used real animal organs, and the cast’s shocked reactions were genuine, as they weren’t fully informed about how graphic the effect would be.

Blue Velvet

Dennis Hopper stayed deeply in character during filming, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for cast members due to his intense and unpredictable behavior.

The Passion of the Christ

Jim Caviezel endured extreme physical strain, including dislocated shoulders and being struck during filming, adding a disturbing level of realism to the already intense scenes.

Rosemary’s Baby

The film became associated with real-life tragedy after director Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered shortly after its release, adding a disturbing context to the film’s legacy.

The Omen

Several eerie incidents occurred during production, including lightning striking planes carrying crew members and a fatal animal attack involving a crew member, contributing to its reputation as a “cursed” film.

Deliverance

The river rapids scene was filmed with minimal safety measures, resulting in real injuries, including actor Burt Reynolds being hurt during a stunt that was left in the film.

Saving Private Ryan

Actors underwent intense military-style training before filming, creating a physically and mentally exhausting experience that mirrored the film’s brutal subject matter.

The Passion of Joan of Arc

Lead actress Maria Falconetti reportedly underwent extreme emotional strain during filming, contributing to the film’s powerful but unsettling realism.

Singing in the Rain

Debbie Reynolds pushed herself to exhaustion during filming, reportedly dancing until her feet bled, highlighting the physical toll behind even seemingly joyful productions.

The Conqueror

Filmed near a nuclear test site in Utah, many cast and crew members later developed cancer, including John Wayne. While not definitively proven, the unusually high illness rate has made the production deeply unsettling in retrospect.

Ben-Hur

The chariot race is often rumored to have caused fatalities. While deaths are debated, numerous injuries occurred, and the scale of the stunt work created genuinely dangerous conditions for performers.

Sorcerer

Filming in remote jungle locations exposed cast and crew to dangerous conditions, including disease, extreme weather, and logistical breakdowns, making the production notoriously grueling and hazardous.

Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead 1981

The Evil Dead

Bruce Campbell endured real physical punishment during filming, including being struck by debris and rigged equipment, with the low-budget production forcing actors to perform risky scenes themselves.

The Fly

Jeff Goldblum spent hours in heavy prosthetics that were physically taxing and isolating, contributing to the film’s disturbing realism while highlighting the uncomfortable demands placed on actors in effects-heavy roles.

Nosferatu the Vampyre

Real rats were used extensively during filming, creating unsanitary and chaotic conditions, with thousands of animals handled on set in ways that raised concerns about both safety and ethics.

15 of Gaming’s Most Transformational Mechanics

The purpose of a video game is to entertain, and some go above and beyond that task. There are gameplay mechanics that are so innovative, either still or for their time, that they have changed how we perceive the interactive medium today. They pass far beyond enjoyment and become a new way to tell stories.

These mechanics shape entire genres, influence countless developers, and often become the defining feature of the games that introduced them. From combat systems to navigation and storytelling tools, these are the mechanics that left a lasting impact on how games are made and played.

Portal, Portal Gun

The portal mechanic redefined puzzle design by allowing players to create instant pathways through space. Its physics-based interactions forced players to think in entirely new ways, influencing countless puzzle games and proving that a single mechanic could carry an entire experience.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Nemesis System

The Nemesis system created dynamic enemies that remember encounters, evolve, and react to player actions. This emergent storytelling system generates unique rivalries, making each player’s experience feel personal and unpredictable rather than scripted. Sadly, as a trademarked system, only Warner Brothers can use it on their games.

Guild Wars 2, Megaserver Structure

Instead of traditional servers, the game uses dynamic map instances that keep areas populated and eliminate login queues. This approach helped redefine MMO structure, reducing downtime and ensuring players always encounter active worlds .

Ghost of Tsushima Ending Explained

Ghost of Tsushima, Guiding Wind

Replacing the minimap with environmental cues, the guiding wind directs players naturally through the world. This design reduces UI clutter and increases immersion, influencing how modern open-world games approach navigation.

BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Rhythm Shooting

By tying every action to a musical beat, the game merges rhythm mechanics with first-person shooting. This creates a unique gameplay loop where timing becomes as important as aim, pushing genre boundaries in unexpected ways.

It Takes Two, Mandatory Co-op

The game requires two players at all times, building every mechanic around cooperation. This design reinforces collaboration at a structural level, making co-op not optional, but essential to the entire experience.

Resident Evil 4, Over-the-Shoulder Camera

Its over-the-shoulder aiming system transformed third-person shooters, blending precision shooting with immersive perspective. This camera style became a standard across action games for years, influencing countless titles.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Posture and Parrying

The combat system revolves around breaking enemy posture through precise parries rather than depleting health. This shifts focus from endurance to mastery, redefining melee combat pacing and rewarding aggressive, skill-based play.

Apex Legends

Apex Legends, Ping System

The ping system allows players to communicate complex information without voice chat. Its intuitive design improved accessibility and teamwork, quickly becoming a staple in multiplayer games across genres.

Heaven’s Vault, Translation System

Players gradually decipher an ancient language, turning translation into gameplay. This mechanic blends narrative and puzzle-solving, making understanding the story itself an interactive process rather than passive exposition.

Death Stranding, Asynchronous Multiplayer

Players indirectly assist each other through shared structures and resources without direct interaction. This asynchronous cooperation system creates a sense of community in a single-player experience, influencing later online design philosophies.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Ultrahand Building

The building system allows players to construct vehicles and solutions freely, encouraging creativity over predefined solutions. It represents a shift toward systemic design where player ingenuity drives progression.

Lies of P combat styles

Lies of P, Weapon Assembly

Weapons can be split and recombined into new forms, allowing players to customize movesets and stats. This modular system adds flexibility to combat, expanding build variety beyond traditional weapon upgrades.

Before Your Eyes, Blink Detection

Using webcam tracking, the game advances the story when players blink. This simple mechanic creates emotional impact by tying narrative progression to involuntary human behavior, making it one of the most unique storytelling tools in gaming.

Dark Souls, Bonfire System

Bonfires serve as checkpoints, healing stations, and risk-reward reset points. This system reshaped difficulty design, influencing countless games with its balance of tension, punishment, and progression.

17 ‘Fluff’ Movies That Were Anything But

The so-called ‘fluff’ movies are easy to dismiss at first glance. Bright posters, familiar genres, and simple premises might make them seem like light entertainment with little else going on. Every so often, though, a film marketed as light or disposable reveals something deeper underneath.

It may be their sharp social commentary, emotional weight, or surprisingly thoughtful themes; the point is that these movies end up sticking with audiences long after they have ended. What looks like fluff often hides meaning in plain sight, rewarding viewers who take a closer look. These are the films that prove you shouldn’t judge a movie solely by its tone, genre, or marketing.

Legally Blonde

Often dismissed as a shallow comedy, the film actually explores sexism and assumptions about intelligence. Elle Woods’ journey highlights how perception shapes opportunity, turning what looks like fluff into a story about self-worth and breaking stereotypes.

Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls

Mean Girls

Presented as a teen comedy, it delivers sharp commentary on social hierarchies and peer pressure. Its humor masks a surprisingly accurate portrayal of identity, conformity, and the way people shape themselves to fit in.

Clueless

A glossy teen comedy on the surface, but beneath it lies a coming-of-age story about growth, empathy, and self-awareness. Its light tone hides a character arc that feels more grounded than expected.

Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada

Marketed as a stylish workplace comedy, it digs into ambition, personal compromise, and the cost of success. The film raises questions about identity and priorities beneath its fashion-driven exterior.

13 Going on 30

What seems like a simple body-swap fantasy becomes a reflection on regret and growing up. Its premise allows it to explore how small choices shape a person’s life over time.

Click

Advertised as a broad comedy, it takes a darker turn by examining missed opportunities and life passing too quickly. The film’s second half shifts into a surprisingly emotional meditation on time and priorities.

