By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 32 seconds ago

Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans has continued to bring innovation to the season, for better or for worse. “I Deserve All Of This,” the episode that aired on April 22, 2026, continued this trend with two historic Survivor firsts, both of which came from fans of the show. Voting was open before the season was filmed for fans to decide some elements of the game, like how hard the challenges would be. Meanwhile, celebrity fans like Billie Eilish and Zac Brown have had suggestions and appearances that have changed the game.

That influence hit its peak in this episode, where even host Jeff Probst stepped into the game, while a separate twist led to fan-favorite Christian Hubicki’s painful elimination.

Jeff Probst Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

The first of the two historic events was during the immunity challenge. Fans of the show should recognize the competition in which individualized buckets representing each castaway’s weight at the start of the season are tied through a pulley to rolling metal bars. Contestants have to hang onto the bar and keep their bucket from crashing to the ground. This challenge has been a Survivor staple for many seasons.

The new twist borrowed from another Survivor staple: bartering for rice. Typically, if the tribe needs rice, host Jeff Probst offers to trade a bag in exchange for some number of contestants sitting out of the challenge. This time, though, Probst put his money where his mouth is and turned the rice barter into a side bet between himself and four castaways (who turned out to be Jonathan Young, Tiffany Ervin, Ozzy Lusth, and Joe Hunter). Everyone still participated in the immunity challenge, but so did Jeff, and the castaways would win the rice if the four volunteers could outlast him.

They did. Handily. In fact, most of the tribe did as Probst struggled with this well-used challenge of the show, shocked at how difficult it was. The competition only got more hilarious when the first three contestants to lose the challenge were Rick Devens, Emily Flippen, and Rizo “RizGod” Velovic, all three known for their flamboyant senses of humor. Devens put his news anchor skills to work, taking over for Probst by making commentary that was augmented by the other two.

Christian Was Done Dirty

In addition to besting Jeff Probst in the challenge, Joe won immunity. Part of his prize was to select someone to go on one of Survivor’s infamous journeys. Ever fair to a point that would make Ned Stark blush, Joe had the remaining contestants play a game of rock-paper-scissors, which ultimately saw genius Christian Hubicki go on a journey that would be a second, tragic instance of new Survivor lore.

Christian was tasked with putting together a puzzle while timed anchors dropped into the ocean around him. Once they all dropped, they would pull the puzzle with them. The stakes were set by late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon, whose contribution to the game was the consequences, win or lose. If Christian succeeded in putting together the puzzle, he’d win an extra vote that he could make right then, causing someone else to walk into Tribal Council with one vote against them. If he lost, he had to read a sinister letter to the rest of the tribe.

Shockingly, Christian just couldn’t get the puzzle together before it, and his hopes of an extra vote, were whisked away into the Pacific. The letter was even worse: it revealed that Christian would be voting for himself at Tribal Council. Since the entire tribe knew Christian’s vote had to be for himself, a coalition was formed against him, and he became the show’s latest victim and newest jury member. Thanks, Jimmy Fallon.

Jimmy Fallon Continues His Villain Arc

Fans were split about this twist, noting that both winning and losing might not have been advantageous. A win was a double-edged sword in that, without knowing who his allies were voting for, Christian’s vote would dictate to the rest of them. However, almost all the fans, even those who don’t like Christian, were angry at the way he went home and the fact that he was forced to vote for himself. Christian himself was extremely displeased as he wrote his own name down, directing some commentary at Jimmy Fallon in the voting booth.

In a twist worthy of the show, Fallon not only had Christian on The Tonight Show but also took the opportunity to publicly apologize to him. While the late-night host was impressed with his idea for a twist, he admitted that he was sad that it fell upon one of his favorite players in the game.

