Based on critical and audience reactions, Ridley Scott‘s The Counselor landed in 2013 cinemas like a flaming bag of dog feces; a cruel and rancid joke on anyone seeking typical genre thrills. The cartel-world thriller came loaded with an incredible behind-the-scenes pedigree: an original script by legendary novelist Cormac McCarthy, hot off the Oscar-winning adaptation of No Country for Old Men, Scott’s sturdy visual sense behind the lens, and a cast including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, and Cameron Diaz. The film Scott turned in, however, was the antithesis to the thrill-ride many audiences expected, taking the nihilism of No Country, running with it, then diving into an even blacker, yawning abyss.

Critics largely roasted The Counselor, earning it a 34% Rotten Tomatoes score and an even lower, 24% audience reception. BBC critic Mark Kermode called it one of the year’s worst films, lamenting: “Watching it, you can feel a little bit of yourself dying … what happened?” Audience reviews coalesced around the idea of it as a “nasty,” “sick,” and “empty” film that played out more like a McCarthy audiobook than the meticulously crafted, genuinely thrilling and moving No Country. Some got it, though, and lauded The Counselor for the dark diamond that it is. Explicitly dedicated to Scott’s late younger brother, Tony, and made with McCarthy on set for virtually the entire production, nothing about The Counselor is a mistake; in fact, it’s a black-hearted modern masterpiece that’s ripe for rediscovery after 13 years.

‘The Counselor’ Sends Michael Fassbender’s Titular Character Into the Hell of Cartel Land

Image via 20th Century Fox

The fatalism of The Counselor begins before the plot even unfolds. Opening with Fassbender’s protagonist and his girlfriend, played by Penélope Cruz, playing around under white sheets, the two of them look like corpses before we even get a look at their bodies or faces. They’re clearly in love, and they’re dirty-talking, but it’s all a bit too mannered and verbose. Something’s off, and it immediately seems that nothing good will come for them. Scott laces his opening credits with a montage of cocaine being packaged into steel drums and loaded onto tankers, then warehouses and lots being hosed down, erasing the evidence. Fassbender never gets a name, and as he wants more and more, he’s drawn into a trafficking plot that sends him and the movie spiraling into the transnational drug trade and inevitable death, where human bodies are nothing more than marks in arcane ledgers or victims in cautionary snuff films. It’s dark stuff.

Also joining the counselor on his descent is the flamboyant drug dealer Reiner, played by Bardem, and Westray, the money man in a cowboy hat, played by Pitt. And lounging around the edges is Reiner’s girlfriend, the unsubtly named Malkina, played by Diaz as a personification of greed. Both Bardem and Diaz play to the rafters, with Bardem’s outrageous fashions pillaged from the archives of multiple top design houses, and Diaz is given an unforgettably bizarre sex scene, in which she makes it clear how unimportant a partner is for her satisfaction. The film also introduces a horrifying assassination device called a “bolito” — about which, the less said the better. Stylistically, The Counselor looks very much like a late Ridley Scott film; it’s digitally crisp, colorful, and handsome. What likely put off many audiences at the time was the series of McCarthy monologues that make up the majority of the dialogue and reveal the heart of the film more clearly even than the legible — and sometimes horrifying — visuals do.

If You Can Handle the Bleakness, ‘The Counselor’ Is an Unforgettable Nightmare

Fassbender’s character is given multiple warnings about the wages of greed and the inevitable outcome of playing around with the cartel, all in the form of extremely chewy monologues by Pitt, Bardem, and the legendary Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, playing a philosophizing jeweler who offers to sell the counselor a “cautionary diamond.” But like the victims of the Byzantine assassination device Reiner gleefully describes to him, the counselor’s fate is sealed as soon as he begins dealing in the currency of the cartel. It’s not a fun ride, but it is an endlessly fascinating one, layered with some of the most literate dialogue ever heard in a blockbuster and wild performances from Diaz and Bardem.

