Entertainment
10 R-Rated Slasher Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces
Slasher movies are easy to dismiss until one gets under your skin and stays there. A masked killer, a sharp weapon, a group of possible victims and a final survivor can sound like a basic formula. The masterpieces (on this list) expose how much can be done inside it.
These ten films have real personalities. Their murders are remembered, but blood alone did not secure their places here. Each one understands anticipation, character and the sick relationship between the audience and the killer. Horror fans have argued over these rankings for decades. Scroll down slowly to find out what I think.
10
‘X’ (2022)
A group of young filmmakers arrives at an isolated Texas farm in 1979, hoping to shoot an adult movie without telling the elderly owners what they are doing. That setup could have settled for cheap jokes and quick deaths. X instead connects youth, sex, ageing, ambition and resentment until the violence starts feeling like the ugliest possible reaction to being left behind.
Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) and Pearl (Mia Goth) drive the film far beyond its porn-shoot premise. Maxine believes fame will rescue her from an ordinary life. Pearl sees the youth and freedom she lost standing right in front of her. The barn, the alligator, the headlights and the television preacher all feed into a story about people desperate to feel special before time decides otherwise. X earns this spot through empathy that never softens the horror. Pearl is monstrous, but the film understands exactly where the rage began.
9
‘The Burning’ (1981)
Camp Blackfoot carries an old wound. Years earlier, a cruel prank left caretaker Cropsy (Lou David) horribly burned. His return turns another summer camp into a hunting ground, but The Burning has more on its mind than revenge. The campers actually behave like young people with existing friendships, private insecurities and enough personality to make the deaths feel disruptive rather than scheduled. The raft massacre remains the film’s most famous passage though.
The film comes from Tom Savini and his effects are fast, graphic and mean, with Cropsy attacking several people in broad daylight before anyone can properly react. Yet the camp life before that violence deserves equal credit. Woodstock (Fisher Stevens), Dave (Jason Alexander) and Sophie (Holly Hunter) appear early in their careers, while Alfred (Brian Backer)’s position as the bullied outsider complicates the usual slasher assumptions. Cropsy is not just punishing one neat group of guilty people. His anger has spread beyond the original humiliation and become an excuse to destroy strangers. That lack of moral order makes The Burning nastier than many of the Friday the 13th imitators surrounding it.
8
‘Child’s Play’ (1988)
There is something immediately upsetting about a killer hiding inside a toy a child loves. Child’s Play felt brutal because of that as a child. Six-year-old Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) begs for a Good Guy doll, and his mother Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) manages to buy one despite their financial struggles. Neither knows that serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) used voodoo to transfer his soul into the doll before dying. Andy then becomes the only witness to murders nobody believes he could have understood.
The film protects Andy’s point of view long enough for the adults’ disbelief to become part of the terror. Karen starts from a reasonable place, then has to accept that her son has been telling the truth while everyone around him treated him as disturbed. Chucky is still frightening here, before later sequels pushed his personality further into comedy. Brad Dourif’s voice has anger, panic and criminal arrogance in it. The battery discovery remains one of the cleanest reveals in 1980s horror. Karen sees that the doll has been moving without power, and every earlier scene instantly becomes worse.
7
‘You’re Next’ (2011)
You’re Next is exactly how the name sounds. The Davison family reunion is already uncomfortable before a crossbow bolt crashes through the dining-room window. Old grudges, sibling competition and money have poisoned the evening, leaving everyone emotionally exposed when masked attackers surround the house. Then Erin (Sharni Vinson) starts responding with a level of calm nobody expected from Crispian Davison (A. J. Bowen)’s quiet Australian girlfriend.
What follows is one of the most satisfying reversals in modern slasher cinema. Erin grew up on a survivalist compound, so locked doors, broken windows and armed intruders register as problems to solve. Erin gets hurt, makes mistakes and understands the situation faster than the people panicking around her. The animal masks are creepy as hell. The family conspiracy underneath them is even uglier. Wealth has turned murder into an inheritance strategy, and the killers expect their victims to behave helplessly. Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett keep the humour vicious without draining the danger. A blender eventually becomes a weapon, which tells you how completely Erin refuses the role chosen for her.
6
‘Scream 2’ (1997)
Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson had already exposed the rules of slasher movies, so the sequel faced a brutal question. What could Scream possibly say next without repeating the joke? The answer arrives through copycat violence, media exploitation, survivor trauma and the pressure of watching real murders become entertainment before the victims have even recovered.
Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is trying to build a life at Windsor College when Ghostface returns. Neve Campbell’s work here has more weariness than the first film. Sidney understands the pattern now, which only makes the renewed attack feel crueler. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) sees another career opportunity, Dewey Riley (David Arquette) returns with injuries that still affect him and Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) treats sequel rules as protection until the rules fail him. His death in broad daylight remains a punch to the chest. The sound-booth murder of Cici Cooper (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the car escape with Ghostface unconscious beside Sidney and Hallie McDaniel (Elise Neal) show how inventive the suspense had become. Scream 2 knows sequels need escalation, then asks how much suffering audiences expect survivors to endure for another good movie.
5
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984)
Before Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) became a comedian with knives, he was a filthy, cruel presence waiting inside sleep in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss)’s death announces that immediately. She is dragged across the ceiling while Rod Lane (Jsu Garcia) watches helplessly, and the bedroom offers no logical explanation for what is happening. Wes Craven had found the perfect slasher territory. Every person eventually has to sleep, and parents cannot protect children from something they refuse to acknowledge.
Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) becomes formidable through exhaustion rather than physical power. Heather Langenkamp’s character investigates the deaths, discovers the connection between Freddy and the adults of Elm Street and builds traps while her body is begging to shut down. The parents created the haunting when they burned Krueger alive and buried the truth, leaving their children to inherit the punishment. That generational guilt adds weight to every surreal image. The body bag in the school hallway, Freddy’s arms stretching across the alley and Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) disappearing into his bed still feel wrong in the best way. Sleep was never safe again after this as a kid.
4
‘Black Christmas’ (1974)
Black Christmas helped establish ideas later slashers would use constantly, but its influence is only half the argument. The attic, the rocking chair and the unanswered telephone leave the film in a place far colder than closure. The phone rings inside a sorority house, and the voice on the other end refuses to sound human for long. It mutters, screams, threatens and shifts between identities while the women listening struggle to understand whether the caller is joking or already nearby. Bob Clark keeps the killer hidden so completely that even his face remains outside the audience’s reach.
Jess Bradford (Olivia Hussey) is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and a controlling boyfriend while her friends begin disappearing during the Christmas break. Olivia Hussey allows the fear to build without losing Jess’s anger or independence. Barb Coard (Margot Kidder) brings sharp humour as Barb, whose drinking and hostility barely cover her own pain. The police trace the obscene calls slowly, and the truth is horrifyingly simple. They are coming from inside the house. Nobody can promise that Billy ever left.
3
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)
The title promises gore that Tobe Hooper barely shows. What the film delivers is worse. Five young people travel through rural Texas, pick up a deeply unsettling hitchhiker and eventually wander onto property belonging to a family that has turned slaughterhouse methods into domestic routine. The heat, dust, noise and relentless screaming make the whole experience feel physically unpleasant.
Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) first appears with almost no warning. Gunnar Hansen’s huge frame fills the doorway, the hammer drops and a metal door slams shut. There is no speech and no theatrical reveal in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. A human life ends with the speed of an animal being processed. The dinner scene later pushes Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) beyond normal fear as the family mocks her terror and tries to involve their barely living grandfather in the killing. Marilyn Burns spends much of the last act running, falling and screaming until survival looks stripped of all dignity. Her laughter in the truck is not triumph. She has escaped with her mind hanging by a thread while Leatherface swings the chainsaw against the sunrise. One of the best slashers of all time.
2
‘Scream’ (1996)
Horror fans knew the rules before 1996. The genius of Scream was recognizing that the characters could know them too and still die. Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) answers a phone call, talks about scary movies and slowly realizes the stranger outside understands her home better than she does. Drew Barrymore was the biggest name in the cast, which made her murder before the title card feel like a direct threat to audience expectations.
Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has already lost her mother and watched the town turn that death into gossip. Ghostface forces her to question her father, her boyfriend, her friends and the story she has been told about Maureen. Neve Campbell keeps Sidney emotionally grounded while the film around her jokes about virginity, sequels and suspicious behaviour. Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) are terrifying precisely because their motives are unequal. Billy has built a revenge story around his own entitlement. Stu seems thrilled that murder has given him a role to perform. Scream laughs with horror fans, understands their knowledge and then uses that knowledge against them.
1
‘Halloween’ (1978)
The king of it all. Mighty Michael Myers. Halloween is basically a white mask that appears across the street, behind a hedge and beside a clothesline. Michael Myers (Nick Castle) spends much of Halloween standing still, yet every sighting changes the space around Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Haddonfield looks ordinary enough to lower everyone’s guard. Children walk home from school. Teenagers make plans. Parents leave for the evening. Evil has entered a familiar neighbourhood and has no interest in explaining itself.
John Carpenter’s direction is disciplined to the point of cruelty in this film. The widescreen frame encourages the viewer to search every background, while his score creates panic from a few repeating notes. Laurie notices Michael before anyone else, partly because she pays attention and partly because she already lives more cautiously than her friends. Once the attack begins, she fights with whatever is close, protects the children and keeps moving despite believing she has stopped him more than once. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots Michael, looks down and finds the ground empty. The closing shots move through silent rooms while his breathing continues. The movie ends, but Haddonfield never gets its safety back.
Halloween
- Release Date
-
October 27, 1978
- Runtime
-
91 minutes
- Director
-
John Carpenter
- Writers
-
Debra Hill, John Carpenter
Continue Reading
Britney Spears is getting candid about her less-than-ideal experience with cosmetic procedures.
“[My doctor] put so much Botox in this left eye that it drooped down,” Spears, 44, said in an Instagram video shared Friday, August 7, recalling her past injectables experience. “It’s just now starting to raise up and be normal again.”
Spears, who claimed that her surgeon was “so embarrassed” by the apparently botched Botox job, further issued a warning to anyone planning to get injections themselves.
“Girls, you have to be careful if you do Botox,” the pop star stressed. “These people and these doctors can really f*** your eyes up. My eye [wouldn’t] sit down … for, like, four weeks. It’s just now starting to rise again. Be careful with these people; they try to change your face and try to f*** things up. Be careful with your bodies because it’s yours and you own it.”
Britney Spears has tried Botox and is now vowing to “never again” get more of the injectables. “Too many times, these so-called ‘best doctors’ do amazing Botox. Never again in Los Angeles,” Spears, 41, wrote via Instagram on Friday, August 11, revealing she first got the procedure in New York City several years earlier. “For […]
Spears captioned her upload, “You can’t trust anyone!!!”
The “Baby One More Time” singer has previously been candid about getting work done.
