Some years ago, Steven Spielberg handed over the reins of the Indiana Jones franchise to James Mangold, who directed the series’ fifth installment, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The film became the franchise’s first installment to underperform commercially, failing to hit its projected break-even point because of a bloated reported budget of around $400 million. With star Harrison Ford in his 80s, playing a swashbuckling adventurer is understandably a thing of the past. There was a time when Shia LaBeouf and Chris Pratt were said to be in the running to take over from Ford as the iconic character, and it seems like some of those conversations will begin again. Fans still have three memorable (and one so-so) Indiana Jones movies directed by Spielberg to fall back on. But did you know that the legendary filmmaker made another spiritually connected action-adventure film that remains slept-on to this day?

The movie in question was released in 2011, just three years after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — Spielberg’s fourth and final film in the series. The 2011 movie was based on a comic book series by Belgian writer-artist Hergé, whose work preceded the first Indiana Jones film. Spielberg was introduced to Hergé’s creation when he was promoting Raiders of the Lost Ark in Europe; the filmmaker was enamored. Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin series revolves around a young reporter who, along with his colorful companions, gets involved in high-stakes adventures spanning genres such as geopolitical espionage, sci-fi, and whimsical comedy.

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Here’s Where You Can Watch Steven Spielberg’s Criminally Underrated ‘The Adventures of Tintin’

When James Cameron‘s Avatar introduced performance capture as a viable new format for filmmakers to play around with, Spielberg jumped at the chance to direct an adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin himself. The movie received positive reviews and now holds a “Certified Fresh” 75% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.” Co-written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish, the movie featured Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Andy Serkis in the cast. It was a solid box-office hit, especially in international markets, grossing $375 million worldwide against a reported budget of $135 million. A sequel, to be directed by Peter Jackson, has been stuck in development hell despite fan interest. The Adventures of Tintin is streaming on Paramount+ this month. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

October 25, 2011

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Runtime

107 minutes

Writers

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Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish

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UPDATE: 4/3/26  at 11.13pm ET

Kim Zolciak has clarified the role counseling sessions are playing in her custody battle with ex Kroy Biermann.

Posting a lengthy statement via her Instagram Stories on Friday, April 3, Zolciak insisted she has “not lost custody of my children, nor has there been any modification to the custody arrangement.”

“I signed a temporary custody order at the end of January. The order clearly states that both the mother and father are to participate in two counseling sessions per month for two months, followed by one session per month thereafter. I was out of the country from February 26 through March 28 due to contractual filming obligations on two separate productions,” she wrote.

She added, “During that time, I did not have a single day off, making it impossible to attend the required counseling sessions. Kroy as of today (I had KJ and Kash up until 5pm today) currently has the children for spring break, which is his designated parenting time under the existing agreement. I am scheduled to resume my parenting time when the children return on Friday. My counseling sessions are scheduled and will be completed next week.”

 Zolciak concluded, “For the avoidance of any doubt, I have not lost custody of my children, nor has there been any modification to the custody arrangement outside the agreed upon temporary order.”

Related: Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kroy Biermann‘s Relationship Timeline

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A match made in Georgia! Kim Zolciak-Biermann and her husband, Kroy Biermann, were together for more than a decade prior to when she filed for divorce in May 2023 and later dismissed the request. When Bravo fans first met the “House of Kim” podcast host in season 1 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she […]

Original story below:

Kim Zolciak won’t be allowed to see the kids she shares with estranged husband Kroy Biermann until she completes therapy.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, a Georgia judge approved a temporary parenting plan where KJ, 14, Kash, 13, and 12-year-old twins Kaia and Kane will remain in Biermann’s physical custody from the time they are released from school on Friday, April 3, “until [Zolciak] completes four sessions of parent therapy …. But no earlier than April 13.”

The judge ruled that once Zolciak, 47, completes her four sessions as required, the parties shall “resume operation under the existing court-ordered parenting plan, which otherwise remains in full force and effect until further agreement and/or modification by this court.” (TMZ was first to report the news.)