Groundhog Day

Built on a comedic time-loop premise, it evolves into a story about self-improvement and meaning. The repetition becomes a tool to explore personal growth and the search for purpose.

The LEGO Movie

A toy-based comedy that evolves into a story about creativity and conformity. Its meta-narrative challenges rigid thinking and celebrates imagination in ways few expected from its premise.

Toy Story 3

Marketed as a family adventure, it deals with aging, abandonment, and letting go. Its emotional core resonates with audiences far beyond its target demographic.

Emma Stone in Easy A

Easy A

A high school comedy that tackles reputation and double standards. Its modern take on classic literature adds depth to what initially appears to be a straightforward teen film.

Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell in Crazy Stupid Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love

What starts as a romantic comedy expands into a layered look at relationships, identity, and personal reinvention. Its interconnected stories give it more emotional weight than expected.

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill

Notting Hill

A classic romantic comedy that also examines fame and privacy. It explores the imbalance between ordinary life and celebrity in a way that adds depth to its central relationship.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Despite its comedic tone, the film deals with trauma, loss, and found family. Its emotional focus gives weight to a franchise often seen as purely entertaining.

Starship Troopers

Initially viewed as a straightforward sci-fi action film, it is actually a satire of militarism and propaganda, critiquing authoritarian ideology beneath its explosive surface.

School of Rock

A light comedy that becomes a story about mentorship and self-expression. Its message about creativity and confidence resonates beyond its simple premise.

Enchanted

A fairy tale parody that explores the clash between fantasy and reality. It reflects on expectations shaped by stories and how they translate to real life.

Roxanne and Max in "A Goofy Movie."

A Goofy Movie

A simple animated adventure that becomes a story about parent-child relationships. Its emotional core has resonated strongly with audiences over time.

The 15 ‘Coolest’ Movie Stars Since the 1950s

“Cool” is one of those qualities that’s hard to define, but we recognize it instantly. It’s about presence, and the ability to command a scene. Since the 1950s, certain movie stars have embodied that effortless charisma, shaping how audiences think about aura.

Some did it through quiet intensity, others through charm or unpredictability, but all of them made it look natural. Across decades and genres, these actors became the reason people watched, paid their tickets, and became franchise fans. While there are quite a few more actors that could be added, these are our personal picks.

Marlon Brando

One of the earliest modern movie icons, Brando redefined on-screen cool with a mix of rebellion and naturalistic acting. His performances, especially early in his career, introduced a raw, effortless charisma that influenced generations of actors.

Bette Davis

Davis brought a sharp, commanding presence to every role, often portraying complex, uncompromising characters. Her performances showed confidence and intensity, proving that charisma didn’t need to be understated to be effective.

Sidney Poitier

Poitier’s calm authority and elegance made him one of the most respected figures in Hollywood. His performances carried a quiet confidence that stood out, helping redefine what a leading-man looked like.

Janet Leigh

Leigh balanced classic Hollywood charm with moments of vulnerability, most famously in Psycho. Her ability to shift between warmth and tension gave her a distinctive presence.

Jack Nicholson

Nicholson’s unpredictable energy and unmistakable presence made him one of Hollywood’s most magnetic stars. Whether playing charm or menace, he brought a sense of control that defined his version of cool.

Kurt Russell

Russell built a reputation on rugged, laid-back roles that felt effortless. From action heroes to antiheroes, his relaxed delivery and confidence made him a consistent presence across multiple decades.

Faye Dunaway

Dunaway’s performances combined glamour with intensity, particularly in the 1970s. Her ability to dominate the screen with both style and emotional weight made her one of the era’s defining personalities.

Sigourney Weaver

Weaver brought a different kind of cool to Hollywood, grounded in strength and intelligence. Her role as Ripley helped redefine action heroes, proving that composure under pressure could be just as compelling as bravado.

