Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for From Season 4 Episode 3.

Viewers may have been left with many unanswered questions ahead of From‘s return with Season 4, but the MGM+ horror series doesn’t force anyone to wait long before picking up right where the story last left off. The premiere ends with the reveal that the seemingly innocent Sophia (Julia Doyle) is actually the Man in the Yellow Suit (Douglas E. Hughes) in disguise. In case that wasn’t heavy enough, Episode 2 provides the absolutely devastating confirmation of what happened to Jim (Eoin Bailey) after he was murdered in front of his daughter, Julie (Hannah Cheramy), despite her apparent efforts to prevent his death from occurring.

Episode 3, “Merrily We Go,” both acts as a breather of sorts — seriously, if anyone’s entitled to the catharsis of smashing up a bunch of cars at this point, it’s Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) — and confirms how the town is picking up the pieces (or not) after Jim’s death. For Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), there’s very little time to grieve, especially since the loss of her husband serves as a greater confirmation that she and Jade (David Alpay) were getting much closer to the truth than the town’s evil wanted.

Ahead of Episode 3’s premiere, Collider had the opportunity to speak with Moreno about the show’s unique approach to filming some of Tabitha’s most heartbreaking moments, whether Tabitha shares Julie’s fears about their family’s presence in the town, why Tabitha doesn’t confess the truth to Henry (Robert Joy) about who she really is, and more.

COLLIDER: How did you prepare yourself for Episode 2, both in terms of the family’s discovery of Jim and the scene of Tabitha delivering that speech to him about taking care of their family?

CATALINA SANDINO MORENO: I don’t think you can prepare for that. Because I have played this character for many years, and my connection with both Eoin and Jim… he was the protector of the family, the one who was always trying to shield her, and not having him, it was like a death, saying goodbye to an old friend. That speech, I remember asking Jack [Bender] how he was going to shoot it, because usually we use two cameras, and Jack was like, “It’s just going to be one. We’re just going to push [in].” That gave me a lot of relief. He’s like, “Just do what feels right. You can move. Don’t feel restrained.” He gave me a lot of freedom to do that scene.

I remember as soon as I saw him lying there, it was a reminder of, “I don’t have my companion. I don’t have my friend. I don’t have the father of my children. And I keep losing!” She lost a child once, and now she’s losing the father of her kids. This is not a game. This is real life. Although they’re in this crazy monster world, this is her reality. It was just beautiful, and I couldn’t thank Jack more than I have for shooting that scene how he did. I think that moment was so precious and so honest, and it’s human. It’s what you do. You might fight with your partner, but at the end of the day, he’s the father of your children! You love him, and you’ve stuck together. You were in the shit together, and now he’s not there anymore.

I just felt that that was the highlight of my season — that, and another scene I have later on with Victor. That’s just so much of the realism of how you say goodbye to your best friend. How are you going to tell this to someone that you love and cared about? Those are the moments that I live for, basically.

‘From’s Catalina Sandino Moreno Reveals How Jim’s Death Sets Up Season 4’s Biggest Theme

“We’re dealing with a different monster now…”

Image via MGM+

As brutal as the discovery of Jim’s body is, does that confirm to Tabitha, “I’m on the right track here — if this town, if this place is willing to go after the people I love”? Is there a part of her that acknowledges that, even through her grief?

MORENO: Of course. Of course. I think that anger towards Jade, it’s like, “You figure shit out. It should be you. Poor Jim was trying to protect our children, protect me, and you have done all these things!” But that’s part of grief, and that’s part of pain, and that’s part of the desperation, that she doesn’t know what to do anymore.

But yes, knowledge in the town comes at a cost. Sarah’s brother said it early on — that when you push for answers in the town, the town is going to push back. We’re dealing with a different monster now, of how much are you going to push? Are you going to be scared to push and maybe just be here forever, or are you going to defy this town, knowing that it could be deadly? That’s a good premise for this whole season.

At the diner, Julie gets upset at something Sophia says to her off-screen, and then Tabitha and Julie have the moment where Julie is openly questioning whether their family is the reason bad things have happened. Has Tabitha been holding onto that same fear at all?

MORENO: No, I think she feels cursed ever since her child died. There’s that beautiful scene where she goes into the church and says, “Don’t talk about God, because I’ve prayed so much, and my child died.” I think she feels cursed from that moment on. I don’t think everything started because they arrived. I think things have been hitting the fan since before they arrived, but now that they’re here, and Jade is here, it’s like, “We didn’t come in by ourselves. We came with Jade.” I think that started to shift things and move things and push. There are deaths, of course, because we were pushing, and we’re looking for answers. But I think she felt cursed ever since her child died, way long before they arrived in town.

‘From’s Catalina Sandino Moreno Explains Why Tabitha and Henry’s Relationship Is So Complicated

“She still feels strange, knowing that she is the recreation of Miranda.”