‘The Counselor’ Is a Significant Dip in Quality From ‘No Country for Old Men’

Image via Miramax Films

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To be sure, Scott does layer the film with striking images, including Reiner and Malkina sipping Manhattans in the desert aside their bejeweled pet cheetah, a speeding biker’s sudden end, and an unforgettable death scene. However, The Counselor conspicuously lacks the suspense set pieces of No Country for Old Men, or a warmly moral center to temper the darkness, like Tommy Lee Jones‘ prophetic Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. Bardem may not be playing another McCarthyian apocalyptic force of nature like Anton Chigurh, but his character is trapped in an even wider-reaching spiral of capitalistic horror, and it makes the film almost the evil twin to the masterpiece that was No Country.

The film contains a number of skeleton keys to understanding it, from Westray warning the counselor that “the smallest crumb can devour us … learn not to let anything pass,” to the mechanism driving the execution device — and how it’s literally impossible to escape once activated. McCarthy and Scott’s The Counselor lays bare the truth about the world we’ve made, and for that, it deserves to be seen.

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Release Date

November 14, 2013

Runtime

117minutes

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No one can critique the iconic actress more than Anne Hathaway herself!

The actress revealed that while fans got to see the brilliance on the screen for “Mother Mary,” she almost gave up midway due to the overwhelming feeling that she put up a poor performance.

Anne Hathaway has equally admitted that several producers and directors may find her annoying due to her meticulous nature on set, where she makes sure she understands every element of the movie.

The actress revealed that when she saw early footage of herself performing original songs written by Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs, she panicked and nearly called it quits on the movie.

She explained that she felt she looked so bad, and she would never ask people to come and sit through that. In her words:

“This is really bad… I don’t know that I can ask people to come to see this.”

Hathaway continued that her next destination after the set that day was her husband’s arms, where she told him she would leave the project for good.

Upon critical thinking, the actress told Elle that she realized that there was greater honor in getting fired than actually quitting, so she continued to fine-tune her singing skills.

A year after production for “Mother Mary” ended, the actress headed to the studio to show off the gains of her singing lessons to Jack Antonoff, who immediately noticed that she had been working.

The Actress Gave A Glimpse At Her Hassle-Free Marriage To Adam Shulman

Speaking of her blissful union to Shulman, Hathaway acknowledged that he is the most supportive man to partner with because he wholeheartedly supports her endeavors. 

As noted by US Magazine, Hathaway added that despite the busy year she had when shooting “Mother Mary,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” The Odyssey,” and “Verity,” Shulman held her down. 

The actress continued praising her beau, adding that he checks all the boxes when it comes to being amazing and stepping up to the scene. In her words:

“It’s one thing to have dreams. It’s another thing to have somebody who helps you achieve them. I absolutely would not be able to have achieved what I’ve done without my husband.”

Hathaway and Shulman have been in one of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood. They tied the knot in 2012, six years after meeting at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2008, and share two adorable sons, Jonathan and Jack.

Inside Anne Hathaway’s Intensive Creative Process

Although the media personality gets nervous, she also adopts a premium quality assurance technique when appearing in projects.

Hathaway admitted that while her measures to achieve perfection may appear offensive to some producers and directors, it is the only way for her to achieve a successful run.

To deal with the seemingly uncomfortable effects of her technique, she revealed that she often gives her directors a hint of what to expect.

As noted by The Blast, Hathaway stated that it may be a bit difficult for those who have not had any contact with her in the past, but everything sorts itself out in the end.

Perhaps these measures have been helpful in ensuring her longevity in an industry where women are believed to peak at 35.

The actress is grateful to have exceeded that well into her 40s alongside several other women, although there is still more room for tangible growth.

The Mother-Of-Two Shared A Reassuring Perspective On Aging

Hathaway, however confident she may appear to be, admits that she has days when confidence does not carry her.

As reported by The Blast, she revealed that it happened one day, when she looked in the mirror and panicked about her appearance because she had packed one of her “aspirational swimsuits” on a family trip.

She soon snapped back into the reality that what her family thought about her superseded anything a stranger might have to say.

Hathaway continued that she also understood that her body looked exactly how it should be at 43 years old. The actress added that over the years, her perspective on aging had also evolved very positively.

“I think that very often, conversations about aging presume that the first part of life is the happiest and the most fulfilling, and I don’t necessarily think that’s true. I wasn’t expecting to find another gear at 40,” the actress explained.