Harrison Ford

Ford’s appeal lies in his grounded, no-nonsense approach to characters. Whether as Han Solo or Indiana Jones, his dry humor and quiet confidence made him one of cinema’s most enduring stars.

Diane Keaton

Keaton’s charm comes from her individuality and unconventional style. Her performances often feel natural and unscripted, giving her a kind allure that stands apart from more traditional Hollywood personas.

Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition

Tom Hanks

Hanks is rarely thought of as cool, yet he has a reputation built on reliability and authenticity. His ability to move between genres while remaining relatable has made him one of the most consistently admired actors in Hollywood.

Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia

Meryl Streep

Streep’s charisma comes from her mastery of the craft. Her versatility and control allow her to disappear into roles while maintaining a strong presence, making her one of the most respected actors of her generation.

Brad Pitt in Seven Ending

Brad Pitt

Pitt combines classic movie star looks with a self-aware approach to his roles. His effortless screen presence and adaptability have made him one of the defining “cool” actors of the modern era.

Robert Pattinson as Mickey 17 and 18

Robert Pattinson

Pattinson has reshaped his image through unconventional roles, trading blockbuster fame for indie credibility. His willingness to take risks has given him a modern, understated kind of cool.

Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love

Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence’s appeal comes from her mix of charisma and relatability. Her natural delivery and off-screen personality translate into performances that feel grounded, giving her a contemporary, approachable version of a movie star.

The Boys Season 5 Episode 4 Review: As The Worm Turns

This review contains spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 4.

I understand what the writers behind The Boys are trying to tell us. It’s tough to create a satisfying final season of a popular show. Using TV writer The Worm as an occasionally amusing self-insert, we’re told it’s not easy to wrap up years of storytelling or to service multiple character arcs while weaving in crossovers. But I gotta be real about this episode: it’s kind of a soapy drag and, not for nothing, as a Lost finale enjoyer, they’re preaching to a much more easily pleased reviewer than their fictional AV Club guy here.

As Homelander takes further steps toward becoming America’s new god, he provokes shaky smiles from the bootlickers around him. The way Firecracker’s face falls when she discovers his new mission is incredible. Choosing her to spread his word, she sells out the last remaining vestige of her soul. If she’s ever heard a warning from history, she forgot it.

Hughie then tells us what’s happening in the show, in case we’re also prone to forgetting or looking at our phones. “Homelander has Stan Edgar,” he reminds us. “If we get the V1 first, we save Annie, we save Kimiko, we save Butcher. If Homelander gets it, he’s immortal, the virus is useless, and we’re fucked sideways, so who wants to go to [place] where [plot device] is?” Thanks for the update, Hughie. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

For what it’s worth, Soldier Boy seems a little rattled about anyone trying to hunt potential doses of V1 at Fort Harmony, and we get to find out why when he confronts his difficult past during this episode. Jensen Ackles has been an entirely worthy addition to this season, despite being yet another spinoff for the writers to entwine, adding his reliably charming presence but also his ability to show cogs turning without talking, which is good because a big chunk of Soldier Boy’s standard “I haven’t done X since Y!” dialogue would usually lead straight into a Peter Griffin flashback on Family Guy.

Fort Harmony, and a familiar mind-altering trope, is indeed where most of the gang head this episode. Whether it’s the darkness inside being amplified by a location like the Overlook Hotel in The Shining or a vengeful spirit turning brothers Sam and Dean Winchester against each other at an abandoned hospital in Eric Kripke’s other iconic TV show, Supernatural, we’ve seen this kinda thing before and know what will happen: our crew will grow meaner and more out of character until someone points it out and a solution is found, and that will happen just in the nick of time before they beat each other to death.

Speaking of being beaten to death, Ryan’s fine, by the way. If you’re a fan of his exciting adventures of hiding, trying to bond with people, or running away, congratulations. If you’re more inclined to think the show hasn’t really known what to do with the OP kid since he accidentally took out Becca, this news might be less well received. There’s a bit of the usual back and forth between him and Butcher before he fucks off again, sure to reemerge at some point in the future lest Butcher have no ties to Becca left to lose.