Image via MGM+

I really liked seeing you having more scenes with Robert [Joy] in this episode, with Tabitha feeling driven to find the lighthouse again, and then Henry insists on going with her, despite her warnings. What do you enjoy about getting to develop that relationship, which has a lot of layers to it?

MORENO: I think it would be more if he knew at the time that she was Miranda, but he didn’t know when we were going to the bottle tree. She still feels strange, knowing that she is the recreation of Miranda. With Henry, ever since she went out of town and found him, it’s been a great connection, but Tabitha feels responsible for bringing him to the town. She was the one who caused the crash, and she was the one who was like, “This is a crazy town. You’re not going to believe the town,” and he believed her. And because he believed her, he’s in this hole with us. She feels very responsible for that. So it’s very respectful. I don’t know what next season is going to be like with Henry and Tabitha, but I feel it has to change now that we all know who she is.

Why do you think, in this episode, that Tabitha doesn’t confess the truth to Henry about who she really is?

MORENO: I think it was not the right time. We’re right in front of the bottle tree. He was telling me so many beautiful things about his wife and remembering her. I mean, if it took her a while to understand that she was Miranda, I couldn’t imagine someone who had a child with her to understand. “What do you mean, you’re Miranda?” I don’t think it was the right moment for her to deliver that information to him, right in front of the bottle tree, where she died.

New episodes of From Season 4 premiere Sundays on MGM+.

Valerie Bertinelli is opening up about her love life, revealing who joins her in bed these days.

At the Thursday, April 30, North Hollywood screening of her new film Love, Again, the actress, 66, addressed her private life while speaking to Pause Rewind on the red carpet. “2024 sucked the life out of me,” Bertinelli told the outlet, referring to her November 2024 split from ex-boyfriend Mike Goodnough. “I sleep with a black cat. That tells you everything you need to know about me, and I love that furry little 11 pounds.”

Bertinelli added that she says, “Hell, no” to the prospect of dating right now, noting that her cat, Batman, is the only companion she currently craves.

Bertinelli’s candid admission comes after she revealed in her recent memoir, Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect, released in March, that she retained love for her late ex-husband Eddie Van Halen following the duo’s split. (Bertinelli and Van Halen, who died at the age of 65 in 2020, were married from 1981 and separated in 2001 before their divorce was finalized six years later.)

Related: Valerie Bertinelli Breaks Silence on Split From Boyfriend Mike Goodnough

Valerie Bertinelli has broken her silence on the end of her 10-month relationship with former boyfriend Mike Goodnough. “I am irreversibly changed by him for the better,” Bertinelli said of her ex in a post shared via Instagram on Monday, March 3. “I know I am becoming a much stronger and more benevolent human for […]

“We hurt each other’s feelings, but we always tried to do the right thing,” the Food Network star said of her marriage to the late musician, with whom she welcomed son Wolfgang Van Halen in 1991. “Even when we were angry, we stayed loving. It changed, evolved, and grew back different but stronger than it had been at the beginning of our relationship. It healed us.”

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Once Bertinelli and Eddie’s divorce was finalized, Bertinelli went on to marry Tom Vitale in 2011. The former couple were married for 10 years before she filed for separation in 2021. Three years later, in March 2024, Bertinelli began dating Goodnough; however, the relationship dissolved by November.

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Related: Valerie Bertinelli Is ‘In Love’ After Divorce: How She Met Her New Man

Valerie Bertinelli has fallen head over heels for a new man she met online. “I’m in love,” Bertinelli, 63, told People magazine in an interview published on Monday, April 1. “It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again.” The former Food Network host, who didn’t reveal her […]

In her memoir, Bertinelli stated that she “couldn’t crack the code of lasting love” over the years. “Romance has never been easy for me, never even sane,” she wrote. “It’s a messy math equation — love, marriage, divorce — and I’m terrible at math. Worse at marriage.”

Of her second marriage to Vitale, Bertinelli also revealed that its demise unfolded quite differently to that of her former union with Eddie. “How could I have continued to feel love for Ed after our divorce but have no feelings — neither good nor bad — for my second husband after fifteen years of togetherness?” Bertinelli wrote in her memoir. “Hopefully that will change over time. I can already feel myself softening. I’ve reached a point of indifference and grace, which is so much healthier than hanging on to anger.”

Jake Paul responded to his former Disney Channel costar Olivia Rodrigo mentioning him in her Saturday Night Live opening monologue.

During the Saturday, May 2, episode, Rodrigo, 23, spoke about starring in Disney’s Bizaardvark as a 13-year-old alongside Paul, now 29, telling the crowd that she and the boxer “always talked about our futures” together. She then joked, “I’d say, ‘I really wanna create music that explores the complexities of girls my age,’ and he’d say, ‘Well, one day I really wanna beat up old guys on Netflix.’”