“Too many times, these so-called ‘best doctors’ do amazing Botox. Never again in Los Angeles. My first time, I just did [my] lips in New York City. WAY different than LA … so subtle, it was an adorable pout,” Spears wrote via Instagram in August 2023. “For probably 10 to 15 years, I haven’t had mine done right … I can’t even be seen for two weeks [afterward].”
Britney Spears recently purchased a stripper pole — and she put it to the test by performing a sexy dance number. “Got this pole two days ago and last night was my first time on it !!! 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🌹🌷🌷,” Spears, 41, captioned an Instagram video of her routine on Sunday, August 14. Set to the song […]
According to Spears, her face had swelled after getting the Botox injection.
“Sometimes the nerves act that way and have a reverse effect, and I’m like, ‘I look like somebody beat the s*** out of me,’” she recalled, noting her doctors said to “give it a week or two” before seeking a follow-up opinion. “I go back and show the doctor. She says that’s completely normal, and I said, ‘Then why can’t I go anywhere for two weeks?’ and my friend’s sisters laughed. F*** BOTOX, it is horrific!!!”
Roomies, Jada Wallace and Chris Brown’s little one is clearly keeping his mama wrapped around his finger! A new photo has social media zooming in on a tiny detail Jada appears to have added as a permanent tribute to her baby boy, while Arrow was busy stealing the spotlight in the sweetest way.
RELATED: Daddy Duties! Chris Brown Shares Adorable Photo Alongside His Baby Boy Arrow
Jada Wallace Shows Off Her Tatted Hand, And It’s For Arrow
In the photo, Jada’s arm can be seen wrapped around Arrow as she rocks a camouflage zip-up. A closer look at her hand appears to show a new tattoo reading “ARROW” in a straightforward font, with what appears to be “Kristopher” written underneath in a smaller, cursive style. A rosary-style tattoo also appears to run alongside the lettering and up her arm, though it’s unclear whether that design is new or was already there.
Baby Arrow Had Everyone Swooning Over His Chunky Cheeks
Meanwhile, baby Arrow had the internet swooning in his own right. The little one looked extra adorable in a cream-and-brown striped shirt paired with denim pants, serving up those signature chunky cheeks and an irresistibly squishy face as he cozied up next to his mama.
Fans Had Thoughts On Jada’s Arrow Tattoo
Folks quickly ran to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section to share their two cents on Jada Wallace’s apparent tribute to baby Arrow. Some pointed out that she’s his mom, so of course she would want to get her baby’s name tatted, while others wondered if “Kristopher” is Arrow’s middle name. Meanwhile, plenty of commenters couldn’t get over just how adorable the little one is, especially those chunky cheeks.
One Instagram user @sharlinadiane said, “Now nobody told you to tat my man name girl lmao”
This Instagram user @sadiekreates added, “The baby is soooo cute 😍”
And, Instagram user @s3kbabyy_ wrote, “…It’s HER son ofc she’s gonna tatt his name”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @being_meika25 claimed. “She just wanted to show that arrow name is Christopher with a K😂”
While Instagram user @iam.kaylaarenee shared, “Soo adorable look just like Chris 🥹”
Lastly, Instagram user @jxlly_.teddies._ commented “Christopher with a K. Not mad at it 😌🔥”
RELATED: Peak Dad Energy! 6 Times Chris Brown Had Fans In Their Feelings After He Spent Time With His Kids (VIDEO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
2026 hasn’t exactly been the year of Russell Crowe so far, despite a few new releases. None of Crowe’s new films have caught fire with audiences like some of his older work has, but it wasn’t that long ago that he experienced his latest hit. At the end of 2025, Crowe finally delivered his passion project, Nuremberg, to the big screen. After grossing over $70 million at the box office, Nuremberg went on to become one of the most-watched movies of the year on Netflix. Crowe has also been hard at work this year filming scenes for Henry Cavill’s Highlander, which is expected in theaters next year. He even recently shared a photo of himself on social media, showing a stunning transformation, putting him back in near-Gladiator shape for the first time in years.
Crowe was famously left out of the legacy sequel to his most iconic movie a few years ago, when Ridley Scott declined to put him in Gladiator II. Another Crowe movie that fans have desperately begged for a sequel to is The Nice Guys, his 2016 buddy cop comedy co-starring Ryan Gosling. Despite widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, The Nice Guys struggled at the box office, going up against Angry Birds, grossing only $71 million globally against a $50 million budget. The film is currently without a streaming home in America, but there is such a desire to rewatch it that fans have pushed it into the top 10 most-watched VOD list on both Prime Video and Apple TV. Shane Black wrote and directed The Nice Guys, which also stars Angourie Rice and Matt Bomer.
What Is ‘The Nice Guys’ About?
The official synopsis for The Nice Guys, which holds marks of 91% from critics and 79% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: “In 1977 Los Angeles, down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hard-nosed enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) reluctantly team up when a missing woman’s case leads them into the death of a porn star. As the bodies pile up, the duo uncovers a conspiracy reaching into the auto industry and the Department of Justice.” There is a tremendous desire to do a sequel to The Nice Guys, but both Crowe and Gosling have cast doubt on it ever happening. The cost would be considerable, and after the first film underwhelmed at the box office, no studio is going to be eager to foot a massive bill for a follow-up.
Check out The Nice Guys on VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of a potential sequel.
- Release Date
-
May 20, 2016
- Runtime
-
116minutes
- Director
-
Shane Black
- Writers
-
Anthony Bagarozzi, Shane Black
Kimberly Williams-Paisley will forever have a piece of her Father of the Bride movie mom Diane Keaton’s signature style.