How Anne Hathaway Stays Youthful

Hathaway sparked fresh cosmetic surgery speculation with back-to-back stunning appearances at the 2025 Met Gala and the Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 runway show in Manhattan.

Fans trooped to social media with comments about her youthful glow, with speculations that she got work done.

Plastic surgeon Gary Motykie weighed in on the conversation, claiming that the actress may have had work done on her nose.

However, Hathaway has long denied going under the knife, previously admitting only that she once considered a nose job while growing up because she felt insecure about her appearance.

The Oscar winner eventually addressed the rumors about her 2025 outings, skillfully refusing to directly confirm or deny anything, but explaining that she prefers to keep personal medical matters private.

The actress instead credited her renewed glow to skincare, fitness, healthier lifestyle choices like quitting alcohol, and a few beauty tricks like braided hairstyles that pull her face back.

Anne Hathaway always comes out on top in the end!

Meghan Markle has sparked fresh controversy after a selfie with a divisive right-wing politician went viral.

The image, taken during her recent trip to Geneva, shows Meghan smiling alongside Wille Rydman, Finland’s Minister of Social Affairs and Health.

Amid backlash over the photo, Meghan denied having any direct affiliation with Rydman and admitted she did not know who he was before the picture was taken.

Meghan appears to have unwittingly sparked fresh controversy after posing for a selfie with Rydman.

In recent years, the Finnish politician has faced criticism over allegations of racism, including claims that he once used a derogatory term to refer to people from the Middle East. He has also faced backlash over separate allegations of inappropriate conduct involving several women.

As speculation continues to grow about any possible connection between Meghan and Rydman, fueled in part by their friendly appearance in the photo, the Duchess has now denied any association with him.

According to a spokesman for Meghan, she had no idea who Rydman was before taking the selfie and was unaware of the allegations against him.

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“To be absolutely clear, the Duchess does not know Mr. Rydman, had no prior awareness of him attending the event, and was unfamiliar with the concerning reports relating to him,” the rep said, per the Daily Mail.

Meghan’s Rep Explains How The Viral Selfie Happened

Meghan’s team has now explained how she came to take a selfie with Rydman, whose past controversies have placed the photo under scrutiny.

According to a representative for the former actress, the minister asked the Duchess for a selfie after a meal at the Geneva meeting, where several ministers and delegates were in attendance.

Given the size of the gathering, the rep explained that it would not have been possible to vet every person who approached Meghan for a photo.

“The Duchess attended a dinner hosted by the World Health Organization in Geneva, where more than 25 ministers and delegates were present ahead of the World Health Assembly,” they said. They added, “As she was leaving the venue, a number of attendees approached her requesting photographs. As is often the case at public engagements, and where time permits, the Duchess politely obliges such requests.”

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Meghan Markle Was In Geneva For Child Advocacy

Meghan was in Geneva to advocate for children’s online safety and delivered an emotional speech at the inauguration of the Lost Screen Memorial, per Hello Magazine.

In her remarks, the Duchess posed powerful questions about the dangers children face online, asking, “How many more millions of children will be harmed by products that, while innovative, are still designed without sufficient safeguards?”

“When will children be able to enjoy the extraordinary potential of technology without it compromising their wellbeing?” she also posed.

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At the same time, the mother of two shared real-life stories of families whose children were affected by the harmful side of social media and issued a call for parents to take action.

“Let our children look back at this moment, and let them feel proud of us… That we chose something better. For them, and for us all,” Meghan said.

Megyn Kelly Slams Meghan’s Geneva Speech

However, Meghan’s speech did not go down well with everyone, with political commentator Megyn Kelly disparaging her for the apparent low turnout in Geneva.

“Would you take a look at the crowd that showed up or didn’t… literally nobody is on the side,” Kelly said on Tuesday, May 19, episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show.”

“No one is listening to her. We have video of a woman behind her who basically is like putting the jacket on… yawning, stretching,” the podcaster continued.

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She added, “This is the crowd. It’s the public’s verdict on, we don’t give a sh-t about you. Shut up and go live your life, and stop bothering us with your fake profundities and fake title. It’s officially OVER.”

Meghan Markle Slammed Over Post Featuring Daughter

Meghan also faced backlash after posting a photo of her daughter on social media shortly before traveling to Geneva for the child advocacy event.

