“Dancing with the Stars” dance pro Witney Carson is not only a mom with a busy career, but also expecting her third baby with multiple projects heading her way. 

Carson recently teamed up with Chevron ahead of Labor Day, when many take road trips. She sat down with The Blast to share some of her road trip memories, favorite part about the partnership, what it’s like being pregnant for the third time with two little ones at home, and what’s next for her in her career.

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For Carson, many great memories are tied to family road trips, so partnering with Chevron ahead of a long weekend felt like a good fit for her.

“My family and I do a lot of traveling. We do a lot of planes, but when we really want to have an adventure, we do road trips. We rented a jeep in Australia, we took a big road trip up to this cabin in Idaho, and we just took a road trip to Huntington,” Carson told The Blast exclusively. “So for us, it’s really more of an adventure, and so when this opportunity with Chevron came about, it just felt like a very seamless partnership.” 

Carson added that learning about the technology of Techron has been enjoyable for her, and it’s something that impresses her husband.

“The technology is amazing. It actually cleans your engine from low quality fuel over time so it actually helps with your mileage. It also helps the longevity of your cars,” she said. “This has really opened my eyes as well to what I could be doing for my car and for my mileage. And my husband is very impressed. He’s a mechanical engineer so he’s worked on cars his entire life. So it’s been really fun to be able to partner with them and we’re really excited to get people out and about and spending time with their family on road trips.” 

Tips To Make Your Family Road Trips A Little More Adventurous

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When asked for some tips to make a family road trip more fun, Carson said it’s all about making some stops along the way.

“I feel like people are always like, ‘We’re going straight there, no stopping.’ It actually makes it a lot more fun if you do stop. We always try to find cute little cafes or a cute little shop in a random town we’re driving through,” she shared. “And we’ll make a little pit stop and just find fun things along the way to do together as a family making it just that much more fun and makes the adventure.”

A Core Memory For Witney Carson

Carson vividly remembers her childhood family road trips and she’s hoping for the same with her kids. She shared that when she was a child, her parents would wake everyone up in the middle of the night to start their road trip, and that’s become a core memory for Carson.

“They would just pile us in the car, put our blankets on, and drive us to Disneyland,” she said. “So, I want to do that with my kids. They’re still a bit young, but that was my favorite memory growing up – being able to just get on the road, drive to Disneyland in the middle of the night, and then wake up and we were in Disneyland. So, I think that would be fun for my kids to experience, too.” 

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‘Dancing With The Stars’ Memories

Spending more than a decade on “DWTS,” Carson has a lot of great memories. Stepping into “Dancing with the Stars: Next Pro,” she shared why this next chapter has been so special to her.

“It means so much. These contestants and these dancers are so talented. They are beautiful in what they do, and this whole show is incredible,” she told The Blast. “It’s giving someone an opportunity to completely change their lives. It was a big deal for us pros coming in to judge them.”

She explained that while she loves judging and giving feedback, eliminating someone was “really hard” for her. At the end of the day, she said it was “an honor to be part of three episodes.” She also got to co-host the finale. 

When asked if she has a favorite former dance partner from “DWTS,” she said that’s like “picking a favorite sibling.” 

“That is really hard to do,” she said. “I’ve been really lucky that all my partners have been really kind and really amazing. I have my favorites, but I’ll keep that to myself so I don’t get blasted.”

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Advice Witney Carson Would Give Her Younger Self

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From the time Carson started out on “Dancing with the Stars” to now, she’s learned a lot. One piece of advice she would give her younger self now having gone through the full experience is to “embrace the experience and celebrate in the small successes.” 

“When I first started out, it was very much trying to prove something and I was very competitive. I had to prove myself, which is not a bad thing, but I think in some cases, I definitely lost bits of myself in that because I was so focused on winning or getting something,” she said. “So my advice would be just truly embrace the experience and celebrate in the small successes.”

She added that despite the show being all about winning, it goes deeper than that. 

“It’s about growing yourself and helping your partner grow,” she said. “Not only in dance, but also as a person. I’ve learned so much each season. I would truly say just to enjoy the experience instead of only having a winning mentality.”