“Recently, I bought this hat and gloves from the Diane Keaton auction. I’m so happy to have some of her iconic style with me,” Williams-Paisley, 54, wrote via Instagram on Friday, August 7, sharing a snapshot of herself rocking a black suit with a brown bowler cap and sheer gloves.
She continued, “While my friends and I were carefully unpacking these items and getting ready to shoot this [photo], a gorgeous, gigantic bald eagle landed in a nearby tree, stayed for a moment and then flew off.”
According to Williams-Paisley, it felt “so rare” to see a bald eagle calmly perch on a branch.
Stars of the iconic Father of the Bride franchise will forever remember their matriarch, Diane Keaton. News broke on Saturday, October 11, that Keaton died at the age of 79. A cause of death was not immediately revealed. The Oscar-winning actress, who is survived by her two children, starred as Nina Banks in 1991’s Father […]
“It definitely felt like Diane’s energy was around us!” the actress gushed on Friday. “The hat says, ‘NO MORE WAR,’ and [Diane had] added a skull and crossbones. So, I’m passing along her message. 👑✌🏻❤️🕊️.”
The 911: Nashville star played Annie Banks Mackenzie in 1991’s Father of the Bride and 1995’s Father of the Bride: Part II. Keaton, who died in October 2025 at the age of 79, portrayed matriarch Nina Banks. Steve Martin, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin and George Newbern also starred in the franchise. (Annie married Newbern’s George Mackenzie in the first film and their characters welcomed a baby in the second, at the same time Nina was also pregnant.)
“I love this, Kim,” Newbern, 60, wrote in the comments section of Williams-Paisley’s Friday upload. “I have been thinking about Diane so much lately 💔💔.”
In the months after Keaton’s death, Williams-Paisley and Newborn have both been candid about honoring her legacy after working together on the Father of the Bride flicks. (The entire cast also reunited for “Part III” on YouTube amid the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in 2020.)
“I remember I had a lot of anxiety during those two movies. I mean, I was 19 on the first one. It was the first major role I had, and Diane was like a mother figure to me who was very safe,” Williams-Paisley recalled of production during a 2025 appearance on the “Call It What It Is” podcast. “I talked to her about my anxiety. I had a lot of dreams,” she continued. “I’m a big dreamer, literally a big dreamer, but I would have, like, weird nightmares and weird [things].”
Kimberly Williams-Paisley remembers late Father of the Bride costar Diane Keaton’s motherly advice when they worked together on the 1991 film and the 1995 sequel. “I remember I had a lot of anxiety during those two movies,” Williams-Paisley, 54, said during the Friday, October 24, episode of iHeart’s “Call It What It Is” podcast. “I […]
She continued at the time, “I think it was, like, me working out my anxiety in the middle of the night, and she would analyze dreams with me.”
According to Williams-Paisley, Keaton “didn’t have easy answers” to her questions but was always supportive.
“She was just so generous and so funny and wise, just wonderful, and especially on the second film, I felt like we really bonded and, you know, just laughed,” Williams-Paisley recalled. “Like, the humor clicked, and it was so fun to be on set when she was on set.”
Keaton’s cause of death was ultimately revealed as primary bacterial pneumonia with no further underlying causes. She is survived by her two children.
Entertainment
Will Ferrell’s New Netflix Series Just Became One of the Streamer’s Biggest Hits of 2026
The gap between what critics wanted from The Hawk and what viewers actually did with it has become one of the more interesting streaming stories of the summer. Netflix dropped all ten half-hour episodes of Will Ferrell’s first television comedy on July 16, and within days the show had planted itself at the top of the streamer’s US Top 10 chart.
In its first week, The Hawk logged 4.8 million views and 24.7 million viewing hours worldwide, according to Netflix’s Top 10 reporting, enough to make it the third most-watched English-language series on the platform for the week. It also grabbed the No. 1 spot in Australia, Canada, and Iceland, and landed at No. 2 in the UK, New Zealand, and Ireland. To date, it’s earned 1.5B minutes watched. For a show about a washed-up pro golfer in very loud plaid pants, that feels like a hole in one.
What Critics are Saying About ‘The Hawk’
Of course, critics have not been as enthusiastic. The show holds a pretty dismal score on Rotten Tomatoes against a considerably warmer audience rating, and the pans have been unusually pointed for a Ferrell project. The Hollywood Reporter called The Hawk “the most shapeless and least comedically focused” sports project of Ferrell’s career and described the series as “flat and disposable.” Variety went with “lackluster.” RogerEbert.com pointed to a tone that swings between slapstick, crude wordplay, and half-hearted emotional beats without ever settling on any of them. The recurring line in most negative reviews is that Lonnie Hawkins reads like a Ricky Bobby refit and that the show is coasting on Ferrell’s commitment instead of writing him anything sharp to do.
Not everyone agreed. NPR, in one of the show’s warmer reviews, praised its “satisfying silliness, amusing shenanigans and surprise cameos.” The Los Angeles Times wrote fondly about its affectionate handling of the sport itself. And at Collider, we scored it a 6/10. The Hawk is chasing a harder joke than Talladega Nights ever told, because Lonnie is not an earnest idiot in the Ricky Bobby mold. He’s an idiot who knows exactly what his obsession has cost him and keeps making the same call anyway.
