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.

Dario Russo’s The Fox Turns Talking Animals Into a Dark Relationship Fable

Dario Russo takes talking animals very seriously. That’s why in The Fox, Russo’s first feature film, the woodland creatures’ ability to speak is treated as the most ordinary part of the movie. Russo’s particular vision for the magical realism comedy that had its world premiere at South by Southwest 2026 was to present a cautionary tale about what happens when you think you can change someone instead of working on yourself.

Russo previously worked in television, directing the popular internet series Italian Spiderman as well as an action series for SBS One Danger 5. He describes The Fox as autobiographical and personal in a sense, taking on nearly every role in its creation, writing, directing, editing, and scoring the film himself. He jokes that the story is one Australians are all too familiar with.

“I’ve encountered talking foxes in my life, and unfortunately, I’ve listened to them,” Russo says. “My life has gone off the rails as a result. So, it’s a cautionary tale for people in Australia who get into this sort of predicament quite a bit, and I think it’s about time we talk about it publicly.”

The Fox follows Nick (Jai Courtney) as he proposes to his girlfriend, Kori (Emily Browning), later finding out she’s having an affair with her boss, Derek (Damon Herriman). While hunting, Nick meets a talking fox (Olivia Colman), who promises to transform his cheating fiancée into the perfect woman; one that is ready for marriage. That same fox manipulates Derek’s wife, Diana (Claudia Doumit), promising to make her cheating husband in love with her once again.

At SXSW, Russo, Browning, and Doumit stopped by the Den of Geek studio to talk about the behind-the-scenes of the film, their animal instincts, and the Olivia-Colman-of-it-all.

Russo shares that the fox animatronics used in the film were modeled after a real native British Red Fox named Flo at the British Wildlife Centre. For each animatronic, two puppeteers controlled the fox’s eyes, one moved its head, and one governed the movement of the animal’s body with a “rod up the bum,” as the Australian director says.

“I wanted them to feel like taxidermy come to life in the sense that they’re just based as closely on the real animals as possible,” Russo says.

The puppeteers’ movements were modeled after Colman’s distinct voiceover. Russo didn’t want to include a stand-in-voice for the purpose of production and knew the importance of having the actors and puppeteers play off of Colman’s authentic performance.

“I had that early recording, and I would listen to it on my walks like a podcast,” Browning says. “Listening to Olivia Colman, and it was like she wasn’t even trying. It was perfect.”

Doumit’s character, Diana, who she says “needs therapy, but will never listen,” uses extreme measures to fix her marriage. Doumit likes to model her character’s erratic behavior after a distinct animal.

“I tried to work in animal attributes,” Claudia says. “I like to think of my character, Diana, as a magpie… She’s in your business, she’s very gossipy, and territorial. Don’t mess with her things.”

Similarly, Russo says he likes to direct under the guise of a ferret. “Scuttling around, looking for snacks, constantly being found in places you don’t expect on set,” he says.

Having previously worked on surrealist comedy projects, Russo was mindful of how he wanted humor to be used in the film. In his view, allowing characters to react ridiculously to problems with the utmost sincerity is what makes a good dark comedy.

“The comedy should be coming from the character’s actual behavior because this character is doing absolutely ridiculous things that you find amusing,” Russo says. “It’s the fact that Diana believes so firmly in these ridiculous solutions that she’s come up with throughout the story that makes her funny.”

The cast members and director also agree that filming in Adelaide, Australia, with a mostly Australian cast made the dry humor shine through even more.

“We are ridiculous people,” Russo says. “I think in general, when the Australian accent tries to be serious, it can get really bad.”

Browning adds, “I feel like I’m able to be funnier when I can be Australian.”

Humor aside, the film’s heavier themes of infidelity, denial, and fear are still presented with the same darkness and weight they carry in real life. The central conflict emerges when Colman’s ill-intentioned fox influences characters into pushing others down a mystical hole in the woods. It’s a symbol Russo himself admits he doesn’t fully understand, even now.

“I haven’t had enough therapy to truly understand what it means for myself, to be honest,” Russo says. “But there’s something about this sort of chasm, the point of no return, and pushing somebody into the unknown of the earth and having something else come out that’s kind of terrifying.”

The Fox premiered October 19, 2025 at the Adelaide Film Festival and screened again at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival. It does not yet have a wide theatrical release date.

15 Video Game Endings That Made Players Regret the Journey

Good games are shaped by both their beginnings and their endings, but a good premise doesn’t always end at the same height. Be it due to rushed development, cut corners, or just a vision that does not align to that of the general audiences, some game endings make it feel like the entire journey was pointless.

Of course, that isn’t the case for everyone, but these titles in particular left a sour taste in the minds of plenty of players. While the most frequent offenders are the games that claim ‘player choice matters,’ a badly done bossfight or final section can be just as regretful.

Life is Strange

A choice-driven narrative that ultimately boils down to two endings that ignore most prior decisions, making players feel like their choices never mattered and leaving both outcomes emotionally punishing.

Mass Effect 3

After three games of decision-making, the original ending reduced everything to a few similar choices, sparking massive backlash and forcing developers to release an extended cut to address complaints.

Fable II

The game builds up player choices and wealth as meaningful, only to end with a brief, underwhelming resolution that feels disconnected from everything the player spent hours building.

The Last of Us Part II

A deeply divisive ending that leaves players emotionally drained, with many feeling the journey’s violence and sacrifice ultimately lead to a bleak and unsatisfying resolution.

Far Cry 5

After hours of fighting to stop a cult, the ending either results in nuclear devastation or reinforces the villain’s ideology, making the entire struggle feel futile.

Heavy Rain

Despite being built on player decisions, plot holes and inconsistent character motivations in the ending left many players feeling their choices didn’t fully align with the outcome.

Halo 2

The abrupt cliffhanger ending cuts off just as the story reaches its peak, leaving players frustrated after investing heavily in the narrative.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

An unfinished narrative and missing final chapter make the ending feel incomplete, leaving major storylines unresolved due to the game’s troubled development.

Assassin’s Creed III

The modern-day storyline concludes abruptly, while the historical narrative feels rushed, leaving many players dissatisfied with how both arcs wrap up.

Borderlands

The Vault’s reveal and final payoff feel minimal compared to the buildup, leaving players disappointed after a long journey toward what seemed like a major reward.

Silent Hill: Homecoming

The endings vary, but many feel disconnected from player actions, with some outcomes seeming arbitrary rather than earned.

Dead Space 3

A controversial ending that leans heavily into action and sequel setup, leaving players frustrated with the lack of resolution.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Despite offering multiple endings, they are presented in a similar format that minimizes the impact of player choices, making the conclusion feel less meaningful.

Rage

The game ends abruptly after the final mission, offering almost no narrative resolution and leaving players confused about whether they missed something.

Firewatch

A deliberately grounded ending that subverts expectations, leaving some players disappointed by the lack of a dramatic payoff after building tension throughout the game.

20 Times People Were Injured, or Worse, On Movie Sets

Movies might look effortless on screen, even if we know that filmmaking can be physically demanding, and sometimes dangerously unpredictable. Stunts, special effects, and challenging environments all carry real risks, even with safety measures in place.

Over the years, there have been numerous incidents where actors, stunt performers, and crew members were seriously injured, and in some cases, tragically lost their lives. These moments serve as stark reminders of how much can go wrong during production. From high-profile accidents to lesser-known tragedies, these are the times when the illusion of movie-making gave way to very real consequences.

The Crow (1994)

Brandon Lee was fatally wounded when a prop gun fired a projectile left lodged in the barrel. The tragedy became one of the most infamous on-set accidents in film history.

Rust

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza injured when a prop gun discharged during filming, sparking major industry-wide discussions about firearm safety on sets.

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed when a helicopter crashed during a stunt sequence, leading to legal battles and lasting changes in safety regulations for film productions.

Deadpool 2

Stunt performer Joi “SJ” Harris died during a motorcycle stunt that went wrong, marking a rare fatal accident on a modern superhero film set.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Stuntwoman Olivia Jackson suffered severe injuries, including the loss of an arm, after a motorcycle stunt malfunctioned during filming.

The Expendables 2

A stuntman was killed and another seriously injured during a boat explosion sequence that went wrong on set.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Stunt double David Holmes was paralyzed during a rehearsal involving an explosion stunt, ending his career and raising concerns about stunt safety.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Dylan O’Brien suffered serious injuries, including fractures and a concussion, after being struck by a vehicle during a stunt gone wrong.

The Passion of the Christ

Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning during filming and also suffered multiple injuries during production, adding to the already physically demanding shoot.

Triple X (2002)

Stuntman Harry O’Connor died after colliding with a bridge while performing a high-speed parasailing stunt.

