If you avoided every book published in the 21st century, you’d still be unlikely to ever run out of good reading material, since there are an overwhelming number of classics published in the 20th century, and then all sorts of essential pieces of literature published in 1900 or earlier, too. “Wait, isn’t 1900 part of the 20th century?” you might be asking. It’s part of the 1900s, as in the decade, but not the 20th century.

The same goes for the year 2000. Arguable classics from 2000, like House of Leaves, Blonde, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, aren’t going to be here, as a result. It would feel right for the year 2000 to be part of the 21st century, but also, it would be factually incorrect. So, going through the best books of the 21st century so far means counting anything published from 2001 onwards. There’s only one author who appears here more than once, and he only appears twice, just to maintain some variety. Speaking of variety, non-fiction and works of fiction will be included here, too.

25

‘Never Let Me Go’ (2005)

Kazuo Ishiguro

Image via Faber Paperback

A far from conventional science fiction book, and a heavy one, too, Never Let Me Go feels like it’s been around for longer than just over 20 years… in a good way. It feels like more of a traditional classic than it is, and that also suggests it’s going to stand the test of time further, though it’s worth really stressing that it’s a good book without being a very fun book.

The sci-fi elements are subdued, and there mostly to enhance what’s mostly a psychological drama, and something that can be unusually eerie (maybe even scary) at times, too. It’s all too easy to ruin some of the surprises in Never Let Me Go, so it’s just better to say you’re better off discovering things here for yourself (again, if you don’t mind reading a downbeat novel every now and then).

24

‘The Cold Six Thousand’ (2001)

James Ellroy

Image via Cornerstone Digital

The middle chapter in the Underworld USA trilogy by James Ellroy, The Cold Six Thousand, is not as good as American Tabloid, but that one came out in 1995, so it can’t be here. Sorry, American Tabloid. It is worth mentioning that, though, because the book covers events between 1958 and 1963, with The Cold Six Thousand picking up right after and covering 1963 to 1968, with the third book, Blood’s a Rover, then covering 1968 to 1973.

Historical figures and fictional characters collided in American Tabloid, building up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, with some of those figures and characters carrying over to The Cold Six Thousand, which then builds to the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. It succeeds at making a tumultuous time in history feel all the more chaotic and downbeat, standing as a good book to read if, for whatever reason, you want to feel some intense paranoia.

23

‘The Road’ (2006)

Cormac McCarthy

Image via Picador

Potentially the greatest post-apocalyptic book of the century so far, The Road is about a man and his son trying to survive in a vastly changed world, but one that does feel uneasily believable. If an apocalyptic event did happen, it would probably be more The Road than Fallout… not that Fallout looks amazing, either, but there is fun to be had in that world, whether you’re talking about the games or the show.

The Road keeps things minimalist and brutal, in that Cormac McCarthy sort of way. You can typically rely on him for a well-written bad time, though there is still humanity in The Road, with some love and all still existing when there’s nothing else. And all that’s conveyed in a non-cheesy way, and without detracting/distracting from the bulk of the book, which is still very much as heavy as it needs to be, with subject matter like this.

22

‘Falling Man’ (2007)

Don DeLillo

Image via Scribner Book Company

Certain Don DeLillo books are worthy of reading before Falling Man, but those ones (namely, Libra, Underworld, and White Noise) all came out in the 20th century. Falling Man is his best of the current century, and it’s admittedly imperfect, but it has enough truly striking moments to ultimately feel great. It’s a novel that sees DeLillo tackling the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, doing so after addressing historical events of the back half of the 20th century in books like Libra and Underworld.

The postmodern approach here does lead to certain stretches of the book being hard to connect to others, and there is a non-chronological sort of storytelling here. But it does all serve to make the final stretch of Falling Man very haunting and powerful, albeit in ways that are hard to explain without undermining said haunting and powerful quality (just trust, please).

21

‘Born to Run’ (2016)

Bruce Springsteen

Image via Simon & Schuster

If you’ve listened to enough classic Bruce Springsteen albums, you’ll probably know he’s good with words (bit of an understatement), and those songs are often narratively quite strong. It shouldn’t be too surprising, then, that when he wrote a memoir – with the same title as what’s probably his best album – it was also extremely well-written. He covers about everything you’d want here, and the whole thing’s well-paced, too.

Like any memoir, Born to Run is going to be more compelling if you’re a Bruce Springsteen fan, but that’s okay. Maybe the person writing is a Bruce Springsteen fan, and so perhaps they’re biased, but what are you going to do? Yes, you. Problem? Upset? Don’t agree Born to Run is very good? Tough. It’s a great memoir. It’s a great book. It’s also one of a few memoirs that might be enhanced if you listen to it, since Springsteen himself narrates it (the same can be said about a couple more memoirs from the 21st century that’ll be mentioned a little later).

20

‘Against the Day’ (2006)

Thomas Pynchon

Image via Penguin Press

Like Don DeLillo, Thomas Pynchon is a postmodernist author who had his most essential books published in the 20th century, but he’s remained writing throughout the 21st century, too. Against the Day isn’t just his biggest of this century, but is also the beefiest book he’s written so far in either century, being well over 1000 pages long and having an overwhelming bunch of characters who drop in and out of the narrative (or narratives?) as a period of about 25 years is covered.

Against the Day is kind of a historical novel that spans from 1893 to 1918, but the main characters are mostly fictional, and there are some clear breaks from reality at certain points, when Pynchon wants to get fantastical/surreal. You can chip away at it over time, but it is a rewarding one to eventually finish (or conquer), standing as Pynchon’s most moving novel, or maybe his second-most, after only Mason & Dixon.

19

‘Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy’ (2007)

Vincent Bugliosi

Image via W. W. Norton & Company

There were lots of things that happened in the 1960s, to put it mildly. It was a decade of change, upheaval, and progress (at least in some regards), with the John F. Kennedy assassination being… well, not related to progress. But it definitely changed things and shook America, plus much of the world, in ways that can still be felt, and it all happened not too long ago in the overall scheme of things.

Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy is the ultimate book about the event, covering it in exhaustive detail and then addressing just about every conspiracy theory that’s sprung up about the event itself, laying out why they don’t hold up. It is easiest to be exposed to conspiracies, rather than detailed refutations of conspiracies, so Reclaiming History has value in that regard. And if you still want to believe, you do you, and even then, you can still probably get a lot out of the (long) section of this (very long) book that covers the assassination and its immediate aftermath, more or less minute-by-minute.