Why ‘The Hawk’ Is Working for Netflix Audiences
The reason viewers seem to be responding to the show, based on the sustained chart run, is that Ferrell, in full meltdown mode, remains a pretty bankable pleasure. Lonnie cooing at a golf ball, brawling with a bunker, sipping suspicious sports-bottle contents, plowing his tour bus through the green: this is what Ferrell has always been good at. His refusing to protect his own dignity is still, in 2026, a watchable bit.
The cast around him is doing serious lifting too, and that’s probably a bigger part of the audience response than the reviews have given it credit for. Molly Shannon plays Lonnie’s estranged wife Stacy as a woman happy to turn every waking moment into a sales opportunity. She is genuinely great opposite Ferrell, especially when their chemistry turns from bitter loathing to something a bit hornier. Jimmy Tatro, as Lonnie’s cold-plunging wellness-appropriating son Lance, is the generational foil the show needs, and the father-son contempt running between them is the sharpest storytelling device the show sometimes makes use of. Fortune Feimster, as the DIY-mechanic caddie Lonnie hires out of a Walmart parking lot, gives the series the closest thing it has to a heart. And Luke Wilson turns up as Lonnie’s smug rival, Golden Fisk, while Chris Parnell floats through as an envious tour board member to round out a bench that shares the comedic wealth.
The finale is also a lot of fun, and one that will keep viewers arguing well past the credits. Without giving too much away, it all comes down to a single putt, a father-son standoff, a pickle jar, and one very pointed question Lonnie flat-out refuses to answer. None of this is prestige television, and it is not pretending to be. The Hawk is a well-cast, casually filthy, extremely watchable Netflix comedy that lets Will Ferrell do the thing Will Ferrell has been doing well for 25 years. Netflix has not confirmed a second season yet, but the numbers say the audience already voted. Another season of Ferrell losing his mind on a manicured green would suit all of us just fine.
The Hawk
- Release Date
-
2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
-
Netflix
- Directors
-
Jonathan Watson
- Writers
-
Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Jerry Collins, Emma Rathbone, Cameron Squires, Harper Steele, Chris Henchy
Fantasy is, at its core, about imagination. The same can be said of every fictional genre, but traditional swords-and-horses-and-magic fantasy lends itself especially well to big concepts, extreme spectacle, and massive heart. That unlimited scale drives many of the time-honored tropes audiences seek out: arduous quests, enchanted objects, epic battles against insurmountable foes, and unlikely underdogs saving the world through the power of friendship.
Although Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina has blossomed into a runaway sleeper hit, the adult animated series hasn’t yet reached the same levels of cultural awareness as heavyweight shows like HBO’s Game of Thrones, or Prime Video’s own The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time. With all due respect to those titles, The Legend of Vox Machina either matches or eclipses its multimillion-dollar live-action peers in every respect — especially when it comes to the playground of big concepts, extreme spectacle, and massive heart. Vox Machina offers comforting fantasy conventions up on a meticulously crafted silver platter by way of a creative team always determined to raise the bar on their existing accomplishments. The results are tremendous: a galvanizing love letter to fantasy’s imagination, an astounding triumph within the Western animation canon, and arguably the premier genre series of the decade.
‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Understands What Makes a Perfect Fantasy Epic
Although The Legend of Vox Machina was designed to be broadly accessible, its unconventional origins inform its excellence. The misfit adventurers who christen their seven-person group as Vox Machina began with Critical Role, the multimedia company framed around eight voice actors’ shared enthusiasm for Dungeons & Dragons. When Critical Role decided to bring their livestreamed D&D campaign to animated life, Prime Video came knocking to the tune of four 12-episode seasons (with the fifth and final installment already commissioned).
Since it’s made by a team of self-proclaimed nerds who admire the same genre tropes and gaming mechanisms as their intended audience, Vox Machina knows it’s standing on the shoulders of giants. It zigzags around certain inspirations with a sly wink and fully embraces others with warmth and whimsy, fleshing out a foundational premise through luminous characters, a vibrantly textured world, adrenaline-surging combat, tonal harmony, and dynamic narrative architecture. Viewers across all genres are familiar with a bunch of lovably lethal mercenaries — quick-witted, foul-mouthed, prone to excessive mayhem — who accidentally become their realm’s go-to protectors and discover the messy found-family dynamic that becomes their shared saving grace.
This particular variation strikes every right chord precisely because of the production’s earnest commitment to mastering the storytelling craft. Whether the series has harmlessly riotous fun at the characters’ expense or torments them (as one does), Vox Machina isn’t trying to break the expectations associated with fantasy narrative structure. It infuses its spin on the beloved format with earned dramatic weight. Sometimes, that means turning an unwinnable fight into an exultant victory. When legitimate subversions arrive, they’re character-driven enrichments reckoning with the permanence of the compellingly intricate fallout, not contrivance-based shock value.
‘The Legend of Vox Machina’s Characters Are Its Crowning Glory
As the existing seasons gradually play out upon a battlefield of sublime havoc, rollicking vulgarity, and sobering maturity, Vox Machina‘s escalating plot momentum never sacrifices its narrative North Star: the titular ensemble’s electrifying chemistry as they clash with, complement, and strengthen one another into a unit capable of carrying their own vulnerable souls, the weight of their entire world, and each other. Tragedy and trauma are as much the party’s calling card as their bombastic charisma, and they’re plagued by a rogues’ gallery of conflict: exhaustion, disillusionment, past sins, a festering crisis of purpose, the trappings of divine mandates, and the mistakes they make out of desperate, grief-stricken, overwhelming love. When nefarious villains wreak their global catastrophe and internal carnage, those intimate beats find catharsis.
