Crime fiction is an enduring part of cinematic history, and it’s responsible for some of the greatest films of all-time. As the world’s relationship within criminality evolved over the course of the 20th century, films began to take different perspectives on what type of stories they would tell. Initially, a pulpy crime thriller was just another form of escapist cinema, but the “New Hollywood” era utilized it to tell more complex stories about lived experiences.

Grittiness is a challenging term to define, as it doesn’t just mean that something is dark and violent. Rather, a “gritty” film should speak to some sort of societal truth that grounds the story in humanity because it offers something familiar. A reminder that these types of films aren’t escapist fantasies but thrillers that say something about the human condition is why they have been able to stand the test of time.

10

‘M’ (1931)

Image via Vereinigte Star-Film GmbH

M is one of the most foundational works of the German expressionist movement and outlined the paranoid, neo-noir genre in a way that would be highly influential within the next few decades of crime fiction. Although the term “serial killer” wouldn’t be coined for almost four decades, M featured a terrifying performance by Peter Lorre as a child murderer who is so dangerous that the mob and the cops work together to track him down.

M set precedents within the genre because it introduced the idea of comparative morality when it comes to forging bonds. Rarely in crime films are characters given the opportunity to ally themselves with those who share their same ethical standards; although the cops would have no other reason to work with the mob, they are forced to ally for the collective good of the community’s safety.

9

‘The Untouchables’ (1987)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The Untouchables was an electrifying adaptation of the classic television show of the same name that saw Brian De Palma making one of his most entertaining films ever. Although De Palma had made a number of thrillers and psychological horror films early on in his career, he was able to draw from history to show how the Chicago cop Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and his ragtag group of law enforcement officers led the hunt to take down Al Capone (Robert De Niro).

Costner has rarely been better than he is as a desperate, morally upstanding defender of justice, but the film’s real scene-stealer was Sean Connery as a veteran Irish cop who decides to join his team. Although Connery was considered to be past his prime at this point in his career, his performance was so acclaimed that he ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

8

‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984)

Image via Warner Bros.

Once Upon a Time in America was an ambitious drama about the futility of the American dream directed by the great Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone, who was best known for making “The Man With No Name” trilogy. Despite the fact that he was best known for making Westerns, Leone was able to make an elegiac epic about the journey of immigrants involved in mob conflicts throughout the 20th century, painting a damning portrayal of generational violence.

Once Upon a Time in America was what got Leone out of retirement after he had prematurely ended his career in the early ’70s, and sadly, the theatrically released film was marred by endless studio cuts. Thankfully, the director’s cut of Once Upon a Time in America, which ran for over four hours long, was eventually unveiled at festivals and given the praise that it deserved.

7

‘Point Blank’ (1967)

Image via MGM

Point Blank was a feat of formal innovation within the action genre that saw director John Boorman turning what could have been a trashy B-movie into an existentialist drama. The film stars the great action star Lee Marvin as a hitman who is abandoned and left for dead by his former allies, leading him on a quest for revenge as he tries to piece together his life.

Boorman uses eerie, slightly surrealist repetition techniques to tap into the madness of Marvin’s character, with some theories suggesting it is all part of an elaborate fantasy he had in the moments before his death. Point Blank had a significant influence on the career of Steven Soderbergh, who made his own homage to the film with his 1999 crime thriller The Limey, starring Terence Stamp in a role based on Marvin’s performance.

6

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

Image via Warner Bros.

Dog Day Afternoon is the ultimate heist film because it explores the pressure and anxiety faced by a criminal as their plan falls apart and the grim reality of the situation becomes even clearer. Although Sidney Lumet has made many crime films that would be considered to be among the best of all-time, Dog Day Afternoon is significant because he was able to contain all of the tension within the single location of a bank.

Dog Day Afternoon featured one of the greatest performances ever from Al Pacino, who was able to show a surprising degree of levity and vulnerability, as the film functions as a sincere commentary on marginalization and class warfare. Although Dog Day Afternoon was an Oscar-nominated masterpiece that would seemingly be impossible to ever remake, this year saw a new Broadway version of the story with Jon Bernthal in the role that Pacino had played.

5

‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941)

Image via Warner Bros.