18

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ (2007)

J.K. Rowling

Image via Bloomsbury

The 1990s was when the Harry Potter series started, but the 2000s felt like the decade that it was truly dominant, and even inescapable. The fourth book was published in 2000, and is debatably the best Harry Potter book of the 2000s, but it’s got that “technically a 20th-century book” thing going for it, so it’s not here. The final three books in the series were also published during the 2000s, and were being released at around the same time the first few movies were coming out, too.

Of the 21st century Harry Potter books, the grand finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is going here. It’s one of the less controversial endings to a long-running book series out there, and even if it’s not perfect, it is still satisfying and crowd-pleasing. Crowds of people read it, and most of them seemed pleased. And you can’t fault Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when it comes to drama and big things happening, with it being jam-packed to the extent that dividing its eventual movie adaptation into two parts did ultimately feel appropriate.

17

‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2005)

Image via Norstedts Förlag

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Stieg Larsson died suddenly and tragically before he could see just how popular his Millennium series would be, because the three books in that series he wrote were all published posthumously. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the first of them, and probably the best, being about a journalist and a hacker/private investigator who both get wrapped in a complex criminal case for (initially) different reasons.

It unfolds a bit like a noir story, and also a psychological thriller, keeping things unpredictable and consistently tense. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been adapted into two movies, and that’s part of the reason it’s such a central and defining neo-noir story, but the book remains the most compelling way to soak up this particular dark, intense, and oftentimes surprising narrative.

16

‘Sonny Boy: A Memoir’ (2024)

Al Pacino

Image via Penguin

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Another memoir, Sonny Boy is Al Pacino telling his life story in his own words, and it also has a fantastic audiobook version, with Pacino being both conversational and theatrical with his delivery. It feels like he’s approached you in a bar, or you’ve found yourself stuck next to him on a long plane trip, and he’s just started casually telling you about everything he’s done. But he’s Pacino, and his life story is fascinating, so it’s worth listening to.

There is a slow pace to the early chapters, about Pacino’s childhood, but then he returns to this time right near the book’s end, and the final things he has to say about his pre-acting years become so much more bittersweet and moving. And then the parts about all the incredible movies he’s been in (with some time spent on the not-so-incredible movies he’s also been in) are all engrossing in the ways you’d expect such parts to be.

In an unconformable onstage moment, Usher asked a fan to leave after she visibly rejected his seductive dance moves.

During his Friday, July 24, R&B Tour show in Nashville, the “U Got It Bad” singer, 47, performed alongside a female fan from the audience, per footage later shared via Instagram.

In the video, the shirtless musician, who is currently coheadlining The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, is seen serenading the fan before he begins to lean into her while sitting on a bed. As Usher attempts to nuzzle the woman’s neck, the pair bend backwards onto the bed as the fan maintains a rigid position.

The singer (full name Usher Raymond IV) is then seen shifting his face toward the fan’s to engage more intimately with her. However, the woman remains tight-lipped throughout the pair’s interaction. As Usher then lifts his head to look into the woman’s eyes, he flashes her a brief glance before slowly turning his head toward the crowd with a puzzled expression on his face.

Related: Usher and Chris Brown Argue Hours Before Las Vegas Performances

Is there a new feud brewing? Usher and Chris Brown were spotted arguing during a Las Vegas party early on Saturday, May 6. Usher, 44, and Brown had gotten into a heated exchange at the “Go Crazy” rapper’s 34th birthday party at Skate Rock City roller rink in Las Vegas, according to a video obtained […]

“I don’t think she wants to be on the stage,” the hitmaker then says before walking away from the bed, removing his two earpieces and shaking his hand at the bed in a gesture for her to leave the stage altogether.

The awkward moment drew mixed responses from fans, who took to the post’s comments section to offer their takes. “Why would she go up there then?” posed one fan, while another wrote, “I respect her.”

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Another social media user commented on Usher’s reaction during the moment, summing it up as, “She killed his ego a little bit, bro ain’t used to that.”

Related: Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Threatened to Fight Usher If He Serenaded His Wife

Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Mookie Betts is known for his quick hands on the baseball field, but the Los Angeles Dodgers star was almost forced to utilize them during a potential throwdown with Usher.  Betts, 31, was mic’d up in the outfield during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the Dodgers’ game in Atlanta against the […]

Usher and Brown, 37, announced their tour in April, sharing a joint Instagram post that declared it was “time” to hit the road together. The announcement attracted backlash due to Brown’s legal issues over the years, which have included allegations of abuse against women. (Brown pleaded guilty to the felony assault of his 2009 girlfriend Rihanna, serving five years of probation.)

Brown addressed the backlash in an Instagram Story shared on April 26. “The funniest and the weirdest s*** ever to me is the fact that poeple [sic] have the option to come to my tour and the option not to,” he wrote at the time. “I know everyone who is a fan of me and USHER will definitely be in the building and it will be PACKED just like last year.”

The new millennium has been an embarrassment of riches for science fiction. From mainstream commercial hits to quiet and introspective pieces, the genre has thrived and reached new levels of recognition, thanks to directors like Denis Villeneuve and Jordan Peele. It’s a genre that has massively thrived in the modern age, not just due to continued franchises, but memorable original visions from the best filmmakers working today.

In fact, more than a few recent sci-fi movies are on their way to becoming classics of the beloved and daring genre. From award-winning successes like Arrival to box-office smash hits like Backrooms, these masterpieces will surely stand the test of time and take their worthy place alongside classics like Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

10

‘Arrival’ (2016)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Amy Adams gives the best performance of her esteemed career in Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 cerebral sci-fi masterpiece Arrival. Adams plays Louise Banks, a linguist tasked with interpreting a series of symbols created by aliens newly arrived on Earth.

Insightful, thought-provoking, and profoundly impactful, Arrival is a cinematic masterpiece. The film is a triumph, balancing weighty ideas with a deeply humane plot that will resonate with every parent and child. Further elevated by Adams’ gripping performance, Arrival‘s standing has only improved over the years, with many considering it among the best films of the 21st century.

9

‘The Substance’ (2024)

Image via Mubi

Body horror has been a staple of the horror genre for decades now, with iconic titles like The Fly and Under the Skin showing the timeless effectiveness of body horror with sci-fi elements at their center. The Substance is simply the latest landmark title in the sci-fi body horror genre, further amplifying its abundance of gore and gross-out moments with a heaping dose of in-your-face messaging about the self-destructive culture of Hollywood beauty standards towards women.