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Netflix has released plenty of original shows, so many, in fact, that over the years it has been quite hard to say which of the platform’s bounty truly feels essential. Some have grown into massive hits; others have helped define the platform’s status as iconic, while the quieter picks prove that even the most underrated of the streaming service’s options are still necessary must-watches that should be marked down on an avid Netflix fan’s bucket list.

Shows like the underrated sci-fi masterpiece, Sense8, which is truly astonishing for both its story and global setting, and the crime drama Narcos, which is a Netflix original that helped shape the expectations for the platform, are just two examples of the kind of shows subscribers should experience at least once in their lives. Compiled on this list are great series that have proved they are incredibly essential Netflix watches that fans should definitely place on their bucket lists.

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‘Kingdom’ (2019–2020)

Image via Netflix

This underrated Netflix series is one that deserves far more attention than it has received since its release. Set in Korea’s Joseon era, Kingdom follows Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), who grows suspicious when access to his gravely ill father is blocked, and he is rumored to be dead, only for a resurrection plague to steal his attention while he attempts to save and protect his people.

Kingdom is easily one of Netflix’s greatest international genre discoveries, marking it as a perfect addition to this list of essential watches on the streaming platform. It is no ordinary zombie series; in fact, its undead are not simply monsters dropped into a thrilling period setting, but part of a much larger story about class, inequality, survival, political corruption, and the dangerous lengths humans in power will go to protect their seat high above others. Kingdom is no doubt underwatched and has an extremely short run, but it stands as the perfect obscure masterpiece to add to any fan’s bucket list.

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‘Squid Game’ (2021–2025)

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Squid Game is a true icon in its own right, with its first season being the head-turning phenomenon that sparked entertaining reality TV adaptations, worldwide fascination, and countless pop-culture references. The show centers around Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who, because of his heavy debt, accepts an invitation to compete with hundreds of other financially struggling strangers in seemingly ordinary children’s games, only to find that though winning brings him closer to a huge cash prize, losing means certain death.

Though there are a lot of mixed feelings about the show’s later seasons, Squid Game is a series that, quite frankly, momentarily broke the world as viewers focused on the captivating and very deadly games featured in the series. It’s the perfect watch for any subscriber’s bucket list because its first season remains one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English television seasons. While Squid Game definitely lost some of its momentum, its visual iconography, scale, and class critiques make it a Netflix bucket list essential.

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‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

Image via Everett Collection

This limited series belongs on every Netflix fan’s bucket list because it was good enough to spark an intense passion for the game of chess upon its release. The Queen’s Gambit focuses on orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), whose skill brings her fame while her addiction and loneliness threaten to consume her completely.

The Queen’s Gambit has grown increasingly underwatched since its release, but it was once dubbed one of the platform’s most popular dramas. The show artfully takes a subject that could feel pretty cold and distant, and makes it emotional, stylish, and surprisingly suspenseful. The Queen’s Gambit is no doubt one of the most binge-worthy series on Netflix, a seven-episode crowd-pleaser that refuses to flatten tough topics. The epic drama is a true masterpiece that definitely earns its place on this list of fantastic watches.

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‘Narcos’ (2015–2017)

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Narcos is a beloved crime drama that feels almost like a requirement to dive into once viewers have access to it. The addictive crime saga follows the rise and fall of drug kingpins, political corruption, law enforcement, and the extreme violence surrounding the cocaine trade. Across its three seasons, the series traces figures such as Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and the Cali Cartel while following the DEA agents and officials trying to dismantle their sprawling operations.

Narcos is a truly essential crime drama, as it helped define what ambitious Netflix originals could look like on a more international scale. It’s honestly one of the easiest recommendations for lovers of crime television, and with its genuinely cinematic feel, it makes for pretty bingeworthy material. With both its scale and momentum, Narcos’ enticing mix of thriller, crime drama, and historical detail stands as the kind of addictive viewing experience every Netflix fan should dive headfirst into.