Court documents revealed that during the week of March 30, KJ and Kash were in Zolciak’s custody, while Kaia and Kane were in Biermann’s custody. (Us has reached out to Biermann and Zolciak’s teams for comment.)

Zolciak is also mom to Brielle Biermann, 29, and Ariana Biermann, 24, from previous relationships. They are unaffected by the court order.

The ruling comes shortly after Kroy, 40, asked a Georgia state judge to immediately change the pair’s current joint custody arrangement.

According to court documents obtained by Us, the former football player is seeking primary custody of his and Zolciak’s four children. Kroy claimed in his filing that Zolciak had exhibited “blatant mismanagement of basic parenting responsibilities [that] would be practically unbelievable to anyone not familiar with the circumstances.”

Zolciak responded to her estranged husband’s latest legal filing in a statement to Us.

“These accusations are completely false and nothing more than a deliberate attempt by Kroy to defame my character,” she said. “I spent five weeks away working on two TV shows to support my family and make sure my children are cared for — something I will never apologize for. I refuse to be bullied or have lies twisted into a narrative about who I am. I will not stay silent; the truth is on my side, and it will come to light — no matter how hard anyone tries to bury it.”

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Related: Messiest NFL Splits of All Time: Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos, More

From Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen to Kroy Biermann and Kim Zolciak-Biermann, not every NFL love story has a happy ending. Brady — who retired from football for good in February 2023 — began dating the supermodel in 2006, two months before learning his ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan was pregnant with the pair’s first baby. Son Jack […]

The former couple split in the summer of 2023 after 11 years of marriage and are in the midst of a contentious divorce.

Before splitting, the couple documented their love story on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and a spinoff show titled Don’t Be Tardy.

“I don’t know if it’ll ever be over. I wish it would be over tomorrow,” Zolciak exclusively told Us while attending BravoCon in November 2025 about her ongoing divorce. “It’s just difficult. I’ve never not been able to coparent with my ex and things like that. … I want to be able to coparent and do what’s best for our children.”

Amy Duggar is weighing in on the jailhouse phone calls between her cousin, Joseph Duggar, and his wife, Kendra. Joseph was arrested on March 18 and subsequently charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior after he allegedly molested a 9-year-old girl in 2020.

Amy, who has been an outspoken critic of the Duggar family, is sharing her thoughts about what was said in the conversations between the husband and wife, deriding her cousin for complaining about sleep troubles.

Amy Duggar Says ‘Nobody Cares’ About Joseph’s Lack Of Sleep

On April 2, Amy took to TikTok to share a series of reaction posts to the jailhouse phone calls between Joseph and Kendra. In one post, she said, “Joe said he’s having trouble sleeping. Aww… Nobody cares.”

In a phone call Joseph made from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas, he told his wife that he had been having difficulty sleeping due to an inmate having a “tantrum” for a couple of hours and because people were “up all night, and it was really loud,” per Us Weekly.

“I bet the victim hasn’t slept in five years,” Amy said, referring to the now-14-year-old girl who claimed Joseph touched her inappropriately. “Trauma doesn’t clock out. It doesn’t take nights off. It follows you into sleep, into your dreams… into every minute of the day, Amy added, sympathizing with the victim.

The Author Reacts To Joseph And Kendra’s Relationship

In one of Amy’s Tiktok posts, she asked her followers, “Did you hear this? He called his wife ‘competent’… and she took it as a compliment.”

Amy was referring to a specific conversation in which Joseph told his wife he trusted her to make the right decisions in the legal battle. “I think that was really good that you thought I was competent,” Kendra said, to which Joseph responded, “Yeah, for sure. That’s only because I believe it.”

“Last time I checked, marriage isn’t a performance review, and she’s not your employee,” Amy noted, adding that she thinks that type of relationship is the result “when the bar is set so low.”