Top Gun (1986)

Stunt pilot Art Scholl was killed when his plane crashed into the ocean while filming aerial footage for the movie.

Titanic

Kate Winslet suffered hypothermia and other minor injuries during long water shoots, reflecting the harsh filming conditions used to achieve realism.

The Abyss

Ed Harris nearly drowned during an underwater sequence due to equipment issues, later describing the experience as one of the most stressful of his career.

Roar (1981)

Dozens of cast and crew members were injured while filming with real lions, including Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith, making it one of the most dangerous productions ever.

Kill Bill: Volume 2

Uma Thurman was injured in a car crash while performing a stunt she was reportedly pressured to do, leading to long-term physical issues.

Back to the Future Part III

Michael J. Fox nearly suffocated during a hanging scene when a stunt went wrong and he briefly lost consciousness.

The Princess Bride

Cary Elwes was accidentally struck in the head during a sword fight and required stitches, with the injury partially visible in the film.

Gladiator

Oliver Reed died of a heart attack during filming, forcing the production to use early CGI and rewrites to complete his remaining scenes.

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy Returns

The Mummy (1999)

Brendan Fraser nearly died during a hanging scene when the stunt went wrong, leaving him briefly unconscious.

Noah’s Ark (1928)

An early large-scale flood sequence resulted in multiple injuries and reportedly several deaths among extras, making it one of the earliest examples of dangerous large-scale filmmaking.

15 Video Games So Good That the Story Doesn’t Matter

A good story always enriches the experience with any game, but as an interactive medium, it isn’t a necessity. When a given gameplay loop is good enough, players will keep coming back no matter what, even when the narrative makes little to no sense.

Mind you, this isn’t to say that the games shown here have bad stories; in many cases, their lore is fascinating and worth knowing. What’s important to note is that delving in that story isn’t important, required, or expected, since you’ll get everything you need from simply playing the game.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Praised for its emergent gameplay and dynamic world, the game shines through combat and exploration, while its narrative takes a backseat. Even fans admit the story presentation feels thin compared to how strong the gameplay loop is.

Crimson Desert

Delivers a large-scale open-world experience centered on combat, exploration, and player-driven encounters across the continent of Pywel. While it does have a central narrative about rebuilding the Greymane faction, player engagement largely comes from its systems and freedom rather than story depth.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Widely praised for its “near-impeccable” gameplay and open-ended mission design, the story was criticized as “aimless” and incomplete, especially in its second half, leaving gameplay as the clear standout.

Monster Hunter Wilds

The story exists mainly to push players toward hunts, but the real appeal is mastering weapons, fighting monsters, and refining builds, making narrative largely irrelevant to the overall experience. This is true for nearly all the Monster Hunter games.

DOOM (2016)

The game intentionally downplays its story, even having the protagonist dismiss exposition. Its fast, aggressive combat loop is the real focus, making narrative details almost optional.

Dark Souls

Its lore is deep but deliberately obscure, leaving most players confused about the story while still fully engaged thanks to its challenging combat and interconnected world design.

Elden Ring

Similar to Dark Souls, the narrative is fragmented and difficult to follow, but exploration, combat, and build variety drive the experience, making story comprehension optional rather than essential.

Borderlands 3

While previous entries had memorable writing, this installment’s story received criticism, but the chaotic gunplay and loot system remained strong enough to carry the game.

Diablo III

The story was widely seen as weaker than its predecessor, but the addictive gameplay loop of combat and loot progression kept players hooked for hundreds of hours.

Super Mario Bros.

The story is extremely basic, but the platforming design and gameplay innovation made it one of the most influential games ever created.

Street Fighter V

The story mode received criticism, but the tight fighting mechanics and competitive depth ensured the game remained popular.

Tekken 8

Despite a convoluted and often confusing storyline, the game thrives on its deep combat system and competitive appeal.

Just Cause 3

The story is largely forgettable, but the open-world destruction, traversal mechanics, and chaos-driven gameplay are the real focus.

Far Cry 4

While it has a narrative, many players engage more with the open-world gameplay and emergent encounters than the actual story progression.

Dead Cells

The game offers only fragments of story, but its fast-paced roguelike gameplay loop is what keeps players coming back.

15 Times Nobody Bought That The Actor Could Play Their Instrument

Whenever an actor portraits a musician, there is at least some level of effort to convince the audience that the character can play an instrument. Of course, we don’t expect actors to learn new skills every day, but we at least expect them to convince us that they do.

Some performances, however, fall flat in that front, either because the lack of experience wasn’t hidden properly, or because some audience members have more experience with the instrument than the actors themselves. While these movies aren’t bad by any means, their acting around instruments (particularly pianos) left some room for improvement.

Crossroads (1986)

Ralph Macchio’s guitar playing was widely noted as unconvincing, with mismatched hand movements and editing tricks making it clear a professional musician handled the actual performance behind the scenes.

Elvis

Kurt Russell’s portrayal relied heavily on miming to pre-recorded tracks, and while the performance worked dramatically, the instrument handling itself often doesn’t match the music being heard.

Amadeus

Tom Hulce’s portrayal of Mozart is powerful, but his piano playing was largely simulated, with editing and hand doubles used to match the complexity of the compositions.

Ray

Although Jamie Foxx is musically skilled, some piano scenes relied on careful editing and doubles, and attentive viewers can spot moments where hand movements don’t fully align with the music.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Rami Malek delivers a strong performance as Freddie Mercury, but the piano playing in certain scenes doesn’t always match the complexity of the soundtrack, revealing the use of stand-ins and playback.

Walk the Line

Joaquin Phoenix learned guitar basics, but some performances simplify or obscure the playing, making certain moments feel less convincing to experienced musicians.

The Pianist

Adrien Brody trained for the role, but many complex piano sequences were performed by professionals, with editing used to blend his performance, occasionally resulting in noticeable mismatches.

Shine

Geoffrey Rush’s intense piano scenes rely on doubles for the most technically demanding passages, and while the acting sells the moment, the playing itself doesn’t always fully convince.

Immortal Beloved

Gary Oldman’s Beethoven performances are largely mimed, with professional recordings layered over, leading to moments where the physical performance doesn’t fully align with the music.

La Bamba

Lou Diamond Phillips captures the spirit of Ritchie Valens, but guitar scenes rely heavily on miming, with noticeable discrepancies between hand movements and the music.

The Dirt

Actors portraying Mötley Crüe members focus more on attitude than technical accuracy, resulting in instrument performances that often feel loosely synced rather than convincingly played.

Rock Star

Mark Wahlberg’s portrayal of a singer is energetic, but the band performances around him often feature exaggerated or mismatched playing that doesn’t fully align with the soundtrack.

Almost Famous

While emotionally authentic, some band performance scenes feature simplified or inaccurate instrument handling, especially in wider shots where synchronization slips.

The Runaways

Despite strong performances, some guitar and bass scenes feel loosely matched to the music, with noticeable inconsistencies in finger movement and timing.

Yesterday

Himesh Patel performs convincingly overall, but certain scenes simplify guitar playing, and some viewers noted minor inconsistencies between what’s played and what’s heard.

20 Movies That Make No Sense, And We Don’t Care

Not every movie needs to make perfect sense to leave an impact. Some films abandon clear logic in favor of mood, symbolism, or sheer ambition, creating stories that are confusing, contradictory, or downright impossible to fully explain. And yet, they still work.

Unforgettable visuals, strong performances, or a unique atmosphere make these movies resonate even when the details don’t quite add up. In many cases, the confusion is part of the appeal, giving audiences something to think about long after the credits roll. These are the films that prove clarity isn’t always the most important thing.

Mulholland Drive

Often cited as one of the most confusing films ever made, its dreamlike structure and shifting identities leave viewers struggling to piece together meaning, yet its atmosphere and emotional undercurrent make it endlessly rewatchable.

Donnie Darko

A mix of time travel, alternate realities, and existential themes creates a story that rarely feels fully coherent, but its tone and performances turned it into a cult classic despite the confusion.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi landmark abandons traditional storytelling for abstract imagery and symbolism, especially in its final act, leaving audiences debating its meaning decades later.

Inception

Despite carefully explained rules, its layered dream structure and ambiguous ending leave many viewers questioning what was real, proving that complexity doesn’t stop a film from becoming massively popular.

The Big Lebowski

The plot quickly becomes secondary to bizarre characters and absurd situations, creating a story that feels aimless yet remains beloved for its humor and endlessly quotable dialogue.

The Lighthouse

Its descent into madness, unreliable narration, and surreal imagery make it difficult to interpret literally, but its performances and atmosphere keep it compelling even when it stops making sense.

Southland Tales

Packed with overlapping storylines, sci-fi elements, and political satire, the film is notoriously incoherent, yet its ambition and unique tone have earned it a cult following.