Paul took to X the following day to address the comment, which referenced his 2024 Netflix boxing match against Mike Tyson. “We had the vision … I told you that you would sell stadiums out and then we both did … proud of you fr [for real],” Paul wrote.

The post attracted a fan reply, which noted, “I think he didn’t get that she laughed at him and not with him.” The fan comment sparked further reflection from Paul, who wrote, “I got that she was making a joke at my expense. So what. She’s on SNL and that’s what they are supposed to do.”

Related: Olivia Rodrigo Proclaims ‘Tiny Ass’ Bags Are Trendy in Surprise ‘SNL’ Cameo

Olivia Rodrigo brought the laughs (and proved her style star status) when she made a surprise appearance in a Saturday Night Live sketch. The singer, 20, served as the musical guest for the Saturday, December 9, episode of the NBC sketch comedy series, while Adam Driver hosted. In addition to performing her songs “Vampire” and […]

Paul concluded, “Doesn’t change my admiration of her [Rodrigo] and her success.”

Rodrigo’s monologue had also poked fun at Paul’s acting ability. “When I was 13, I was on a Disney show called Bizaardvark, and we had an incredible cast which included acting legend Jake Paul,” the singer said, which drew laughter from the crowd.

Paul starred on Bizaardvark, which premiered in 2016 when he was 19 years old, for 18 months while Rodrigo worked on the show for its entire three-season run. Rodrigo portrayed one of the show’s main characters, Paige Olvera, while Paul served as a series regular named Dirk Mann.

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Once Paul left the show, he focused on building his YouTube channel, which eventually evolved into a professional boxing career and a lead role in the reality TV series Paul American (the Max series, which followed Paul and his brother Logan Paul, wrapped season 1 in 2025, and a second season has not been confirmed).

Rodrigo, meanwhile, launched a successful singer-songwriting career that has earned her three Grammy Awards so far. (She took out Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album for 2021’s Sour and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Drivers License” at the 2022 Grammy Awards.)

During Rodrigo’s SNL monologue, she reflected on the remarkable fame she has achieved. “A lot has changed for me since my first single ‘Drivers License,’ which was about the biggest event in my life when I was a teenager,” she detailed on the show just prior to performing a parody version of the single.

Whitney Leavitt has taken her final bow. During her last performance as Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical “Chicago,” the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star also announced her sudden exit from the Hulu reality show. Leavitt’s departure comes after the mother of three skyrocketed to superstardom after starring in the latest season of “Dancing with the Stars,” where she placed 6th. While Leavitt’s departure from the series will shift the series’ dynamic, “SLOMW” fans are split over her decision.

According to TMZ, Leavitt revealed her fate on the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” during her final performance of her first Broadway production.

Video of the headline-making moment shows the red-head bombshell reading from a newspaper during a scene. “Oh, what is that?” her character, Hart, said in the video shared online. “Whitney Leavitt announces she’s leaving the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’”

The audience burst into cheers, and some even applauded her. But how are the show’s viewers reacting on social media?

“SLOMW” fans are reacting to the news of Leavitt’s departure, and while many are excited for the reality star’s next adventure, some are worried about how her exit will affect the show’s future.

“Oh, that’s a fun way of announcing it and a savvy way of wrapping up her run on Chicago with some new publicity,” someone wrote on Reddit.

“Great news, Whit! But, will MomTok survive this?” another posted, while a third said, “She’s free before the franchise goes to sh-t.”

Other users, however, weren’t as thrilled for Leavitt’s exit, as one wrote plainly, “I don’t EVEN care!”

Another said, “Yea, right! She’ll be back after the third episode. Lol, she can’t stay away for too long.”

Someone else shared a similar sentiment, claiming Leavitt would come “crawling” back to the series before the watchers even know it.

Whitney Leavitt Teased Her ‘SLOMW’ Exit Long Before She Made The Announcement

“SLOMW” fans likely saw the writing on the wall regarding Leavitt’s departure. According to a previous report from The Blast, Leavitt teased her exit in March 2026, revealing that she was actively planning for the future.

“Well, I’m figuring it out in real time,” she said. “We’re figuring it out together, but it feels like that’s the trajectory of where it’s going.”

While Leavitt was gearing up to say goodbye to the drama of “SLOMW,” she acknowledged the successes that being part of the cast has brought her.

“But again, I wouldn’t be where I am without it, but it feels like it’s time to challenge myself in other ways and fulfill these dreams and passions that I’ve been trying to get even before the show,” she shared.

‘SLOMW’ Is Going Back Into Production

Leavitt’s departure comes at an interesting time, as the production company recently resumed filming for season 5.

For those who may be unfamiliar, production was halted after it was revealed that the show’s lead, Taylor Frankie Paul, had been in another alleged domestic dispute with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

Shocking video of an altercation from 2023 was later shared online, showing Paul appearing to strike Mortensen before launching heavy, metal chairs at him.

