Fire Country has experienced cast — and showrunner — departures amid budget cuts, so which cast members are and aren’t returning for season 5?

The CBS series, which premiered in 2022, introduced Us to the town of Edgewater after inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) returned home and began volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. By season 2, a backdoor pilot set up the world of Sheriff Country, which is centered around Sharon’s (Diane Farr) estranged sister, Mickey (Morenna Baccarin), as she solves crimes in town.

Fire Country later went through shocking shakeups when budget cuts led to Billy Burke and Stephanie Arcila‘s exits in season 3.

“It’s a fire show. Anyone can go at any time,” showrunner Tia Napolitano exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2025. “But in terms of losing people, we’re also adding some really fun guest cast. It’s a revolving door of people from Sharon’s past and new faces that are exciting to bring conflict and secrets and twists and turns.”

Related: How Many ‘Fire Country’ Stars Have Left the CBS Series Over the Years?

Fire Country has faced numerous surprising cast — and crew — changes over the years. The CBS series, which premiered in 2022, introduced Us to the town of Edgewater after inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) returned home and began volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. By season 2, a backdoor pilot set up the world […]

Napolitano teased how the show will have to balance “really spicing it up” while still walking a “fine line” of paying tribute to the loss.

“What we’ve done is really thread the needle of honoring — especially Vince — because Gabriella is gone, but she’s gone to a happy and successful life. She’s still out there. But we really walk this line of honoring Vince while also finding hope rather quickly,” she noted. “Looking forward, the theme of the season is rising from the ashes and recovery.”

Napolitano continued: “How do you recover from something like this? And we’re really going to see everybody rise to the occasion, in celebration of Vince, of his life and in honoring the sacrifice that he made.”

The show continued to have characters come and go before news broke that Napolitano was departing after four seasons. Keep scrolling to see who is and isn’t coming back in season 5:

Max Thieriot

After viewers were introduced to Edgewater through Thieriot’s character, Bode, Fire Country has kept him the focus of the show.

Kevin Alejandro

Manny’s release from Three Rock allowed him to be front and center on the series.

Jordan Calloway

Jordan Calloway’s Jake learned more about his family in season 4, which presumably will keep being explored in future episodes.

Stephanie Arcila

Stephanie Arcila exited as Gabriela in the season 4 premiere but she previously told Us she would return if given the option.

Jules Latimer

Based on the midseason finale of Fire Country, Jules Latimer’s Eve will keep playing an important role on the show.

Diane Farr

Diane Farr’s Sharon will return in season 5 as she continues to grieve the loss of her husband, Vine (Burke).

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Related: ‘Fire Country’ Stars Who Would — or Should — Appear on Sheriff Spinoff

Fire Country‘s spinoff, Sheriff Country, hasn’t even premiered yet but there’s already questions about which characters will make crossover appearances. Fans were originally introduced to the town of Edgewater when Fire Country premiered with inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) returning home and volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program during season 1 of the hit show. […]

Billy Burke

Billy Burke has yet to address his exit from Fire Country, but his character, Vince, can’t return after being killed off.

Morena Baccarin

Morena Baccarin will likely find her way back to Edgewater but only in guest star capacities. The actress is currently leading Sheriff Country, which has been renewed for season 2.

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Leven Rambin

After Gabriela’s exit, Audrey was Bode’s one and only love interest — only to be written off the show before season 4 came to an end. Leven Rambin has shown interest in reprising the role but her future on Fire Country remains unclear.

Shawn Hatosy

Napolitano hinted at plans to bring Shawn Hatosy back but details remain unclear.

Jelly Roll

The same goes for Jelly Roll’s character Noah, who could return but nothing concrete has been confirmed yet.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 20 seconds ago

One of the reasons I’ve distanced myself from Netflix’s true crime offerings is because they often feel disingenuous. Don’t get me wrong, there are some diamonds in the rough, like My Father, the BTK Killer, but for every banger like that, there’s also a ton of content that basically says, “Look at Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, they’re so attractive, smart, and awesome! You’ll watch a 10-episode miniseries on them if we get somebody handsome enough to do the reenactments.” Personally, I prefer my true crime in the same vein as Forensic Files, a series I’ve watched all 406 episodes of multiple times.

Craving a solid procedural piece, I decided to finally check out what’s known as the best true crime documentary of all time, which just so happens to be credited as the film that popularized the genre as we know and love it today, 1988’s The Thin Blue Line. Admittedly, I slept on this one until just this week, and I’m just as disappointed with myself for not watching it sooner. Tubi, in its infinite glory, gave me easy access to the documentary, and now I feel whole. 