Mother!

A heavy-handed allegory that escalates into chaos, the film abandons logic in favor of symbolism, leaving many confused but others fascinated by its bold, unsettling approach.

Eraserhead

David Lynch’s debut is filled with abstract imagery and unexplained events, making it nearly impossible to interpret literally, yet its nightmarish tone makes it unforgettable.

Synecdoche, New York

A deeply layered narrative about identity and art that folds in on itself repeatedly, making it difficult to follow but emotionally resonant for those willing to engage with it.

The Neon Demon

More focused on mood and symbolism than plot, the film unfolds in a way that feels disconnected at times, but its visual style and themes keep it compelling.

Mandy

A surreal revenge story that drifts into psychedelic horror, prioritizing tone and imagery over clear storytelling, making it confusing but unforgettable.

Under the Skin

Minimal dialogue and an intentionally opaque narrative leave much unexplained, but its haunting imagery and performance-driven storytelling make it captivating.

Enemy

A mysterious double, recurring symbols, and an infamous final image create a film that resists clear interpretation, leaving viewers debating its meaning long after it ends.

The Green Knight

A loose, symbolic adaptation that prioritizes mood and themes over clear storytelling, resulting in a narrative that feels deliberately ambiguous yet visually striking.

Brazil

A chaotic blend of satire, dystopia, and fantasy results in a story that feels disjointed at times, but its creativity and world-building have made it a classic.

Holy Motors

Following a man through a series of disconnected roles, the film offers little explanation for its structure, yet its unpredictability is part of its appeal.

Suspiria

While the plot is relatively simple, the dreamlike logic and emphasis on visuals over narrative clarity make it feel disorienting, contributing to its lasting impact.

Stalker

A slow, philosophical journey where the meaning of events is often unclear, yet its atmosphere and themes have made it one of the most respected films of its kind.

Interstellar

Complex science concepts and emotional storytelling collide in ways that can feel confusing, especially in its final act, but its ambition and emotional core resonate strongly with audiences.

15 Times the Actor Knew Nothing About the Movie They Were In

Hollywood productions can be chaotic, secretive, and often deliberately misleading, especially in an era of massive franchises and spoiler paranoia. While audiences assume actors are fully informed about the films they star in, that’s not always the case.

With incomplete scripts and misdirection to outright confusion about the project itself, some performers have found themselves working on movies they barely understood, or didn’t even realize they were part of. Whether due to tight security, unusual directing methods, or simple miscommunication, these situations reveal just how fragmented filmmaking can become behind the scenes, even on some of the biggest productions ever made.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Spider-Man: Homecoming

Gwyneth Paltrow famously didn’t realize she appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, confusing it with Avengers. The secrecy-heavy Marvel process meant she filmed scenes without clear context, later admitting she had no idea what project she was on.

Adam Driver, Star Wars sequel trilogy

Adam Driver has openly avoided watching his own performances, including in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. His refusal to revisit the films highlights how detached actors can be from the finished product.

Jennifer Lawrence, mother!

Jennifer Lawrence admitted she didn’t fully understand mother!, despite starring in it. The film’s heavy symbolism left even its lead confused about its meaning.

Cast of Cloverfield

Actors in Cloverfield were given minimal script details and often didn’t know what creature they were reacting to. The production deliberately withheld information to create more authentic confusion and fear.

Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland as Spider-Man.

Tom Holland, Marvel films

Tom Holland has repeatedly said he’s given partial scripts or fake lines in Marvel films like Avengers: Infinity War, meaning he often doesn’t fully know what’s happening in scenes.

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation

Bill Murray, Lost in Translation

Bill Murray reportedly worked from minimal script guidance in Lost in Translation, with much of the dialogue shaped on set, leaving him unclear on the full structure during filming.

Cast of Blair Witch Project

The actors in The Blair Witch Project were fed notes day by day rather than a full script, meaning they never knew the full story, contributing to the film’s raw, disoriented performances.

Channing Tatum, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Channing Tatum admitted he didn’t want to do G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and felt disconnected from it, even criticizing the film after release.

Cast of The Descent

Actors in The Descent reportedly didn’t see the creatures before filming key scenes, ensuring their reactions to the monsters felt spontaneous and genuinely terrified.

Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Johnny Depp admitted Disney executives didn’t understand his performance as Jack Sparrow, and even he approached the role without a clear sense of the final tone, creating a character disconnected from expectations.

Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music

Christopher Plummer openly disliked and misunderstood The Sound of Music during filming, later admitting he didn’t grasp its appeal and felt detached from the project.

Val Kilmer, The Island of Dr. Moreau

Val Kilmer has spoken about the disorderly production of The Island of Dr. Moreau, where constant changes and conflicts left actors unsure what film they were actually making.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hercules in New York

Arnold Schwarzenegger barely spoke English during Hercules in New York, resulting in him not fully understanding the script or dialogue he was performing.

Marlon Brando, Apocalypse Now

Marlon Brando arrived on set of Apocalypse Now without reading the script and had little understanding of the story, forcing scenes to be built around his confusion and improvisation.

Cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Director Milos Forman blurred reality during filming, sometimes rolling cameras without clear cues, meaning actors didn’t always know when scenes were officially happening.

The Top 10 Most Iconic Jump Scares in Horror Movie History

Jump scares are one of horror’s most reliable tools, with quite a few of them getting burned into our retinas. When done right, they’re not just loud noises or cheap tricks, they’re carefully built moments that release tension in the most shocking way possible.

The best ones linger, replaying in your head long after the movie ends. From sudden reveals to perfectly timed intrusions, these scenes have become defining moments for their films and the genre as a whole. These are jump scares that show how timing, atmosphere, and execution can turn a single moment into horror history.

Lake Mungo, Shock-Photo Reveal

A slow-burn mockumentary that barely uses jump scares, making its final reveal even more effective. The sudden, distorted image of Alice in the darkness feels deeply uncanny, turning a quiet film into something genuinely haunting.

It Follows, Tall Man in the Doorway

The film relies heavily on dread rather than shocks, which makes this moment stand out. The sudden appearance of the towering figure behind Jay breaks the established pacing, creating a jolt that feels completely unnatural.

Carrie (1976), Final Grave “Hand”

One of the earliest modern jump scares, this moment sees Carrie’s hand burst from the grave in a dream sequence. Its suddenness helped define the now-common “final scare” trope in horror cinema.

Friday the 13th (1980), Final Lake Jump

Just when the film seems to have ended, Jason suddenly erupts from the water, attacking the survivor. It’s a perfectly timed fake-out ending that shocked audiences and cemented the franchise’s legacy.

The Descent, Night-Vision Reveal

The use of night vision lulls viewers into a false sense of security before revealing a creature standing right next to the protagonist. The sudden clarity makes the scare feel immediate and unavoidable.

Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson in Insidious Chapter 2

Insidious, Demon Behind Josh

During a calm conversation, the red-faced demon suddenly appears behind Josh without warning. The lack of buildup makes it especially effective, turning a quiet scene into one of modern horror’s most recognizable shocks.

The Ring, Closet Girl

A brief flash of the victim’s distorted face interrupts an otherwise calm moment, delivering a shock that’s both sudden and deeply disturbing. Its imagery became one of the most memorable in early 2000s horror.

The Thing (1982), Blood-Test Jolt

A tense, methodical scene explodes into chaos when the infected blood reacts violently. The sudden shift from quiet paranoia to explosive horror makes this one of the most effective jump scares ever filmed.

The Exorcist III, Hospital Corridor Nurse

A long, static shot builds tension for minutes before a figure suddenly appears behind the nurse. The patience and timing turn this into a masterclass in suspense and one of horror’s most celebrated jump scares.

Sinister, Lawnmower Footage

The film’s use of disturbing home movies culminates in the infamous lawnmower moment, where a quiet reel suddenly erupts into violence. Its unpredictability and brutal execution make it one of the most talked-about jump scares in modern horror.

The Drama’s Darkest Secret Is the One Nobody Is Talking About

This article contains major spoilers for The Drama.

It’s always a lovely thing when a real, honest word-of-mouth hit like The Drama comes around. In a little over two weeks, the Robert Pattinson and Zendaya-led indie about the most traumatic wedding event this side of Westeros has firmly inserted itself in the pop culture mindscape, with audiences each weekend flocking to cinemas to see what all that drama is about—as well as debate what they would have done if they found themselves at such a ceremony?

The discourse has been so intense around this oblique comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (or is it a comic-tragedy?) that even someone who was out of the country during its release, like myself, was aware of all those wagging tongues on social media. Yet, much to my eternal appreciation, the nuclear blast-level of a spoiler at the heart of the premise—where we learn what is so bad that it essentially detonates Charlie and Emma’s wedding—has largely been kept under wraps by the folks who saw the movie. Perhaps it is out of a sense of etiquette and decorum usually reserved for a well-heeled wedding party that this secret is being protected. Or perhaps like all the characters in the picture, it is just the sort of thing we’re taught to not mention in polite company.