Who will be the newest twist victim next week as the classic Survivor auction is joined by the long-awaited Mr. Beast? Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount Plus.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated 57 minutes ago

The Owens family is back. In a new trailer for Practical Magic 2, the all-female family is still practicing the family tradition of witchcraft in their small Massachusetts town. The curse that Sally (Sandra Bullock) thought she broke in the first movie seems to still be in full swing for all six Owens women, but there is a new generation entering the family business.

The one thing the trailer lacks is plot. Viewing it will not tell anyone what the movie is about. There is a lot of travel and a lot of scenes of witchcraft being practiced, as well as references to the events of the first film, but interested fans need to resort to IMDb to tell them that the family is once again trying to break the curse that leaves them all unable to keep the romance they find in their lives.

A Spellbinding Ensemble Cast

Of course, love exists everywhere else for the Owens family. Returning to the movie in addition to Sally are Nicole Kidman’s Gillian and both the Aunts, the more reserved Franny (Stockard Channing) and the former wild child Jet (Dianne Wiest). Also joining the cast are Sally’s two daughters, all grown up and played by Joey King as Kylie and Maisie Williams as Antonia, who are replacing Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip from the first film. The majority of the trailer is focused on combinations of these six, especially in pairings as sisters. We get a lot of Sally and Gilly working together as they did in the first film. And it looks like Sally still can’t lie.

Notably absent is Aiden Quinn, who played Sally’s love interest in the first film and presumably broke the Owens curse by bypassing it through Sally’s childhood spell. Based on the plot synopsis given on IMDb, it would seem Sally didn’t break the curse after all, but here’s hoping that Texas sheriff Gary Hallet didn’t meet the same end as other men associated with the Owens women.

Someone else frequently in the trailer is Lee Pace, whose unnamed character resembles the villain of the previous film, but who doesn’t seem to be antagonistic to Sally or Gilly. Pace’s character seems set up to fill Gary’s shoes, even though he seems to have a lot more in common with the sexy but abusive Jimmy Angelov. In one scene, Sally quips about their experience fighting Angelov’s zombified reincarnation in front of Pace’s character. Whether he is a love interest or a secret antagonist, he is in quite a few scenes in the trailer, indicating his importance to the plot.

More Roll Call Than Synopsis

I personally have long been awaiting a sequel to the Owens family story, although I’m disappointed to imagine that Gary might be out of the picture because he fell prey to the Owens curse. As a fan, the trailer was exciting to me. The problem with the trailer, though, is that if you didn’t see the first movie, not a lot of it will make sense. It’s just a collection of female stars in an ensemble cast that doesn’t seem to have a story. And it’s a little weird to have Joey King and Maisie Williams play a pair of girls who would be in their 40s in 2026, based on the ages of the characters in the 1998 original, I wonder if the Owens’ herbal youth magic is working overtime on them.

Fortunately, this is also just a teaser trailer, rather than a full trailer. It is entirely possible that it was meant to provoke fans into excited word-of-mouth advertising and inspire new fans to catch up on the 1998 film, which is showing with a subscription to HBO Max.

If the idea of Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Weist playing Salem-style witches all together in the same movie is interesting enough, go watch Practical Magic and prepare to be blown away. Then the trailer to Practical Magic 2 will make a little more sense and amplify the ensemble with two more talented young actresses in King and Williams. Maybe the full trailer will show us more than just a collection of great actresses by showing us what their movie is actually about.

Fall under the spell of Practical Magic 2 when it is released in theaters on September 18, 2026.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 16 seconds ago

Sydney Sweeney is a strange place in Hollywood. She’s a star. People devour every bit of news they can find about her, but she’s still trying to find her footing. The Housemaid was a hit, Euphoria Season 3 finally arrived, but the jury’s out on how it sticks the landing, which means all eyes are on her next major project for Netflix: a live-action Gundam adaptation. After years of rumors, the film has entered production. Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam movie is on the way. 