“It’s so sad that it seems like she will accept any breadcrumb that comes her way, and that probably means she’s been starving for a very, very long time,” the Duggar cousin stated.

Amy went on to say that real love exists, and she believes it’s the type of relationship wherein a partner is celebrated instead of just being acknowledged. “Toxic systems train women to shrink,” she added, referring to the Duggar children’s strict religious upbringing.

Amy Duggar Explains Kendra’s Calm Demeanor

In another post, Amy issues an explanation for why Kendra seems so calm amid the accusations against her husband. “How in the hell can she not be so unbelievably distraught and mad and disgusted at him? Oh, just wait. I’ll tell you why,” Amy said.

According to Amy, women in “toxic systems” like the Duggar family are taught that it’s sinful to be angry. “You have to just keep it inside. Stay sweet, keep the peace, and don’t create waves,” she said.

Moreover, Amy said they are told to forgive “quickly” and “remember your husband loves you so much.” That, Amy said, doesn’t allow people to deal with trauma, and instead, they suppress their feelings. “The fact that she is not angry at all should deeply concern you,” she finished.

Online Users Commend Amy For Speaking Out Against Her Family

Many users commented on Amy’s series of TikTok videos, with many agreeing with her statements and praising her for speaking out. “You’ll always be my favorite Duggar,” one user wrote.

“How did you survive in this family? You are a really good person, Amy! thank you for always speaking your mind…” another added. “Amy, keep talking! So many people need you,” commented one user.

Amy was a recurring cast member on “19 Kids and Counting,” the reality series that focused on the lives of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and their 19 children. The couple was deeply religious, insisting on strict rules of modesty and purity for their children.

Amy, who was raised in a more conventional religious environment, was known as “Crazy Cousin Amy” and the “OG Black Sheep” for her independence and disregard for the strict conventions her cousins lived by.

Joseph Duggar Is Out On Bond

As previously reported by The Blast, Joseph was released from custody at the end of March. In a hearing, a judge set his bond at $600,000, and on the same day, he was released from jail. According to reports, there were conditions to his release, including no contact with his accuser and no unsupervised contact with minors, which includes his children.

“Daddy got him out for a minute, but I guarantee you he’s going back in, and he’s probably going to be locked away for a very long time,” Amy said.

Kendra Duggar reportedly put her family’s home up for rent and sold personal items to secure funds to pay for her husband Joseph Duggar’s bond.

People reported on Friday, April 3, that Kendra, 27, listed some of the family’s property for sale and was preparing to move out of their home to transform it into a rental property after Joseph, 31, was arrested last month.

Kendra and Joseph brainstormed ways to make money during a March 25 jail phone call, according to audio obtained by People.

The outlet reported that Kendra and Joseph discussed selling personal items such as most of their trailers, their four-wheeler, a pressure washer, a waterproof tarp and a wood splitter. Kendra also reportedly moved items out of their home in preparation for transforming it into a rental in order to earn rental income from the property.

Related: Kendra Duggar Tells Joseph She’s Staying Somewhere ‘Private’ After Arrest

New audio of Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Duggar shows the couple discussing her whereabouts after their arrests. “It’s good to hear from you,” Kendra, 27, told Joseph, 31, according to a March 20 collect call he placed to her from Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that was obtained by Entertainment Weekly. In […]

Us Weekly has reached out to a Duggar family representative for comment.

In another call that took place while Joseph was in custody at Arkansas’ Washington County Sheriff’s Office last month, Kendra asked her husband if he needed more funds after learning that phone calls from jail had a price.

“Oh, so [it] costs money for you to call me each time?” Kendra asked Joseph during a phone conversation, per audio obtained by Us Weekly. “Do you need more money?”

Joseph explained that he initially had $60 for phone and other privileges, which was determined based on the cash in his wallet when he was booked at Washington County. He added that he would only be using the funds for phone calls.