Whatever the reason, it really is an atomic level catastrophe when Charlie (Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) are asked to confess to each other the worst thing they’ve ever done. Actually, scratch that. They’re not asked, they’re pressured, compelled even, by Charlie’s best man Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Mike’s wife Rachel (Alana Haim). In truth, even Mike seems wary of the idea since he and Rachel never talked again about his own confession of using a college girlfriend as a “human shield” when they were attacked by a stray dog in Mexico. But one senses that, not for the first time, Rachel drags the story out of him all so she can get the juice—that oh, so sweet drama—from the new happy couple.

Charlie’s story is decidedly unsatisfactory with him vaguely suggesting he kinda cyber-bullied some kid when he was 14 or 15. Yet his inability to remember any details calls into question whether the bullying ever happened or if he was just grasping at something to impress the others. After all, this is a man who freely admits in his wedding toast that he only worked up the courage to talk to Emma the first time they met by lying about finishing the same book she was reading in a coffee shop.

Emma’s confession on the other hand? Oh, there was no lie there. Under extreme duress, as well as the good vibes that a third or fourth bottle of wine on date night can unlock, Emma confides that she might’ve, possibly, fantasized about shooting up her high school. Actually… it was more than a fantasy. She almost did it, complete with a plan, a hit list, and the gun itself, which she carried to school that day in her backpack.

It’s such an earth-shattering realization that compounds from a universal cognitive dissonance between the well-coiffed, glamorous effect that Zendaya naturally cultivates and the image of the lonely, alienated teenager with a gun, that characters and audiences alike cannot fully process the information before the dinner, like the film, is left in a chaotic limbo. Rachel quickly suggests in no uncertain terms that Emma is a monster and immediately makes the scene about herself and how she has a cousin who was put in a wheelchair by a shooting. And that high-handed condemnation immediately shuts Emma off before she can talk through why she felt the way she did back then or how she might have changed… She did change, right?!

Indeed, the rest of the movie is her trying to move on from the unwise confession and Charlie stewing on it in the final six days before their wedding, determining whether he in fact is marrying “a psychopath,” as Mike and Rachel call the bride-to-be.

Obviously a lot of the appeal of the movie is from the audience debating whether they could “forgive” Emma for the horrible urges she had 15 years ago. It’s such a big question mark, it sneaks up on us that Charlie’s own neurotic fecklessness becomes an even bigger “drama” as his mind festers until he turns their wedding into a crescendo of cringe-comic nightmare fuel.

And yet, the one element I feel that is really overlooked is the much worse secret that the three “regular” characters—Charlie, Mike, and Rachel—normalize and immediately sweep under the rug, especially after Emma’s admission. While there is plenty of discussion online about the general awfulness of each of them, especially Rachel, what is minimized and overlooked is that she, um… might’ve just low-key admitted to killing a kid. And if she did kill a child (or almost did), why did the context clues of her story make it okay and worthy of no further thought or follow-up while everyone else, including the audiences, spends the rest of the movie Rashomon-ing every gesture or glance Emma ever made?

While Pattinson and Zendaya are both phenomenal in the film, special credit must really go to Alana Haim who tackles with gusto the role of THAT woman. Her realization of Rachel is a distillation of the most “can I speak to your manager?!” ego-centric Karen-ing a cinema screen has ever contained. She is both the instigator, bringing up Mike’s “worst thing,” and the one who throws the pivotal confession into gnawing ambiguity by killing the conversation before Emma can talk about why she outgrew those thoughts. Rachel all but throws the table over and turns the run-up to the wedding into a whole other drama about whether she will attend their event… or tell anyone else there that she thinks the bride is a mass murderer-in-the-making.

What thus gets overlooked is the true heinousness of Rachel’s confession. While she drags these stories out of Mike and Emma like a quack dentist struggling with a pair of crumbling teeth, she virtually throws away what she did. “I locked a kid in a closet once,” she all but scoffs.

Eventually, though, the truth becomes clearer. When she was a teenager, she once went into the woods near a summer home where she met a “slow kid” who, alongside her, investigated an abandoned trailer. She then, for reasons she cannot explain, dared the kid to get inside a closet and immediately locked the door behind him. He made such a commotion screaming, crying, pleading with her to open the door and let him out of the dark that she “freaked out” and just… left him.

When his father came by that night asking about his son, she also wouldn’t tell him where he was. “I didn’t want to get in trouble,” she states matter of factly. It got so bad that the next day, she saw a search party in the woods looking for him. Nonetheless, she thinks this is a funny enough story to laugh about over drinks years later, because as she adds as an afterthought, “They did find him… and for some reason it didn’t come back to me.”

Because of the way Borgli stages the confessions in this scene with a rising sense of horror—again, omitting Charlie’s weak sauce abstention—audiences are not allowed to dwell on Rachel’s story, especially after what Emma lets slip. But there are insidious layers to this, including the fact that there is good reason to second-guess the motivations and contexts of Rachel’s potentially far darker “worst thing.” Unlike Emma, Rachel seems completely oblivious of how fucked up it is what she did.

At its core, the most damningly unspoken thing is Rachel basically left a kid for dead. While nothing justifies the vile thoughts Emma had as a teenager, she technically did not act on them and is now aware they were wrong and a source of shame; a fetishization of guns and violence after being nominally bullied as a friendless kid in a new school. Conversely, the way Rachel selectively suggests both her privilege and her victim’s disabilities—she calls him “slow” and talks about sneaking into a dilapidated trailer like she was a poverty tourist on mini-holiday—says much.

We know from flashbacks that Emma did not come from money. Presumably Charlie and his friends do, with the English fop being well-paid enough in academia to afford a swanky townhouse loft in New York City. Rachel likewise suggests her wealth given how she fetishizes poverty, and as a child even had the impulse to punish it and those who are different from her. She implicitly sees others as beneath her. Hence she locks a possibly disabled child in a closet and out of either fear, or perhaps contempt, leaves him screaming in the dark.

Most crucially, however, is the fact that her story does not add up. If he really was discovered after being locked in a dark space for a day, one would think he would blame the girl who locked him there in a heartbeat. But Rachel shrugs that off. “For some reason, it never came back to me.” Or: she assumes the child was found. There was a search party! Otherwise, like everyone else, she selectively edits the horrible parts of her life until they’re bearable. Normal, even. Out of sight, out of mind. So if he wasn’t found, at least alive, does it really matter? He wasn’t one of us.

I’d suggest that he almost certainly was not discovered alive if she got away with it. And if as an adult Rachel never dwelled on it, she sure as hell was able to compartmentalize it as a child. At the end of the day, The Drama is about the lies we tell, and the truths we obscure and sanitize.

The irony of the film is that Emma never lies to Charlie except when she is helping him cope with his own substantial failures. She tells him his lying is weird on their first date when he admits he never read the book he used as his pick-up line. And, fitfully and with much caution, she candidly reveals the worst thing she ever did. Charlie doesn’t have a real answer for that at the start of the movie. He made up that cyber-bully story on the spot, much as he lied about the book or, later, omitted that he kissed his co-worker Misha (Hailey Gates). Charlie claims to be obsessed with the truth but hides from it constantly.

Emma, on the other hand, only offers the reality, even when she’s aware of its limitations. After Charlie fumbles their meet-cute, she says “want to go again?” and pretends like she didn’t see him screw up the first time. And at the end of the movie, she does the impossible thing Charlie cannot; she looks past the worst thing he ever did, which ends up being a doozy of a wedding disaster, in order to at least find a chance of a future together. If they’re going to build a life around one another, they need to be candid, even when agreeing on the self-deceptions needed to get there.

It’s a level of awareness that completely eludes people like Rachel, who look at the world with a permanent sneer transfixed above their wine glass.

The Drama is in theaters now.

Spider-Noir Showrunner Teases More Shows from Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse begins with Peter Parker introducing himself to the audience and then declaring, “There’s only one Spider-Man, and you’re looking at him.” Even before he’s proven wrong by Miles Morales taking on the mantle after he dies, and even before a variety of Spider-people—including Peter B. Parker—arrive from the multiverse, he’s proven wrong.

Which is, of course, the point of the Spider-Verse movies: that there are many different ways of being Spider-Man. That premise is ripe for storytelling, at least according to Oren Uziel, showrunner of the upcoming Spider-Noir series on Prime Video. “I know there are others in the works,” Uziel told SFX Magazine (via Total Film). “I’ve talked a bit to the people working on them and I think they are very exciting. They’re following a little bit of that same formula [as Spider-Noir], that same idea of taking a genre and elevating it by putting a Spider-variant into it. It opens up a whole new world, and it’s just an extremely exciting opportunity.”