Sydney Sweeney Overshadows Massive Mecha

It doesn’t matter what the actual name of the movie is, or what part of the long-running franchise is being brought to live-action, because it’s going to be referred to as Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie across social media. Netflix has come out and clarified that this won’t be tied to any specific era or sub-series, so it’s not adapting Gundam Wing, Char’s Counterattack, The Witch From Mercury, G-Gundam, or any of the other fan favorites going back decades. That’s either a smart decision, as nothing could compare to the fan expectations for an adaptation, or an early setup for failure, since there are great stories and characters already out there that may not get used. 

Joining Sydney Sweeney in Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie are Noah Centineo as the male lead, Michael Mando (from Better Call Saul) who’s likely going to play the slightly unhinged psychotic villain, and Jason Isaacs, who’s likely going to play the evil authoritarian figure orchestrating the attack against the Earth/Colonies, depending on which side this version of Gundam wants to paint as the heroes. 

Gundam Fans Have Good Reason To Be Nervous

The basic plot of Sydney Sweeney’s Gundam Movie is again centered on the conflict between the forces of Earth and those of the Space Colonies. Netflix’s brief summary mentions a “high-stakes race across the stars” which could be a hint of a technological discovery, or a rare resource, that both sides want to retrieve. Given Netflix’s recent track record with live-action anime adaptations, with One Piece hitting and Avatar missing, Gundam’s live-action debut could land on either end of the spectrum.

Jim Mickle, who worked with Netflix on bringing the graphic novel Sweet Tooth to life on the platform, will direct the upcoming Gundam film that honestly, as more information is coming out, sounds like it might be closer to the Americanization of Godzilla in 1998 than it is One Piece. Which is a shame, as Gundam is one of the most popular anime in history, and Gundam Wing is widely credited for popularizing the entire medium thanks to its prime spot in Cartoon Network’s Toonami lineup. 

 
Netflix already hosts the Gundam Seed series (the original, Freedom, and Destiny) alongside Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, and the CG series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, which turns the giant mecha into horror monsters. Bringing Gundam to live-action is a no-brainer that countless studios have attempted over the decades. Could this be the film that lets Sydney Sweeney reach a brand-new audience and cements her career? Or will this be another misguided misstep similar to Christie? No matter what happens, you’re going to hear about it.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 24 seconds ago

It really takes a lot for me to sit through an entire movie without knowing what the hell it’s about, and I most recently experienced this with 1996’s Savage. There are so many unrelated storylines that feel like they should connect and lead to a satisfying payoff, but they never really do. My experience with the film made me want it all to make sense, but I had to read detailed plot synopses on both Wikipedia and IMDb just to make heads or tails of the thing, and somehow I ended up even more confused.

Normally when I write reviews, I open those tabs to get the character and talent names straight because I’m great with faces but terrible with names. In this case, I had to SparkNote my way through the plot because Savage is profoundly nonsensical, to the point where I think it should be studied.

Savage is a sci-fi action film, but also a revenge film, but also a film about ancient aliens, super-powered cavemen, and an evil virtual reality game company, all of which are completely at odds with each other. Visually, it’s an absolute feast of low-budget special effects, which is what drew me to it during a late-night Tubi scroll in the first place. I don’t regret watching it, but I can’t speak for how you’ll feel about this one, dear reader.

Hell Hath No Fury Like An Alien Caveman Hellbent On Revenge

Here’s where I try to explain what Savage is all about. A man named Alex Verne (Olivier Gruner) gets committed to a psychiatric hospital after his family is randomly murdered. One day, two years later, he decides it’s time to escape. Wandering through the desert, he hears a voice that leads him to a cave. Inside are paintings of ancient aliens. Alex lives like this for an indeterminate amount of time until he encounters an alien apparition that first takes the form of his dead wife, and then the killer. The alien tells him he has to get revenge because the killer will do it again to “millions of others.”