There’s a lot more tension and peril in Annie’s visit to her estranged father and his new family. These are compelling conversations for her to have with people in the field who are being told she’s the enemy, especially as she wrestles with whether it’s worth keeping her heart open. “People we love aren’t our weakness,” her father says. “They’re the reason we fight.” It hits harder than anything Hughie has said to her this season, and it worked on me as well.

The juice of Annie reconnecting with her dad is worth the squeeze, since the Homelander plot is spinning its wheels in the background. Annie has been feeling so hopeless and unsure this season, but she fights on with love in her heart. It’s at least vaguely meaningful, and the writers refrain from adding too many dismissive lines to undermine it, which is a nice change of pace.

Still, no one got hold of that pesky V1 in this episode. Maybe they’ll find it in the next. It would be cool if they got somewhere instead of fighting among themselves, but what else can they do when there are still a handful of episodes left until the final showdown? Just ask The Worm.

New episodes of The Boys season 5 premiere Wednesdays on Prime Video.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Episode 6 Review – Requiem

This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again season two, episode six.

Every Daredevil story has the same fundamental moral. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking Charlie Cox or Ben Affleck, a goofy Silver Age story or a gritty Frank Miller tale. The lesson of every Daredevil tale is just that no one should ever, ever get involved with Matt Murdock. Yes, Matt’s charming and passionate and committed to doing the right thing. But he will always make the worst decision at the most inopportune time, and though he me be wracked with guilt as he does it, he’ll do it all the way.

Although the title “Requiem” suggests that we’re still in a period of mourning for Vanessa Fisk, much of the latest Daredevil: Born Again episode deals with people making destructive decisions. Mr. Charles makes his move, Daniel confronts BB, Powell kills a subordinate, and Heather tries to strangle Buck. And yet, none of these actions are as explosive as Matt’s attempt to forge a truce with Wilson.

Written by Devon Kliger & Jesse Wigutow and directed by Angela Barnes, “Requiem” picks up right after the previous episode “The Grand Design” with Vanessa’s doctor delivering news of her demise and then picking the worst possible time to hug it out with Wilson (you may have read about this scene earlier… sorry about that).

With Fisk overcome by grief, everyone else springs into action. Realizing that his deal with the Mayor has gone sour, Mr. Charles reaches out to the Governor, to make some new shady and indistinct deal, while the Governor, in turn, sets up Sheila Rivera to replace Fisk. Buck Cashman goes on the offensive, first forcing Daniel to confront BB over her City Without Fear reports, and then playing a choking game with Heather that sparks new visions of Muse. Soledad Ayala, Angela del Toro, and other insurgents launch a massive anti-Fisk stunt, which gives Powell the excuse he’s needed to openly strike back—after killing off Saunders, the resistance’s man inside the AVTF.

As has been the case all season long, the quality of these plot points vary. It’s nice to see Cashman be a little more openly malevolent, and the English charm does set him apart from his predecessor Wesley, but the script asks him to be subtle while also explaining in painful detail the mole test he wants Daniel to perform. His interplay with Heather is interesting, despite the painfully slow and obvious way she’s descending into madness. Worst of all is Mr. Charles, who did a whole lot of nothing with Fisk and now seems to be setting up some quasi-Thunderbolts that apparently ensnared Luke Cage. We love Matthew Lillard, but he seems to be involved in that old Marvel sin of promising something exciting next time, but delivering nothing exciting now.

Irritating as these elements are, “Requiem” does deliver some exciting stuff in the here and now. Obviously, we finally get Jessica Jones, back for the first time in the MCU proper. Marvel’s been teasing her arrival for months now, and letting her beat up AVTF cops while caring for her daughter is a fitting introduction. And Krysten Ritter hasn’t lost a step, playing Jessica with that spot-on blend of snark and vulnerability. Yet, it still feels a bit rote when she strolls up to Matt on a rooftop so they can do an action sequence together. The fight choreography remains effective, and we love watching superheroes beat up militarized police, but Fisk’s arms deal with Mr. Charles has never been compelling, so the stakes feel non-existent.