Leavitt broke her silence on the matter in a sit-down with Interview Magazine, admitting she was overcome with “a lot of emotions” before shifting her focus.

“I’m still processing everything that’s happening, but the safety of human beings, especially children, comes first. Always, period, the end,” Leavitt said. “And I don’t want that to be tolerated. I don’t want that to be overlooked.”

As Leavitt takes a break from Broadway, her husband, Conner, is preparing to make his debut. According to The Blast, the professional Instagram user and magician is joining the cast of the street-dance show, “11 to Midnight.”

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to join the cast of 11 to Midnight and be a part of such a special, unique theater experience here in New York,” Conner said.

The show, created by viral dance duo Cost n’ Mayer, follows a group of people and takes place overnight at a New Year’s Eve party in New York City.

The off-Broadway production will be Conner Leavitt’s first, and he credited his wife for pushing him outside of his comfort zone.

“11 to Midnight” closes on Sunday, May 31.

Cardi B is showing support to Megan Thee Stallion after the “Body” rapper finished her run in the Broadway musical “Moulin Rouge!” In a new statement, Cardi B also expressed her hopes for her rap sister after the sister announced her messy split from NBA champion Klay Thompson.

For those who may be unfamiliar, Megan Thee Stallion snagged a role in the Broadway musical, “Moulin Rouge!” at the beginning of 2026 and wrapped her run on May 1.

Cardi B showed her support for the superstar rapper, attending the last show and praising her skills to the public.

“I went to see Meg at Broadway, it was so, so, so good,” Cardi B said, according to Complex. “Megan looked amazing, and she did amazing.”

The love didn’t stop there. Cardi B opened up about the experience before revealing her hopes for Megan Thee Stallion.

“It was so fun… I was liking the storyline,” she said. “I hope she does it again.”

Megan Thee Stallion Cried On The Broadway Stage

According to The Blast, Megan Thee Stallion actually concluded her run in “Moulin Rouge!” earlier than expected. Her sudden departure from the series came after she was spotted crying on stage hours after announcing her split from Thompson in April 2026.

Before the tears, Megan was ecstatic about stepping out of her comfort zone and adding to her resume.

“Stepping onto the Broadway stage and joining the Moulin Rouge! The Musical team is an absolute honor,” she said. “I’ve always believed in pushing myself creatively and theater is definitely a new opportunity that I’m excited to embrace. Broadway demands a different level of discipline, preparation and storytelling, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait for the Hotties to see a new side of me.”

Megan Thee Stallion Slammed Thompson On Instagram, Accused Him Of Cheating On Her

Megan Thee Stallion made headlines in late April when she blasted her ex-boyfriend, Thompson, on Instagram, accusing him of being unfaithful to her.

“Cheating, had me around your whole family playing house… got ‘cold feet,’” she wrote online, according to The Blast. “Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment towards me during your basketball season, now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous????’”

While it’s unclear what else might’ve occurred between Megan Thee Stallion and Thompson, the former said she wasn’t interested in half-effort relationships.

“Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity,” she said.

Cardi B Has Had Her Own Relationship Struggles

Cardi B knows a thing or two about challenging relationships, as the “Hello” rapper has spoken candidly about the downfall of her marriage to rapper Offset.

Over the years, the pair have aired each other’s dirty laundry out, with Cardi B accusing the Migos performer of not only cheating on her, but also harassing her.

During a previous interview with Rolling Stone, Cardi B said she and Offset are two different people from different worlds.

“Sometimes I cannot be … not that I cannot be a wife. It’s just like, my career takes my life. You know what I’m saying? My career comes first, then my kids come second. And then sometimes I don’t realize that I’m putting so many things before my relationship,” she said.

Cardi B Claims Offset Tried To Sabotage One Of Her Relationships

During an X Live Spaces, according to PEOPLE, Cardi B also got real about the alleged mistreatment she’s endured.

“Every time he knows that I go out of town, he harasses me,” Cardi B said, claiming her ex would send her “voice notes” attempting to crush her self-esteem. “I’m so tired of it,” she said.

At another point during the livestream, Cardi B accused Offset of interfering in her romantic relationships with other people.

“Mind you, he sent text messages to somebody I was dealing with of videos of me and him having sex. That’s the kind of s— that I was dealing with for the past two months,” she claimed.

The angriest couple on television is just a few weeks away from returning to us, which is great news for anyone who enjoys some romance, black eyes, broken legs, torture, trauma, threats, dumping bodies in the middle of nowhere, and cowboy hats. Who doesn’t love a smorgasbord of Taylor Sheridan‘s finest wares? Now, after years of Yellowstone fans wondering what would happen next, the franchise’s biggest swing is almost here.