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‘Black Mirror’ (2011–Present)

This iconic sci-fi show is an extremely important addition to any Netflix fan’s bucket list because it definitely changed how viewers think about modern anthology television. Black Mirror offers different stories in each episode, often using the media, surveillance, technology, and digital obsession to reveal something pretty disturbing about humanity as a whole.

Black Mirror is no doubt a rather bleak and disturbing show, but somehow it becomes grossly addictive to most viewers who take a chance on it. The show’s anthology structure permits masterful experiments that more conventional dramas cannot hope to sustain. With the series moving from political satire and horror to romantic drama and detective fiction, the sci-fi phenomenon constantly reinvents itself, ensuring that audiences never grow bored. Bucket lists practically need Black Mirror, because every episode works, and the best ones change how mainstream viewers view themselves and the world around them.

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‘The Crown’ (2016–2023)

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The Crown is an extremely elegant and expensive-looking Netflix gem that proves how brilliantly the platform can turn history into a truly lavish spectacle. The historical drama follows Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) across decades, exploring monarchy, marriage, duty, public image, and private sacrifice.

What makes The Crown such an essential Netflix series is how brilliantly it balances personal conflict with grandeur. With its impressive settings, lush costumes, and compelling political events, the series wields a captivating quality that makes just one episode simply feel like it could never be enough. The Crown is truly one of the streaming platform’s most polished beauties that has definitely earned its spot at the top of any fan’s bucket list. With its lasting appeal as it transforms modern royal history into a sweeping character study, The Crown easily earns its spot among the other great essentials Netflix watches on this list.

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‘BoJack Horseman’ (2014–2020)

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This beloved animated series is worthy of any Netflix fan’s bucket list because, though it may be bleak, its dark humor, drama, and lessons make it the perfect addition. BoJack Horseman focuses on the washed-up former sitcom star, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), who is living comfortably but miserably in Hollywood while he attempts to reignite his fame. Unfortunately, he struggles excessively with addiction, depression, and loneliness, making life seem much harder than it should.

BoJack Horseman is pretty strange, but also impressively entertaining. It may seem like a pretty surreal adult cartoon about a talking horse, but the show’s brilliance truly shines through its exploration of trauma, self-destruction, accountability, and whether people can truly change. Even with its quieter episodes, BoJack Horseman remains a near-perfect series for its use of emotional honesty, sharp humor, and deeply flawed characters, marking it as a memorable animated experience that every fan owes themselves to discover.

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‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)

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Sense8 is probably one of the quieter necessary watches on this list as it has long since ended, with not too many subscribers knowing it even exists despite the show’s genuinely cinematic status. The sci-fi masterpiece follows eight strangers across the globe who discover they are emotionally and mentally connected, sharing feelings, skills, intimacy, and of course, danger.

Sense8 is one of those series that sticks with its viewers for a very long time after the final credits roll. It’s a true hidden sci-fi gem on the streaming platform that celebrates identity while exploring differences, culture, empathy, sexuality, connection, loneliness, and chosen family. With its incredibly cinematic setting, beloved characters, and drama-filled plot, Sense8 stands as one of Netflix’s most ambitious series that truly belongs on every fan’s bucket list for its extremely emotional storytelling.

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‘Dark’ (2017–2020)

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This meticulously planned sci-fi series begins as a missing-person mystery but seamlessly evolves into a rigorously structured science-fiction family saga. Set in the German town of Winden, Dark follows the disappearance of a child, which forces several families in the town to confront their generational secrets.

Dark is an easy recommendation for any fan’s bucket list because it quite aggressively rewards viewers for paying close attention to detail. The series is seriously complex, and with Ben Frost’s oppressive music and the show’s somber cinematography, the puzzle mechanics never become sterile. Dark is genuinely great: it has a truly unforgettable atmosphere, intricate mysteries, and a carefully constructed timeline that only grows more impressive as the series goes on, marking it a bucket-list-worthy addition for Netflix subscribers.

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‘Stranger Things’ (2016–2025)

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Stranger Things is an iconic essential Netflix watch that honestly helped define the platform’s entire original series era. Set in 1980s Indiana, the series centers around a group of kids, teens, and adults after the traumatic disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). When the group of individuals finds themselves facing secret government experiments, a terrifying alternate dimension, and a mysterious girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will’s disappearance quickly becomes the beginning of many supernatural events to come.