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The Maltese Falcon is the foremost entry in the hardboiled detective genre because it saw the introduction of Sam Spade, the definitive private eye character in fiction. The moody, intense atmosphere of the classic film noir movement of the 1940s required a protagonist who was world-weary and a bit cynical, and The Maltese Falcon perfectly cast Spade by getting Humphrey Bogart in what would become one of his most iconic roles.

The Maltese Falcon is the directorial debut of John Huston, a former actor who would go on to become one of the most respected filmmakers of the 20th century. Although Huston would go on to direct many epics and historical dramas, The Maltese Falcon succeeded by telling a confined story that felt like it existed in a real city, and that realism would become a cornerstone of the genre moving forward.

4

‘The French Connection’ (1971)

Image via 20th Century Studios 

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The French Connection is one of the greatest films to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards and felt perfectly suited for an unusual point in American history in which the “war on drugs” had gone into full effect. Gene Hackman gave the most iconic performance of his career as Popeye Doyle, a committed detective who is determined to stop a French criminal (Fernando Ray) from bringing drugs into the United States.

Friedkin was a former documentary filmmaker who showed an unprecedented level of detail in exploring the investigative process of the cops, as The French Connection explored the mundanity of law enforcement in a way that cinema hadn’t seen before. The film is best known for its showstopping car chase, which put some of the cast and crew in real danger because of Friedkin’s insistence on making it as realistic as possible.

3

‘Se7en’ (1995)

Image via New Line Cinema

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Se7en was the film that solidified David Fincher as the greatest director for serial killer films because he created one of the most disturbing and multifaceted examinations of a psychopathic mind. The film follows the detectives William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and David Mills (Brad Pitt) as they track down an enigmatic killer known only as “John Doe” (Kevin Spacey), who has been staging elaborate murders that are staged around the “Seven Deadly Sins” in the Bible.

Se7en explores the darkness that mankind must confront and ends with one of the most depressing conclusions in the history of the genre. Although Fincher would return to tell more serial killer stories in subsequent films and in his Netflix series Mindhunter, Se7en was such a transgressive work of experimentation within an established mystery genre that its influence on crime fiction cannot be overstated.

2

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Goodfellas is hardly the first crime film that Martin Scorsese made, but it became his most famous and is remembered as one of the most defining classics of the ’90s. Goodfellas understood, better than any other gangster film, how alluring the life of a mobster could seem, and showed how the criminal Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) is lured into the dangerous lifestyle before it all falls apart, forcing him to betray his former allies.

Goodfellas is among Scorsese’s most entertaining films because he understood the ways in which gangsters talked and took efforts to explore the communities that emerged among their families. Scorsese’s use of music has rarely been better thanks to the numerous great needle drops. It’s a film stacked with great performances, including Joe Pesci in the scene-stealing role as Tommy DeVito, which won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

1

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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The Godfather marked the beginning of the greatest story in cinematic history and changed the way that crime films were perceived forever. Although gangster films had previously been seen as works of trashy exploitation, Francis Ford Coppola elevated the acclaimed novel by Mario Puzo to tell a complex story about family, loyalty, and the American dream that had the richness of a Shakespeare play.

The Godfather has the single best ensemble of any film ever made, as there is an exorbitant amount of detail that each character has, making them each memorable and tragic in their own ways. Although the film’s story is not complete without The Godfather: Part II, the 1974 follow-up from Coppola that acted as both a prequel and a sequel, the original classic remains the perfect installment in the series and perhaps the best film ever made.

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The Godfather

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Release Date

March 24, 1972

Runtime

175 minutes

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Director

Francis Ford Coppola

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Writers

Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola

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Love Island USA‘s Parmida Keshani and Corbin Mims shut down the insinuation that they were in a shallow relationship.

During the Friday, July 3, episode of the hit Peacock show, each couple had to nominate two pairs who were not compatible. Kenzie Annis and Dylan Wrona questioned Parmida and Corbin’s connection after only hearing him praise his partner in a physical sense.

Kenzie specifically said Corbin and Parmida were in a “lustful relationship,” with Parmida saying, “I definitely disagree. From the outside, it might look that way to you because we are both very good looking and we both workout.”

Some of the other couples laughed as Corbin and Parmida continued to defend themselves.