The image showed Princess Lilibet helping her prepare for the trip, alongside the caption: “Mama’s little helper.”

Journalist Tom Sykes slammed the move as “staggeringly tone-deaf,” arguing that it undermined Meghan’s message about protecting children from the harms of social media.

“A woman who is about to stand alongside the world’s most senior public health official and talk about the measurable and preventable harms of exposing children to social media has just — voluntarily, for no apparent reason other than self-promotion — exposed her own child to social media,” he wrote.

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With Marshals and Dutton Ranch currently airing their first seasons, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe is hardly short on new branches. Still, for several years now, fans have been holding out hope that Sheridan’s proposed Texas-based 6666 spin-off might still happen. The potential series about the real-life Four Sixes Ranch in the Lone Star State would follow Jefferson White‘s Jimmy Hurdstrom as he builds a new life away from the Dutton drama that defined Yellowstone. That alone makes 6666 an intriguing expansion of the franchise, but its real promise may be bigger than another spin-off. Sheridan’s long-delayed series could be his modern answer to classic Western programs like Rawhide — a grounded, working-cowboy drama less interested in family dynasty and more focused on the day-to-day mythology of the American West.

‘Yellowstone: 6666’ Could Offer a Different Take on the Modern American West

Back in 2021, Sheridan announced that 6666 was in development, and fans wondered what the Texas-based cowboy drama would entail. As the fourth season of Yellowstone sent Jimmy down south to the Four Sixes, it seemed as if Sheridan was doing everything in his power to move at least part of the Dutton narrative to the Lone Star State. By the time Season 4 ended, Jimmy chose to remain in Texas, having gotten engaged to Emily (Kathryn Kelly) and begun a new life as a genuine cowboy in the best state for the profession. Season 5, likewise, spent a considerable amount of time down south. But with so many Yellowstone sequel spin-offs currently in development — be it CBS’s upcoming Y: Marshals, the Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser Dutton Ranch project, or The Madison, another Montana-based series about rich East Coasters moving West — 6666 could be a breath of fresh air.

So much of the greater Yellowstone universe, including its various prequels, focuses primarily on the Dutton family. In many respects, many of Sheridan’s existing shows are still too similar to Yellowstone to move beyond the boundaries that the neo-Western franchise has set for itself — the fact that 1923‘s plot is nearly identical to Yellowstone‘s is a glaring reminder that this franchise needs some fresh blood. In that sense, 6666 could very well be the answer. Some of the best material in Yellowstone‘s final three seasons, especially, was everything that occurred with the ranch hands on the open plains and in the bunkhouse. Setting a new spin-off on the Four Sixes, where we’ve seen what a large-scale cattle operation can do, is one exciting way to emphasize this tried-and-true element of Sheridan’s Western brand.

Instead of focusing on the capitalistic dangers of land-grabbing plots and hostile takeovers, 6666 is a project that has the potential to revolve around the simple Texan cowboys who produce much of the country’s beef. Not only could it further educate audiences on how the industry works, but it could also shed light on a lesser-understood profession and elevate the modern cowboy beyond rodeo kings and Old West heroes. Dealing in more intensive situations like cattle drives and battling the elements, as well as potential animal threats or cattle wrestlers, is something that Yellowstone promised from the start, only to get bogged down by its overall plot in the process. Without the need to infuse the Texan drama with the corporate side of things, we can certainly see the potential for 6666 as a drama that expands on the life and times of the modern-day American cowboy.

Taylor Sheridan’s ‘6666’ Spin-off Could Be a Serialized TV Western

Image via Paramount Plus

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This is, of course, where the Rawhide comparisons come in. If Sheridan and Paramount were to lean into the cowboy drama of it all, 6666 could be a show that not only honors one of the most important professions in America but also serves as a modern-day answer to more traditional TV Westerns, with Rawhide being perhaps the most obvious of the bunch. What made a show like Rawhide so popular for so long was that it followed no-nonsense trailboss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming), ramrod Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), and their crew of cowboys as they traveled across the Old West, often finding themselves in peculiar situations and in the middle of introspective character dramas that kept audiences returning for more. While television (including within the Western genre) isn’t structured quite like these old network shows these days, 6666 could learn from the show that got Eastwood his start by avoiding serialization and taking each episode at a time — the same way a cowboy takes things one day at a time.