The film’s overwhelming, in-your-face style manages to even give it a distinct edge from previous body horror films, making it an immediate fan-favorite for those who witnessed it. The hype and enthusiasm for the film even ended up being ridden all the way to a Best Picture nomination, a complete rarity for horror films and a perceived impossibility for body horror. While already being heralded as a horror classic, it’s easy to imagine the film as a sci-fi classic in the future as well. —Robert Lee

8

‘Dune’ (2021)

Image via Warner Bros.

Villeneuve strikes again. The ambitious director tackled Frank Herbert‘s notoriously divisive and challenging seminal novel Dune with a faithful adaptation starring Timothée Chalamet. The Oscar nominee stars as Paul Atreides, a young man caught in a galactic battle over control of the desert-like but crucial planet of Arrakis.

Dune successfully captures its source material’s grand scope and hefty themes and blends them with a healthy dose of thrilling action sequences worthy of a major Hollywood production. The film is an epic cinematic achievement that brought new life to a well-known classic, cementing its place in the pantheon of sci-fi triumphs. With the climactic finale of the Dune trilogy on the horizon, the classic status of this original entry is all but cemented.

7

‘Poor Things’ (2023)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

An unrestrained arthouse dramedy from acclaimed visionary director Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things has an infectious mixture of raunchy comedy, insightful social messaging, and a quirky twist on its Frankenstein-adjacent story. The film follows the perspective of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a woman brought back to life through unorthodox means who has the physical body of an adult woman and the mind of a child. As she navigates the world and learns of its pleasures and hardships, she grows steadfast in standing for equality and liberation.

From the very first frame to its equal parts strange and emotional ending, Poor Things thrives thanks to the sheer creativity and personality of its execution, persisting in every part of the film and elevating it to massive critical acclaim. Even in the short time since its release, there has been overwhelming praise and appreciation for the artistry on display in the film, including 4 Academy Award wins. —Robert Lee

6

‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)

Image via Paramount Pictures

John Krasinski directs himself and his real-life wife, Emily Blunt, in 2018’s horror sci-fi A Quiet Place. Set in a world populated by blind monsters with heightened hearing, the film focuses on the Abbott family as they try to survive while grieving the death of their youngest child while expecting another.

Anxious but understated, A Quiet Place relies on the basics of horror, using mystery and silence to craft an exquisite creature feature far scarier than many other contemporary horror pictures. Soaring on the backs of Krasinski’s assured directing and Blunt’s career-best performance, A Quiet Place is a modern classic in the horror and sci-fi genres.

5

‘Backrooms’ (2026)

Image via A24

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Based on the fan-favorite YouTube series of the same name, which in itself adapted a prominent internet creepypasta, Backrooms shines as one of the most prominent and shining examples of the future of filmmaking in the hands of the next generation. The film sees various people investigating a mysterious pathway in the basement of a furniture showroom that leads to the titular Backrooms. With strange, unsettling imagery and rooms that seemingly go on forever, it doesn’t take long before the dangers of the Backrooms make themselves present.

With a larger cinematic scale and a deeper examination of the thematic strengths and world of Backrooms as a whole, this feature-length extension of the web-series is everything that fans wanted and more from a Backrooms movie. Especially since this type of internet-centric adaptation never is this faithful to the original source material, the film became an immediate hit that capitalized on all the fans of the property while also seamlessly introducing it to new audiences. —Robert Lee

4

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Thirty years after Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, George Miller returned to his famous franchise with Mad Max: Fury Road. The film stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, who joins Imperator Furiosa, played by the mighty Charlize Theron, to take down the despot Immortan Joe.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a technical achievement of the highest order. The film is basically a prolonged car chase, with Miller raising the stakes and thrills to new and epic heights. However, Fury Road is also a feminist rallying cry and a successful reinvention of a saga that spent years on life support.

3

‘Nope’ (2022)

Image via Universal Studios

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Jordan Peele‘s neo-Western sci-fi horror Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. The film follows two siblings attempting to capture evidence of a UFO that appears over their horse ranch.

Nope offers interesting commentaries about the movie-making business, the film industry, and society’s simultaneous fear and obsession with the unknown. Like Peele’s previous efforts, Nope has a healthy dose of horror, adding a layer of tension to the already eerie premise. Exhilarating and audacious, Nope finds Peele at his most commercial, marking yet another triumph in his filmography and becoming an instant classic of the genre.

2

‘Project Hail Mary’ (2026)

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

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Each generation manages to have its own high-budget sci-fi epic that pushes technological advancements to their limit to create a strikingly beautiful exploration of the cosmos, with this role being squarely filled by Project Hail Mary. This charming mixture of quirky humor and harrowing human nature makes for a great mixture of entertainment and emotion, delivering everything one would want out of a sci-fi blockbuster experience.

On top of being a really great film in its own right, there is an undeniable approachability and crowd-pleasing attribute to Project Hail Mary that makes it a joy to watch for just about everyone that witnesses it. While the film has only been out a few months, the pathway to newfound classic status is easily underway, as it will most certainly make a killing at the upcoming Academy Awards and will probably even win a few awards along the way. However, even more than just awards, Project Hail Mary is the type of fun, lighthearted movie with real depth that audiences will be reminiscing about and rewatching for decades to come. —Robert Lee

1

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

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The Oscar-winning sensation Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis. It tells the story of Evelyn, a Chinese-American immigrant who discovers she can access other universes and becomes involved in a multiversal battle against an all-powerful being called Jobu Tupaki.

Subversive and brilliant, Everything Everywhere All at Once is equal parts absurd and heartwarming. Blending heavy metaphysical themes with issues of family and identity, the film is a brilliant exploration of life, love, and the Asian-American experience. Everything Everywhere All at Once is unique, a film that will stand the test of time as one of the genre’s all-time best.

Taylor Sheridan is currently enjoying the fruits of his labor. After building up his career brick by brick, the prolific multihyphenate now has one of the biggest resumes. His TV shows are key pillars in the Paramount+ library, and he has continued to deliver new ones over the past several years. Sheridan is also successful in the film business with hits like Hell or High Water and Sicario. Still, Sheridan has not been the recognizable name he is despite being nominated for an Oscar at the 2017 Academy Awards. All that changed in the late 2010s when one of his most celebrated works exploded in popularity.