Alex gets electrocuted and suddenly has superhuman strength, which pairs nicely with the caveman skills he developed while living out in the desert. He wanders the streets naked and gets taken into police custody, where he meets Officer Nicky Carter (Jennifer Grant), who’s put off by his strange behavior but still somehow finds him irresistible enough to become a valuable ally by the third act.

Meanwhile, and completely out of nowhere, we’re introduced to Reese Burroughs (Kario Salem), the corrupt chairman of the Titan Corporation. He specializes in virtual reality video games and has hilariously named henchmen Marie Beloc (Kristin Minter), Edgar Wallace (Sam McMurray), and Allan Poe (Herschel Sparber) following him around wherever he goes. As luck would have it, Reese has been waiting a long time for a police report about a weird naked caveman type getting arrested, and now he has to track down Alex and eliminate him for … reasons, I guess.

Alex, now referred to as a savage by Reese and his goons due to his alien caveman abilities, escapes the holding cell, hellbent on breaching the Titan Corporation for … other reasons, I guess, as the home viewer (because this is obviously a direct-to-VHS effort) tries to piece these plot points together. You’re left wondering how the final showdown between these characters will play out in both the real world and the virtual one they occupy.

Thematically Bankrupt With Plenty Of Visual Bangers

Most reasonable people will read the above synopsis of Savage and decide not to watch it. I don’t blame them. However, for a direct-to-video sci-fi B-movie, it has tremendous visuals. The virtual reality sequences are immersive. The aliens are corny but cool, and they perfectly capture that “waking up at 3 am and this is what’s playing on TV after I passed out watching something else” vibe that I remember so fondly from my university days.

If you can get past the fact that the plot makes no sense, Savage is tremendously fun to watch. Personally, I treated it as a series of vaguely related vignettes occupying the same universe, which allowed me to appreciate the visuals without scrutinizing the storytelling too much. That said, it feels like there has to be a director’s cut floating around somewhere because the connection between Alex and Reese is vague at best until far too late in the runtime.

Savage, in all of its insane glory, is currently streaming for free on Tubi. Throw it on when you’re looking for something different because there’s nothing quite like it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when you get halfway through and realize that so much has happened without telling anything close to a coherent story.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 20 seconds ago

The Star Wars sequels are very different from the prequels in writing, tone, characterization, and more. But these newer movies have one thing in common with older films like The Phantom Menace: they are best enjoyed ironically. For example, The Rise of Skywalker may have failed to deliver organic storytelling or satisfying character arcs, but it did give us hilariously bad lines such as Poe Dameron’s “Somehow, Palpatine returned.” It took fans no time at all to make endless memes of this silly dialogue to make fun of how poorly thought-out the sequels are.

Recently, Josh Horowitz interviewed Oscar Isaac, and the Poe Dameron actor actually spoke about the infamous line of dialogue. In the interview, Isaac revealed that this line was added at the last minute as part of reshoots for this final film in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. He also gently called the line of dialogue out, revealing that he was surprised that it became his most famous line, and that when he rewatches the scene, he mostly focuses on how good his wig looks.

He’s Just A Poe Boy

In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren surprised us all by killing Lord Snoke, the mysterious First Order leader who had been set up to be the franchise’s newest Big Bad. Instead of giving us a new villain for the sequel, J.J. Abrams brought Emperor Palpatine back for The Rise of Skywalker. This was understandably confusing for fans because we all saw him die in Return of the Jedi. His body seemingly blew up after Darth Vader threw him into a Death Star shaft. Shortly thereafter, the entire space station exploded. How the heck could anyone, even someone with the power of Emperor Palpatine, survive all that?

Well, The Rise of Skywalker didn’t bother to explain something so fundamental to Star Wars lore. Instead, the beginning and end of the explanation were given to Oscar Isaac, whose Poe Dameron character reveals to his fellow Resistance members that “somehow, Palpatine returned.” The dialogue is frustrating in its vagueness, and it arguably highlights the core problem of the Sequel Trilogy. Namely, the seeming belief among writers, producers, and directors that nothing has to make sense and that fans will show up to blindly support anything with the Star Wars name on it.