“We know that about ourselves. So it might seem that way but we can get deep and serious too,” she continued. “You just haven’t seen that because you aren’t in our chats.”

Corbin’s return to the villa hasn’t been easy after finding a connection with Parmida in Casa Amor. Their recoupling initially sparked backlash when Kenzie publicly dragged him for not considering her when he went to explore his chemistry with other women.

Earlier in the week, Corbin revealed there were “red flags” he didn’t address with Kenzie. This inspired Corbin to explore his options — and he later told the guys he “hasn’t thought” of Kenzie at all.

Love Island USA originally premiered in the U.K. in 2002 before it expanded worldwide with various spinoffs, including Love Island USA on Peacock. The series follows a different group of singles every season who have to pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa.

The contestants — referred to as Islanders — live in isolation in a villa and are under constant video surveillance. They must be coupled up to remain on the show and stand a chance at receiving the $100,000 prize.

Season 8 escalated the sex that took place in the villa with multiple couples going all the way while sharing a bedroom in the villa. The drama escalated with Casa Amor when the new women discussed which guys they thought would pair off with them before returning to the villa.

They poked fun at Kenzie’s possible reaction to Parmida walking in with Corbin.

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“Kenzie just likes anyone who likes her,” Parmida said after the rest of the women made fun of how Kenzie spoke to Corbin.

New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.

Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!

Animation is a medium, not a genre, and it’s a medium perfectly suited for some of the most bonkers, wildly over-the-top TV shows that the small screen has ever seen. After all, the fact that animation throughout history has allowed creators almost infinite visual creativity has obviously resulted in several creators taking full advantage of that fact to deliver some truly wild shows.

Whether it’s an animated series for kids, like the aptly-titled Bonkers; or one that’s definitely not for kids, like Frisky Dingo, the most bonkers animated TV shows in history are proof of why cartoons are worthy of significantly more respect than they tend to get nowadays. What other medium could possibly be able to deliver experiences this delightfully wacky? Even though these shows have been forgotten over the years, they should all be considered essential viewing for fans of over-the-top television.

10

‘Bonkers’ (1993–1994)

Image via The Disney Channel

There are very few shows in the Disney Channel’s catalog more fittingly titled than Bonkers, a spin-off of Raw Toonage‘s short series He’s Bonkers. Heavily inspired by the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this is just as bonkers an animated experience, telling the story of the titular out-of-work toon, who joins the Hollywood Police Department to help his partners catch animated criminals.

Virtually anyone who loves Roger Rabbit is pretty much guaranteed to love Bonkers just as much. Blending surreal slapstick with elements of the detective procedural genre in ways as kooky as they are entertaining, it’s one of the most irresistibly fun cartoons in the Disney Channel’s history. It has heart, it has some fantastic animation, and it has plenty of exquisite cartoonish world-building.

9

‘The Maxx’ (1995)

Image via MTV

MTV broke plenty of new ground in adult-oriented animated television during the ’90s. This included the creation of Oddities, a label for Eric Fogel‘s The Head and Sam Kieth‘s The Maxx. As great as the former is, it’s the latter that’s one of the best animated shows you’ve never heard of, based on Kieth’s own exceptional comic book series. It’s about The Maxx, a superhero trying to protect his friend from an omniscient serial killer both in the real world and in a subconscious fantasy world.

Disguising a profound, admirably mature psychological drama about trauma behind a gritty superhero narrative, The Maxx is one of the most criminally underrated animated superhero shows in history. That psychological depth that makes it feel like a deep dive into the human subconscious comes with an air of surrealism that makes it a must-see for all those who love head-scratchingly bizarre shows.

8

‘Mr. Pickles’ (2014–2019)

Image via Adult Swim

There are some shows whose bonkers nature becomes abundantly clear from the moment one hears their premise, and the Adult Swim forgotten classic Mr. Pickles is definitely one such show. It’s one of the best body horror and slasher shows that animation has ever produced, about a family who lives with a deviant Border Collie with a secret Satanic streak.

Thankfully, Mr. Pickles lives up to the wildness of its premise at every turn of each of its four seasons. It was always the intention for the show to combine the charm and nostalgia of a ’50s family sitcom with some of the most subversive shock humor, gore, and surreal absurdity imaginable, and for people who love that kind of thing, Mr. Pickles should hit the spot easily.