The TV show that made him a household name was not a smash hit right out of the gate, but it slowly built its audience until it became the most-watched cable TV show. The gritty neo-Western was praised by viewers for its writing and slow-burn approach that usually culminated in an epic season finale. It concluded in December 2024 partly because the story had neared its natural conclusion, and the behind-the-scenes drama had become hard to contain. However, a good show is a good show, and the passage of time doesn’t negate that fact.

The series in question is Yellowstone, the Kevin Costner-led drama that has opened major doors to Sheridan. After Yellowstone, he went on to write and create close to a dozen shows for Paramount+, shows that have been successful in their own right. The latest, Dutton Ranch, completed its freshman season a few weeks ago. Now, viewers are still craving that original Yellowstone feel, as shown by FlixPatrol’s ranking for last week, which reveals that Yellowstone has become the number one show on Paramount+ globally, over a year after it aired its series finale. It’s rare for completed stories to achieve this, but Yellowstone‘s endlessly rewatchable storyline and the availability of numerous episodes make it a perfect outlier.

The ‘Yellowstone’ Universe Continues

The show came to an end in 2024 when Costner left, and his character was killed off, so the writers had no option but to end this chapter of the story. However, the remaining characters got their continuation when CBS and Paramount+ ordered new shows focusing on different Dutton siblings. In Marshals, Kayce (Luke Grimes) remains in Montana but shifts gears by joining law enforcement instead of ranching. Meanwhile, in Dutton Ranch, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and her husband Rip (Cole Hauser) move to Texas to start a new life away from the Dutton family mess. Both shows will return for Season 2.

Stream all 53 episodes of Yellowstone on Paramount+ in the U.S. and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

2018 – 2024

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Network

Paramount Network

Directors

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Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan, Christina Alexandra Voros, Guy Ferland, John Dahl

Writers

John Coveny, Ian McCulloch

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In an unconformable on-stage moment, Usher asked a fan to leave after she visibly rejected getting into his seductive dance moves.

During the Friday, July 24, R&B Tour show in Nashville, the “U Got It Bad” hitmaker, 47, performed alongside a female fan from the audience, per fan footage shared via Instagram in the show’s aftermath.

In the video, the shirtless musician, who is currently co-headlining The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, is seen serenading the fan before he begins to lean into her while sitting on a bed. As Usher then attempts to nuzzle the neck of the fan, the pair bend backwards onto the bed as the fan maintains a rigid position.

The singer, real name Usher Raymond IV, is then seen shifting his face towards the fan’s face to engage more intimately with her, however the fan remains tight-lipped throughout the pair’s interaction. As Usher then lifts his head to look into the woman’s eyes, he flashes her a brief glance before slowly turning his head towards the crowd with a puzzled expression plastered to his face.

Related: Usher and Chris Brown Argue Hours Before Las Vegas Performances

Is there a new feud brewing? Usher and Chris Brown were spotted arguing during a Las Vegas party early on Saturday, May 6. Usher, 44, and Brown had gotten into a heated exchange at the “Go Crazy” rapper’s 34th birthday party at Skate Rock City roller rink in Las Vegas, according to a video obtained […]

“I don’t think she wants to be on the stage,” the singer then says before walking away from the bed, removing his two ear pieces and shaking his hand at the bed in a gesture for her to leave the stage altogether.

The awkward moment drew mixed responses from fans who took to the post’s comments section to offer their takes. “Why would she go up there then?” posed one fan, while another wrote, “I respect her.”

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Another social media user commented on Usher’s reaction during the moment, summing it up as, “She killed his ego a little bit, bro ain’t used to that.”

Related: Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Threatened to Fight Usher If He Serenaded His Wife

Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Mookie Betts is known for his quick hands on the baseball field, but the Los Angeles Dodgers star was almost forced to utilize them during a potential throwdown with Usher.  Betts, 31, was mic’d up in the outfield during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the Dodgers’ game in Atlanta against the […]

Usher and Brown, 37, announced their tour in April, sharing a joint Instagram post that declared it was “time.” The announcement attracted backlash due to Brown’s legal issues over the years, which included allegations of abuse against women. (Brown pleaded guilty to the felony assault of his 2009 girlfriend Rihanna, serving five years of probation.)

Brown addressed the backlash in an Instagram Story shared on April 26. “The funniest and the weirdest s*** ever to me is the fact that poeple [sic] have the option to come to my tour and the option not to,” he wrote at the time. “I know everyone who is a fan of me and USHER will definitely be in the building and it will be PACKED just like last year.”

An Ohio man was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to suffocating his baby. Marcellaus Nekie Malone was sentenced on Friday, July 17, after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

RELATED: Oklahoma Woman Convicted After Allegedly Forcing 11-Year-Old Daughter To Have Stepfather’s Baby With No Medical Care

Malone Pleaded Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter

Malone pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after he allegedly suffocated his baby daughter in December of last year in Batavia, Ohio.

The 30-year-old also pleaded guilty to child endangerment through corporal punishment or physical restraint, according to WKRC. Malone and the baby’s mother called 911 on Dec. 11, 2025, to say the 4-month-old wasn’t breathing.

The baby was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and an investigation uncovered that Malone allegedly punched his baby in the face at least once. Furthermore, a neighbor reported hearing Malone threatening to fling the baby into a wall, per Local12.

Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Jason E. Nagel sentenced him to seven to 13.5 years for involuntary manslaughter. In addition, Malone was also sentenced to three years for the child endangerment offense, and the sentences will be served consecutively, per US Weekly.

Original Charges Included Felony Murder For The Ohio Man

Originally, Malone was indicted for felony murder and involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, he was charged with domestic violence and seven endangering children charges. However, the extra charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty.

According to the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office, Malone said his daughter was “going to be a dead baby” on video.

“On December 11, 2025, the Milford Police Department was called out to the apartment occupied by Malone for an unresponsive four-month-old,” wrote Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve in a press release. “First responders rushed the infant to the hospital, but the child could not be revived. An investigation into Malone revealed a pattern of abuse going back at least two months. 

Malone Punished Baby For Crying By Swaddling

The prosecutor also claimed that Malone swaddled the baby for punishment when she cried. He also wrapped her head, which caused her to pass out.

“It was further revealed that as a punishment for crying, Malone would tightly swaddle the infant, including her head, to the point she could not breathe and would pass out,” he wrote. “He told her that if she wanted to stop getting swaddled like that, she would have to stop crying. Not only would Malone cut off the baby’s breathing as a result of her fussing, but on at least one occasion, he punched the infant in the face for crying, causing a significant bruise.”