Written and directed by Errol Morris, The Thin Blue Line is a top-tier exploration of a criminal justice system that becomes a dangerous combination of corrupt, complicit, and incompetent when you look at the case it’s unpacking: the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams, a man whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A Slam-Dunk Case Turned Total Disgrace

Private investigator Errol Morris spent three years making his case and documenting his findings in what would ultimately become The Thin Blue Line. The case in question, the 1976 murder of Dallas police officer Robert Wood, should have been a slam-dunk case on paper. The murderer, David Harris, was a 16-year-old psychopath who not only had access to an arsenal of weapons, but was also in the middle of a crime spree when the murder occurred, committing a string of robberies on his way home from the routine traffic stop that resulted in Wood’s murder. Heck, the next day, he bragged to all of his friends that he murdered a cop, as if it were some kind of rite of passage.

Caught in the crosshairs of this murder investigation was 27-year-old Randall Dale Adams, who was traveling to California from Ohio with his brother and stopped in Dallas to get some rest on Thanksgiving night. That Saturday, when his car ran out of gas, he was picked up by David Ray Harris, who, unbeknownst to Randall, was driving a stolen car. As the story goes, the two spent the day together, drank some beers, smoked some pot, and hit up a drive-in theater before going their separate ways.

Later that evening, Robert Wood was shot three times before David Ray Harris fled the scene and continued his crime spree. Randall Dale Adams wasn’t even in the car with him, but several eyewitness reports placed him at the crime scene. Adams was ultimately convicted of the crime after spending, in his words, about 15 minutes with Dr. James Grigson (also known as Dr. Death), the psychiatrist doubling as an expert witness who claimed with a hundred percent certainty that Randall would kill again. In his mind, the smoking gun was the lack of remorse Adams exhibited for the crime he didn’t commit.

Additionally, the state of Texas was all about carrying out due process so long as doing so meant somebody would get the electric chair. Eyewitnesses all piled on Adams, but as the documentary points out, many did so in bad faith. The prevailing theory surrounding Adams’ conviction is that he was old enough to receive the death penalty, while Harris, who would continue being a dangerous criminal over the next decade, was still a minor, meaning no death penalty.

The documentary takes a deep dive into the case, breaking down the prosecution, defense, sentencing, and appeals process while bringing in all the key players who sealed Adams’ fate before they even heard the whole story. As the film progresses, it becomes crystal clear that they already had their own version of events made up in their heads, and this was the outcome they wanted.

Blue Line? More Like Blue Print! 

Though Errol Morris didn’t know it at the time, he created the template and gold standard for the modern true crime procedural. His approach, which seems like standard fare now, was ingenious at the time. His method of storytelling involved dramatized reenactments of Wood’s murder based on eyewitness accounts, fully intending to show viewers at home just how many holes existed in those stories when scrutinized. Adams, who maintained his innocence the entire time, would ultimately have his conviction overturned in 1989, after serving 12 years in prison.

The Thin Blue Line got its name from Dallas County Judge Don Metcalfe, who famously said of the police, “The police are a thin blue line that separates the public from anarchy. The line is supposed to be honest … and you’ve made a mockery of that.” The central thesis of Morris’ documentary is that when a system is broken at its foundation, innocent men will pay the price. Thanks to his investigative work, Morris did what no law enforcement official on the case could do, which was find justice not just for Adams, but for Wood, who died in the line of duty when he pulled David Ray Harris over to tell him his taillight was out. 

If you’re a Forensic Files junkie like me and want to see how cold, hard facts get manipulated by the powers that be to fit a political agenda, The Thin Blue Line is essential viewing. It’s a masterclass in reading between the lines in pursuit of the truth, and in this case, the truth saved an innocent life from death row while helping expose the real culprit, who was pretty much dead to rights but didn’t fit the narrative.

As of this writing, The Thin Blue Line is streaming for free on Tubi.

Blue Bloods‘ spinoff Boston Blue concluded its first season with a possible cast exit — but there could be more surprises coming in season 2.

During the season 1 finale on Friday, May 22, Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green) started the day off worried about meeting her biological father. It got worse when she found out that her boyfriend, Brian (Ryan Broussard), was thinking of taking a job in another state and then she got shot.

Lena pulled through — but suffered nerve damage that kept her briefly wheelchair bound — before gathering for a family dinner. She was waiting for Brian to arrive when the audience saw his car get hit intentionally by someone. That knocked Brian out just before his car ended up in the ocean.