Yet even once healed, the emotional effects linger. Season 4, especially, paints a startlingly authentic and harrowing tableau about the complex, manifold, beautiful humanity buried underneath each member’s celebrity status. Of course, their not-so-secret hearts-of-gold deeply care about doing the right thing. Such a concept is easier said than done when the definitions, responsibilities, and costs aren’t clear-cut. And for all that friendship (and a healthy dash of spite) will indeed subdue tyrannical dragons and necromantic cults, Vox Machina can also do everything within their power and still lose. The notes never ring false because Vox Machina wears its blood-soaked heart on its sleeve, and has the skill to back it up.
The passion The Legend of Vox Machina‘s creatives hold for every background detail of their world blazes through the screen with undeniable clarity. Combine their painstakingly tender care with their increasingly ambitious scope, Titmouse, Inc.’s awe-inspiring animation, and the cast’s staggering performances, and you have one of the most remarkably consistent and fulfilling shows across any genre. The half-hour episodes will fly by in one weekend. You’ll laugh until you cry, cry until you’re riddled with a headache, and find your heart stolen by a bunch of half-broken outcasts as they stumble through their bittersweet lives, just striving to do their best. And isn’t that combination of mind-melting wonder and resonant humanity what all the greatest fantasy sagas are about?
The Legend of Vox Machina
- Release Date
-
January 27, 2022
- Network
-
Prime Video
- Showrunner
-
Brandon Auman
- Directors
-
Young Heller, Eugene Lee, Alicia Chan
Former president Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is offering an update on his father’s ongoing cancer battle.
“It’s really tough, and that’s the real answer,” Hunter, 56, told the BBC in a Friday, August 7, interview when asked about Joe’s health. “My dad, to this day, remains the center of our family not just because of who he is as a public person but completely because of who he is to each one of us. It’s really, really hard and it’s really sad to watch.”
Joe, 83, shared sons Beau and Hunter, as well as daughter Naomi, with late first wife Nealia Biden. Nealia and Naomi were killed in a 1972 car accident, while Beau died in 2015 after battling glioblastoma. The politician also shares daughter Ashley, 45, with wife Dr. Jill Biden.
Joe was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025, with his office noting in a statement that the tumor had spread to the bones.
Former President Joe Biden has begun his battle with what his office called an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer. “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” a statement sent from Biden’s personal office to CNN in May 2025, read. “On Friday, he […]
“The cancer has spread [and] metastasized into his bones and further. It’s very painful,” Hunter added on Friday. “It’s very debilitating in many respects, but he’s still out there. He’s still doing this thing [because] he still believes in this country.”
Hunter’s stepmother, 75-year-old Jill, revealed two months earlier how Joe’s cancer battle had affected his daily work commitments.
“He’s doing OK. He does have stage IV cancer. It has metastasized to his bones. He will forever have cancer. He will forever be on medicine, and he’s 83,” Jill said on a June appearance on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast. “You put that mix in, so, [while] yes, he’s still working, he’s writing his book, he’s traveling, he’s speaking, but he’s a little more tired. I’ve seen him slow down. I mean, cancer really takes a toll.”
Former President Joe Biden and his family have endured several tragedies over the years. Biden married his first wife, Neilia Hunter, in 1966. The couple shared two sons, Joseph “Beau” Biden III and Hunter Biden, and a daughter, Naomi “Amy” Biden. Weeks after Joe was elected to the Senate in 1972, Neilia and their three […]
The former first lady continued, “I think every family in America has someone in their family with cancer, whatever form it takes. It’s really been, like, kind of a cruel blow. … [Joe is] strong, he’s resilient, and it’s just so unfortunate.”
According to Jill, her entire family is “trying to do their part in helping” with Joe’s care.
“Naomi, our oldest grandchild, said, ‘Nana, I want to come [visit] and bring my son, Willie, and stay with you for a month and help you out.’ I mean, it’s just been a really nice thing,” Jill added at the time, referring to Hunter’s daughter and her toddler son with husband Peter Neal.
NC State University swimming and diving coach John “Jack” Roney’s cause of death has been revealed, Us can exclusively report.
An autopsy report obtained by Us reveals that Roney’s death last month was ruled as accidental after the college coach died. He was 39.
Per the medical examiner’s findings, Jack had been practicing underwater breathing exercises while visiting a local pool with his wife, Maresa Roney. In video footage obtained by emergency medical services, John went under the surface for more than two minutes, coming back up for air before going underwater again. Maresa subsequently walked away to make a brief phone call, returning within five minutes, where she found her husband unresponsive.
“Wife told medics her husband was an avid swimmer and on that evening, he had been doing some breathing exercises [and] holding his breath underwater,” the report reads. “Wife pulled him from the water and called 911 … then began CPR.”
Local first responders continued administering CPR while transporting Jack to the hospital. He was pronounced dead upon arrival.
“There were no concerns for suicide, substance abuse or foul play,” the report adds. “No trauma was noted. Law enforcement was reviewing footage of the incident. Due to the circumstances of the death, pathology at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was consulted and the case was accepted there for autopsy.”
In a separate statement from the medical examiner, findings reveal that Jack “had a history of ADHD and was a former college swimmer in a good athletic state.”