The autopsy found the baby died from a “history of occlusion of the nose and mouth by swaddling of the body and head.”

RELATED: Prayers Up! Baby Found Dead In Porta-Potty During Michigan Electric Forest Music Festival (UPDATE)

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6.As House of the Dragon weaves the epic story of the Dance of the Dragons, the series is unafraid to take its own path. Though George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood provides an outline, the HBO series has made more than a few changes, like altering Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) dynamic and, more recently, changing the timing of Helaena’s (Phia Saban) pregnancy. And as the story unfolds, there are even more examples. Season 3’s latest dramatic twist highlights House of the Dragon‘s willingness to take risks as the series pushes Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) story in a drastically different direction.

Throughout Season 3, Corlys’ plot has been unlike Fire & Blood. His anger at Rhaenyra and absence from King’s Landing are invented for the series, but certainly make sense for the proud character. However, Episode 6 takes this even further with the cliffhanger of Corlys getting captured by Ormund Hightower’s (James Norton) man. With no comparable storyline in the source material, it’s unclear how this will turn out for the Sea Snake, placing the character in serious danger. However, whatever happens, Corlys’ Fire & Blood story can continue, as his disappearance will allow House of the Dragon to highlight Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and Baela (Bethany Antonia). While the series has taken a major risk with Corlys, the departure from the source material could make his storyline even more compelling.

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Gives Corlys a Storyline That Isn’t in ‘Fire & Blood’

While it’s not surprising for House of the Dragon to change a few things, Corlys’ story in Season 3 is unrecognizable from his Fire & Blood role, and Episode 6 takes that even further. While it starts with Alyn’s efforts to convince Corlys to return to help Rhaenyra, the ending takes a dark turn. Despite his lingering resentment for Rhaenyra, Corlys announces his intention to return to King’s Landing, allowing his men to reinforce the city, but his plan is interrupted when Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain), Ormund Hightower’s right-hand man, appears. Angered by Rhaenyra’s assassination attempt, the Hightower forces capture Corlys and attack his men in retaliation. This conflict leaves Corlys’ fate unclear, and with Ormund’s volatile nature, things don’t look good for the Sea Snake.

Not only is this a tense cliffhanger, but even those who read Fire & Blood have no idea what might happen to Corlys next. The differences in Corlys’ storyline started small, initially only extending his appeal for Alyn and Addam (Clinton Liberty) to be legitimized and creating a rift between him and Rhaenyra over the subject. But with Episode 6’s twist, House of the Dragon has moved even further from the source material. Instead of hunting the Triarchy in Westeros, the novel shows him staying in King’s Landing and advising Rhaenyra. Corlys spends much of the war trying to curb her more vicious impulses as he argues for calm, rational action, but his advice is often ignored. Their relationship eventually falls apart when Rhaenyra sends her people after the dragonseed, including Addam, despite Corlys’ protests. He warns Addam, allowing the dragonrider to flee to safety, but Corlys is named a traitor for it. Rather than taking the character down this path, House of the Dragon has interrupted the story with Corlys’ capture, placing him in the middle of the conflict with Ormund with this shocking twist.

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Can Highlight Baela and Alyn in Corlys’ Place

Corlys’ story may not follow his Fire & Blood trajectory, but this change has already provided one benefit because it allows the show to highlight another member of his family. Alyn has begun to take over Corlys’ King’s Landing storyline as he sits on the small council and advises patience and restraint. Already he is gaining her trust and earning his place as Corlys’ heir, though Rhaenyra has yet to grant it. Especially with Corlys missing, Alyn can take over his role, leading House Velaryon and advising Rhaenyra. This will give him a more significant role than in Fire & Blood, where he stays with the Velaryon fleet that has already played its part.

Yet, Alyn isn’t the only one able to step up in Corlys’ absence. Baela remains an important part of Rhaenyra’s forces, being one of her dragonriders. Though Fire & Blood gives her little to do at this point in the story, House of the Dragon‘s twist allows her a new challenge. Not only does Corlys’ disappearance leave a void, but it is a reason for both Alyn and Baela to fight. They both care for Corlys, with Alyn finally getting to know his father and Baela having lost most of her family already, potentially making rescuing him a priority. Already, House of the Dragon has begun exploring a romance between them, and now Baela and Alyn will be thrown together even more as they fear for Corlys and lead the Velaryon House in his absence. While whatever happens to Corlys while Ormund has him is sure to be terrible (this is Westeros, after all), at least he has two capable descendants to continue his work in King’s Landing.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming on HBO Max with new episodes on Sundays.

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Release Date

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August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

Directors

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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

Writers

Gabe Fonseca

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• 
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  Fabien Frankel

  Ser Criston Cole

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When it comes to horror movies in 2026, there have really only been two major players. Although the likes of Evil Dead director Sam Raimi‘s Send Help, the spine-chilling Hokum, and the genius 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple have all impressed, it is the feature debuts of two YouTuber-turned-filmmakers that have stolen not just the horror spotlight, but the box office spotlight as a whole, sending the likes of The Mandalorian and Grogu tumbling down the charts.

The first of these to debut in theaters in mid-May was Focus Features’ Obsession, Curry Barker‘s breakout masterpiece that features an early career-defining role by Inde Navarrette that has earned plenty of Oscars buzz. Not only has the film been heralded as one of the finest debuts of this decade, but it has also smashed many box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing non-animated original film of the past decade, the only genre film in history to stay in the box office top ten for over 40 days in a row, and now the highest-grossing original horror movie of this century.

Although Obsession eventually won the box office battle, its biggest opponent came in the form of A24’s Backrooms, which itself broke an impressive box office record as 20-year-old Kane Parsons became the youngest director ever to claim the #1 spot on the North American box office charts. Alas, Backrooms‘ $384 million is far short of Obsession‘s near-$450 million, but that hasn’t stopped it from snatching victory back on the streaming charts. At the time of writing, Backrooms is the most-watched movie on the iTunes charts in the U.S., ahead of Obsession in second place.

What Else Are People Streaming on iTunes?

The iTunes charts are a great way to get a feel for what Americans are watching right now. With Backrooms and Obsession at the top, what else is enticing movie-lovers? In third place on the charts is The Devil Wears Prada 2, another 2026 box office success, closely followed by the year’s first billion-dollar movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Also proving popular on U.S. iTunes are the likes of Antoine Fuqua’s musical biopic, Michael, The Breadwinner, Zendaya‘s The Drama, and more.