Joseph was arrested in Arkansas on March 19. He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older after a 14-year-old girl came forward to police accusing Joseph of molesting her when she was 9 during a 2020 vacation to Panama City Beach, Florida.

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Joseph was extradited to Florida earlier this week, where he pleaded not guilty. He was later released on $600,000 bail.

In addition to the molestation case, Joseph and Kendra were both charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. These charges are unrelated to the molestation allegations

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

Patrick Mahomes has had a lot of career highlights but forming a bond with Taylor Swift was one of the most memorable moments.

“It would be to play at Arrowhead Stadium and just have all the fans and Chiefs Kingdom out there,” the quarterback, 30, said of his favorite moment of being part of the Kansas City Chiefs while speaking at the local event, Lead to Read KC, on Thursday April 2, per footage shared via X. “That’s a lot of fun.”

Mahomes added, “I got to meet Taylor Swift, that was pretty cool too.”

Since Swift, 36, and Travis Kelce began dating summer 2023, the pop star has grown close to her fiancé’s teammates and their respective partners. Patrick, who is good friends with Kelce, and wife Brittany Mahomes have joined the couple’s inner circle.

After Swift made her debut at the Chiefs game at Arrowhead stadium in September 2023, Patrick gushed about how the Grammy winner is “really cool.”

“[She’s] good people,” he gushed. “But like Trav said, man, I’m going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving.”

The group have enjoyed countless double dates. Brittany and Swift have also been by each other’s side rooting on their partners in multiple Chiefs games.

When Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August 2025, both Brittany and Patrick reacted to the couple’s newest relationship milestone.

“Two of the most genuine people meet & fall in love. Just so happy for these two,” Brittany wrote via her Instagram Story alongside the couple’s announcement, adding a white heart and a crying-happy face emojis.

Patrick, for his part, reshared the news with multiple red heart emojis.

At Kelce and Patrick’s restaurant, 1587 Prime, the teammates added drinks inspired by Swift and Brittany to the steakhouse’s menu. Brittany’s drink is the Queen B while Swift’s beverage is The Alchemy which is inspired by a song she wrote about her romance with Kelce.

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Related: Patrick Mahomes Says Taylor Swift Talks About Football Like a Coach

Patrick Mahomes has “met a lot of famous people” in his career, but he says none are quite as grounded (and committed to learning football) as his pal Taylor Swift. “Taylor’s probably the most down-to-earth person that’s been on that stage for that long,” Mahomes, 28, gushed in his TIME 100 Most Influential People profile […]

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“I’m not a big liquor drinker myself but from everybody I’ve heard from, it’s a really good drink and obviously wanted to have an ode to Taylor and how important she is, not only to us but this city as well,” Patrick said in a September 2025 appearance on “The Drive” on 610 Sports Radio.

In addition to enjoying Swift’s company, Patrick is a big fan of her music — long before she started dating his best friend. When Swift released The Life of a Showgirl last year, Patrick declared the album would be on repeat in the Chiefs locker room.

“I haven’t been able to hear the album yet, but I’m super-excited to be able to do that. And it’ll be blaring all through the Chiefs facility tomorrow. We’ll be supporting Taylor,” he gushed.

Chris Rock is turning heads again, this time for his love life. The comedian was recently spotted enjoying a cozy outing in New York City with a mystery woman, sparking fresh curiosity about his romantic status. 

The sighting, which included a very public display of affection, comes as Chris continues to keep his personal life relatively low-key despite years in the spotlight and a history of high-profile relationships.

Chris Rock Spotted Sharing PDA With Mystery Woman In NYC

Chris Rock was seen getting close with a woman identified as Simone Henault during a daytime outing in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. 

According to PEOPLE, the pair appeared relaxed as they walked side by side through a park, eventually stopping to sit together on a bench.

At one point, the two leaned in and shared a kiss, making their connection hard to miss. 

The outing marked a rare public moment for Rock, who tends to keep his dating life out of the spotlight.