Uziel knows what he’s talking about. Spider-Noir brings the fedora-wearing Spider-Man from Into the Spider-Verse into live-action. He’ll still be played by Nicolas Cage, but this time is staying into his stylish home dimension, where he’ll do battle with gangster Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) with the help of secretary Janet (Karen Rodriguez), reporter Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris), and (maybe) femme fatale Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li). As seen in the recent trailer, Spider-Noir will translate various tropes from the mainline universe into this hard-boiled reality, including villains Sandman (Jack Huston) and Electro (Joe Massingill).

Spider-Noir obviously leans hard into the tropes of 1940s crime pictures, but Spider-Verse showed that there are tons of other ways to take the concept. Serving alongside Spider-Man Noir was Spider-Ham, voiced by John Mulaney.

The Spider-Ham of the movies was a Looney Tunes version of Spider-Man, who could manifest giant mallets from nothing and leave singing birds floating around the heads of his enemies. This depiction fell in line with the Marvel Comics character who debuted in 1983’s Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, by Larry Hama, Tom DeFalco, and Mark Armstrong. That character carried his own comic for several years, has made cameos in other media, and even appeared in an animated short included with the home video release of Into the Spider-Verse.

And that’s just one other possibility. The two Spider-Verse films have introduced the public from characters who have large followings in the comics, such as Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), as well as those whose potential has not yet been explored, especially Spider-Mobile, a.k.a. Peter Parkedcar, and Spider-Rex, aka Pter Ptarker. And that doesn’t even include Spider-Punk, who already has a project in development, complete with Daniel Kaluuya reprising his role as Hobie Brown.

As this brief survey shows, there is no one and only Spider-Man. The stories of the many Spideys from across the Spider-Verse weave a complex web, and offer endless storytelling opportunities.

Spider-Noir swings onto Prime Video on May 27, 2026.

The Batman 2 Will Feature Harvey Dent’s Father, But Which One?

The Batman: Part II already had an incredible cast before Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance joined on. In addition to returning stars Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis as Bruce Wayne, James Gordon, and Alfred Pennyworth, respectively, the film boasts the additions of Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson as Harvey and Gilda Dent. Matt Reeves‘s film not only has its primary villain but also an incredible pedigree.

Although no official word has come down yet, most believe that Dance will play the father of Harvey Dent. However, who that is and what that means is a bigger question than one might assume.

The basics of Two-Face were established by his debut in 1942’s Detective Comics #66, by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Two-Face used to be a DA who was disfigured when mob boss Sal Maroni threw acid into his face. When his appearance causes even his fiancée Gilda to scream, he loses his sanity and becomes Two-Face, committing crimes whenever his two-headed coin lands on the scarred side and doing acts of charity whenever it lands on the clear side.

However, there’s one big difference between that story and the one we know today: that character was called Harvey Kent, not Harvey Dent. He’s still called Kent in Detective Comics #68, which continues the origin story. But ever since then, he’s been called Harvey Dent, with only the occasional metatextual story referring to Kent.

Such revisions are common to long-running characters, especially in the DC Universe, which has reality-rewriting events every decade or so. However, a more interesting revision occurs with Harvey’s father, the character that Dance will be playing.

1990’s Batman Annual #14, written by Andy Helfer and penciled by Chris Sprouse (with an incredible cover by Neal Adams) retells Two-Face’s origin, fully fleshing it out for the first time since Crisis on Infinite Earths. The issue establishes Harvey as a genuinely good person who suffers from a darker side, a side caused by his abusive father Christopher.

When Harvey was a child, Christopher would get drunk and play a game with the boy by flipping a coin. If the coin landed tails up, the boy could go on his way; but if it landed heads up, then he would get a beating. Of course, this was a two-headed coin, which means that Harvey always lost. When the acid attack scars Harvey and allows him to unleash his dark side, one of his first acts as Two-Face is to visit Christopher, who lives as a sad old man in a squalor. Harvey played the same game with his father and used the same coin, this time reversing the beating.

Five years later, J.M. DeMatteis and Scott McDaniel further developed Christopher Dent in the 1995 one-shot Batman: Two-Face, but that was the last time he ever appeared in comics again. The next time DC explores the life of young Harvey Dent, it’s in the 2022 one-shot Batman: One Bad Day – Two-Face, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Javi Fernandez. Once again, we see how Harvey’s father was an alcoholic who abused his son by playing an unfair game with a trick coin. But, in this case, Harvey’s father is a rich politician named Harvey Dent, Sr., who hides his cruel behavior behind the false face of a beloved philanthropist.

As with Harvey Kent and Harvey Dent, there isn’t a huge difference between the two characters. Moreover, Matt Reeves has already shown a willingness to alter the stories of even characters with rich comic book histories, as when he changed Oswald Cobblepot into Oz Cobb. Furthermore, Deadline‘s announcement of Dance’s casting states that the actor is probably playing Charles Dent, a totally new character altogether.

Will Harvey have a totally different childhood in the Reeves movie? Or will Harvey’s cruel fate find him again, no matter who his father may be? It sure seems like the odds are against him.

The Batman: Part II is slated to release on October 1, 2027.

Avengers: Doomsday – What Happened to Mjolnir?

Mjolnir has become as recognizable a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the god who wields it, and the enchanted hammer has gone through almost as many ups and downs as Thor over the years. It’s been beaten, broken, sent back and forward through time, and even attracted jealousy from Thor’s new axe, Stormbreaker.

After the first footage from Avengers: Doomsday emerged, it was clear that Mjolnir would be thwanging through the air once more, but if you’re confused about how Thor and Captain America can be tossing Mjolnir around in the upcoming fifth Avengers movie, you’re not alone, so let’s take a look back and see where the hammer actually ended up in the current timeline, and how it got there.

Hela Big Problems

Mjolnir took a major hit in Thor: Ragnarok. When Thor threw it at his estranged big sister, Hela, she grabbed it and shattered it. Without his iconic hammer, Thor had to find out just how powerful he was without it. Luckily, after a pep talk from Odin, Thor was able to summon the lightning and ruin Hela’s plans for domination, but he lost Asgard in the process.

Forging on without Mjolnir in hand, Thor accepted his hammer was gone, but had renewed faith in his own leadership and sense of self. That is, until he ran into Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.

Stormbreaker and Mjolnir

Having been bested by Thanos while traveling across the galaxy with his remaining Asgardians, Thor pursued the creation of a new weapon that would help him slay the Mad Titan. With Rocket Raccoon and Groot by his side, Thor went to Nidavellir, where the dwarf king Eitri helped him forge a new enchanted axe called Stormbreaker, which could summon the Bifrost.

Thor used Stormbreaker on Thanos, but was not able to kill him with it. Thor hit rock bottom after failing to take him out, but while traveling back in time during Avengers: Endgame’s “time heist,” Thor summoned a past version of Mjolnir and was able to wield the hammer again in Endgame’s climactic battle. He got a pleasant surprise when he learned that Steve Rogers could wield Mjolnir as well.

When Thanos was finally beaten, Steve went on a mission to return the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir back to the past. It is unclear whether he succeeded, but he didn’t have Mjolnir when he reappeared.

Jane Foster and Love

Thor carried on using Stormbreaker until his fourquel movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, when he ran into ex-girlfriend Jane Foster. Mjolnir had reforged and was being wielded by Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor. It turned out that telling Mjolnir to protect Jane created an enchantment on the hammer, and while Jane was in the guise of the Mighty Thor, she was protected from the effects of her terminal cancer.

Mjolnir displayed a kind of “shotgun” effect, splitting into the pieces Hela left it in and reforming after attacking multiple enemies. Love and Thunder also established that Mjolnir is sentient and chose Jane over Thor, which unsettled Thor and made Stormbreaker jealous of the hammer’s preferential treatment.

In the final moments of Love and Thunder, we discovered that Mjolnir had stayed with Thor and his newly adopted child, Love, after Jane’s passing. Thor and Love were seen charging into battle, with Thor wielding the reformed hammer and Love wielding Stormbreaker.

Thus, heading into the events of Avengers: Doomsday, Thor still has the same version of Mjolnir he had from the beginning of his MCU adventures, albeit one that can now shatter, attack, and rebuild.

Ryan Reynolds Is Going to Put Deadpool Where He Belongs, As a Supporting Character

Deadpool has always known that he’s in a movie. Ever since the release of his first film in 2016, the Merc with a Mouth has demanded to be the center of attention, if only because he can see beyond the fourth wall. Even when teaming up with X-Force in Deadpool 2 and with Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine, Wade Wilson makes everything about him.