Both Backrooms and Obsession are available to rent on iTunes, with the latter also available to stream on Peacock. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming updates.

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Release Date

May 15, 2026

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Curry Barker

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If there is one decade that redefined the Hollywood blockbuster, it was the 1990s. The movies of the decade mixed profoundly poignant and artistic films with popcorn flicks that got butts in the seats, slaughtering box office numbers in unimaginable ways. Animated films were no longer just for kids, as horror movies were no longer just a niche genre. Needless to say, the ’90s were an integral era for the trajectory of cinema.

We are embarking on a near-impossible task of celebrating the ten best films of the 1990s. With so many movies to pick from in the ten-year span, selecting ten required intense deliberation. To make this list, the movie should have a healthy mix of artistic merit, a sense of universal adoration, iconic performances, and a lasting impact on the future, as well as pop culture. There are certainly many films that could have found their way here, but these ten are simply the best.

10

‘Fargo’ (1996)

Image via Gramercy Pictures

Crime thrillers were all the rage in the ‘90s, but what about infusing some black comedy into it? You get the simply sublime Fargo. Written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, Fargo tells the story of Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a desperate car salesman in debt. He hires two thugs, Gaear Grimsrud and Carl Showalter (Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi), to kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), to extort a large ransom from his wealthy father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell). The plan goes wrong when the criminals murder a state trooper, drawing the focus of a pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand). Brilliantly blending dark comedy, brutal crime drama, and unique Midwestern culture into a completely original story, Fargo brought a truly entertaining experience to the screen while subverting expectations.

Often in crime films, the story centers on an invincible hero and a mastermind villain. That’s not the case in Fargo. Instead of a slick, mastermind criminal villain, the plot is driven by incompetent, desperate, and pathetic men. It allows the central theme of greed to take center stage. The movie takes a tragic, botched kidnapping plot and injects absurd, pitch-black humor without making light of the genuine horror. The Coens manage to infuse the perfect tone into a serious story by ensuring the locale and its locals are genuine. They may seem silly with their accents and Midwest niceties, but that’s part of the charm that makes it a shocking series of events. Crime stories don’t need to be told in seedy underbellies of big metropolises. The Coens were cemented as defining voices in cinema thanks to Fargo. The film won two Academy Awards, for Best Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay, heightening its legacy and rewriting the true crime formula. Fargo has lived beyond its initial release, paving the way for one of the greatest anthology television series.

9

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Image via Miramax Films

The rules of cinema were shattered when Quentin Tarantino released Pulp Fiction. Impacting pop culture unlike any film of its kind, Pulp Fiction served as a touchstone of the decade. The nonlinear narrative tells a tale of crime, violence, and redemption in Los Angeles. Two hitmen, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson) working for mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) retrieve a stolen briefcase, survive a miraculous near-death shooting, and accidentally kill an informant. Vega is told to take Marsellus’s wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out for a fun evening, which turns dangerous when Mia suffers an accidental drug overdose. Meanwhile, an aging boxer, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), is paid by Marsellus to throw a fight but wins instead. He risks his life to return for his family’s treasured gold watch and ends up saving Marsellus from a dangerous situation. And then, of course, there are a pair of diner robbers, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer). Presenting the chapters out of order, the story starts and ends at a diner during an armed robbery, showing how Jules chooses a path of peace over violence. In the process, it established Tarantino as a filmmaking genius, as every element of Pulp Fiction was utilized perfectly.

Pulp Fiction isn’t a mind-bending puzzle, but its non-linear structure tasks the audience with piecing the timeline together as the film goes on. In doing so, it subverts expectations so that major characters in one segment become minor players in another, as Tarantino proves how we are all somehow connected in this very small world. The dialogue is some of the best in his entire body of work. From the rhythmic word symphony to meandering conversations about a Royale with cheese, it comes before high-stakes moments, then blurs the line between high art and lowbrow pop culture references. The film mixes elements of classic gangster films, neo-noir, westerns, and exploitation cinema as it balances shocking, absurd violence with pitch-black comedy. Pulp Fiction boasts one of the greatest movie soundtracks of the decade. Pulp Fiction redefined cool in the ‘90s as it radically altered the movie landscape, as independent projects of a small $8 million budget could achieve a $213 million global cultural phenomenon status. Pulp Fiction inspired a wave of imitators trying to capture its exact blend of stylized violence and cool detachment, but none could achieve the same acclaim.

8

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

Horror films tended to be pushed to the side when it came to the discussion of awards. And then The Silence of the Lambs changed the conversation forever. Adapted from Thomas Harris‘ 1988 novel, The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who is tasked with interviewing the imprisoned, brilliant cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The FBI hopes Lecter’s unique psychological insights can help them track down another active serial killer nicknamed “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. Lecter agrees to offer psychological clues and profile Buffalo Bill, but only if Clarice reveals painful personal details about her own childhood—specifically her trauma involving slaughtered lambs on a farm. Blending sharp psychological tension in an airtight script with pristine performances, not only was The Silence of the Lambs a brilliant horror film, it rightly walked away with the Big Five at the Academy Awards— Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. Instead of physical action spectacles, the core of the film rests on psychological deconstruction through dialogue and locked-room mental sparring.

Even if you’re weary of horror films, The Silence of the Lambs transcends genres for a truly riveting film. Director Jonathan Demme’s usage of tight close-ups and having actors look straight into the camera exudes a tension that’s inescapable. It also puts the audience in Clarice’s perspective, making viewers share her fear and isolation in a man’s world. With such detail in the script of real FBI training and consultation, the police work feels authentic. The characters, lifted from the novel, are truly remarkable. Foster does remarkable work, especially against the monsters that are Buffalo Bill and Lecter. It’s the latter who has haunted our nightmares ever since. Hopkins literally transformed into the cannibalistic character, cementing him into the villain hall of fame. The Silence of the Lamb proved that a dark, genre-based thriller could achieve the highest level of artistic and critical prestige. The doors that this film opened will never be closed again.