How Palpatine Got His Groove Back

In Oscar Isaac’s interview with Josh Horowitz, he was pretty blunt about the circumstances that led to this infamous line of dialogue. “Yeah, those were reshoorts … those are like surgical strikes where you come in and try to make sense of it all while they’re scrambling to get everything done. That line was a new addition, right at the end.” While Isaac didn’t directly criticize how bad the script for The Rise of Skywalker was, his words emphasize the haphazard nature of the entire film. Apparently, JJ Abrams and his team forgot to explain how Palpatine came back to life, and having Isaac’s hotshot pilot blurt out “somehow, Palpatine returned” was the best thing they could come up with.

Plus, there’s a bit of ambiguity (intentionally, I imagine) in his phrasing of reshoots as “surgical strikes.” He could simply be talking about the actors who come back for reshoots trying to understand what has changed since they were last on set. Of course, he could also be talking about how Abrams and his team used last-minute reshoots to make their botched story line somehow make sense. Either way, he’s calling out The Rise of Skywalker for being a movie so crazy that even those who spent months making it had no idea what it was really about.

Now, Disney is hoping that the upcoming film The Mandalorian & Grogu will help reignite fans’ passion for this dying franchise. Unfortunately, after a decade of executive mismanagement, most of the fandom no longer trusts the creators involved to deliver a quality product. If the film somehow blows us all away, though, fans may finally put a positive spin on Oscar Isaac’s most infamous line with their own ironic twist: “somehow, Star Wars returned.”

April 25 (and the remaining weeks of spring, for many of Us!) might just be the “perfect date” as described by Miss Rhode Island in Miss Congeniality. All you need is a light jacket! It’s that rare in-between moment when spring finally feels real, but the weather still can’t fully commit. One minute it’s sunny and warm, the next you’re reaching for an extra layer — which is exactly why a lightweight jacket is the MVP of your wardrobe right now.

The key is finding styles that are breathable, versatile and actually elevate your outfit rather than weigh it down. We rounded up the best light jackets from retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Athleta (plus a few editor-loved brands) that are perfect for this transitional moment and easy to wear well into summer.

11 Light Jackets to Reach for on Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold Days

1. Our Favorite: This lightweight zip-up is the kind of throw-on layer you’ll rely on daily. It’s breathable, easy to pack and works just as well for morning walks as it does for running errands.

2. Runner-up: A cropped utility jacket strikes the perfect balance between polished and casual. The slightly structured fit adds shape without feeling heavy, making it ideal for layering over dresses or tees on unpredictable days.

3. Editor-Approved: A relaxed denim jacket is a spring staple that never fails. The slightly oversized fit gives it that effortless, off-duty vibe while still being structured enough to pull a look together.

4. Designer-Looking: This minimalist twill jacket looks far more expensive than it is. Clean lines and a neutral palette make it a go-to layering piece that instantly elevates basics.

5. Everyday Essential: You can never go wrong with a classic hoodie jacket that delivers comfort without sacrificing style. It’s lightweight enough for warmer afternoons but still cozy when the temperature dips.

Related: These 15 Jackets and Cardigans Are My Shortcut for Spring Layering

As a busy toddler mom, I need quick fixes for every scenario, especially when it comes to my wardrobe. Thankfully, warm weather is trickling back into the forecast, which means replacing heavy puffers with light, seasonal layers. To save time and get out the door fast, I’ve perfected a warm-weather outfit formula by making spring […]

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6. Sporty Chic: A sleek zip-front layer is perfect for on-the-go days. It’s designed to move with you while still looking put-together enough for casual plans.

7. Budget-Friendly: This lightweight barn shacket proves you don’t have to spend much to look stylish. It adds just enough warmth while keeping your outfit relaxed and current.