Henault, who works as a DJ, creative producer, and content strategist, has also built a background in styling and production. 

The sighting wasn’t their first time together either. Just weeks earlier, they were seen leaving Giorgio Baldi, a well-known restaurant in Santa Monica, before getting into a car together.

See photos here.

Chris’s Dating History And Past Comments On Love

Chris Rock’s latest outing comes after years of high-profile relationships and candid reflections on his personal life. 

He was previously married to Malaak Compton-Rock from 1996 to 2016, and the former couple share two daughters, Lola Simone Rock and Zahra Savannah Rock.

Following his divorce, the comedian has been linked to several women, including actress Lake Bell. 

The two were spotted together multiple times in 2022, including dinner outings and public appearances, with one source saying they had “been seeing each other for a few weeks” and were enjoying getting to know each other.

Chris has also spoken openly about his life as a single man. During a 2022 appearance on Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Heart,” he joked about his situation when the actor told him, “You’re a 56-year-old bachelor now.” 

Chris replied, “I’m by myself. I’m a lonely man!” before adding, “I think I’m good. At some point I’ll have a woman and whatever, and hopefully she’ll be with me for a while.”

He also shared that he had become an empty nester after both of his daughters left for college, marking a new chapter in his personal life.

Chris Rock And Amber Rose Spark Dating Rumors After NYC Hangout

In 2023, Chris made headlines when he sparked dating rumors with Amber Rose after they were spotted together in New York City just days after Christmas, with photos of their outing quickly circulating online. 

As The Blast reported, the pair were seen taking a relaxed stroll through the city, laughing and chatting before eventually heading back to Chris’s apartment, which fueled speculation that their connection might be more than friendly.  

Witnesses described them as comfortable and engaged, adding to the buzz around a possible romance. 

However, the rumors didn’t last long. Rose later shut down the speculation, clarifying that their meetup was not a date. 

She explained they had been friends for years and simply met for coffee, saying they were “just friends” who enjoy each other’s company.  

While the sighting initially had fans excited about a new celebrity couple, Rose made it clear the post-holiday hangout was nothing more than a casual catch-up.

Rock Abruptly Ends Comedy Set At Billionaire’s Party Over Filming

One year after the dating rumors, Chris Rock got people talking again. According to a report from The Blast, he reportedly cut his comedy set short at a lavish holiday party hosted by billionaire Anthony Pratt, leaving guests stunned after abruptly walking off stage. 

During the surprise performance, the 61-year-old had been delivering his usual edgy jokes when something in the room appeared to upset him. 

According to the report, he suddenly realized he was being filmed despite an apparent no-recording agreement, prompting him to react. 

Chris reportedly shouted that he “wasn’t supposed to be taped, videoed, reported,” before pushing through the crowd and exiting the room without finishing his set. 

While some described the moment as him “storming out,” others claimed he simply ended the performance early because of the filming violation rather than out of anger.  

The unexpected exit caused confusion among attendees, as the filmmaker did not return to explain what happened. 

His set, which had barely begun, ended abruptly, and singer Keith Urban later stepped in to continue entertaining guests at the high-profile event. 

Chris Rock Calls Ben Stiller’s Marriage Reconciliation A Major Achievement

A few months ago, Chris gave major credit to his longtime friend Ben Stiller, especially when it came to love and marriage. 

Speaking in an interview with The New York Times for the outlet’s October 16 profile on Stiller, Chris praised the actor’s decision to reconcile with his wife, Christine Taylor, after their 2017 separation. 

He famously remarked that “a marriage getting back together is harder to do than a $600 million movie,” highlighting just how difficult he believed rekindling a relationship could be. 

Stiller and Taylor quietly reunited during the pandemic while living together with their children, choosing to work through their issues rather than go their separate ways.

The past decade has been incredibly fruitful when it comes to film; to translate it into meme language, “We are so back” when it comes to great cinema. New filmmakers emerged with incredibly creative ideas, while established names have seemingly achieved their collective magnum opus, delivering some of their strongest and most powerful works in recent years.