“There is a little bit of a time jump when we come into the season, which gets us past the medical leave that Lena faces to heal from her injuries,” showrunner Brandon Sonnier exclusively told Us Weekly in a joint interview with executive producer Brandon Margolis. “It also pushes us a little bit further down the road of who was driving the car, what was what was the inciting incident for that event and we unravel what happened right after.”

He continued: “That does become a driving force in Lena and Danny’s life — and the rest of the Reagans and the Silvers. They want to get to the bottom of what that was all about and who was behind it. We do find that person at some point and we do unravel that there is something larger going on and it is a driving force to the season.”

Elsewhere in the finale, Will Hochman reprised his role as Danny’s (Donnie Wahlberg) nephew while Danny’s girlfriend, Baez (Marisa Ramirez), returned and the couple reconciled — and discussed moving in together — just before season 1 came to an end.

Looking ahead at season 2, Sonnier teased what is still to come, adding, “There’s certainly more Boston that we want to explore. There’s certainly exploring the relationships in this new found family that we’ve built in different ways. What crossover relationships are there now that we’ve established the families and where everyone is and what can we do to build even greater relationship dynamics between the players?”

Keep scrolling for answers to the biggest burning questions about possible cast exits, spinoff ideas and future Blue Bloods cameos:

Is Ryan Broussard Leaving the Show After Brian Was Seemingly Killed?

While Margolis and Sonnier wouldn’t confirm or deny Brian’s future on the show, they referred to the actor as a “lovely” addition to the cast.

“We’ve enjoyed working with him this season. If the opportunity for him to be on season 2 is there, we would jump at it,” Margolis noted. “But it’s called a cliffhanger for a reason. You got to come back — that’s what you got to tune in for.”

Margolis noted that the numerous roadblocks thrown Lena’s way would be addressed in season 2, adding, “We love opportunities for her and Danny to grow closer as a result. So that’s what we’re looking forward to in season 2 is resolving the aftermath of the accident. It is about finding out who was behind the wheel of that car and getting justice for Rodgers.”

How Did the Will Hochman Cameo Happen?

Blue Bloods fans got a surprise when Hochman’s character Joe made an appearance. Margolis told Us, “There’s invitations to the whole Reagan clan” to return, but Hochman’s appearance came to be after Wahlberg found out his former costar was already in town filming another project.

“It made sense — honestly — for the story we were telling about discovering new family members and what it meant for Joe Hill and how he learned about the Reagans later in his life,” he continued. “It was a nice parallel to what Lena was going through. It was fate that he was in town when we were telling this story. It made all the sense in the world to get him there and we would love to have him back.”

What About Other ‘Blue Bloods’ Alums?

The screenwriting duo made it clear that anyone and everyone from the OG series was welcome. When asked specifically about Tom Selleck, Sonnier clarified that the “story has got to be right” for Frank to come back.

“It’s a big move and we want to make sure we’re telling the right story,” he noted. “It has to be the right story for Frank and that it’s the right story for Danny and for Sean. When that time is right, maybe we [already] know and maybe we don’t.”

Regardless, the goal is to have all the Reagans in and out of Boston Blue.

“It enriches our lives to get to continue their stories,” Margolis added. “So we would love to extend that invitation and have you know new Reagans appear and Reagans who were there last year to come back.”

What Does the Finale Mean for Danny and Baez?

“We love that relationship and there are ups and downs to any relationship. There are certainly struggles in trying to figure out how things are going to work,” Sonnier told Us about Danny and Baez getting back together. “Two adults who are coming together and who now live in different cities have peaks and valleys in that relationship. There is always something that we wanted to explore — knowing that at the end of the day this is a relationship that we do truly love.”

Sonnier poked fun at the public “outcry,” adding, “It was that much sweeter when we got to bring her back in and have her be that shining light that says, ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’ Ending on that note of how they’re gonna push through this and this relationship is for real.”

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As for what that invitation for Baez to move to Boston means for Ramirez’s appearances in season 2?

“All we can say is Baez will be back in season 2,” Margolis teased. “That’s literally all we can tell you. We enjoy Marisa and the two of them as a couple light up the screen. We love getting to tell stories about those two and we’re always looking for opportunities to do that.”

Could There Be a Boston Blue Spinoff?

The pair didn’t rule it out when Us suggested a medical drama set in the same area, saying, “If the opportunity presents itself and there’s the right story to tell .. absolutely. We love it.”