But it isn’t just a sequel to the events of Yellowstone‘s bloody finale. Oh no, this one moves the action down to Texas, putting Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser‘s Beth and Rip on a collision course with some new enemies and incredible sunsets. Dutton Ranch will premiere globally on Paramount+ on Friday, May 15, launching with its first two episodes. The series will also air on Paramount Network beginning May 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, before continuing weekly. The first season will run for nine episodes, with new episodes rolling out every Friday after the two-part premiere. The official synopsis reads:

“As Beth and Rip fight to build a future together — far from the ghosts of Yellowstone — they collide with brutal new realities and a ruthless rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire. In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul.”

Who Stars in ‘Dutton Ranch’?

The cast of Dutton Ranch also includes Finn Little (Those Who Wish Me Dead, Storm Boy) as Carter, Juan Pablo Raba (Narcos, The 33) as Joaquin, Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad, Terminator Genisys) as Rob-Will, J.R. Villarreal (Akeelah and the Bee, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion) as Azul, Marc Menchaca (Ozark, The Outsider) as Zachariah, Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted, Big Sky) as Oreana, Ed Harris (The Truman Show, Apollo 13) as Everett McKinney, and Annette Bening (American Beauty, Nyad) as Beulah Jackson.

The series is created by Chad Feehan, based on characters created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. Feehan also serves as showrunner, while Christina Alexandra Voros directs multiple episodes, including the premiere and finale. Voros is already deep in Sheridan country, having directed all six episodes of The Madison, which was initially announced as another Yellowstone spin-off before it was later revealed as a standalone project ahead of its next two seasons.

Dutton Ranch premieres May 15 on Paramount+ with a two-episode launch, and airs the same night on Paramount Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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Release Date

May 15, 2026

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Paramount+

Showrunner

Chad Feehan

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The Hunger Games is slowly becoming one of the most enduring cinema franchises of the 21st century. Later this year, on November 20, the latest installment will hit theaters and, despite being 14 years since the first movie debuted, the excitement for the franchise has yet to pass. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel set 24 years before Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen first volunteered as tribute, will adapt Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, with the latest trailer promising yet another pulse-racing theatrical experience.

The next Hunger Games movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, written by Billy Ray, and will feature a typically star-studded cast. Led by Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch Abernathy, the film also features Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, and more. Not only that, but it was also confirmed that original stars Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will be reprising their roles in some capacity.

Speaking of the original stars, fans have been getting into the Sunrise on the Reaping mood by heading back to where it all began. At the time of writing, 2012’s The Hunger Games is one of the ten most-streamed movies on AMC+ in the U.S., as per FlixPatrol. Between the first and this upcoming latest entry in the franchise, there have been four movies: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mockingjay – Part 1, Mockingjay – Part 2, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

How Much Did ‘The Hunger Games’ Gross at the Box Office?

In total, The Hunger Games franchise has made over $3.3 billion in total global revenue across five films to date, with there being a strong chance this will cross the $4 billion boundary after the release of Sunrise on the Reaping. But how much of this came from the first installment? Against a reported production budget of $80 million, The Hunger Games became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2012, earning a global total of $678 million, split between a domestic haul of $408 million and a further $270 million from overseas markets.

The Hunger Games is a streaming hit on AMC+. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

March 23, 2012

Runtime

142 minutes

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Director

Gary Ross

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Writers

Billy Ray, Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins

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One of the most important qualities of any notable movie is its visual storytelling, but some classics, such as Gone with the Wind, Sunset Boulevard, and Lawrence of Arabia, define the standard of great directing. When people talk about perfectly directed classic movies, they usually mean films where an array of elements, including camera movement, pacing, performances, lighting, and sound, work together so seamlessly that nothing feels out of place and the director’s vision is clear but never distracting.

What unites classics like Casablanca, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Godfather, isn’t just technical brilliance or captivating performances; it’s the director’s intention. Every shot has a purpose, every silence speaks, and every choice reinforces the film’s core idea, delivering an unforgettable movie experience that embodies the escapism of cinema. From John Ford‘s Western masterpiece, The Searchers, starring John Wayne, to Orson Welles‘ iconic Oscar-winning classic Citizen Kane, these are ten of the most perfectly directed classic movies, ranked!

10

‘The Searchers’ (1956)

Image via Warner Bros.

The Searchers is regarded as one of the greatest classic Western movies ever made and features a signature performance by the Duke as a Civil War veteran, Ethan Edwards, who, after the murder of his family, sets out to find his surviving nieces who are being held captive by Native Americans. John Ford, known for filming on location rather than on a sound stage, combines visual storytelling, thematic depth, and precise control of tone into The Searchers, which feels both epic and intimate.

The film’s pacing and structure show tight directorial control, and scenes often begin late and end early, which is a testament to Ford’s efficiency and confidence as a director. The final scene of Edwards lingering in the door frame is not only an iconic tip of the hat to Wayne’s mentor and Western legend, Harry Carey, but it’s also a purely visual resolution that captures the film’s central idea about alienation and the cost of obsession with the use of any dialogue.