So it’s a bit of a surprise to hear that Ryan Reynolds wants Deadpool to take a step back. Dropping by the Today Show, Reynolds admitted that he’s working on new things for Wilson, but in a different role. “I have some stuff written, but I don’t think I’m going to center him again,” said Reynolds. “I think he’s a supporting character. He’s a guy who’s great in a group.”

That’s good news for people who aren’t completely won over by Deadpool’s schtick. While all three of his films have been hits and the character has consistently carried his own comic since 1993, Deadpool isn’t for everyone. His fourth-wall breaking and winking after each inappropriate line can get tiresome, especially when tied so closely to Reynold’s public persona.

Furthermore, Deadpool & Wolverine felt like a capper on that version of a movie Deadpool, as the film surveyed the history of the 20th Century Fox Marvel heroes and ended by sequestering them in their own reality away from the MCU. With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars apparently destroying that reality and introducing new X-Men into the MCU proper, Deadpool’s going to have to find a new role, at least if Reynolds wants to keep playing him.

Of course, change has generally been good for Deadpool. The character debuted in 1991’s The New Mutants #98, written by Fabian Nicieza and plotted and penciled by Rob Liefeld. Liefeld imagined him as little more than an obvious rip-off of DC’s Deathstroke the Terminator, which is more or less how he remained for the first several years, until he finally called out the editor of his comic during a battle with Daredevil baddie Bullseye in 1997’s Deadpool #28, written by Joe Kelly and penciled by Pete Woods. After Kelly, other writers such as Christopher Priest and Gail Simone expanded upon Deadpool’s awareness, finally distinguishing him from Slade Wilson over at DC Comics.

That meta-awareness from the comics helped make Deadpool a smash in theaters. But the comics also have shown how Deadpool works in a group. For those less interested in the winking and nudging, Deadpool was never better than in Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña’s run on Uncanny X-Force in 2011. Not only did his constant yammering and fourth-wall breaks work well with teammates such as Psylocke and Fantomex, who dismissed his knowledge of the readers as a side effect of his insanity, but the series had a creative and stomach-churning use of his healing factor, when Wade kept a famished Archangel alive by feeding the winged mutant pieces of his own flesh.

If Reynolds can allow Wade Wilson to mutate into more of a team-player, then the character can evolve beyond the one-man-show he’s been and contribute to the MCU. And if Reynolds can’t and audiences reject the character, well, Deadpool knows he’s in a movie, so he knows who to blame.

Apple’s Shelved Thriller The Savant Is Back From Limbo

A highly anticipated Apple TV thriller series that was pulled from the streamer’s release schedule last year seems to be back on track.

The Savant, which stars Jessica Chastain and is based on a Cosmopolitan profile of an anonymous American Defamation League sleuth who infiltrates online hate groups to try to prevent public attacks, was abruptly shelved three days before it was due to drop on September 26, 2025. Apple gave no reason for the delay, but it followed the September 10 assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, and Deadline reported that the series “includes a sniper in action and the bombing of a government building among other acts of violence.”

Chastain indicated to Variety this past weekend that The Savant is now heading for its release, saying, “Before it was like, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to see it,’ but now I can say, ‘We’re going to see it.’” The series is reportedly eyeing a July streaming premiere.

When The Savant was originally sent into limbo, Chastain wrote on Instagram that she was not “aligned” with Apple on the decision to pause the show’s release.

“In the last five years since we’ve been making the show, we’ve seen an unfortunate amount of violence in the United States: the kidnapping attempt on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the January 6th attack on the Capitol; the assassination attempts on President Trump; the political assassinations of Democratic representatives in Minnesota; the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband; the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk; the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in California; and over 300 school shootings across this country,” Chastain wrote in a post addressing the delay, adding, “These incidents, though far from encompassing the full range of violence witnessed in the United States, illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted. I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is.”

The Savant stars Pablo Schreiber (Halo) and James Badge Dale (The Pacific) alongside Chastain, and boasts cinematography by longtime Steven Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kamiński. It’s been created for Apple TV by Canadian playwright Melissa James Gibson.

Avengers: Endgame Re-Release Will “Create a Bridge” to Doomsday with New Footage

This past weekend brought us more news about Endgame: The Search for More Money after Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday CinemaCon presentation revealed that it was heading for a re-release. Director Joe Russo, who co-helmed Endgame and is back for Doomsday, has now suggested fans won’t want to miss the former’s re-release in September as it will “create a bridge” with the latter.

“It’s critically important to re-release the movie, and, in fact, we’ll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame,” Russo told the crowd at the Sands Film Festival.

Russo didn’t address whether this meant that some of Endgame would be retconned to ensure Doomsday’s plot makes sense, but did say that the new version of Endgame is a “critical companion story” that sets up the fifth Avengers movie.

The news arrived just days after The Walt Disney Company announced huge layoffs that hit the visual development team at Marvel Studios hard.

The CinemaCon Doomsday footage apparently teased an Avengers vs X-Men scenario for the forthcoming Marvel blockbuster, in which Gambit fights Shang-Chi and Mystique fights Yelena Belova, while Thor attempts to attack Doctor Doom outside the X-Mansion but is easily thwarted. At the climax of the trailer, Chris Evans’s Captain America is said to show up and grab Mjolnir.

Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the MCU to portray Doctor Doom in Doomsday. Russo told Deadline that the actor, who previously played Tony Stark aka Iron Man from 2008 to 2019, had been talking to them about returning for at least a couple of years before he settled on his preferred path.

“I was at dinner with him in New York, and he had mentioned to me that he was thinking about this, and the concept was for him to play the ultimate villain,” Russo revealed. “He played the ultimate hero, and now he’s going to play the ultimate villain. I thought it was a very clever idea.”

Avengers: Endgame will be re-released on September 25. Avengers: Doomsday is set for release on December 18.

He Bled Neon: Marshawn Lynch, Rita Ora on Taking a Las Vegas Crime Story Off the Strip

He Bled Neon blends two of cinema’s favorite concepts: revenge thrillers and the neon lights of Las Vegas.

Joe Cole stars as Ethan, a young man who returns to his native Las Vegas for his brother’s funeral, only to be informed that his brother’s death may have been engineered by shadowy figures in the criminal underworld. He then reunites with his old childhood friends (played by Rita Ora, Marshawn Lynch, and Ismael Cruz Cordova) to investigate the murder and reconnect with the grimy, hardscrabble nature of his upbringing.

It’s the kind of story you only see in movies…sort of.

“Twenty years ago, my step brother and best friend passed away. I got a text message from a mutual friend like how it happens in the movie,” producer and story writer Nate Bolotin tells Den of Geek. “I had to go back, bury him, reconnect with people that I had lost touch with. Someone came up to me at the funeral and said ‘Hey, you know, I think there’s some foul play here.’ We never went too deep. Then 15 years later it just clicked and I’m like we haven’t seen a Vegas noir thriller and the world outside the Vegas strip and the classic lights you’re familiar with and everything.”

“I’m calling bullshit,” Marshawn Lynch interrupts. “I remember you telling me that story. I think you left out the part where you went on a killing spree and starting knocking shit down. Oh shit! Allegedly. Allegedly.”

So Bolotin’s life story might not be identical to Ethan’s experience in He Bled Neon. He did not, in fact, go on a killing spree and start knocking shit down. But it’s still way closer to the setup of a Vegas noir thriller than anyone sitting down to view the film might anticipate. And the movie takes its story inspiration’s lead when it comes to authenticity. Its biggest asset in that mission, it turns out, is the aforementioned Marshawn Lynch.

Once a star NFL running back whose stiff arm turned defenders into quaking jelly, Marshawn Lynch has enjoyed a flourishing second career as an actor, host, and media personality. While previous projects like coming-of-age comedy Bottoms and improv exercise Murderville have leveraged his hulking physicality for comedic effect, He Bled Neon fully leans into the action star potential of the man nicknamed “Beast Mode.”

“Marshawn being authentic and himself really helped all of our performances,” Cruz Cordova (who plays Arondir on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) says. “He Instilled in us a gravitas and a realness that we can all embody. It was a real asset to have somebody rooted in the culture who can speak on it. It allowed us to feel authentic.”

Less acquainted with the vibe of the Southwestern United States but no less committed to capturing an authentic feel is British singer, songwriter, TV personality, actress, and all-around mega celeb Rita Ora. Born in Kosovo, Ora and her family emigrated to the United Kingdom in her youth due to the persecution of Albanians amid the political disintegration of Yugoslavia. She says that experience helps her empathize with outsiders and underdogs, regardless of the setting.

“I really went deep in my background as an immigrant, as a refugeee, as somebody who always felt they had to work 10 times harder in the room. I think with my character, she definitely is in a sort of male dominated world but it doesn’t feel like that. She feels like one of the gang. You don’t get that sense of ‘oh we’re different in that way.’ It’s kind of how I grew up. I was always a tomboy growing up. I had girlfriends but the guys were my guys.