1991 was an amazing year for cinema, and one that has perhaps not received enough credit. While it’s often mentioned that 1994 or 1999 are among the best years of the ‘90s, 1991 was an equally stacked year that had way more than just ten great films released; among the memorable titles released during this impressive span of 12 months are David Cronenberg’s science fiction neo-noir Naked Lunch, Barry Levinson’s epic gangster drama Bugsy, Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear, the all-time great action film Point Break, and the excellent franchise-capper Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

1991 is truly an impressive year in the sense that it offered a robust slate of films from many different genres and cinematic styles, indicating that audiences were much more willing to check out something that didn’t necessarily fall into their comfort zone.

10

‘The Prince of Tides’ (1991)

Image via Columbia Pictures

The Prince of Tides truly feels like it came from a different era because it would be unfathomable for a mature romantic drama based on a complex novel to become a smash hit and blockbuster. Barbra Streisand had made her directorial debut in the previous decade with Yentl, but The Prince of Tides was a more sweeping melodrama that explored guilt, trauma, and familial legacy in a profound way.

The Prince of Tides raised questions about surviving abuse and coping with mortality in a way that was unheard of at the time, and proved that female-directed films could appeal to mass audiences. It also featured the single greatest performance of Nick Nolte’s career, as he was able to show a more sensitive side of masculinity that many of the other leading men of his generation would not have been capable of.

9

‘The Fisher King’ (1991)

Image via Tri-Star Pictures

The Fisher King is just as weird as one would expect from Terry Gilliam, but also has some of the most profound emotional subtext of any of the films directed by the former Monty Python member. Although The Fisher King features some deep allusions to Arthurian mythology (and is frankly much better than many of the more traditional King Arthur films), it is also a powerful story about friendship lasting beyond class, and providing outreach to those with mental health struggles.

The Fisher King features two of the best performances of the ‘90s from Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams, both of whom are cast slightly against type. Although Williams earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for one of his boldest performances ever, Bridges is just as good in the film, and does a great job playing a character on a redemptive arc.

8

‘My Own Private Idaho’ (1991)

Image via Fine Line Features

My Own Private Idaho is one of the greatest queer films ever made, and solidified Gus Van Sant as a unique voice in the American independent film movement of the ‘90s. In what can be described as a loose, modern retelling of the relationship between Henry and Flastaff in William Shakespeare’s Henry V, My Own Private Idaho charts the journey of two young travelers, played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, both of whom give the greatest performances of their respective careers.

Phoenix was truly an unparalleled screen presence who tragically died at far too young of an age, but left behind a legacy of excellence that is reminiscent of other late stars, such as James Dean and Heath Ledger. Reeves is often thought of strictly as an action star, but My Own Private Idaho showed that he could be a compelling dramatic lead.

7

‘Boyz n the Hood’ (1991)

Image via Columbia Pictures

Boyz n the Hood is one of the most impressive directorial debuts of all-time because of the audacity and clarity that John Singleton showed, despite being only 23 when the film was released. Singleton made a powerful and insightful film about violence and discrimination within a community, and created one of cinema’s greatest father figures in Furious, played in an incredible performance by Laurence Fishburne.

Boyz n the Hood was a major film for many of its young stars, as it was the first instance in which Ice Cube proved himself to be a star, even if he would end up doing more comedic roles in the future. It was also a film that had a significant breakthrough at the Academy Awards, as Singleton became the youngest person ever nominated for Best Director, and the first Black director in the history of the category.

6

‘Defending Your Life’ (1991)

Image via Warner Bros.

Defending Your Life is a delightful comedy about the afterlife that has all the wit and whimsy that Albert Brooks is best known for. Brooks has always been a force of comedic nature who can recognize the fallibility of humanity, but Defending Your Life was a rare instance in which he had to advocate for the merits of mankind, showing a surprising degree of optimism.

Defending Your Life was among the first films to prove that Meryl Streep was just as talented at comedy as she was at drama, and it also features a hilarious performance from the late great Rip Torn. The influence of Defending Your Life is still prominent today within other comedies that explore the afterlife in various incarnations, including last year’s charming rom-com Eternity, which featured great work from Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, and Callum Turner.

5

‘Barton Fink’ (1991)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Barton Fink is yet another masterpiece from the Coen brothers, and stands as one of their most personal films because of the focus it has on the indignities and pressures of Hollywood. John Turturro gives the greatest performance of his career as the titular character, who is a Jewish screenwriter who begins to suffer from extreme writer’s block when he is hired to write films for a corrupt studio.