9

‘Vertigo’ (1958)

Image via Paramount Pictures

James Stewart stars in Alfred Hitchcock‘s Vertigo as a retired San Francisco detective, John “Scottie” Ferguson, who is hired by a college friend to follow his troubled wife, Madeline (Kim Novak), sparking an unexpected affair that leads Ferguson down a twisted path of obsession and madness. Many people consider Vertigo to be Hitchcock’s magnum opus, and while some may argue otherwise, there’s no denying that it demonstrates the director’s impeccable control of visual storytelling in all its glory, making it one of the director’s greatest masterpieces.

One of the film’s most notable qualities is the famous dolly zoom effect, which doesn’t just look striking; it puts the audience inside Ferguson’s mind and makes a psychological condition feel physical in a way that is uncanny. Like every Hitchcock classic, everything has a purpose, even something as simple as color. Hitchcock’s use of greens, reds, and muted tones in Vertigo tracks the characters’ emotional states and identity shifts, giving the audience a chance to experience the transformation before fully understanding it.

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8

‘Gone With the Wind’ (1939)

Image via MGM

Gone with the Wind is an epic historical romance and essential classic movie based on Margaret Mitchell‘s 1936 novel of the same name, and follows the trials and tribulations of a headstrong Southern Belle, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), whose life is turned upside down by the American Civil War. The movie was a major success and is known today for its iconic performances, distinct use of color, and for taking the art and craft of cinematic storytelling to new heights. Although multiple directors and producers contributed, Victor Fleming is most closely associated with shaping its final form into a cohesive vision.

The film moves effortlessly between sweeping Civil War set pieces and deeply personal moments, creating a unique balance of depth and spectacle that audiences at the time had never seen before. Scenes like the burning of Atlanta are staged with massive visual impact, yet the story never loses focus on its heroine’s perspective, which demonstrates Fleming’s ability to counter epic and personal storytelling. Out of its thirteen Academy Award nominations, Gone with the Wind went on to win eight of its nominations, notably for Best Actress, Best Picture, and Best Director.

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7

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)

Image via Columbia Pictures

Peter O’Toole stars in David Lean‘s epic biographical drama, Lawrence of Arabia, as a British Lieutenant who is sent to Arabia to serve as a military advisor to Bedouin forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The movie is based on the life of T.E. Lawrence and his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, also known as Revolt in the Desert. Lawrence of Arabia is frequently cited as one of the most perfectly directed classic movies because Lean achieves a rare blend of monumental scale and a deep psychological focus by using the vastness of the surrounding desert to mirror O’Toole’s character.

Known as a meticulous director, Lean gave O’Toole the complete freedom to define his character, trusting that he would bring the kind of energy and complexity to the role that the director desired. The infamous scene where Lawrence uses his knife to see himself in his new all-white attire was not only entirely improvised by O’Toole but also earned immense praise from Lean. Today, it is easily one of the most iconic moments in classic cinema history. Lawrence of Arabia dazzled audiences and critics around the world and went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.

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6

‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)

Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey marked a major milestone in visual storytelling with its innovative special effects, authentic depiction of space travel, and cryptic story structure. The epic sci-fi classic follows Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and a group of astronauts who are sent on a mysterious mission into space with an advanced computer system known as HAL as their guide. When HAL begins to exhibit strange behavior that isn’t in his programming, a face-off between man and technology ensues, sending Bowman into a life-changing experience through space and time.

Kubrick exercises extraordinary control over every element of filmmaking in 2001: A Space Odyssey and ultimately creates an experience for audiences that is as much philosophical as it is cinematic. Each frame and shot is carefully composed, with symmetry and stillness, and the use of practical effects and model work gives the space sequences a realism that still holds up today. Despite its initially mixed reception from critics, 2001: A Space Odyssey earned four Academy Award nominations, notably for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and won Best Special Visual Effects.

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5

‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The legendary Billy Wilder fuses sharp storytelling, visual style, and tone into his 1950 film noir classic, Sunset Boulevard, in a way that makes it both a gripping drama and a biting critique of Hollywood itself. Recognized as the best classic film noir movie of all time, Sunset Boulevard stars William Holden as an aspiring screenwriter, Joe Gillis, who agrees to write a comeback script for a former silent film star, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), but as Desmond’s infatuation with Gillis turns into an obsession, the writer starts to realize that he’s potentially made a deal with the devil that could cost him more than his career.

Wilder strategically alternates between noir, dark comedy, and tragedy in Sunset Boulevard without letting any element overpower the others, resulting in a cinematic experience that feels cohesive even as it shifts from cynical humor to genuine pathos. While Wilder’s expertise and masterful eye are the main source of the film’s brilliance, the alluring cinematography by John Seitz is another one of the film’s greatest strengths. His use of high contrast lighting, shadows, and expressive compositions effectively reflects the decay that lies beneath the glamour of Hollywood, essentially reinforcing the film’s themes without needing explicit explanation.