The better fight sequence comes at the end, the long-awaited throw-down between Daredevil and Fisk. As the series reminded us again and again, Fisk poses a formidable physical threat, even more so now that all of the mayoral pretense has fallen away, freeing him to be the Kingpin once again. We believe that he truly wants to batter Daredevil, in a way that hasn’t been completely true in the Disney series or the Netflix predecessor.

All of which makes Matt’s gambit all the more interesting. When Daredevil arrives in Fisk’s office, he comes not to fight, but to sue for peace. Further, he makes his appeal by trying to level with Fisk, trying to get his old enemy to see how much they’ve lost. Matt’s right, of course. The clashes between the two men have cost them both dearly, and have spread the madness to those around them. But this is the worst possible time for Matt to make that appeal, after Fisk has hurt so many people and has the ability to harm even more.

Matt’s attempt to redeem Fisk only proves the point that Karen has tried to make throughout season two. Disappointing as it is to see Karen reduced to the woman who complains about the male main character is doing, at least we understand her frustration. Bullseye has proven that he’s an unrepentant murder machine, who has tried to kill Karen, did kill Foggy, and exacerbated problems by killing Vanessa. So what does Matt do? Not only does he not turn him over to the authorities, he brings him to the secret hideout, he cares for him, and he chides Karen for wanting him dead.

Karen has every right to be furious with Matt. And though the episode ends with Powell capturing Karen (turns out, a wig wasn’t the full proof disguise that she hoped it would be), that’s Matt’s fault too, since he’s inside the Mayor’s office trying to appeal to Fisk’s better angels instead of protecting the protestors outside. Once again, Matt’s making the worst possible decision.

In that way, “Requiem” is classic Daredevil, even if it’s an uneven episode of TV.

Daredevil: Born Again releases new episodes every Tuesday at 9pm on Disney+.

Evil Dead Burn Takes the Franchise Back to its Roots

One day in 1979, childhood friends Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi went to a cabin in rustic Northern Michigan to shoot a horror short. That 32-minute movie, Within the Woods, became the duo’s calling card, earning them enough funding from local business people to shoot a full length film called The Evil Dead, launching a franchise that continues to this day. Most recently, 2023’s Evil Dead Rise moved the Book of the Dead to a big city high rise, far from the franchise’s rustic home.

However, the first trailer for Evil Dead Burn makes it abundantly clear that this time, the chaos will happen in a small, secluded space. Outside of a couple of establishing shots of a large, empty house, the rest of the trailer is an unbroken shot of a woman named Alice (Souheila Yacoub) crawling away from the chaos around her. In addition to people growling and bodies thrown all about, we even get some environmental scares, as when a clock comes crashing to the floor.

According to an official synopsis released with the trailer, Evil Dead Burn follows Alice as she visits the home of her in-laws, only to find that they’ve been transformed into Deadites. Neither the synopsis nor the trailer gives us any indication of who was dumb enough to read from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis to unleash the unholy forces, but given the recent popularity of toxic relationship films like The Drama, we’re guessing its Alice’s husband.

Evil Dead Burn comes from Sébastien Vaniček, the French filmmaker whose 2023 debut Infested managed to combine social commentary with skin-crawling visuals. The latter is a prerequisite for an Evil Dead movie, especially since the 2013 Fede Álvarez reboot Evil Dead stripped all the humor out of the franchise and replaced it with grueling gore. However, the former could be a welcome addition to a movie about Hellish monsters trying to swallow souls, depending on what Vaniček and co-writer Florent Bernard have in mind.

Whatever their intentions, the trailer for Evil Dead Burn feels like a return to first principles. The Evil Dead franchise was built on the promise of chaos within a confined space, usually a cabin where Ash has to battle the Deadites alone. Álvarez and Lee Cronin, who made Evil Dead Rise before taking on the Mummy, have put different spins on that premise, but they don’t always make use of the space in the same way that Raimi did. When Ash starts to lose his mind in Evil Dead II, it’s not just because he’s being attacked by demons; it’s also because the cabin itself is going mad.