Barton Fink featured an Oscar-nominated performance from Micahel Lerner, but also has a hilarious side role for John Goodman as Barton’s neighbor, who may or may not be a serial killer. While the Coens were already highly respected as artists at this point in their careers, Barton Fink minted them as some of the greatest filmmakers of their generation because it won the Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

4

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

Image via Tri-Star Pictures

Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the peak of James Cameron’s abilities as an action filmmaker because it is one of the rare instances in which the sequel surpassed its predecessor in every single way, even though the original The Terminator from 1984 was a masterpiece in its own right.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day made brilliant choices with its characters, as it turned Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) from a scared waitress to a powerful action hero, and brought back a new T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to be a protector and unusual father figure to a young John Connor (Edward Furlong). Terminator 2: Judgment Day paved the way for decades of blockbusters with its creative use of CGI, which is most notable in the sequence in which the ruthless T-1000 (Robert Patrick) transforms into liquid metal in order to take down the Connors.

3

‘The Commitments’ (1991)

Image via Beacon Pictures

The Commitments is an unusual and underrated film about a working class band trying to make it in Ireland, and has the trappings of a music biopic, despite being based on a novel that was not a true story. Although the soundtrack is worth listening to as a great standalone piece of music, The Commitments is at its best when showing the complex evolution that bands go through when their members struggle to stick together after many years on the road.

The Commitments is a powerful homage to the many bands that “didn’t make it,” showing that their lack of attention does not invalidate their work and appreciation for the craft. It’s a very charming film from Alan Parker, a highly underrated filmmaker whose name should be brought up more often when talking about the great British directors of the 20th century.

2

‘JFK’ (1991)

Image via Warner Bros.

JFK is the most ambitious and controversial film of Oliver Stone’s career, and remains just as jaw dropping in its construction many years later. Stone took on the story of the New Orleans Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) to explore the theories involving the assination of President John F. Kennedy, leading to a complex study about how his administration was usurped for the sake of pushing forward a war effort in Vietnam.

JFK features an amazing ensemble that is filled with great actors, many of whom only show up for a scene or two; while it was Tommy Lee Jones who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Gary Oldman is absolutely chilling in the role of Lee Harvey Oswald, and Donald Sutherland gives an unforgettable performance as the mysterious information “Mr. X,” who provides details to Garrison about the coverup.

1

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

The Silence of the Lambs is the greatest horror film of the ‘90s, and remains the gold standard for serial killer stories. Jonathan Demme didn’t seem like the natural choice to helm such a ruthless thriller, but his ability to capture human emotion (often using close ups where the characters look directly into the camera) created an exhilarating cat-and-mouse game between FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and the serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).

Hopkins created one of the greatest villains of all-time, making it all the more shocking that Lecter is only on screen for less than 20 minutes. The Silence of the Lambs wasn’t only the first horror film to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but one of only three films to win the “Big Five” Oscars of Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.

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Release Date

February 14, 1991

Runtime

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118 minutes

Writers

Ted Tally

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Most movies go for the feel-good ending. Comedies are meant to make us laugh until the end. Dramas often see protagonists make up. Thrillers and action movies have the good guy conquer the evil villain. Horror is different. While the genre has its share of happy endings, where the final girl slays the killer or the monster is defeated, it’s also the one that can get away with terrifying endings. Here, the antagonists are either victorious or the hero is so damaged that there is no true victory for them. Movies like Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, Midsommar, and Smile knew how to scare the viewer through the very last second, but these 10 horror movies did it better than any other.

10

‘Speak No Evil’ (2022)

Image via Nordisk Film

Christian Tafdrup‘s See No Evil is a highly uncomfortable chiller. The Dutch film focuses on a family vacationing in Italy who meet another family and quickly befriend. What starts out as fun quickly becomes something more sinister when the latter family begins acting more and more strange, causing the form to doubt what they’re seeing until it’s much too late to escape.

The 2024 American reboot went for the happy ending. No thanks. The original gets it right by going as dark as possible. Agnes (Liva Forsberg) has her tongue cut out and is taken. There is nothing Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) can do, as Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) tells them they were chosen simply because they let him. If only they’d run away immediately, they would have survived. Instead, the couple is stoned to death.

9

‘The Mist’ (2007)

Image via Dimension Films

Frank Darabont has adapted several Stephen King stories for film but nothing tops the emotional wallop he created with The Mist. The film stars Thomas Jane and a whole host of future stars of The Walking Dead, who are attacked by interdimensional monsters when a fog descends over their small town.

King’s novella had a hopeful ending. Darabont wanted nothing to do with that. In the final scene, David (Jane) and several others, including his own young son, Billy (Nathan Gamble), flee in a vehicle that runs out of gas. With the monsters closing in, the group decides to end their lives on their own terms. David shoots and kills everyone off-screen. Out of bullets, he steps out, begging for the monsters to take him. It’s then that the military drives by. Hope was so close. If only they’d held on for a few more minutes.