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4

‘Casablanca’ (1942)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The 1942 romantic war drama Casablanca earns its place on this exclusive list because of Michael Curtiz‘s flawless direction, which brings story, performances, and an uncompromising atmosphere together with such clarity that every element feels effortless and unified. Set during World War II, Humphrey Bogart stars as an American, Rick Blaine, who is forced to choose to either be with the woman he loves (Ingrid Bergman) or help her husband, a Czechoslovakian resistance leader (Paul Henreid), escape the city of Casablanca before he can be apprehended by enemy forces.

Using classic Hollywood lighting and composition, Curtiz creates an atmosphere of intimacy and tension, especially in Rick’s Café, where shadows, smoke, and crowd movement reflect the uncertainty of life during wartime and Rick’s internal predicament. The camera often frames characters in ways that emphasize emotional distance or connection and balances romance, political drama, and suspense without losing focus. Initially, almost everyone involved in production felt the film would fail, but to everyone’s surprise, Casablanca was a massive success that went on to win three of its eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

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3

‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ (1966)

Image via United Artists

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a signature spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Leone, who transforms a simple treasure-hunt story into an operatic, visually driven experience through precise control of style, rhythm, and tone, making it one of the most perfectly directed classic movies ever. Clint Eastwood stars in his iconic role as the Man With No Name, who reluctantly teams up with a conniving outlaw (Eli Wallach) to search for a golden fortune that was buried by Confederate soldiers in a graveyard, and eventually find themselves in a race against time after learning that a ruthless mercenary (Lee Van Cleef) is also after the hefty prize.

Leone contrasts extreme wide shots of barren landscapes with intense close-ups of faces, creating tension through scale and detail. The camera lingers longer than expected, stretching moments until they become almost unbearable, then releases that tension in bursts of action. He constructs each scene like a musical composition and gradually builds layers of anticipation, which is heightened by Ennio Morricone‘s masterful musical score. The final scene of the cemetery showdown is the clearest example of this as the cutaways, framing, and timing, combined with Morricone’s distinct work, turn a simple standoff into a prolonged, almost mythic climax.

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2

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather redefined the traditional gangster film and is, without question, one of the most important films in American cinema, but the manner in which Coppola combines intimate family drama into an intense crime saga is what makes The Godfather one of the most perfectly directed classic movies ever. Based on Mario Puzo‘s best-selling novel, Marlon Brando stars as an aging mob boss, Vito Corleone, whose youngest son and decorated war hero, Michael (Al Pacino), reluctantly steps up to protect his father and their family during an intense civil war with the other families.

The visual style, shaped with the work of cinematographer Gordon Willis, is a defining aspect of Coppola’s immaculate direction in The Godfather. The use of low lighting and shadow creates a sense of secrecy and moral ambiguity, while carefully composed interiors give the film a rich, vibrant quality. Coppola carefully builds tension over time, leading to moments of release that feel both inevitable and powerful, most famously in the baptism sequence, where cross-cutting ties together personal and violent acts with thematic precision. Overall, Coppola’s knack for weaving performances, tone, and visual storytelling together brings a cohesive vision to life in The Godfather, giving audiences a timeless classic that is both grand in scope and deeply human.

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1

‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)

Image via RKO Radio Pictures

Orson Welles made his directorial and feature film debut in the Oscar-winning classic Citizen Kane, which was both a cinematic and technical achievement that changed the film industry forever. The film tells the story of a newspaper tycoon, Charles Foster Kane (Welles), whose cryptic dying last words, “Rosebud,” lead a young reporter (William Alland) on a search to find out the meaning behind them. As the reporter interviews Kane’s friends and associates, a fascinating portrait of a man begins to emerge, detailing his journey from essentially nothing and the events and efforts that elevated him to staggering heights of wealth, influence, and power.

Instead of a traditional linear narrative, Kane’s life unfolds through fragmented perspectives of the reporter’s investigation, each revealing different sides of his character. The non-linear structure, built around the mystery of “Rosebud,” reflects Welles’ confidence in trusting the audience to piece it all together. Welles’ combination of groundbreaking filming techniques and his unified artistic vision in Citizen Kane ultimately reshaped what film direction could achieve. His innovative use of low-angle shots, long takes, and expressive compositions creates a sense of power, isolation, and psychological depth that sets Citizen Kane apart from other dramatic films at the time.

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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz
Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie?
Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

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Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

🐦Birdman

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🪙No Country for Old Men

FIND YOUR FILM →

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01

What kind of film experience do you actually want?
The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.