Instead of fighting off land-grabbers and real estate developers again and again, the Texas-based series could get into the nitty-gritty of cowboy life, the struggles of juggling family, and the dangers that present themselves. For eight seasons, Rawhide made an adventure out of herding cattle across the American West, and now 6666 could do something similar in the Lone Star State. Over the course of four seasons on Yellowstone, Jimmy went from being a total screw-up and an active criminal to becoming a proficient cowboy worthy of the Four Sixes brand. By the time he returns in Season 5, he’s still the butt of the joke among his Yellowstone friends, but he has made a name for himself down south for his optimistic outlook and ability to overcome the odds against him. Emphasizing this type of character in 6666 would further separate it from the nihilistic flavor of Sheridan’s other Texas-made drama, Landman, and infuse a bit more life into the Yellowstone universe.

‘Yellowstone’s ‘6666’ Spin-off Has Been in Development Hell Since 2021

If you’re anything like this author and have been holding out hope that 6666 might still happen (despite the years of radio silence on the project), the sad news is that we may be out of luck. In speaking with The Daily Mail, Jefferson White was asked if he was in the works to return for a future Yellowstone Universe spin-off. “Not that I know of now,” he told the outlet. “I kept my fingers crossed, but also, I’d be grateful if I got to do more, and I’m grateful for what I got to do.” For those hoping that Sheridan has been in contact with the star about what might become of 6666, this could be a tough blow. Some people say “no news is good news,” but the saying doesn’t rightly apply to a long-anticipated television series that has largely faded out of the public eye, especially in the aftermath of the ending of the flagship drama it planned to spin off from.

Of course, just because White doesn’t know if he’s returning for more doesn’t mean that 6666 is completely off the table. In a sit-down with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2023, Sheridan, who owns the real-life Four Sixes Ranch, expressed his admiration for the Texan operation. “I grew up in the shadow of the Four Sixes,” he explained. “This was the ranch I based [Yellowstone’s] scope and operation on, because it didn’t exist in Montana.” Back then, Sheridan had told Paramount that the network needed patience in developing the project, as he needed to make sure it was possible for the series itself to work alongside the ranch, which is still in operation. It’s clear that Sheridan cares deeply for the Four Sixes, and in wanting to make it “the most famous ranch in America,” one can understand why a television series based on the working ranch would be the way to go about that.

Yet, Sheridan’s recent breakup with Paramount doesn’t offer us much comfort as we meditate on what could be. Perhaps Sheridan would be willing to revisit this project at another point in time, divorcing it from the Yellowstone Universe entirely. On the other hand, it could be that after working at it for quite some time, it proved too tough to crack. Either way, here’s hoping that we get some sort of update on 6666 in the near future — and that if it does happen, it will echo the classic television Westerns that played during the genre’s peak.

Yellowstone is available for streaming on Peacock, while Rawhide can be streamed in its entirety on PlutoTV.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 26 seconds ago

When Superman (2025) came out, it was a critical and commercial smash, able to leap fan cynicism in a single bound. It became the summer’s biggest hit, and it even outperformed two highly-hyped Marvel movies: The Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four. This was proof that director and DCU Studios co-president James Gunn was the right man to reboot this cinematic universe and that its success might one day rival that of the MCU.

While there has been some beloved DCU content on the small screen (especially Peacemaker, Season 2), we won’t be getting more of this universe on the big screen until Supergirl comes out next month. Not only will this be Milly Alcock’s first full-length movie as the titular heroine, but it will be Jason Momoa’s introduction to the DCU as fan-favorite character, Lobo. The movie has been building buzz, but not as much as you might think, and there’s a reason for that. Simply put, DC Studios has been doing such an awful job of promoting this film through lackluster trailers and previews that they are effectively sabotaging its success.

Up, Up, And Away (From Good Marketing)

Supergirl made her surprise DCU debut by crashing into the Fortress of Solitude at the end of Superman. We find out that she’s the real owner of Krypto and that she likes to get hammered when she’s partying. Her Kryptonian biology keeps her from getting drunk on Earth, so she likes to tie one on by visiting planets with a red sun (it negates her superpowers). She flies off at the end of the movie, and this quirky introduction to an even quirkier character left audiences wondering what she’d be doing next.