8. Travel Ready: If you travel a lot, this packable windbreaker is a no-brainer for unpredictable spring weather. It folds easily, making it perfect to toss in your bag just in case.

9. Elevated Activewear: A streamlined jacket blends performance with polish. It’s lightweight, flattering and transitions seamlessly from workouts to everyday wear.

10. Polished Layer: A tailored blazer feels like a more refined take on a cardigan when it cinches at the waist like this one. It’s ideal when you want something that looks structured but still feels easy.

11. Performance Pick: This breathable training jacket is built for movement without bulk. It’s the perfect lightweight option for layering before or after workouts, and the Spark colorway? To die for.

Related: 15 Pre-Spring Essentials Worth Adding to Your Closet First

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The in-between season is officially here. It’s too warm for heavy wool coats but too chilly to rely on classic T-shirts alone, which means getting dressed can feel like a daily guessing game. My solution? Smart, breathable layers that work right now and carry me straight into spring. I combed through Amazon to find transitional […]

Emily Blunt’s sleek Hollywood curls for The Devil Wears Prada 2 London premiere were crafted with precision and polish. According to celebrity hairstylist Laini Reeves, the secret behind the 43-year-old actress’ glossy, defined waves was Tresemmé Bonding Oil. The lightweight treatment is designed to smooth, strengthen and add mirror-like shine without weighing hair down.

“For Emily’s London premiere look, I wanted the hair to feel sleek, sculpted, and effortlessly modern,” Reeves wrote in an Instagram post. The result? Glossy, defined waves that looked equal parts timeless and modern — anchored by a high-shine finishing step that elevated the entire style.

Tresemmé Bonding Oil helps reinforce hair from within, making it especially ideal for heat-styled looks like sculpted curls. It also works overtime to tame frizz, seal split ends and boost softness, leaving hair looking noticeably healthier and more polished. What gives this oil its high-gloss payoff is a mix of conditioning oils and silky smoothing agents that coat the hair just enough to reflect light without feeling heavy. Think nourishing plant-derived oils that soften and add slip, paired with lightweight gloss enhancers that seal the cuticle and blur the look of frizz and split ends.

Get the Tresemmé Bonding Oil for $13 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

If your hair leans heat-stressed, this oil pulls double duty as a repair-focused finisher. It helps reinforce weakened bonds caused by repeated hot tool use, so strands feel stronger and less prone to snapping over time.

At the same time, it smooths down rough, lifted cuticles — one of the biggest signs of heat damage — so hair looks sleeker and reflects more light, rather than appearing dull or brittle. With consistent use, it helps soften that dry, straw-like texture and makes curls look healthier and more defined, even if you’re still reaching for your blow-dryer or curling iron regularly.

To use, apply one to two pumps to damp hair before blow-drying to protect and prep strands, focusing on mid-lengths and ends. Once hair is styled, warm a tiny amount between your palms and lightly glide it over curls to define, de-frizz and add that sleek, reflective finish. The result is touchable, glossy movement that holds its shape while still feeling soft and effortless.

Just take it from one five-star Amazon reviewer who raved, “Amazingly good,” adding, “Feels good, smells good and [has] no build-up.”

If you’re chasing that same sleek, sculpted shine, Tresemmé Bonding Oil makes it surprisingly easy to recreate a red carpet finish at home.

Get the Tresemmé Bonding Oil for $13 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more hair oils here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Want Amal Clooney’s ‘Rich Girl’ Hair? Get Her Exact $10 Gloss

Amal Clooney just proved that achieving glossy, expensive-looking hair doesn’t require a luxury budget. While attending a Cartier event in Milan, the human rights lawyer stepped out with voluminous waves and a silky, high-shine finish that looked straight out of a high-end campaign. The surprising part? Her ultra-polished look wasn’t created with a pricey salon […]

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 23 seconds ago

Happy Madison Productions. The guy from Workaholics. James Bond. What do these things have in common? 2023’s The Out-Laws, starring Adam DeVine, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, and Nina Dobrev. As much as I wanted to like this movie, the whole does not equal the sum of its parts. It’s one of those instances where you have reliably funny people attempting to serve a screenplay that’s too little, and decades too late. The best way to describe The Out-Laws is a cross between Meet the Parents and any heist film you’ve ever seen from the early aughts.