8

‘Martyrs’ (2008)

Image via Wild Bunch

Pascal Laugier‘s French horror film, Martyrs, is an exercise in extreme violence pushing against what audiences can bare. When Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) was a child, she was abused by a group of people, and now she’s out for revenge with her friend, Anna (Morjana Alaoui). What they discover is something more sickening than they could ever have imagined.

Martyrs has a dark and ambiguous ending. Anna has been captured and tortured nearly to death by a mysterious cult who believes their victims can get so close that they see the afterlife. With her skin ripped from her flesh and death near, Anna whispers to the cult leader what she sees. The viewer doesn’t hear her words, but whatever they are causes her to shoot herself in the head.

7

‘Hereditary’ (2018)

Image via A24

Ari Aster‘s debut film, Hereditary, may still be his best. A stacked cast includes Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, and Alex Wolff. They are part of the Graham family, and Annie’s (Collette) strange mother has just passed away, unleashing a series of bizarre events surrounding a cult. The most shocking scene involves Charlie (Milly Shaprio), who is decapitated out of nowhere. It’s not the only moment that sticks with you though, because the finale is a wild nightmare.

The final scenes see Annie possessed and sawing off her own head, which leads to her son, Peter (Wolff), jumping out of the window. This is not his freeing moment. Instead, the next time we see Peter, who was very much dead, he’s alive again in the treehouse, the demon Paimon inside him as the cult worships their leader.

6

‘Sinister’ (2012)

Image via Summit Entertainment

Sinister is regarded as one of the scariest modern horror movies. Directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill, their story centers on Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), a true crime writer, who moves into a new home with his family. In the attic he finds a projector and reels which show the murders of several families. As he discovers that a demon named Bughuul is behind the killings, Oswalt tragically finds his own family marked for terror.

It’s revealed that the murders were all committed and filmed by children under Bughuul’s control. In the final scene, Ellison’s young daughter, Ashley (Clare Foley), drugs and ties up her family. Now possessed by the demon, she slaughters them with an axe and is taken by Bughuul. There is no happy ending for anyone.

5

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)

Image via Bryanston Distributing Company

In 1974, Tobe Hooper‘s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre helped launch the slasher fad. It’s so much more than a killer in a mask movie though. Instead, it’s a deeply political story about the lengths a family will go to when new technology takes their jobs. Marily Burns stars as Sally Hardesty, a young woman driving across Texas with her friends when they decide to enter the wrong house. Inside waits the chainsaw wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and his wild family of cannibals.

The third act is a non-step frenzy of violence. With only Sally left alive, the family ties her up, ready to make her their next meal. She’s able to escape, smashing face first through a window and running down the driveway in the breaking Texas dawn as Leatherface and the Hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) close in. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ends with the Hitchhiker dead and Sally saved by a truck driver. However, even though she escapes, her wails of fear, as a frustrated Leatherface swings his saw, reveal that this final girl will never be okay again.

4

‘Halloween’ (1978)

Image via Compass International Pictures/Aquarius Releasing

John Carpenter‘s Halloween changed horror forever with a simple premise that has been copied off. The suburban nightmare begins with young Michael Myers killing his sister in 1963. Fifteen years later, he escapes from a psychiatric hospital, puts on a shapeless white mask, and looks to recreate his crime by stalking babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends. Many of them won’t live through the night.

Halloween set the template for slashers to come. After a slow burn build, Carpenter lets the Boogeyman loose in the last act. When Laurie goes across the street to check on her friends, the Shape is waiting. From one house to the next, Michael Myers teases the prey who he could kill at any moment if he wanted to. In the end, with help from Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasance), Michael is seemingly taken down, only for the final shots revealing where he’s been as the Shape’s breathing fills our ears. Evil can’t be defeated.

3

‘The Vanishing’ (1988)

Image via Argos Films

George Sluzier‘s The Vanishing is one of the most bleak and unnerving movies you’ll ever see. The story begins with two young lovers, Rex (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Johanna ter Steege), who are vacationing in France when Saskia goes missing. Years later, Saskia has never been found, but then Rex begins receiving startling messages from Raymond (Bernanrd-Pierre Donnadieu), the man who took her and now wants to terrorize who she left behind.

This is again a case where the American reboot delivers a happy ending. The original does not. Raymond wants Rex to experience what Saskia did in her last moments. Desperate to know the truth, Rex gives in, so he agrees to drink coffee laced with drugs. When Rex comes to, he’s been buried alive in a coffin with no chance of escape. He will die here, slowly suffocating, while Raymond is free to kill again.