ASomething that pulls the rug out — that makes me think I’m watching one kind of film and then reveals I’m watching another entirely.
BSomething overwhelming — funny, sad, absurd, and genuinely moving, all at once.
CSomething grand and weighty — a film that makes me feel the full scale of what I’m watching.
DSomething formally daring — a film that pushes what cinema can even do.
ESomething lean and relentless — pure tension with no wasted frame.

NEXT QUESTION →

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02

Which idea grabs you most in a film?
Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?

AClass, inequality, and what people are willing to do when desperation meets opportunity.
BIdentity, family, and the chaos of trying to hold your life together when everything is falling apart.
CGenius, moral responsibility, and the catastrophic weight of a decision you can never take back.
DEgo, legacy, and the terror of becoming irrelevant while you’re still alive to watch it happen.
EEvil, chance, and whether moral order actually exists or if we just tell ourselves it does.

NEXT QUESTION →

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03

How do you like your story told?
Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.

AGenre-twisting — I want it to start in one lane and migrate into something completely different.
BMaximalist and genre-blending — comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, all in one ride.
CEpic and non-linear — cutting between timelines, building a mosaic of cause and consequence.
DA single unbroken flow — I want to feel like I’m living it in real time, no cuts to safety.
ESpare and precise — every scene doing exactly what it needs to do and nothing more.

NEXT QUESTION →

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04

What makes a truly great antagonist?
The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?

AA system — invisible, structural, and almost impossible to fight because it has no single face.
BThe self — the ways we sabotage, abandon, and fail the people we love most.
CHistory — the unstoppable momentum of events that no single person can stop or redirect.
DThe industry — the machinery of culture that chews up talent and spits out irrelevance.
EPure, implacable evil — a force so certain of itself it becomes almost philosophical.

NEXT QUESTION →

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05

What do you want from a film’s ending?
The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?

AShock and inevitability — a conclusion that recontextualises everything that came before it.
BEarned emotion — I want to cry, laugh, and feel genuinely hopeful, even if the world is a mess.
CDevastation and grandeur — an ending that makes me sit in silence for a few minutes after.
DAmbiguity — something that leaves enough open that I’m still thinking about it days later.
EBleakness — an honest refusal to pretend the world is tidier than it actually is.

NEXT QUESTION →

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06

Which setting pulls you in most?
Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.

AA gleaming modern city with a hidden underside — beauty masking rot, wealth masking desperation.
BA collapsing suburban life that opens onto something infinite — the multiverse of a single ordinary person.
CThe corridors of power and science at a world-historical turning point — where decisions echo for decades.
DThe grimy, alive chaos of New York and Hollywood — fame as both destination and trap.
EVast, indifferent landscape — desert and highway where violence arrives without warning or reason.

NEXT QUESTION →

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07

What cinematic craft impresses you most?
Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.

AProduction design and mise-en-scène — every frame composed to carry meaning beneath the surface.
BEditing and tonal control — the ability to move between registers without losing the audience.
CScore and sound design — music that becomes inseparable from the dread and awe of what you’re watching.
DCinematography as performance — the camera not recording events but participating in them.
ESilence and restraint — what’s left unsaid and unshown doing more work than any dialogue could.

NEXT QUESTION →

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08

What kind of main character do you root for?
The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.

ASomeone smart and resourceful who makes increasingly dangerous decisions under pressure.
BSomeone overwhelmed and ordinary who turns out to be capable of something extraordinary.
CA brilliant, tortured figure whose gifts and flaws are inseparable from each other.
DA self-destructive artist whose ego is both their superpower and their undoing.
EA quiet, principled person trying to make sense of a world that has stopped making sense.

NEXT QUESTION →

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09

How do you feel about a film that takes its time?
Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.

AI love a slow build when I know the payoff is going to be seismic — patience for a devastating reveal.
BGive me relentless momentum — I want to feel breathless and emotionally spent by the end.
CEpic runtime doesn’t scare me — if the material demands three hours, give me three hours.
DI want it to feel propulsive even when nothing is technically happening — restless energy throughout.
EDeliberate and unhurried — I want dread to accumulate in the spaces between the action.

NEXT QUESTION →

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10

What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema?
The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?

AUnsettled — like I’ve just seen something I can’t fully explain but can’t stop thinking about.
BMoved and energised — like the film reminded me what actually matters and gave me something to hold onto.
CHumbled — like I’ve been in the presence of something genuinely important and overwhelming.
DExhilarated — like I’ve just seen cinema doing something it’s never quite done before.
EHaunted — like a cold, quiet dread that stays with me for days.

REVEAL MY FILM →

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The Academy Has Decided
Your Perfect Film Is…

Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

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Parasite

You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once

You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.

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Oppenheimer

You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

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Birdman

You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

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No Country for Old Men

You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

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Citizen Kane

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Release Date

April 17, 1941

Runtime

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119 minutes

Writers

Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman, Roger Q. Denny, Mollie Kent

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