7

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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It had seemed that The Godfather franchise would serve as the epitome of gangster films, but then Goodfellas arrived, and it rivaled that moniker. Where The Godfather used the mafia as an almost mythological saga, Goodfellas provided ground-level authenticity that has since been unmatched. Directed by Martin Scorsese in one of his best films, Goodfellas is based on Nicholas Pileggi‘s 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy. It tells the true story of Mafia associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) from 1955 to 1980, tracking his rise in the underworld, his marriage to Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco), and his partnerships with mobsters Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) before his ultimate downfall and entry into the witness protection program. Goodfellas treats organized crime not as a distant myth, but as a living, breathing, high-velocity subculture. In turn, it treats breathless, innovative editing and iconic tracking shots with raw, grounded performances to show the seductive highs and brutal reality of the mob.

Scorsese takes Pileggi’s story and elevates it to the next level. Through his direction, the film has an electric, restless pace that mirrors the addictive nature of the lifestyle. With one of the film’s most iconic moments, Scorsese puts the audience in Henry’s shoes through a continuous tracking shot that takes viewers through the kitchens and back alleys into the club. It made the film visceral in a way other mobster movies had not. The pacing of the film is kinetic thanks to Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing. The legendary editor used sharp, rhythmic cuts that matched the diegetic music and quick dialogue. By the time the story reached its final act, it simulated a cocaine-fueled paranoia breakdown with absolute precision. Though it does make way for the appeal of the life, it deconstructs it. Goodfellas ends up showing the mafia as a hollow, paranoid, and destructive trap. Goodfellas has remained a rewatchable crime epic that revolutionized the genre.

6

‘The Lion King’ (1994)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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If you’re a millennial, then you most certainly identify the ‘90s as the Disney Animated Renaissance. On the brink of near extinction, Disney sought a resurgence in their animated features, and they found it with a string of instant classics. Though this slot could be offered to another film, the very best of the era was none other than The Lion King. The iconic film tells the story of Simba (Matthew Broderick/Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a young lion cub destined to be king of the Pride Lands. After his treacherous uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) murders his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), Simba is manipulated into exile. He grows up carefree with new friends before returning home to face his past, defeat Scar, and reclaim his rightful throne. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King blends a timeless epic narrative with breathtaking hand-drawn animation, legendary musical numbers from Elton John and Tim Rice, and deep, universal themes about life, death, and responsibility that resonate across generations. It bravely addressed heavy, complex themes in a way that resonated deeply with both children and adults while still allowing moments of joy and levity.

Though Disney is notorious for offering parents in their films, never had there been an explanation for the power of loss like in The Lion King. It addressed the circle of life, teaching that existence requires balance and acceptance of our place in the natural world. The Lion King may be a coming-of-age story of a lion cub, but it was more universal than that. It taught children to see themselves in young Simba, while adults deeply connect with the duties and heartbreaks of Mufasa. Hans Zimmer infused an emotional, sweeping African-influenced orchestral score, but the film will forever be connected to the Broadway-style production numbers. From “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Hakuna Matata,” there’s not a weak song on the narrative-pushing soundtrack. The Lion King arrived at a time when hand-drawn animation was being married with 3D computer animation. But it was the hand-drawn backgrounds and innovative multi-plane shots that captured the majesty of the African savanna. The Lion King became a crucial cultural milestone whose legacy still rules today. From a Broadway musical that has gone global to a live-action remake, The Lion King remains proudly in our hearts.

5

‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Stories about the Holocaust are never going to be an easy pill to swallow. The result of the event will forever be tied to horrid individuals, but in the complete darkness was momentary light. That’s the story of Schindler’s List. Based on the historical novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, the Steven Spielberg film tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman and Nazi party member who, with the help of a Jewish accountant named Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), saved over 1,100 Jewish people from death in concentration camps during World War II by employing them in his factories. Combining documentary-style realism with profound moral storytelling, Spielberg’s film transformed a vast historical tragedy into an intimate human experience about the capacity for both absolute evil and profound goodness. Shot in black-and-white, the movie exudes the stark, haunting look of 1940s newsreels. But when a pop of red comes in, it’s a recognition of something extraordinarily powerful.

The film features some of the best acting of the decade. Neeson takes on a selfish, money-hungry factory owner who slowly transforms into a selfless protector. It’s an evolution that is earned and deeply human. Opposing Schindler is Ralph Fiennes as Nazi officer Amon Göth. He delivers a chilling unpredictability that avoids playing evil as an over-the-top cartoonish monster, instead presenting it with casual ease. Schindler’s List is more than just a profound historical drama; it’s a pristinely directed masterpiece. Spielberg refused to look away from brutal acts, using hand-held cameras to place the viewer directly inside the terrifying reality of the Holocaust. With stark black-and-white imagery, the rare, single flash of color of the girl in the red dress (Oliwia Dabrowska) serves as a powerful symbol. It draws the eye and breaks the gray monotony to show that every single life holds unique, irreplaceable value. That striking imagery cements the film’s legacy. Before this film, major Hollywood studios largely avoided dramatizing the Holocaust. Spielberg brought the horrors of the camps to a massive global audience. Schindler’s List won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Spielberg’s first Best Director trophy, cementing him as a cinematic auteur. ​​​​​​​

4

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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The cinematic legacy had nearly been set moving into the new millennium, but the Wachowskis said not so fast with the release of their 1999 megahit The Matrix. Not only did it set the tone for the future of movie-making, but it also revolutionized science fiction action thrillers forever. The Matrix follows a computer hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) who discovers that everyday human life is a fake digital simulation created by evil machines to use human bodies as batteries. Recruited by rebel leaders Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo learns to bend the simulation’s rules to fight the system. As powerful security programs called Agents hunt the rebels inside the simulation, Neo takes on Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) as he realizes his true power as The One to destroy the system. Through mind-bending revolutionary visual storytelling and deep philosophical questions about reality, identity, and technology, The Matrix emerged as a groundbreaking blockbuster action thriller.