So when we see parts of the house fall apart in the Evil Dead Burn trailer, we can’t help but hope that Vaniček is going to make the house itself part of the terror, just like the original movies did. But, even if that’s not the plan, the trailer makes it clear that Evil Dead Burn will continue the work that Raimi and Campbell started all those years ago by filming bad things happening in a spooky house.

Evil Dead Burn arrives in theaters on July 24, 2026.

Michael Review: A Sainted and Sanitized Michael Jackson

The modern musical biopic is less biography and more hagiography, usually with a great soundtrack. Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and Walk the Line have no interest in telling the real story of the people who made the songs we love. Instead they exist to let the audience sing along with pop hits, to reward those who know little bits of trivia, and to ensure fans that everyone involved are very good people indeed.

On those terms, Michael is very much a by-the-numbers modern musical biopic. It whisks the viewer from year to year, pausing to recreate iconic moments (e.g., debuting the moonwalk at the Motown Records 25th Anniversary concert), and playing wall-to-wall hit songs. But in an effort to completely avoid the sexual abuse allegations and general oddness that marked the artist’s later life, Michael doesn’t just soften the edges of the subject; it completely transfigures Michael Jackson, framing him as a cosmic force for good, loved by everyone except his diabolical father, Joseph.

Completely inured to Walk Hard‘s critiques, Michael indeed begins with MJ thinking about his entire life before he plays, waiting to go onstage to promote the release of 1987’s Bad and thinking back to his childhood in Gary, Indiana. There we’re treated to the family dynamics that will play out again and again in the film. Young Michael (played as a child by Juliano Valdi) loves to perform with his brothers, but they can never please their domineering father Joseph (Colman Domingo). Long-suffering mother Katherine (Nia Long) tries to balance dad, but Joseph demands nothing short of perfection while stifling any of Michael’s criticisms by beating him with a belt.

Twenty minutes in, Michael has grown to adulthood (now played by Jaafar Jackson, real-life son of Jermaine and nephew to Michael), but longs for his lost childhood. He continuously acquires new animals for his menagerie, collects Disney memorabilia, and enjoys late-night ice creams with his mother. Most of all, Michael wants to express himself, to make the music that matters to him, a desire threatened by his controlling father.

In the broadest of strokes, director Antoine Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan show no interest in breaking the standard musical biopic tropes, even when they stretch believability. So when Michael turns on the television immediately after saying that he wishes his music could make a difference in the world, you know that he’s going to see something about street gang violence. Fuqua cuts from grainy news footage of Crips and Bloods swearing undying hatred back to Michael, looking on with endless compassion. In the very next scene, he’s assembled actual gang members to watch him practice “Beat It.”

In contrast to the barbarity shown on the news, the Crips and Bloods barely seem annoyed with one another in Michael’s soundstage. Nor do they poke any fun at the professional dancers cosplaying as street toughs who come to do choreography with MJ. Instead reaction shots reveal them looking on with awe and delight. Such is the power of Michael.

Or so we assume, as the gang members never appear again in the film, having done their duty in proving the star’s incredible goodness. Such is the case with all of the normal people not fit to touch the hem of Michael’s glove. Throughout the movie, Michael will stop to give autographs to children or visit victims in the hospital. But outside of one or two minute-long conversations, the adoring public exists to do nothing more than that: adore.

Astonishingly, Michael almost pulls it off. Not because of anything Fuqua does with the camera. While he does sometimes interject notes of style, such as giving the arrival of Bubbles the Monkey a full superhero-style reveal, or cutting from Joseph Jackson signing a promotional deal with Pepsi to Michael watching Charlie Chaplin struggle with a conveyor belt in Modern Times. Mostly though, he plays things straight.