7

‘Sym-Bionic Titan’ (2010–2011)

Image via Cartoon Network

Even though it was created by Genndy Tartakovsky, one of the biggest names in the history of televisual animation, Sym-Bionic Titan has somehow still managed to slip under most animation fans’ radars as the years have passed since its cancellation. It’s one of those obscure animated shows that became cult classics, one that everyone who loves animation—regardless of whether they love Tartakovsky—should consider checking out. In it, three young aliens with the ability to form a giant robotic warrior try to blend into suburbia.

“Bonkers” is a word that would very fittingly describe a decent majority of Tartakovsky’s work across television and the big screen, but it applies to Sym-Bionic Titan with particular glee. Part mecha action extravaganza, part John Hughes-esque high school teen drama, it’s a genre-bending trip full of fast-paced animation and mature themes.

6

‘Frisky Dingo’ (2006–2008)

Image via Adult Swim

Those who love bonkers animation should already know that Adult Swim is typically the place to go when looking for one such show. But even by the network’s sky-high standards of hilarious absurdity, Frisky Dingo is particularly bizarre. Even the synopsis of this sci-fi farce is hard to explain, but in broad strokes, it’s all about a philandering billionaire playboy who moonlights as a superhero, as he faces his nemesis while balancing his business and his superhero life.

It’s one of the best animated series for adults, a gleeful deconstruction of the pre-MCU superhero genre that feels even timelier and more relevant today than it did back in the late 2000s. With its frantically paced, hilariously nonsensical plotlines, its absurd visuals, and its rapid-fire dialogue, it’s one of the most chaotic comedies that animation has ever produced for the small screen.

5

‘Turbo Teen’ (1984)

Image via ABC

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From the moment one hears Turbo Teen‘s mere synopsis, it becomes abundantly clear why it’s one of the most bonkers cartoons of the 20th century: It’s all about a teen who gets into an accident and then gains the ability to transform into a crime-fighting sports car when it’s hot. It’s a genuinely wild premise to make a show out of, so (perhaps needless to say) the show failed to capture an audience.

Even still, its brief 13 episodes are worth watching today if only to admire how anyone could have come up with an animated show so bonkers. It’s a Knight Rider rip-off that almost borders on qualifying as kid-friendly body horror, and as if that weren’t enough reason for an animation fan’s morbid curiosity to be piqued, there’s also the writing so nonsensical that it’s practically surreal.

4

‘Freakazoid!’ (1995–1997)

Image via Kids’ WB

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Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Freakazoid! is one of those forgotten cartoons that are still worth watching. It follows the adventures of Washington, D.C.’s brand-new defender, a geeky teenager who absorbs the entire cyberspace after a freak accident and gains superhuman cartoon powers. It’s the sort of premise that would feel right at home in even the wildest of Looney Tunes stories.

Clearly a response to the chaos and mayhem of the early rise of the Internet and the digital frontier during the mid-’90s, Freakazoid! is as surreal, absurd, manic, and eager to break the fourth wall as any fan of a character like Deadpool could possibly hope for an animated superhero show to be. Written like a stream of consciousness and full of meta humor, it’s the peak of what superhero comedies had to offer during the ’90s.

3

‘The Pirates of Dark Water’ (1991–1992)

Image via Fox Kids

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Produced by Hanna-Barbera, The Pirates of Dark Water is a dark fantasy swashbuckling adventure like no other. In it, a young man learns that he’s a prince, one with an urgent quest to save his world by finding 13 magical treasures. What ensues is one of the best forgotten fantasy shows of the ’90s, a highly ambitious serialized story with some of the most groundbreaking animation of any ’90s cartoon.

It was also a genre-bending and incredibly bonkers show, though, an unprecedented mixture of high fantasy, swashbuckling pirates, cosmic horror, and science fiction. The world of Mer is wonderfully surreal and full of over-the-top world-building, inhabited by a delectably odd ensemble of characters who never fail to get into all sorts of entertaining situations.