The first trailer for Supergirl gave us glimpses of what to expect in the movie, but the presentation was something of a mixed bag. One of the first things we see is Krypto peeing on a Superman article, an action which Supergirl seemingly approves of. We then see her catching an intergalactic Uber to parts unknown. In fact, “unknown” is the real keyword here: the trailer gives no real hints as to the story of the film and pads its short runtime with generic explosions and a mysterious light shooting into the sky (a superhero staple). We even get generic thugs and quippy dialogue like “This does not look like it’s gonna end well … for you guys!” 

Are These Trailers Deliberately Bad?

It’s not the worst trailer in the world, but it’s certainly not the best. It gives no clue as to the main plot or who any of the new characters are. You don’t really walk away from this trailer with a solid idea of anything other than “Supergirl fights a bunch of bland bad guys.” Plus, the quip (which is repeated in the final trailer) seems weirdly out of place in the DCU. This is a cinematic universe trying to really establish its own identity, so why are we making the tagline something out of the “well, that just happened” school of Marvel writing?

The final Supergirl trailer is an improvement, if barely. We finally learn about the plot, which is a tug-the-heartstrings race to save a dying Krypto. Speaking of shamelessly manipulating the audience, the trailer begins with a video call from established hero Superman, where he worries about his cousin ever really finding herself. This is part of a major problem with these trailers: they oscillate between showing Supergirl as a carefree party gal and a lost soul tormented by the destruction of her planet. Maybe she’s supposed to be both, but the character dichotomy of the trailers makes the title character seem downright schizophrenic.

DC’s Latest Poster Boy 

The brief action scene with Momoa’s Lobo is a real highlight, but this trailer arguably doesn’t really flesh out who Supergirl is, making it tough to engage with the character on an emotional level (something DC desperately wants us to do). That problem is compounded by the character posters for the film, each of which features characters like Lobo and Supergirl striking a pose in front of the film’s logo. Unfortunately, the poses and expressions are pretty bad, making these professional actors look like cosplayers wearing their gear for the first time. Moreover, countless fans have joked about how these look painfully like posters for the low-budget CW Arrowverse shows.

To James Gunn and the rest of DC Studios, I can only ask, what the heck are you doing? Supergirl has all the ingredients of a smash hit. It’s the follow-up to last summer’s biggest movie, it features a beloved DCEU actor recast as an even more beloved comics character, and the whole plot centers on a sexy lady who loves her adorable dog. This movie would normally be on track for major box office success, but DC’s awful marketing has likely lasered away huge sections of prospective fans. Is it deliberate sabotage or just really bad marketing?

Either way, these bad early glimpses of the film may prove to be Kryptonite for Supergirl, and Gunn may learn that there’s one thing worse than bad word of mouth: having nobody to spread the word in the first place. 

By Robert Scucci
| Published 8 seconds ago

Most subgenres fall into the same trap because certain beats and motifs have to be utilized. That’s what subgenres are. The pitfall that lesser films fall into is not knowing how to elevate a premise that’s inherently derivative, which is why there are so many dime-a-dozen psychological thrillers, slashers, and, in the case of 2002’s Panic Room, home invasion flicks.

But here’s the thing about David Fincher, the film’s director: he’s insanely good at taking a concept that seems boilerplate at face value and elevating it in a way that keeps it interesting. Panic Room, for all intents and purposes, is contrived. It’s stock by design. It’s a story about three guys breaking into a house where a woman and her pre-teen daughter live alone, and then fighting for survival with whatever limited resources they have at their disposal.

Panic Room Is Shot Like No Other Home Invasion Flick

If you’re a fan of thrillers, you probably lost count of how many home invasion flicks you’ve watched because they all start blending together. David Fincher knew this, so he flipped the entire subgenre on its head by going for a “cameraless” effect that allowed him to shoot impossibly long tracking shots that appear to happen in one unbroken take. His goal was to imply that “there’s no camera operator, no crew, and no track,” meaning the camera could go anywhere.