2

‘Don’t Look Now’ (1973)

Image via Paramount

Nicholas Roeg‘s Don’t Look Now gets a lot of attention because of the decades-old rumors that stars Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie actually did the deed during their sex scene. They didn’t, and there is so much more to this film than that curiosity. Don’t Look Now is a slow-burn mystery nightmare with Sutherland and Christie as John and Lura Baxter. After the drowning death of their daughter, the couple goes to Italy for work and to try to forget what happened. While there, a serial killer strikes.

In several scenes, John sees a short person in a red hooded coat, similar to the way his daughter was dressed when she died. Has she found a way to return to him? Needing to know, John follows the hooded figure in the final moments. Cornered, and with nowhere to go, the stranger turns around. It’s not John’s daughter. Instead, it’s the killer, an elderly little person with crazed eyes who slashes John to death.

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‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)

Image via Artisan Entertainment.

The Blair Witch Project had the greatest marketing campaign in movie history. Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez had audiences convinced that the found footage they were seeing was actually real. It’s a simple premise for the terror, with college filmmakers Heather (Heather Donahue), Josh (Joshua Leonard), and Mike (Michael C. Williams) going into the Maryland woods in search of a legendary witch. They quickly become lost before something unseen stalks them through the trees.

In the final scene, Josh has disappeared and now screams from somewhere out in the darkness. A terrified Heather and Mike go looking and come upon a dilapidated house. Alone in the basement, Mike’s camera is knocked down by the unknown. In the final shots, a screaming Heather runs down the steps. There stands a motionless Mike in the corner, just like Rustin Parr used to do with the kids he killed. An unknown force then knocks Heather’s camera away, silencing her. The audience never sees the witch or finds out what exactly happened. The fear is in the unknown.

Katie Bates admits she felt betrayed by silence after opening up about a “painful” childhood incident.

Posting via her Instagram Story on Friday, May 22, Bates, 25, shared more of her feelings as she faces ongoing family tension due to the undisclosed past event.

Bates said she was posting “to clarify what I meant when I said I lost about 90% of my family relationships” in her previous post.

“After choosing to address painful things from my childhood, I quickly learned that not everyone responds to honesty and healing with support. Some people choose silence!! Some choose distance. Some choose to minimize or avoid uncomfortable truths altogether,” she wrote via the Instagram Story. “But when someone has been repeatedly harmed, staying silent or distancing yourself despite knowing the truth can become its own form of betrayal. Neutrality doesn’t always equal innocence and it certainly doesn’t equal support!”

Related: Katie Bates Says She ‘Lost’ Family Relationships After Childhood Incident

Katie Bates is opening up about experiencing family strain after addressing an incident from her childhood. “I’ve been getting flooded with messages like this from people who are genuinely concerned for me so I want to answer this as honestly as I can,” Bates, 25, wrote via her Instagram Story on Wednesday, May 20, when […]

Bates concluded, “I stayed silent for a long time and I’m not doing that anymore.”

The Growing Up Bates alum revealed on Wednesday, May 20, that she made the choice to leave Tennessee amid family strain.

“A lot of people are confused by my decision to leave Tennessee, especially because from the outside it may look like I have a big support system here. The truth is, sometimes things happening behind closed doors are a lot more complicated and painful than what people see publicly,” wrote via her Instagram Story at the time.

She continued, “Recently I chose to address something that happened throughout my childhood that I wish I had the strength to address years ago. Unfortunately after doing so I lost relationships with about 90 percent of my family. This has been incredibly heartbreaking and heavy to walk through. I’m not going to share details online, but I’m also done pretending everything is OK just to protect appearances.”

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Bates added that she decided that remaining in Tennessee would not be in her best interests, explaining she felt it was “no longer healthy” for her.

Related: Bringing Up Bates’ Katie Bates Breaks Silence on Husband Travis’ Affair

Bringing Up Bates alum Katie Bates has broken her silence after her husband, Travis Clark, admitted his infidelity. “This is not how I imagined beginning this year or this new season of our lives,” Bates, 25, began in a lengthy statement shared via Instagram late on Monday, January 19. “This has been an incredibly painful […]

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Instead, she is embarking on a fresh start alongside her husband Travis Clark and their two children. (The couple married in 2023 and were embroiled in a cheating scandal in January when Clark, 24, admitted to having an affair.)

“I’m choosing to move forward, finally heal and build a peaceful life for myself and my children,” she wrote. “More than anything, I’m desperately leaning on God right now even when things feel painful, confusing and lonely. I don’t have every answer right now, but I believe God can bring healing and peace out of even the hardest situations.”