Outside of its opening flashback sequences, He Bled Neon doesn’t visually conform to many of our expectations surrounding Las Vegas crime thrillers. The action here is mostly off the strip where neon lighting is sparse and desert sand is abundant. Still, director Drew Kirsch sought to capture an authentic Nevadan vibrance all the same.

“When Nate brought me the outline originally I had a vision for the world pretty quickly. My style has always been pretty vibrant. Vegas has that eclectic vibrance off the strip. There was a ton of texture. Vegas was a character in its own. I started looking at neon photographers – found a guy named Greg Girard – he was a huge inspiration to the look and feel of the film.”

In its pursuit of off-the-strip authenticity, He Bled Neon may be light on the neon but rest assured there’s plenty of bleeding.

He Bled Neon premiered March 16 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.

14 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Still Alive

When we spend long enough without talking to a friend, we wonder how they are doing, not if they are alive. Well, the rules apply differently for celebrities, since being absent from the public eye can be synonymous with death for said public. But that doesn’t mean they are.

Granted, some of these famous people have ages over the three digits, but we shouldn’t think someone has met their demise just because we haven’t heard of them. These are just a few celebrities that are very much alive, contrary to popular belief.

Bob Dylan

Despite decades of cultural influence, Dylan keeps a relatively low profile outside of touring. He still performs and releases work, even as rumors about his death periodically resurface online.

Jack Nicholson

Once one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, Nicholson has stepped away from acting for years. Rare public appearances and long gaps between sightings have fueled speculation about his status.

Rick Moranis

After dominating comedies in the 1980s and 1990s, Moranis left acting to focus on family. His long absence from major films has made many forget he’s still active in smaller projects.

Terrence Malick

A legendary but extremely private filmmaker, Malick rarely gives interviews or appears publicly. His long gaps between films and near-total absence from media keep him largely out of public awareness.

Angus T. Jones

After rising to fame on Two and a Half Men, Jones stepped away from acting and public life. His sudden disappearance from Hollywood left many assuming he had completely vanished.

Phoebe Cates

A major star in the 1980s, Cates retired from acting and now runs a boutique in New York. Her decades-long absence from films makes her easy to forget.

Meg Ryan

Once a defining romantic comedy star, Ryan gradually stepped away from major roles. With fewer appearances in recent years, many are surprised to learn she’s still active behind the scenes.

Dan Aykroyd

Though still occasionally working, Aykroyd has largely stepped out of the spotlight compared to his peak years, leading some to assume he’s no longer active.

Mel Brooks

A comedy legend from a previous era, Brooks remains alive well into his later years. His reduced public presence and advanced age often lead people to assume otherwise.

Eva Marie Saint

An Oscar-winning actress from Hollywood’s golden era, Saint has lived past 100 years. Her long absence from mainstream media makes her continued presence surprising to many.

Christopher Lloyd

Best known for iconic roles in the 1980s, Lloyd still makes occasional appearances. However, his lower profile compared to his peak years makes his continued activity easy to overlook.

Jeff Bridges

After a serious health battle and fewer roles in recent years, Bridges has kept a lower profile. Many are surprised to learn he continues to work and appear publicly.

Bridget Fonda

After stepping away from acting in the early 2000s, Fonda disappeared entirely from Hollywood. Her complete absence from media for years has made her status a frequent question.

Geena Davis

Once a major star, Davis has shifted focus toward advocacy and selective roles, leading to a lower public profile compared to her peak years.

19 Directors Who Pushed Forward Despite Public Pushback

Movies can face a lot of backlash before release, whether due to controversial subject matter, political themes, or public outrage over creative choices. In these cases, directors are often forced to decide whether to compromise or stand their ground.

Many projects are altered or abandoned, yet a few move forward exactly as intended, despite the noise surrounding them. These films often arrive with intense scrutiny, sometimes becoming bigger cultural talking points because of it. These are the directors who chose to push ahead anyway, sticking to their vision even when audiences, critics, or entire groups demanded otherwise.

Martin Scorsese, The Last Temptation of Christ

The film sparked intense religious protests and bans before release, yet Scorsese refused to back down, defending it as a personal exploration of faith despite widespread backlash.

Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange

Accused of glorifying violence, the film faced major criticism and was even withdrawn from UK circulation for years, but Kubrick stood by his vision and refused to alter the film.

Oliver Stone, JFK

Stone faced accusations of promoting conspiracy theories and distorting history, but he pushed forward with the film, defending it as a challenge to official narratives.

Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ

Before release, the film was criticized for alleged antisemitism and extreme violence. Gibson self-financed and released it anyway, where it became a massive commercial success.

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

The film drew controversy over its use of racial slurs and depiction of slavery, but Tarantino defended his approach as historically grounded and necessary for the story.

Lars von Trier, The House That Jack Built

The film’s graphic violence led to walkouts at its premiere, yet von Trier continued to defend its artistic intent despite strong backlash and controversy.

Todd Phillips, Joker

Concerns that the film could incite violence led to media scrutiny before release, but Phillips dismissed the criticism and released the film unchanged.

Kevin Smith, Dogma

Religious groups protested the film’s themes and portrayal of Catholicism, but Smith leaned into the controversy and even joined protests, defending the film’s satirical intent.

Darren Aronofsky, mother!

The film’s disturbing imagery and allegorical storytelling divided audiences, but Aronofsky stood firm, explaining it as an intentionally polarizing artistic statement.

Gaspar Noé, Irreversible

The film’s extreme content and structure led to outrage and walkouts, but Noé maintained his vision, emphasizing its purpose as a challenging cinematic experience.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, The Interview

After threats and a major cyberattack tied to its subject matter, the filmmakers still pushed for release, ultimately distributing the film through alternative means.

Harmony Korine, Spring Breakers

Criticized for its portrayal of youth culture and excess, Korine defended the film as intentional commentary, refusing to adjust its provocative tone.

Catherine Hardwicke, Thirteen

The film faced criticism for its raw depiction of teenage behavior, but Hardwicke pushed forward, emphasizing its basis in real experiences.

David Cronenberg, Crash

The film’s explicit themes caused bans and public outrage, yet Cronenberg defended it as an exploration of human psychology and released it without compromise.

Roman Polanski, The Pianist

Despite Polanski’s personal legal controversies, he continued directing internationally, and the film was released to critical acclaim despite ongoing public debate.

Lars von Trier, Antichrist

The film’s graphic and disturbing content sparked strong reactions at festivals, but von Trier remained committed to his vision despite controversy.

Ridley Scott, Exodus: Gods and Kings

The film faced backlash over casting choices, but Scott defended his decisions and released the film without major changes.

Darren Aronofsky, Noah

Religious groups criticized its interpretation of biblical material, yet Aronofsky stood by his creative approach and released the film largely unchanged.

Levan Akin, And Then We Danced

Facing protests and threats in Georgia over its LGBTQ themes, Akin continued production and release, with the film becoming a symbol of cultural resistance.

15 Ridiculous Hollywood Rumors That People Actually Believed

We know that we shouldn’t believe everything we read online, but wanting to believe the gossip is part of the fun. But as these stories show, such rumors tend to be false nearly always. That doesn’t stop them from spreading, or from being entertaining to imagine.

From immortal beings to conspiracy theories, Hollywood is filled to the brim with outlandish stories waiting to be uncovered. While all of these are proven false (or too outlandish to ever be true), we will keep looking, for the truth could be out there. Or just the next viral meme.

Paul McCartney Was Replaced by a Lookalike

The long-running “Paul is dead” conspiracy claimed The Beatles secretly replaced him after a fatal accident. It has been repeatedly debunked, with McCartney himself joking about the absurd theory.

Richard Gere and the Gerbil Story

A bizarre rumor claimed Gere required medical treatment involving a gerbil. The story has no evidence and has been repeatedly denied, yet it remains one of the most infamous celebrity myths.

Stanley Kubrick Faked the Moon Landing

The theory claims Kubrick directed fake footage of the Apollo landing. There is no credible evidence supporting this, and it’s widely dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

Lea Michele Can’t Read

A viral internet theory suggested the actress relied on others to read scripts aloud. It has no factual basis and is treated as a meme rather than a serious claim.

The Wizard of Oz “Hanging Munchkin”

Viewers claimed a background figure was a hanging body. It has been clarified as a bird moving in the background, not anything sinister.

Three Men and a Baby “Ghost Boy”

A supposed ghost visible in the background was actually a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson, not a paranormal presence.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer in Halloween (2018)

Jamie Lee Curtis Was Born Intersex

A rumor claimed Curtis was born with both male and female anatomy. She has publicly denied this, and no credible evidence supports the claim.