The result is a series of shots that start in the downstairs kitchen, work their way through cabinets, walls, and air ducts, push up winding flights of stairs, and, in some cases, float through the ceiling into the floor above. What’s most impressive is that, for a 2002 production, the computer-generated imagery never breaks the immersion. Like The Shining, it’s almost as if we’re seeing the entire story unfold from the house’s perspective, which allows the viewer to keep tabs on every character like a fly on the wall hopping from room to room undetected.

This shooting method is what makes Panic Room a cut above its contemporaries because no other home invasion film looks quite like this one. Coupled with David Koepp’s tight screenplay and the talent of its small cast, what would otherwise be a simple premise becomes a Hitchcockian nightmare that keeps you watching because it all feels so fresh.

A Yawn-Fest In Theory, A Masterclass In Practice

I’ll keep the synopsis brief here because Panic Room, like most home invasion plots, really doesn’t have much going on. How these things escalate is what really matters.

When Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) moves into a new NYC home with her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), they’re surprised to learn that the home’s previous owner, an eccentric millionaire, had an impenetrable panic room built in the master bedroom complete with closed-circuit televisions, a hard-wired telephone, and food rations. The day gets away from our protagonists, and Meg falls asleep before finishing the setup of some of the communications devices in the miniature bunker.

As luck would have it, three criminals, Junior (Jared Leto), Burnham (Forest Whitaker), and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), have been casing the joint because the previous owner was Junior’s grandfather, and Junior has reason to believe millions of dollars are hidden inside the secret room.

They show up in the middle of the night while Meg and Sarah are sleeping, but Meg wakes up, realizes they’re being robbed, grabs Sarah, and retreats to the panic room so she can collect her thoughts and figure out her next move. The emergency phone line isn’t properly set up, but she can still communicate with the criminals through the intercom, and they refuse to leave until they get what they came for.

That’s the entire plot to Panic Room. Like I said, pretty standard stuff because if you’ve seen one home invasion movie, you’ve pretty much seen them all.

Why It’s A Cut Above

The movie really starts cooking when we get frantic shots from the house’s perspective, showing us where the criminals are wandering, what Meg and Sarah are seeing through the closed-circuit cameras, and creating a palpable amount of tension during the scenes that really matter, like when Meg realizes she dropped her cellphone near her bed before locking down and starts calculating whether she can run out, grab it, and make it back to safety.

It’s not just the “camera” work in Panic Room that seals the deal, however, because the criminals constantly getting into it with each other adds additional layers of tension to the mix. Jared Leto is perfect as the entitled loudmouth with a Napoleon complex because he genuinely believes he deserves his grandfather’s bearer bonds. He’s so unlikeable and shortsighted that he brings along Raoul to help with the job, something Burnham isn’t thrilled about from the jump.

So we have an unhinged, idiotic leader and an unpredictable bruiser willing to take extreme measures, including killing the family in the house, if he has to. That leaves Burnham, the only criminal with a conscience. The reason he’s valuable to Junior is because he installs safe rooms for a living and potentially knows how to crack them if he can properly size up the job. His reluctance to follow through makes the dynamic work because nobody was supposed to be in the house that night, and he genuinely feels terrible about how complicated things have become for Meg and Sarah.

In an ideal world, the robbery would have been a victimless crime. Three guys break into a home that nobody has moved into yet and steal money from a dead guy that nobody else knows exists. The alleged simplicity of the job compared to how the evening actually plays out makes the whole thing feel exponentially more disastrous because now Meg and Sarah are fearing for their lives, especially when the zero-hour trope gets added to the mix in the form of Sarah needing insulin to prevent her from falling into a diabetic coma.

Every single beat and setup in Panic Room is derivative. Every single escalation is expected. Every single trope is celebrated. But the movie never feels like a slog to get through. You go into this movie knowing exactly how it’s going to end, but it’s such a wild ride getting there that you simply do not care that you’ve seen so many different versions of this same story before.

If there’s one thing that took me out of the movie, it was how quickly Meg adapted to certain situations. Not because I don’t believe in the concept of a strong, independent woman or anything like that, but because your average person simply isn’t going to be this prepared for a home invasion, especially one that starts while they’re sleeping. There’s no way to practice for this kind of scenario, especially in a house you literally moved into earlier that day.