There’s some great chemistry between the characters, but chemistry alone cannot save a movie that doesn’t have much else going for it. The interactions between DeVine and Brosnan are tremendous, and I’d love to see these characters interact more on a meaningful level. Given its miserable 21 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the fact that Netflix doesn’t openly report how much revenue their originals generate, it’s safe to say we won’t be getting a sequel based on those figures alone. That would be preposterous.

A Charismatic Cast With A Boilerplate Heist

The Out-Laws, like Meet the Parents, tells the story of Owen Browning (Adam DeVine), a bank manager who’s about to marry his yoga instructor fiancée, Parker (Nina Dobrev). By this point, Owen and Parker have made peace with the fact that his parents, Neil (Richard Kind) and Margie (Julie Hagerty), are boomer caricatures who are intrusive and outspoken. The running gag is that they think Parker is a pole dancer because she teaches yoga. Real funny stuff there. Let’s make sure they run it into the ground for 95 minutes (spoiler alert). 

The conflict kicks in when Parker’s parents, Billy (Pierce Brosnan) and Lily (Ellen Barkin) McDermott, come out of the woodwork to attend the wedding. To the best of Parker’s knowledge, her parents have been traveling the globe doing humanitarian work. The reality is that they’re actually a prolific bank-robbing duo known as the Ghost Bandits. Once they learn Owen is a bank manager, they realize they can pull off the perfect crime, largely because Owen is an idiot.

They carry out the robbery, which sets off a chain reaction involving Eastern European crime boss Rehan Zakaryan (Poorna Jagannathan), a dangerous woman they owe a substantial amount of money to. Owen doesn’t have definitive proof that it was Parker’s parents who robbed his bank, since they wore masks, but he recognizes the scent of Billy’s cologne, described as a combination of sandalwood and danger. Caught between the chaos at work, the McDermotts’ crime spree, and his fiancée, Owen has to figure out how to keep the peace as his personal and professional life fall apart right before the wedding.

Solid Nuggets, But Otherwise Unsubstantial 

There are some great zingers in The Out-Laws that are worth sticking around for. My personal favorite is when Billy asks Lily who her favorite James Bond is, and without hesitation she says “Number 5.” Adam DeVine’s interactions with Pierce Brosnan work by design because of their adversarial dynamic, but DeVine’s schtick gets old fast. He does a lot of screaming and panicking, and tries to throw jokes into every single interaction when it’s not that kind of movie. The situational comedy around the heists should be doing the heavy lifting, not constant banter.

Speaking of the heist, that’s the other major problem with The Out-Laws. It’s a stupidly simple setup. I can’t point to a specific movie it copies, but it basically boils down to “we robbed a bank, now we need to rob another one.” There’s no real grand plan. Just find the vault and crack it. There’s also a sequence where Owen, dressed as Shrek, gets his ass handed to him, and it feels completely forced. Like somebody in a boardroom said, “I’m not greenlighting this without the Shrek showdown,” and refused to budge.

It all plays out like other comedies that fail because they try too hard to be funny. DeVine’s other effort with his Workaholics alums, Game Over, Man, runs into the same issue. Dirty Grandpa (2016) falls into that trap too. If everybody is trying to be funny every time they open their mouth, it gets old fast, and this movie is no exception.

It’s a shame that The Out-Laws wasn’t a better movie because the dynamic between DeVine and Brosnan was absolutely worth my time. But it’s not original either. It’s basically Meet the Parents if Gaylord Focker and Jack Byrnes decide to rob a bank. That’s the dynamic you’re getting here.