“He was last known to be alive the evening of July 5, 2026, when he and his wife went to their community pool following dinner,” the statement reads. “While his wife stepped away, he decided to do breathing techniques to practice holding his breath. Video surveillance captured him submerging, very briefly surfacing about two minutes and 14 seconds later, and then submerging again without resurfacing. His wife returned after approximately five minutes and found him unresponsive in the pool. His wife pulled him out and began cardiopulmonary resuscitative efforts and called emergency responders. … Upon emergency responder arrival, he was in pulseless electrical activity, and they continued resuscitative efforts for approximately one hour.”
NC State announced Jack’s death the next day on July 6.
“We mourn the passing of former assistant coach and Wolfpack alumnus Jack Roney,” the university shared in a social media statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Roney family during this difficult time. His impact on our program and community will be remembered.”
Jack is survived by Maresa, with whom he celebrated his 15th wedding anniversary earlier in July, their five children and the late coach’s siblings.
“My brother…how are you gone? How is this real?” his sister Amber Moore wrote via Facebook. “You were the glue to your family and the glue to ours. How are we supposed to move forward without you? Every single day, you worked to become a better man. So few people live with that kind of purpose, but you did. You were never satisfied with standing still. You wanted to be the best version of yourself every day. To me, you were perfect!!!!”
Jack’s sister Katie Corum also shared a tribute to her late brother on social media, praising him as “an amazing man who loved his wife and kids more than anything in this world.”
“Grief is the price we pay for loving someone so deeply,” Corum stated via Facebook. “Right now, this pain feels never ending, but it also reminds us just how lucky we were to have had Jack in our lives. His absence leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled, but the love he gave and the memories he leaves behind will stay with us forever.”
Is Michael B. Jordan off the dating market again? That’s what fans are assuming after he was spotted riding rollercoasters with singer Raye at an amusement park in California. Social media is poppin’ off with dating speculations, while Michael and Raye have yet to clear the air.
RELATED: Drew Sidora Reveals The Ex-Boyfriend She’d Pick Up The Phone For & Michael B. Jordan’s Name Is In The Mix (VIDEO)
Michael B. Jordan & Raye Pop Out For Rollercoaster Fun
As said, the 39-year-old actor and the 28-year-old British singer have social media in a chokehold right now. And all it took was a single picture! That photo shows Michael B. Jordan sitting inside a yellow, black and orange coaster car. He appears to be mid-sentence, looking forward, while she has a small, open smile as she stares at him. The entertainers were dressed for the occasion, too. MBJ was wearing brown overalls, a crisp white tee, and a black-and-white cap, while Raye appeared to be wearing an all-black top. Her hair was styled in a voluminous blonde bob with loose curls. According to E! News and an X summary, the viral photo of MBJ and the singer was taken on Friday (August 7) at Six Flags Magic Mountain, near Los Angeles.
Raye and Michael B. Jordan spotted at Six Flags amusement park. pic.twitter.com/RyVFrSnSTr
— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) August 8, 2026
Additionally, E! News reported on a TikTok video that Michael and Raye chattin’ as they waited for a separate rollercoaster ride to start. A separate third video shows fans cheering the entertainers on as a different rollercoaster took off.
@4.30pm00 I JUST SAW MICHEAL B JORDAN AT SIX FLAGS#fyp #sixflagsmagicmountain #michaelb#sinners #OMG
New video of Michael B. Jordan and Raye at Six Flags. 📸
Khalid Jordan, Michael’s younger brother, was also on the ride with them. pic.twitter.com/uEyaxS84Hh
— best of michael b. jordan. (@bjordanfiles) August 8, 2026
Social Media Users React To MBJ & Singer’s Link-Up
This Six Flags outing appears to be the first public sighting of the entertainers kicking it solo. However, there’s no clarity from either Michael or Raye on whether the link-up was romantic or platonic. Still, that hasn’t stopped fans from doing everything short of planning a wedding, chile! Keep scrolling to see reactions from X users.
They on tik tok saying Michael B Jordan was at six flags with Raye yesterday pic.twitter.com/Kp2gm1AJWz
— kay (@shutupkrysta) August 8, 2026
This a good look for both of them. Raye pretty, classy and a great artist. Michael B Jordan is MBJ. https://t.co/i6JxX2wEW2
— Von512. (@jgvisions00) August 8, 2026
RAYE asked the question, “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” Michael B. Jordan responded: by taking her to Six Flags. 👀💞 https://t.co/8NX2cl9kgR pic.twitter.com/TOYOseP1Vt
— KEVIL (@RealKevinNoel) August 8, 2026
Raye and Michael B Jordan at six flags pic.twitter.com/RZ4UDRdxqU
— Shaynemadeit (@shaynefreeman19) August 8, 2026
raye and michael b.? pic.twitter.com/xCTyNEBBeE
— Byaaa (@Bybywc) August 8, 2026
I guess Raye found her husband… and it’s Michael B Jordan pic.twitter.com/0F6gf2hMSv
— agathaismyfriend (@agathaismyfrie1) August 8, 2026
Okay, okay, okay… 2 very talented people who are ridiculously hot and at a theme park and him wearing those dungs…
I could certainly appreciate this actually being a thing. https://t.co/FGlF7ngL85 pic.twitter.com/RQ0kRxywFE
— Lyn🌺 (@_ayandamay) August 8, 2026
Congratulations to Raye. I’m so happy for you! “Oh look at me I’m Raye and I’m riding roller coasters with Michael B Jordan” pic.twitter.com/fElMJ7lUVj
— Tia Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya 💋 (@t_shaaee) August 8, 2026
wdym Michael B Jordan might be dating Raye.. pic.twitter.com/aZ50HScObO
— flo 🌪️ (@ISLED3LFINO) August 8, 2026
Idg the fuss about RAYE and Michael B. Jordan meeting??? It could literally mean nothing lol
— Kay (@legendaarykay) August 8, 2026
Michael b Jordan & Raye at six flags???? i am here for itttt pic.twitter.com/uSA0WRp4Kk
— Dihj 🧁 (@blushiikurraa) August 8, 2026
See additional reactions by swiping below.