Still, if the only thing that really bothers me is the fact that somebody learned the floor plan to their own house faster than I ever reasonably could, I’d say Fincher and company did a hell of a job here.

Panic Room holds up nearly 25 years later for all of these reasons. It’s a run-of-the-mill story that feels completely original because of the creative choices behind its production. Jared Leto getting put in his place by his much bigger, much more intimidating henchman also put a smile on my face, because why wouldn’t it?

As of this writing, you can stream Panic Room on Hulu.

Brooke Shields says it was “difficult” allowing her daughter, Rowan Henchy, to join season 2 of Bravo’s “Next Gen NYC.” During a new interview, the “Hannah Montana” actress also got real about the fears she had surrounding the series.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Shields, 60, touched on her daughter’s journey into the world of unscripted television, admitting it was challenging for her to get on board at first.

“This has been a really difficult journey for me because I would say to her, ‘We’re not a reality family. That’s just never been our MO,’” she said.

Continuing, Shields admitted she was a bit nervous about how her daughter’s role in the upcoming batch of episodes could impact her down the line.

“And I got very nervous that it might affect her or somehow hinder a career that she wants to have in broadcast news and journalism. That’s what she studied at university,” said Shields.

Brooke Shields Said She Was ‘Sick To My Stomach’ After Learning Her Daughter Was Approached To Join Reality Show

Shields shared a similar message just days ago, according to a previous report from The Blast, admitting she didn’t know how to feel at first because she got her start differently.

“They didn’t have reality shows, that’s a different….,” Shields said. “And you were not praised for bad behavior. Bad behavior was not really the goal. So a lot of rating is geared towards that.”

Elsewhere, Shields said she was “sick to my stomach” over the news, but after some time, she changed her tune and encouraged her daughter to use the platform for good.

“I said, ‘Look, don’t be a [mess] up. You know? Be the one, the voice of reason, and if you’re gonna parlay this’ — I mean it’s Bravo and Peacock, she wants to be in broadcast journalism, and she also likes being on camera — so I said, ‘See if you can translate that into another opportunity, and it’s a business choice you’re making,” she said.

Will Bravo Viewers See Brooke Shields In The Upcoming Season Of ‘Next Gen NYC’?

Despite her worries, Shields will make a few appearances on the show throughout the season. During her conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Shields said that she filmed a little bit for the series to support her daughter.

“I said, ‘Look, I will do one, maybe two episodes for you, but nobody’s putting any words into my mouth, and I don’t want them to let you put any words into your mouth, and I don’t want you to try to morph into somebody with bad behavior just because it’s going to create ratings,’” Shields said.

Shields went on to say that she also encouraged her daughter to showcase a different version of herself on camera. “And I said, ‘Be the girl holding back the hair for the person throwing up. Don’t be the thrower-upper.’ And she was very grounded in it, and I’m very proud of her because she is using it,” she said.

‘Next Gen NYC’ Will Return To Bravo In June 2026

Season 2 of “Next Gen NYC” will return to Bravo in June 2026. In addition to Henchy, Bravo viewers will be introduced to fellow newbies Liam Obergfoll and Kendall White.

Ariana Biermann, Riley Burruss, Emira D’Spain, Brooks Marks, Ava Dash, Gia Giudice, Georgia McCann, Charlie Cakkour, Shai Fruchter, and Hudson McLeroy are all returning to the series.

According to the show’s synopsis, season 2 is “anything but chill.” It also read: “The pace is faster, the hustle is louder, and for this New York City crew, life in the city that never sleeps is a full-on reality check. Everyone’s trying to build a life that feels authentic – but also aesthetic.”

What Other Shows Are Slated To Return To Bravo This Summer?

Bravo viewers are in for a treat this summer, as season 20 of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is scheduled to return, featuring Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, and OG of the OC Vicki Gunvalson.

“… I miss filming. I missed my girls. I missed the joy of being an Orange County Housewife,” Gunvalson said in a previous interview, according to The Blast.

Also, NeNe Leakes will make her grand return to Bravo in August when “The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip” airs in honor of the franchise’s 20th anniversary.