The last ten years (plus one) have been very exciting as cinematic boundaries were often moved, Oscar records were broken, and the landscape of cinema changed with the wider resurrection of 70mm film and the awakening of streaming. Without further ado, here are the eight most perfect movies of the last 11 years, ranked by their impact, general critical consensus, and perhaps a touch of personal preference.

8

‘The Batman’ (2022)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The Batman is an incredible neo-noir action film that has taken everyone by surprise. It’s only surpassed by the secrecy and magnitude of its still-in-production sequel, but we mustn’t forget it’s a film that carries its own weight. While the long runtime may have deferred some people from undertaking the feat of watching this DC Comics-based film, the runtime is barely felt throughout; there are true moments of filmmaking ingeniosity, including the stunning cinematography and skilled editing. The performances are strong, heavy, and felt throughout, with particular praise to Colin Farrell, who still manages to give Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin, a massive personality underneath a ton of prosthetics and makeup.

The Batman focuses on the vigilante’s detective side a lot more than his physical heroics; Bruce Wayne/Batman is portrayed by Robert Pattinson, and he finds himself at a crossroads in Gotham: protect the innocent or persecute the corrupt? The Riddler (Paul Dano) does him the service of the latter by targeting seemingly random officials and leaving messages for the Batman throughout. The film describes Gotham as a seedy urban landscape filled with reprehensible people—and at the same time, as a place full of innocent folks falling victim to the minority of those sitting greedily in their local government. Whether or not there is a sequel, The Batman is perfect as a standalone film, too; you don’t have to be a fan of comics or superhero stories to enjoy the film, which is probably the best part of all. It explains and introduces its characters with clarity, paving the way for how we see vigilante-themed cinema.

7

‘Midsommar’ (2019)

Image via A24

Many would deem Ari Aster‘s feature film debut, Hereditary, a better film, but Midsommar is a perfect sophomore feature for this horror director and one of the most perfect films of the decade. It’s been a wonderful decade for horror; one of the greatest directors of our time, Robert Eggers, has been especially dominant in the horror-fantasy landscape, and filmmakers like Coralie Fargeat, Danny and Michael Philippou, and Damian McCarthy have helped re-establish horror as a sentimental genre. Any true fan of horror understands that the scary stuff is rooted in trauma, social conditioning, and pain, and so presenting themes of loss and grief through horror isn’t anything new. Like a Newton’s cradle that stopped moving back and forth, Aster pulled the first ball and gave that sentimentally scary machine momentum to keep going once again.

Midsommar follows Dani (Florence Pugh), a young woman who loses her entire family in a tragic murder-suicide. Dani has been dating Christian (Jack Reynor) for a while, but their relationship has grown cold, and her grief seems to take them further apart. When their friend, a native Swede named Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren), invites Dani, Christian, and their two friends Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter) to a traditional week-long celebration of midsummer in his ancestral commune named Hårga, they all agree to go. Dani becomes the first to realize that the Hårga have different, pagan-like customs and feels compelled to run and give in at the same time. Many call Midsommar a breakup movie, and it technically is; however, it’s a cathartic release of grief in the same sense, and though it does get downright unsettling, it’s a folk horror that feels deeply human.

6

‘Sentimental Value’ (2025)

Image via NEON

Joachim Trier has an interesting ability to depict life with a lightness behind its inherent heaviness. No matter how long you watch or what is on-screen, there’s a sense of final optimism in his stories; themes like depression, generational trauma, grief, and avoidance are quite common for the director, but while you watch his protagonists, you get the uncanny sense that despite all the tragedy, things can end up well. With every unspoken word or a spoken cry for help, you feel seen by Trier’s films, especially if you’ve ever felt like one of the people in them. Sentimental Value won the Oscar for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars, but its running for Best Picture overall was a genuinely justified nomination. Sentimental Value feels like you are truly watching three generations of the same family trying to resolve their shared trauma.