A Look At Michael B. Jordan’s Last Public Relationship
Roomies, you might recall that MBJ’s last high-profile relationship was with Lori Harvey. However, it’s been four years since the two were romantically linked. He and his “Turtle” dated for about 1.5 years, before splitting in June 2022. The first sightings of them together happened in late 2020, being spotted in Atlanta and then again in Salt Lake City. By January 2021, the ex-couple were Instagram official. Following the split, a source told PEOPLE that Michael and Lori Harvey were both heartbroken but weren’t on the same page and pace about committing long-term.
RELATED: Fans Are Wondering If Jhené Aiko & Larry June Are Dating After New Instagram Clues (PHOTOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, has died. He was 68.
“Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys bids farewell with deep sorrow and grief to Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 in the city of Rosario,” Lionel’s first soccer club, the Newell’s Old Boys, wrote in a Saturday, August 8, X statement. “[Jorge was a] recognized leproso fan, businessman and father of the Argentine national team captain, Lionel Andrés Messi.”
The statement continued, “Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini. His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas to the pinnacle of world football glory. Thank you for teaching him to love these colors.”
The Old Boys’ Board of directors, members and athletes went on to offer their condolences to Cuccittini, 66, Lionel, 39, and their entire family in their Saturday statement.
Multiple Spanish and Argentine outlets reported that Jorge, who served as his son’s longtime business agent, died in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, on Friday, August 7.
Lionel has not publicly addressed his father’s death at the time of publication.
In addition to Lionel, Jorge and Cuccittini shared sons Rodrigo and Matías, as well as daughter María Sol, Jorge is survived by his wife, his four kids and his multiple grandchildren. (Lionel and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, share three sons.)
Two months before Jorge’s death, news broke that the Messi patriarch was battling an undisclosed health scare.
“He is currently under medical supervision, recovering, and progressing favorably within his current condition,” a family statement shared with ESPN in June read. “Given the versions, rumors, and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep displeasure at the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter.”
At the time, the family declined to share details of Jorge’s condition or diagnosis.
“We ask for responsibility, prudence and compassion. A person’s health and the peace of mind of those around them should not be subject to speculation or irresponsible media interest,” the told the outlet. “We sincerely appreciate the expressions of affection, respect and concern received, and we request that the privacy, confidentiality, and intimacy of Jorge and his entire family be respected during this process.”
Lionel had been representing Argentina in the 2026 World Cup at the time, where he was seen getting emotional after scoring the first goal in his team’s first qualifying match against Algeria.
“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days,” the pro athlete told reporters afterward. “ I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it.”
Lionel led the Argentine national team to the World Cup final in July, which they ultimately lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
Sports2 minutes ago
Zuffa Boxing 10 results: Aaron McKenna earns world title, Callum Walsh survives knockdown
Business5 minutes ago
Pentagon asks defence firms to accelerate weapons production
Entertainment7 minutes ago
Britney Spears Eye ‘Starting to Be Normal’ After Botched Botox
![NEXT BITCOIN MOVE IS OBVIOUS!!! [IMPORTANT UPDATE]](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1786233902_maxresdefault-80x80.jpg)
-
Politics6 days agoZack Polanski: an incitement to murder Nigel Farage?
-
Fashion2 days agoFrugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Cap-Sleeve Pointelle Crewneck Sweater
-
Crypto World7 days agoCrypto PAC spending tops $2M in Michigan House race
-
Business6 days agoDTCR: Deleveraging And A Hedge Fund Collapse Point To A Possible AI Bottom
-
Fashion1 day agoWeekend Open Thread: Mattifying Sunscreen
-
Tech7 days agoESET tracks rise in malicious AI skills and adaptable malware
-
Crypto World6 days agoXRP Ledger urges node upgrade after manifest flood
-
Sports3 days agoJordan Coyle & Cordiamo take Laya Arena Stakes at RDS
-
News Videos14 hours agoCan Astrology Help Find Gold and Silver Trends? A Financial Astrology Guide
-
Crypto World5 days agoUS Tech Stocks See Largest 5-Week Inflow in History: Can Nasdaq Break Its Downtrend?
-
Business3 days agoUS stocks: Dow closes at record on Mideast optimism; SpaceX, AMD drag Nasdaq
-
Tech7 days agoPage Not Found | WIRED
-
Politics3 days agoReform UK And Greens Sink To Lowest Favourability Ratings To Date
-
Business4 days agoNvidia Stock Climbs 2.5% as Chip Sector Rally Builds Ahead of AMD Earnings, Nvidia’s Own Report Looms
-
NewsBeat7 days agoTrump says he is cancelling strikes on Iran subject to ‘rapidly’ making deal
-
Crypto World4 days agoPolymarket targets $20 billion valuation as competition heats up in prediction market sector
-
Tech4 days agoOpenAI, Anthropic AI agents targeted real people and systems in cyber tests
-
Tech6 days agoOpenAI teases Astra, its next major AI model, after it solves 10 long-standing math problems
-
Entertainment7 days ago7 Best Sci-Fi Series of 2026 (So Far), Ranked
-
Business3 days agoSupply chain issues impact Ingredion
You must be logged in to post a comment Login