Avril Lavigne Was Replaced by a Double

A conspiracy claimed the singer died and was replaced by a lookalike named Melissa. It has been thoroughly debunked and treated as an internet hoax.

Keanu Reeves Is Immortal

Online theories claim Reeves has lived for centuries without aging. While humorous, there’s no basis for this beyond coincidental resemblance to historical figures.

Jennifer Aniston and Barack Obama

A bizarre tabloid claim suggested a hidden relationship. Aniston publicly dismissed the story as completely false.

Denzel Washington Started a New “Anti-Woke” Actors Union

A viral rumor claimed Washington and others were forming a rival union. Fact-checks confirmed the story originated from satire and was entirely false.

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour

Jackie Chan Died Multiple Times

Chan has repeatedly been the subject of death hoaxes online, all of which were false and later debunked, since he is still alive.

Elvis Presley Faked His Death

A long-standing conspiracy suggests Elvis went into hiding. There is no credible evidence, and official records confirm his death in 1977.

Lady Gaga Is Actually a Man

A baseless rumor that spread online despite having no evidence, repeatedly denied and widely dismissed as misinformation.

The Blair Witch Project Was Real Footage

Early marketing blurred reality and fiction, leading some to believe the footage was genuine. It was always a scripted film with actors.

From Season 4: Harold Perrineau Talks Episode 1’s Big Reveal and the End of the Show

This article contains From season 4 episode 1 spoilers.

“I thought the whole idea was brilliant,” From star Harold Perrineau tells Den of Geek in the days leading up to the show’s season 4 premiere. “You’d never expect that.”

He’s talking, of course, about The Man in the Yellow Suit’s latest insidious move on From’s beleaguered Township. At the climax of season 3, he’d warned Jim (Eion Bailey) and Julie (Hannah Cheramy) that “knowledge comes with a cost” and ripped Jim’s throat out, but for anyone who thought the show’s most mysterious malevolent entity would take a break from his horrifying machinations after Jim’s shocking death, there was a surprise in store.

The fourth season premiere kicks off right where we left off, with The Man in the Yellow Suit dismissing people as “fragile things” and chatting to a dying Jim, admitting that he always liked him and that it’s a shame he won’t get to see what’s about to happen, because that’s his “favorite part.” This is as ominous and vague as you’d expect from the old geezer, but it’s safe to say we never saw his next move coming.

After he digs up a suitcase and grins with anticipation, a new arrival crashes their car straight into the Sheriff’s Station. Boyd Stevens (Perrineau) and his friends immediately come to the rescue, helping to extract an unconscious pastor and his injured passenger, who turns out to be a sheltered and vulnerable girl called Sofia (Julia Doyle). She frets about her father’s condition, but when she finally wakes him, there’s a shocking revelation: Sofia isn’t the pastor’s daughter; she’s The Man in the Yellow Suit in disguise.

“Julia is so good as Sofia,” Perrineau enthuses about the latest big addition to the cast. “She’s got just the right amount of totally sweet, but a little crazy in her eyes. She’s just perfect for [the role].”

With The Man in the Yellow Suit having now infiltrated the Township and teasing that its denizens are about to “tear themselves apart,” you’d assume that MGM+’s cult horror show was finally heading toward its conclusion. Perrineau says there were different time scales in mind for wrapping up the show, but the creative team knew how it would end.

“When I first got the job, they mentioned that it was best as a five-season show, but they could end it in four, or go to six,” he explains. “I know that they have a specific ending, and we haven’t gotten there just yet.” Hours after speaking with him, MGM+ confirms that From has been renewed for a fifth and final season.

Perrineau still seems to be having a lot of fun playing Boyd, a retired US Army veteran and the de facto leader of the cursed town, though he admits his character has been through a lot. “He has a dogged need to finish his task, and his task is to save everybody. He’s a man of service, so that is what he’s going to do, or he will lose his life trying. His weakness is that he’s human, and he’s up against something that we don’t even understand, that’s supernatural, otherworldly. How do you compete against that? He’s getting older. He’s got Parkinson’s. The man has been shot, stabbed, all the things, but the other part of him is his spirit to win and to survive and to save all the people there. I think those are the things that serve him best.”

We also couldn’t help but ask Perrineau what we can expect from the season 4 finale, given the unexpectedly shocking opening episode.

“Just wait,” he says with a smile. “Just wait.”

From season 4 premieres new episodes Sundays on MGM+.

High School Comedy ‘Brian’ Celebrates the Awkwardness of Growing Up

High school is never easy. It’s especially rough for someone like Brian, who is socially awkward, riddled with panic attacks, and harboring a crush on his English teacher. That last part might not be universal, but in his directorial debut Brian, Will Ropp captures a sharply self-aware coming-of-age story where plenty of viewers will recognize themselves in a teenager searching for a rulebook on how to be normal.

Written by Saturday Night Live writer Mike Scollins, the film follows Brian (Ben Wang) as he confronts his social anxiety by running for student body president, which is led by his English teacher and crush, Brooke (Natalie Morales). With support from his overbearing but loving parents (Randall Park and Edi Patterson), a new classmate (Joshua Colley), and his therapist (William H. Macy), Brian begins to build both a campaign and a stronger idea of what it means to be a good friend.

But on this quest, there’s some extremely funny missteps along the way, brought to life by a bubbly cast and a director who fully embraces the script’s charm.

Brian premiered at South by Southwest as part of the Narrative Feature Competition, and while it didn’t take home a prize, it stood out to critics for its humor and heartfelt coming-of-age story. Cast members Wang, Morales, Patterson, Park, and Macy, along with director Ropp, stopped by the Den of Geek studio at SXSW to discuss bringing the project to life.

Wang says playing an awkward teenager with intense anxiety came naturally to him. While, of course, he wanted to preserve the humor, he also made sure scenes dealing with mental health were approached with authenticity.

“I mostly just showed up and was myself,” Wang says. “Making it real meant that I derived most of the quirks, the tics, and the personality for the character from pieces of me.”

Authenticity is a throughline across the production, including Ropp’s decision to give Brian a roller backpack. Wang shares that he also used one in high school without realizing it was considered “embarrassing,” while Ropp admits he had one too before ditching it after being made fun of; though he still questions why the bag has such a reputation.

“So, I didn’t understand why everyone was like, ‘This is a really great detail to show. This is really funny,’” Ropp says. “I was like, ‘Why? Why is that funny? It’s efficient.’”

Wang’s character wheels his bookbag into English class as he pursues an inappropriate crush on his teacher. Morales, who has previously played educators, including in Language Lessons, which screened at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award, portrays a very different kind of teacher here.

“I had so many scenes with Ben, who’s an incredible actor and scene partner and so fun to play off of,” Morales says. “It’s always fun when someone’s obsessed with you and loves you because then you get to go home feeling that way. Although, this particular situation was very inappropriate, and I was glad to shut it down.”

The film’s comedy is anchored by Patterson and Park, who lean into their characters’ over-the-top excitement when Brian brings a friend over for the first time. The pair share that they improvised heavily, building off each other to push every take further. Fortunately for audiences, much of that improvisation made it into the final cut.

As writers and comedians, Patterson and Park say they look for the same qualities that make a strong coming-of-age film.

“For my taste, it’s about specificity and authenticity,” Patterson says. “And then two more: humor and heart. I think this movie has all of those things.”

Before running for student body president, Brian auditions for his high school production of Julius Caesar. Dressed in a toga and putting on a thick Shakespearean accent, he makes it through the audition, but doesn’t quite get the reaction he was hoping for from the directors.

Wang says he’s personally had his share of embarrassing auditions while applying to drama schools. At one audition, he was asked to sing a song, which he hadn’t prepared for. He had recently watched Cabaret, so he decided to sing the opening track, “Willkommen,” only to realize after the first line that he’d made a mistake.

“I remembered the rest of the song was in German and French,” Wang says. “Instead of doing the sensible thing, which is [singing] a different song… I was like, ‘I’m just going to make some shit up.’ Because how would this guy who has a doctorate in theater know that I’m singing the wrong lyrics?”

Brian showcases the joy of independent filmmaking and highlights how strong cast camaraderie elevates the material. Although it does not yet have a confirmed theatrical or streaming release date, the coming-of-age film continues to build anticipation following its festival debut.

Macy, who plays Brian’s therapist, was happy to be a part of a project that spotlights serious issues through the lens of high school students in a sincere way. He also reflects on what he would say to teenagers who feel as out of place as Brian.

“Calm down,” Macy says. “It’ll all pass. I wish I’d said that to myself. Bring your roller [backpack], wear white socks. Do anything you want because it’s all nonsense. There’s so much pressure in high school.”

Brian premiered March 14 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.