Sentimental Value follows the eldest daughter in her family, actress Nora (Renate Reinsve), whose film director father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) reappears in her and her little sister Agnes’ (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) lives after their mother’s death. Agnes lives with her husband and son in their childhood home, which has been in Gustav’s family for generations, and when they all find themselves under the same roof again, their memories intertwine with the trauma of each of their upbringings. It’s an incredibly moving film full of life; Reinsve brings to life a hurt woman who is still a little girl inside, while Skarsgård hits all the right notes as a father trying to mend his poor past. If you haven’t seen it, you simply must.

5

‘Aftersun’ (2022)

Speaking of father-daughter relationships, a film that must never be forgotten is Charlotte Wells‘ Aftersun. If there has ever been a feature capable of making you stop everything and have a good cry during the end credits, it is this one. While it celebrates the relationship of a teen girl and her young father, it also honors her memory of him that has undoubtedly grown into a trauma she can’t easily put behind her. Aftersun was apparently based on Wells’ life and relationship with her own father, allowing the director to resolve her trauma in some way; most of her work is based on some form of healing or opening of deep-seated grief. This film was Paul Mescal‘s breakthrough into the world and his first Oscar nomination; it was well-deserved because he is raw and vulnerable in it.

Aftersun follows 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) during the time she went on a holiday to Turkey with her 30-year-old father, Calum (Mescal). She records a big portion of the holiday on her camera, remembering how things really were in between; Calum seems loving but like a capacity to be fully present is missing. The film shows Sophie’s perspective and her making friends and being a child on holiday—as she should—but it often switches to Calum, who is pondering, changes his mind frequently, and wonders about life past thirty. Aftersun is a touching slow-burn that will undoubtedly make you emotional, at least; it’s beautifully made, obviously with lots of love and care for the protagonists, differentiating itself from a standard family drama in more ways than one.

4

‘Sinners’ (2025)

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Sinners is the new record-setting film, celebrating 16 Oscar nominations, which is the most of any film (14 had been the norm so far). Ryan Coogler‘s fifth film is also his fifth collaboration with Michael B. Jordan—ahem, Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan—and with composer Ludwig Göransson. The trio has always been good, but it seems their friendship has left the biggest impact on Sinners, which has slowly turned into a movie of a grand, symbolic, and beautiful relevance. The storyline feels reminiscent of From Dusk Till Dawn, which Coogler cited as an inspiration, but Sinners dedicates its entire runtime to understanding the context of the villains, making the protagonists people worth defending and cheering for, and weaving tradition, heritage, culture, and social history within the narrative.

Elevated from a simple vampire slasher, Sinners carries the symbol of a musician whose musical skill can bridge the gap between the spirit world and the world of the living; that musician is young Sammie (Miles Caton), the son of a preacher who deems his blues singing sinful. Sammie is cousins with the Smokestack twins (both played by Jordan), who return to their Mississippi hometown from Chicago, ready to open a juke joint for the locals. In a whole different place, sinister spirits gather as Irish vampire Remmick (Jack O’Connell) turns a pair of Klan members into vampires, hears Sammie’s song from afar, and takes his thralls to him, hoping to feed. Sinners is an encapsulating experience that will not leave you behind for a while, and you will feel compelled, even invited in, to rewatch the film again and again.

3

‘Arrival’ (2016)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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Arrival is, and I can’t say this enough, one of the most beautiful films ever made. Its use of science fiction to tell the story of fate and choice is an ingenious way to make the science feel closer and the fiction less fictional; Denis Villeneuve cements himself as a director to watch, although we already knew how brilliant he was thanks to Incendies, Prisoners, and Sicario. Arrival was based on the novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, and it asks several questions throughout the film, one being is language or mathematics the universal language? and the other, more relevant one, if you knew how your life evolves from here on out, would you still make the same choices? It’s not just about those emotionally resonant themes either; Arrival is its own form of love letter to language, communication, and understanding.