If you’re in a bind, don’t call Skai Jackson for money! In a new interview, the Disney star revealed that she runs a strict program when it comes to her finances. So strict that she doesn’t lend out money to anyone—including her best friends or loved ones.

Speaking with Justin Laboy on his “The Justin Laboy Show,” the “Jessie” actress responded to Laboy’s question about how she has developed the ability to say no to friends and family who ask her for money.

“I just say no,” she said boldly.

As she went on, Jackson said that continuing the conversation after saying no allows people to believe there is room to negotiate.

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“If you just say no, there’s no response. … It’s just like, ‘Oh, well, she said no. Okay,’” she said.

Skai Jackson Said It’s Not Her ‘Problem’ To Loan Money To People Who May Be Struggling

During the conversation, Laboy told Jackson that he once had to navigate a challenging conversation with someone who had asked him for a large amount, specifically $10,000. Laboy explained that he’s tried to “meet people halfway,” prompting Jackson to fire back.

“You can’t do that,” she said, revealing that she’s only been asked to loan money to people with whom she doesn’t have that great a relationship.

“People real close to me, like my best, best friends, they have never even asked me for money,” she said.

“People that I haven’t heard from in years are like, ‘Oh, my car [is] not working. Can you get me an Uber?’ I’m like, ‘No, you should have thought about that,’” Jackson added before revealing she recently had to tell someone she wasn’t going to send them money.

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“Someone did reach out. They were like, ‘My brother’s not answering. Can you call me an Uber, and I need some food?’ I said, ‘That’s not my problem,’” she explained.

Skai Jackson Opens Up About Spending Money On Men When She’s In A Relationship

Staying on the topic of money, Laboy asked Jackson whether she’d consider herself to be a “trick” when in a relationship.

For those who may be unfamiliar, a trick, in this context, is a person who spends a great deal of money on someone in hopes of securing a relationship.

“No,” Jackson said assuredly before revealing that she’s only spent money on partners for special occasions, such as birthdays.

“No, I’ll do nice things,” she said. “You know, if it’s a dinner, I might pay for the bill. Not every time, though, of course. That’s crazy.”

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“I love doing birthday gifts, I will say that,” she said before revealing that she’s spent a pretty penny in the past on shoes for a certain someone’s special day.

Jackson Isn’t The Only Celebrity Who Has Said No To Family Members Asking For Money

Jackson’s philosophy around money isn’t unique to her. In 2022, billionaire rapper Jay-Z stirred up a bit of chaos after appearing to say he wouldn’t loan his cousin $4,800 to help them start a business.

On Kevin Hart’s “Heart to Hart” podcast, the “Tom Ford” rapper said he often has to have conversations with family members about money, even during joyous occasions such as the holiday season.

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“You have cousins, you gotta go home for Thanksgiving, and people are talking to you like Kevin Hart, and you’re going home for solace,” he said. “You want family, you’re going home for peace of mind, and you got your cousins in your grandma’s living room saying, ‘Yo, man, I got this play. If you just give me $4,800, I could make you $2 million.’”

Jay-Z went on to say he had a tough conversation with his cousin after their request, implying he also said no.

“You like, ‘It don’t work like that.’ And you gotta explain to him, ‘Life isn’t like that. Money isn’t free, and no one’s giving out opportunities.’ If it sounds too good to be true, it is,” he said.

@breakfastclubam

🚨 #Jayz is getting backlash for refusing to loan his cousin $4,800… what’s your take 👀 let’s discuss ⬇️ . Follow @breakfastclubam 📺

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♬ original sound – The Breakfast Club

Popular podcasters Charlamagne Tha God and the rest of the “Breakfast Club” crew weighed in on Jay-Z’s comments, prompting social media users to share their thoughts on the matter.

One netizen said that they agreed with Jay-Z, writing, “[He’s not wrong]! Don’t count my pockets.” Another user said, “It’s like winning the lottery… everyone wants a hand out.”

“It’s never about the money, it’s the principle,” a third said. “Once people start to understand that, these types of convos will be irrelevant.”

Jackson’s statements received a similar reaction, considering one user commented, “I’m very giving, but people will drain your pockets to a hole if you allow them to.”

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A second said, “She not wrong. She worked for it, it’s hers. Can’t be entitled to people’s money.”

But the comments weren’t all positive, as one user suggested that Jackson was out of line for refusing to get someone an Uber when they needed transportation. “Shorty whilin,” someone said, while another said, “An Uber tho… that’s messed up, couldn’t do that to my folks.”

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!