The Matrix is a visual stunner. The Wachowskis used bullet-time, a 360-degree array of still cameras to freeze time mid-action, creating a brand-new visual language for blockbuster. It was such a shockingly cool effect, we all tried to do it in real time. Spoiler: it doesn’t work. Rather than typical action choreography, The Matrix employed wire-fu with traditional kung fu, earning its own fight vocabulary in the process. Through its cinematography, the green digital tint inside the simulation versus the stark, cold tones of the real world defined a distinct cyberpunk style. Once you’re enthralled by the visuals and actions, The Matrix opens up the conversation about elements of Eastern philosophy, cyberpunk literature, computer gaming, and world mythologies to build a cohesive universe in which to play. Amid the digital code and flying bullets, the film’s driving force is human connection and belief. The Matrix arrived at the exact right cultural moment, capturing late-90s anxieties about the rise of the internet, virtual reality, and encroaching technology. Creating a lexicon, including everyday phrases like “taking the red pill” or asking if we are “living in the Matrix,” the film launched a franchise while establishing itself as an important film in the genre. ​​​​​​​

3

‘Toy Story’ (1995)

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We always imagined what might happen to our toys when we left them alone. In 1995, Pixar answered the question. Toy Story tells of a secret world where toys come to life when humans leave. The plot follows Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks), a cowboy doll who gets jealous when a flashy new action figure named Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) replaces him as their owner Andy’s (John Morris) favorite toy. After a scuffle, both toys get trapped by a destructive neighbor and must work together to escape. Defining the timeless phrase “you’ve got a friend in me” through song and plot, Toy Story became a wonderfully whimsical and emotionally resonant buddy comedy about jealousy, identity, and companionship. Toy Story became the first entirely computer-animated feature film; it was so beautifully crafted and well-received that it officially ushered in a new era of animation.

Pixar made history with their animation style. By selecting plastic toys and smooth surfaces, it matched the limits of 1995 software, making the animation look tangible and real. Because of that, Toy Story looked groundbreaking. And now, three decades later, the same style is used, proving that Pixar’s art will always feel timeless. Toy Story was rich in its characters. They may be toys, but they were certainly filled with relatable human emotion. Woody is initially driven by bitter ego and jealousy, making him complex rather than purely good. Buzz Lightyear goes through a hilarious and heartbreaking existential crisis when he realizes he is a mass-produced toy, not a space ranger. The film perfectly captures the fear of replacement and the pure value of friendship. Toy Story also reflected the changing of the guard in animation from traditional animation to computer graphics. At the end of the day, the cross-generational appeal has made it one of the most beloved films of all time. Children connected with the magic of toys coming to life, while adults deeply resonated with themes of growing up, change, and the fear of being replaced. Now, five films deep in the flagship franchise, watching the films today evokes a new set of emotions. No matter what, they will require a tissue or two. Best to have a box handy. ​​​​​​​

2

‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Growing up, we all had a fascination with dinosaurs. Before 1993, it was likely through going to the movies. After that year, it was squarely thanks to Steven Spielberg and Jurassic Park. Taken from Michael Crichton’s novel, the story follows a billionaire, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), who builds a secret island theme park populated by cloned dinosaurs. When a disgruntled worker Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) shuts down the power to steal embryos, the cages fail. Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) must then fight to survive as fierce predators roam free. A genuine cinematic masterpiece that paired revolutionary visuals with a genius script about the dangers of trying to play God with nature, Jurassic Park brought the same wonderment Spielberg introduced in his space films, making it instantly timeless. This film may be single-handedly responsible for the rise of the popcorn movie blockbuster.

Jurassic Park made our wildest imaginations come true with the exceptional dinosaurs. The full-scale dinosaur puppets built by Stan Winston gave actors a real physical presence to react to. And in turn, it all felt incredibly real. The tangibility was simply unmatched at the time. The scope and scale are made grander as the camera angles emphasize the terrifying scale of the creatures and the helplessness of the humans. What made the dinosaurs’ arrival such an incredible moment was that Spielberg delayed the grand reveal, eliciting genuine reactions. This proved to be a masterclass in tension building. By having a sweeping, sunny locale give way to dark, claustrophobic survival moments. When you see the title of a film, an image might pop up. But when John Williams scores your piece, you can hear it when you see the title. Williams provided a legendary musical landscape that moves effortlessly from majestic wonder to mysterious dread. The movie popularized chaos theory and forced pop culture to view dinosaurs as fast, agile animals rather than slow, clumsy monsters. Though the franchise has yet to deliver a sequel or reboot as brilliant as the original, we will always admire where it all started. ​​​​​​​

1

‘Titanic’ (1997)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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At first, the premise of making a big-budget epic inspired by one of the greatest tragedies sounds outlandish. But then we all watched what James Cameron did, and we were simply proven wrong. Titanic is simply the best and most iconic film of the decade. In the modern day, treasure hunters search the ocean floor for a rare blue diamond necklace called the “Heart of the Ocean.” A 100-year-old woman named Rose (Gloria Stuart) sees a drawing of herself on TV and tells the team her life story. Her tale tells of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), an unhappy young socialite, engaged to the arrogant and snobbish Cal Hockley (Billy Zahn). Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a free-spirited artist who wins his ticket in a card game. Despite their social classes, the pair begin to fall in love, engaging in the most romantic love story ever told, only for it to be tragically ended by the sinking of the “Ship of Dreams.” Titanic did the unimaginable: the film combined intimate, high-stakes romance with a massive historical disaster told through ground-breaking special effects, meticulous historical detail, and an unforgettable musical score by James Horner featuring the iconic anthem that just so happens to be one of the greatest movie song of all time.

Titanic utilized a common story of forbidden love to serve as an easy hook into the grandeur of the story. Rather than examine multiple individuals on the ship, focusing on Jack and Rose provided an entry point and a pair you simply had to champion. The forbidden love between the free-spirited artist Jack and the constrained upper-class Rose dynamic connects with every generation. The film sharply contrasts the suffocating, rigid expectations of the Edwardian elite with the lively, communal joy of third-class passengers. There was reason to truly emote at the tragedy because you felt for those who weren’t on board for pleasure but saw the journey as a chance for freedom and hope. That pain pivoted into a haunting metaphor for human arrogance, showing nature swiftly dismantling society’s most confident technological achievement. The script is sensational: its first half builds rich character dynamics and dramatic irony, before shifting seamlessly into an unrelenting, terrifying survival thriller. And yes, if you’re as old as I am, you know them based on tape 1 and tape 2 on the VHS set.

Cameron did not skimp on recreating the Titanic. He demanded a massive $200 million budget, built a nearly full-scale replica of the ship in a giant water tank, and pushed digital visual effects forward to honor real historical tragedy with visceral realism. The cultural impact the film made is still felt today. It won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and became the first film to cross the $1 billion mark globally, proving its enduring cinematic power. It helped Celine Dion earn another iconic track in “My Heart Will Go On.” Together, we now have the stage musical Titanique on Broadway and beyond. A technical marvel. An everlasting romance. Titanic remains a theatrical phenomenon.

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Titanic

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Release Date

December 18, 1997

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Runtime

194 minutes

Director

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James Cameron

Writers

James Cameron

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