Arrival is set in modern times, when twelve oval-shaped black alien ships appear across Earth, just hovering and neither making contact nor threats. Linguistics expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is hired by the US Military outpost in Montana, where a spaceship hovers, together with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), and their task is to understand the spaceship. They enter it and find octopus-like creatures sending them signals like octopuses squirting ink, but the signals take the shapes of symbols and Louise and Ian realize it’s the aliens’ language. Arrival takes the hypothesis of linguistic relativity, which is the theory that language can affect a person’s worldview or cognition, placing it within the context of love and loss. I get emotional just writing about it because you can only imagine where the story can go; if you’re also a language enthusiast or a graduated linguist (ahem), Arrival will scratch a particular itch because it treats linguistics like the miracle that it is.

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‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Mad Max: Fury Road is the greatest action film of the 21st century, and while this is highly subjective, critics and audiences haven’t shied away from giving George Miller‘s film this flattering title. Fury Road also still makes the cutaway, as it’s been exactly 11 years since it came out—I remember watching its premiere at the cinema so vividly that there’s no way a decade has passed. This is another testament to its enduring appeal—over ten years later, we still talk about and honor Fury Road as the best among the best. Achieved through mostly practical effects, location shoots, and an arduous editing process, Fury Road had actually been in the making since 1987, going through some seriously lengthy development hell. And yet, it seems like it came at the right time, providing Miller with enough technological and practical freedom in filmmaking to bring his vision to perfection.

Fury Road is set in the apocalyptic wasteland where water is a scarce commodity. One warlord, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), holds monopoly over a massive water source, hoarding it for himself and his children; to avoid defective inheritors, Joe keeps a group of young, healthy women as his brides, forcing them to give birth to his successors. The War Rig driver, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), decides to escape Joe’s tyrannical hands and brings the brides along with her. She is aided by Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), Joe’s prisoner and a man with no land or home; what follows is a tireless, action-packed pursuit across the wasteland, showing us bravery in the face of danger. If you believe in freedom enough, you’ll understand it’s worth going through hell and back for it—Fury Road writes that message out like a line in the sand.

1

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Image via NEON

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Parasite wasn’t just the first-ever Best Picture winner from South Korea, but also the first-ever non-English-speaking Best Picture winner, which was also accompanied by Best International Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. That means that Parasite is literally the perfect package of a film, coming from the mind of a modern filmmaking genius, Bong Joon-ho. To some people, the Oscars aren’t the true measure of quality (which is understandable), but so many stacked accolades send a signal—a signal that this is a film to pay attention to; as director Bong said, to paraphrase, getting over the three-inch barrier of subtitles should be a priority if you truly wish to open your heart to cinema’s greats. Fun fact: the house that is heavily featured in Parasite isn’t real; it was built for the purpose of filming, and the levels it occupies were intentionally designed by Bong and production designer Lee Ha-jun to achieve a linear yet contrasting narrative structure.

Parasite follows the poor Kim family, who live in a subterranean apartment, mooch the neighbors’ Wi-Fi, and leave their windows open when a fumigator comes so they can “get free disinfection.” The Kims find themselves in a scheme where they infiltrate the lives of the wealthy Park family, mostly through their well-intentioned but snobbish and out-of-touch matriarch. The Kims and the Parks are depicted as a contrast between class structures in Korea, but also as a result of the imposed class structure; their behavior isn’t always inherent, with a lot of it coming from years of living within the system. Parasite will make you laugh, maybe even shed a short tear or two; it’s also terrifying in small doses, becoming a proper psychological thriller as it moves forward. A masterpiece that will not be so easily forgotten. In fact, let me go watch it again.

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Parasite

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Release Date

May 30, 2019

Runtime

133 minutes

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  Lee Sun-kyun

  Park Dong-ik

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