2

‘Megas XLR’ (2004–2005)

Image via Cartoon Network

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The slacker genre, spanning both cinema and music, peaked around the mid- to late-’90s. Megas XLR is both an homage to and a parody of not just the slacker genre, but also the mecha genre. Its story follows two teenage slackers who find a mecha from the future that had been lying in a New Jersey junkyard for almost 60 years.

Megas XLR is one of those classic 2000s cartoons that is ready for a reboot, but for the moment, the original should be more than enough to satisfy fans of animated sci-fi and bonkers comedies. Also inspired by video games and heavy metal, Megas XLR feels like a delightful hotchpotch of styles, tones, and influences that always blend together in all the most enjoyably over-the-top ways.

1

‘Æon Flux‘ (1991–1995)

Image via MTV

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Premiering on MTV’s experimental animation showcase Liquid Television, Æon Flux instantly cemented its place as one of the greatest experimental animated shows of the ’90s. Today, those lucky few who have actually seen it still tend to regard it as one of the best of all time. This avant-garde masterpiece follows a secret agent from an anarchic society who repeatedly infiltrates a heavily surveilled neighboring state.

It’s one of those sci-fi shows that gets better every episode, though it also gets more bonkers every episode. Created by Peter Chung as a very intentional subversion of every established rule of 1990s American television, Æon Flux has aged like fine wine. Visually surreal, psychologically tense, and masterfully genre-bending, it may be disorienting at times, but it’s also an undeniable masterpiece.

Influencer Halley Kate McGookin opted for a vintage designer dress as she tied the knot with Reed Williams.

Posting via her TikTok on Thursday, July 2, the New York-based influencer, 25, showed off her thrifted Dior outfit as she got ready for her special day.

“I’m getting married today and my vision for this look absolutely came together,” she shared in the video. “Yes, I’m just going to the courthouse, but I’m still going to do an insane, iconic look.”

McGookin shared details of her wedding day attire as she explained the aesthetic she was aiming for.

Related: Halley Kate Shows Off Massive Marquise Engagement Ring From Reed Williams

Influencer Halley Kate McGookin showed off a massive engagement ring from boyfriend Reed Williams. Halley, 24, shared a glimpse of the stunning sparkler, featuring a marquise-shaped diamond set on a gold band, while taking to social media on Friday, January 23, to announce that she and Reed were engaged after more than two years of […]

“This is a vintage Dior look. Immediately, when I saw the flowers on it, I knew it was for me. Reed actually picked it up for me at a vintage market. I still wanted to keep the integrity of the dress, but I had it altered to be strapless because I knew I was going to do this hat,” she said. “I had this hat custom made because I saw this vintage Valentino look. Immediately, I knew I had to recreate it. I’m so happy with how this turned out. I think it’s insane.”

Later the same day, McGookin shared a video of her and Williams kissing inside the courthouse after exchanging vows.

@halleykate

Tomorrow look might even top this👀

♬ Venus and Flower – Austin Farwell

McGookin announced her engagement to Williams in January after more than two years of dating. Taking to Instagram, McGookin shared a glimpse of the stunning sparkler, which featured a marquise-shaped diamond set on a gold band.

She followed up the post by sharing a clip of the sweet proposal. The video showed Williams getting down on one knee to pop the question as they stood in a park in Switzerland. After asking McGookin for her hand in marriage, Williams stood back up and gave her a kiss.

“He ate with the 💍,” she captioned the post at the time.

The content creator also shared that Williams couldn’t sleep for “a couple of nights” because he was “trying to decide between which diamond to get.”

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Related: Influencer Anna Sitar Is Engaged to Bru, More Content Creator Engagements

Several of the internet’s most famous faces took the next steps in their relationships in 2026. The year kicked off with influencer and former Playboy model Amanda Cerny saying yes to Serhant real estate agent Johannes Bartl. Weeks later, influencer Halley Kate McGookin announced that Reed Williams popped the question to her while on vacation […]

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In an episode of her “Delusional Diaries” podcast in June 2025, McGookin was candid about never having any ambitions to have a big ceremony if she ties the knot.

“I’m not against getting married, I just wanna make that clear, I have nothing against marriages, I just don’t wanna have a wedding, is what I’ve always said,” she explained on the podcast.