The Out-Laws is a Netflix Original and is available to stream with an active subscription.

A Los Angeles judge has denied Cher‘s petition to secure a temporary conservatorship over her son, Elijah Blue Allman.

The decision comes after a legal expert said the “Strong Enough” singer would have to meet a “high legal standard” if she were to get conservatorship over her adult son in the state of California.

Cher previously filed the same petition against Elijah in 2023, but had it denied the following year due to him fighting back and saying he doesn’t need conservatorship.

Following Cher’s legal move to place her adult son, Elijah Blue Allman, under a temporary conservatorship, legal experts weighed in on the situation, suggesting she may encounter difficulties getting her bid.

According to Us Weekly, family law expert and senior attorney at Sullivan Law & Associates, Rachael Bennett, said that even though her concerns are warranted, the 79-year-old singer has to meet a “high legal standard” for things to swing her way.

“To get a conservatorship over an adult child in California, Cher will have to meet a pretty high legal standard,” Bennett told the news outlet. “She has to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Elijah is either unable to provide for his basic personal needs, things like food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, or that he’s totally unable to manage his finances.

The lawyer continued, “Even if she proves that, the court still has to find that there’s no less restrictive alternative, like a trust or a power of attorney or some kind of other support system.”

A Judge Denied The Singer’s Petition Due To A Lack Of ‘Sufficient Urgency’

During an April 24 court hearing in Los Angeles, a judge denied Cher’s petition for her son to be placed under temporary conservatorship without prejudice.

According to reports, the judge said that she didn’t see “sufficient urgency” in the pop icon’s request.

Elijah appeared in a video call from the psychiatric facility where he’s undergoing treatment in Connecticut, but the judge ruled that because he’s currently facing outstanding charges, she doesn’t think he’ll have access to the money he receives from his late father’s trust.

“A lot of people don’t show up to court and get a default judgment and don’t need a conservatorship,” the judge said. “I am going to deny the temporary conservatorship without prejudice.”

Cher Previously Filed For Conservatorship

Cher filed for fiduciary Jason Rubin to be named conservator over Elijah’s estate on April 17, claiming her son’s life “has significantly deteriorated” since the first one she filed in 2023, which a judge denied the following year.

According to the legal expert Bennett, the denial stemmed from her inability to produce clear and convincing evidence that Elijah was incongruent and unable to fend for himself.

“Her earlier petition was denied because the judge didn’t see enough evidence of incapacity, basically saying that the petition was premature,” Bennett said. “At that time, Elijah pushed back with evidence that he was sober, that he was receiving treatment, and that he was managing his own financial affairs.”

The expert explained that the development left the court feeling like Cher’s argument “leaned too heavily on fears about what might happen,” and even though she was being proactive, they needed her to wait until his life “basically deteriorated before it would step in.”

Cher Raised Alarm About Her Son’s Criminal Charges

Cher’s latest petition described a dire situation where she claimed Elijah is in a New Hampshire psychiatric facility following a string of legal troubles earlier this year, including charges of burglary and assault.

The document explained that he’s in the facility as part of efforts to restore his competency so he can stand trial for the criminal charges.

She added that this only reflects his “Current set of problems,” adding that he lacks a proper understanding of money and cannot handle his finances.

She claimed that any money he gets, he always spends it on “drugs, expensive hotels, and limousine transportation.”

Elijah Would Have Lost The Ability To Access His Own Money ‘Freely’ If His Mother’s Request Had Been Approved

Bennett considered the possibility of Cher’s request being accepted in court, explaining that it would give “significant, but also very targeted control” over Elijah’s finances.

According to the legal expert, a court-appointed conservator will have to step in and manage the singer’s son’s estate due to his mother’s claims.

Bennett added, “So in practical terms, he would lose the ability to just freely access or manage his own money, and he probably would be put on a controlled allowance system of some sort.”