Still, the film almost works because of the central performances. Jaafar Jackson has an incredible smile and he knows how to use it on camera. He embodies both the gentle warmth of this movie’s Michael and can do the jaw-dropping dance moves of the real-life performer. The film doesn’t give him much interiority—even the brief acknowledgment of Michael’s predilection for plastic surgery is immediately externalized to be an extension of his father’s demands, with papa repeatedly calling his son “big nose.” But Jaafar delivers as a singing and dancing saint.

Even better is Domingo, in an utterly over-the-top performance as Joseph. Bringing even less subtlety than he does playing a literal cartoon supervillain in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Domingo seems to channel Al Pacino as Big Boy Caprice in Dick Tracy, and not just because of his wig and prosthetics. Domingo is all feral energy as Joseph, prowling around the Jackson home, staring down his family and letting his mouth dangle open, ready to devour his sons. Even before he meets in a lacquered office with promotor Don King (Deon Cole) to share cigars and cackle over their big business plans, Joseph is evil incarnate, and Domingo embraces the role without embarrassment.

With stakes so over-the-top and morality so (forgive me) black or white, Michael almost works as a sweet children’s story. But because it’s a musical biopic, Michael has to ask the audience to remember certain things. We don’t get to hear all of “I Want You Back,” so we have to remember how neat it was to watch young Michael belt out those notes. We don’t get to see all of the “Thriller” music video, so we have to recall how the short film plays out.

And yet, it unequivocally and desperately wants the audience to avoid remembering other things. We cannot remember MJ’s actual suffering, we cannot remember the inherent sadness and creepiness of his public persona past the early ’90s, and we absolutely must not remember the allegations that he also abused children.

Instead Michael insists that we remember only the beautiful art that MJ was good enough to extend to us and to believe that, if anything at all was bad in the world of Michael Jackson, it was all the fault of Joseph. Such sins are hardly unique among musical biopics and, even more than the average biopic, the music here is incredible. But Michael‘s deification of its subject makes it hard to enjoy the film as anything other than a work of devotional art or camp of the highest level.

Michael opens in theaters on April 24, 2026.

Oscar Isaac Sheds New Light on Star Wars’ Most Controversial Line

As Resistance fighter Poe Dameron, Oscar Isaac had the unenviable job of delivering the line “Somehow, Palpatine returned” in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—a desperate handwave so J.J. Abrams’ sequel trilogy-capper could have a familiar villain quickly added to the story. In the years since the movie’s release, it’s become shorthand for lazy plot contrivances, memed and mocked into oblivion. The fact that it followed an opening crawl that referenced a Fortnite event made it even worse.

In a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Isaac reflected on delivering the line and revealed that it was written later, during the film’s reshoots.

“We had to do reshoots… those were like those surgical strikes where you come in and [everyone] is scrambling trying to get going… I think that had been a new addition at the end,” he said. “There was a lot of movement and flux throughout that whole thing.”

Isaac said he had no idea that “Somehow, Palpatine returned” would have the cultural impact it did, adding, “Had you asked me if at that moment I thought that was going to be the line, I wouldn’t have known. But hey man, I committed to the exasperation, that’s for sure.”

He’s clearly a good sport about it, but it can’t be much fun to know that you’ve become the face of not just modern Star Wars nonsense, but every cultural moment where the public reacts with groans upon seeing a public figure or talking point come back from obscurity.

Over on X, the responses to the news that the infamous line was added in reshoots were swift.

“The fact that they added the most memed line in modern Star Wars DURING RESHOOTS means someone at Disney looked at the script and said, ‘You know what this needs? A line that will haunt Oscar Isaac for the rest of his press tours,'” posted one person, while another chimed in with, “You could literally see the soul leaving his body while he said it. He knew the script was cooked.”

Luckily, Isaac’s career hasn’t seemed to be affected since portraying Poe Dameron. He’s gone on to star in Dune: Part One, Scenes from a Marriage, Frankenstein, and the second season of Beef on Netflix, among other things.