McGookin and Williams first met on the dating app Hinge in early 2023 and dated briefly before calling it quits in November 2023. After that false start, McGookin announced in April 2024 that the pair had gotten back together.

The world loves a heartwarming sports story, and they don’t come much better than Ted Lasso. Although it seemed the Apple TV flagship series, which once saved the streamer by establishing it as a main player, had come to an end, Jason Sudeikis‘ happy-go-lucky coach is set to return later this year. The hotly anticipated fourth season is set to debut on August 5, 2026, with Ted and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) set to take charge of a new women’s division at AFC Richmond. Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) attempts to lead the men’s team to victory in a season sure to prove one of the most popular of 2026.

Last summer, another sports story with plenty of heart was dominating the streaming charts, as Hollywood’s resident funny-man Adam Sandler starred in Happy Gilmore 2, reprising one of his fan-favorite comedies after almost three decades. The sequel officially debuted to 46.7 million views over three days, marking the biggest U.S. opening weekend for a Netflix original film, and proving once again that Sandler is a huge draw. But this was far from his only sports story, with perhaps his very best now available to stream on a new platform.

The film in question is The Longest Yard, thought by many to be one of the best football movies of all time, which starred Sandler alongside veteran Burt Reynolds. Made for $82 million, the film just about scraped success during its 2005 theatrical run, returning a global haul of $191 million, split between $158 million in domestic revenue and a further $33 million from overseas markets. This is made all the more impressive, considering The Longest Yard was going head-to-head with Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith. Over two decades later, you can stream The Longest Yard right now on Paramount+.

What Is Adam Sandler’s Next Movie?

You might not be surprised to learn that Sandler’s next movie is a Netflix project, but you might not have expected it to be a thriller. Based on the 2001 French film, Sandler will star in Time Out, which began production back in late March this year. The film, which is directed by Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere‘s Scott Cooper, also stars the likes of Willem Dafoe, Gaby Hoffmann, F. Murray Abraham, Steve Zahn, and Adam Horovitz.

You can stream The Longest Yard right now on Paramount+. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

May 27, 2005

Runtime

113 minutes

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Director

Peter Segal

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Love Island USA‘s Jen Terry made a bold statement about how she hated all men.

“I just hate men. I always say this,” she said in the Friday, July 3, episode. “I say it outside of here and inside.”

She continued: “They all f**king suck. When will it ever be my turn? It feels like it never is.”

Jen was venting about her issues with Gal Tshnieder after their connection came to an end. The boys were then instructed to choose who they wanted to couple up with — and Gal didn’t choose Jen. As a result, she was sent home as the only single person still left in the villa.

Before her exit, Jen was surprisingly candid when she previously admitted to struggling when guys in the villa don’t show interest in her.

“I know that I am gorgeous and stunning but here — besides when I was with Gabe — I felt like, ‘Am I hideous?’” she said in a June episode. “Is there something wrong with me? Does my personality suck?”

She continued: “Normally I am used to guys drooling over me. Here, it has been so hard.”

Love Island USA follows a group of singles who must pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa. The contestants — referred to as Islanders — live in isolation in a villa under constant video surveillance. They must be coupled up to remain on the show and earn a shot at the $100,000 prize.

The show is coming off a record-breaking moment with season 7 bringing in 18.4 billion streaming minutes, making it the most-watched original season of television on the platform.

“[This season] there’s a lot more emphasis put on the journey as opposed to the result,” narrator Iain Stirling told Us Weekly exclusively in July 2025. ”I think it’s about the journey of finding someone and how you grow as a person by doing that. Whereas five or six years ago, you had, like, proper millennials in there. There was that more traditional approach to dating.”

While some fans questioned the love journeys, Stirling was on board with the Islanders taking a different approach.

“The end goal [was] to be with someone and you have this contract with someone you’re in a relationship with to honor that person and to honor that relationship,” he noted. “I think now there’s a lot more people who make contracts with themselves to have the journey that they want and the experience they’re after.”

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He added, “These people are predominantly speaking in their early 20s. If you can’t be selfish dating then — then when can you? Especially people from my generation, they weren’t selfish in their 20s and maybe did not want to upset people. Then they get to sort of 30 to 40 and get divorced and go insane. Maybe it’s the healthier way to do it.”

New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.

Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!