There is definitely a silent requirement for all subscribers to dive headfirst into the five-season series Stranger Things. It’s a genuine phenomenon whose bucket-list status comes from how effectively it delivers horror, adventure, nostalgia, and coming-of-age drama, all without losing the wholesome friendships at its core. Across its run, Stranger Things remains truly entertaining, making the series the perfect sci-fi series to not only add to one’s bucket list but also to binge in a solid week.

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Stranger Things

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Release Date

2016 – 2025-00-00

Network

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Netflix

Directors

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz

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As we head into the final quarter of 2026, film fans and critics have already begun compiling their lists of favorites. So, too, have prognosticators started to whittle away at those films that will likely appear on Oscar shortlists next year, and the biggest box office successes of the year are already becoming clear. Lots of movies, lots of things being said about them.

Between all those blockbusters and critical darlings are lots of other films that no one is talking about. Alternative movies. genre movies, experimental movies, brilliant movies—you name it. These projects somehow failed to capture much of the public imagination but are readily available to watch right now. They may have fallen through the cracks, but these movies released wide in 2026 are brilliant, and no one is talking about them.

‘Blue Film’ (2026)

Image via Obscured Releasing

Given a proper wide release this year after screening at several festivals in 2025, Blue Film is a small-scale but massively effective character-driven thriller. The title refers to a term used in the 20th century to refer to taboo or pornographic films, and it likewise pushes boundaries and strains the comfort level of the audience. It’s a film made from a distinctly queer point of view and modern context, made all the more powerful because of it.

The film follows Aaron (Kieron Moore), a camboy whose night with an older client takes a turn when it comes to light that they have a shared history. Things go from awkward to disturbing from there. Blue Film digs deep into sexuality, trauma, and even darker subject matter, to great effect. It pushes all the buttons it means to, but not in a manner that is thoughtless or exploitative; rather, it’s thought-provoking and insightful, not to mention eerie. Viewers who haven’t seen Blue Film should do so unspoiled and with an open mind; the experience is worth it.

‘Carolina Caroline’ (2026)

Image via Magnolia Pictures

Another thriller that premiered at film festivals in 2025 before being given a wider release this year, Carolina Caroline is a lovers-on-the-lam throwback. It calls to mind films like Badlands and Bonnie and Clyde, and while it doesn’t break any new ground in the subgenre, it doesn’t need to; instead, it succeeds thanks to the strong performances and dynamic chemistry of its two leads.

Both Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner have carved out their own distinct niches in genre films, especially horror. They are electric together here as a gas station attendant and a con man who ride their own crime wave across the American South. Carolina Caroline has plenty of atmosphere and Southern Gothic thrills, but it’s the connection between Weaving and Gallner that helps it stand tall alongside the great films that preceded it.

‘The Christophers’ (2026)

Image via Neon

Prolific filmmaker Steven Soderbergh seems to always have at least one film a year that flies under the radar, whether it be the 2021 crime thriller No Sudden Move or last year’s ghostly apparition film Presence. This year that film is the darkly comedic The Christophers, which was released back in April to little fanfare. It’s a quiet caper that’s again further proof of Soderbergh’s ability as a genre chameleon.

Julian (Ian McKellen) is a famed but faded artist, whose greedy children hire younger artist Lori (Michaela Coel) to surreptitiously finish his final paintings so they can sell them. The two, however, develop a friendship, leading to unexpected developments. The Christophers is a clever film in that it doesn’t get too clever with its premise, instead offering a cozy, intimate, and honest character piece. Soderbergh has a steady but unshowy hand behind the camera, Ed Solomon’s script has a deft wit, and McKellen and Coel have brilliant chemistry.

‘OBEX’ (2026)

Image via Oscilloscope

For something completely different, there’s OBEX, a low-fi sci-fi adventure from surrealist director Albert Birney. The film’s black-and-white meets retro-gaming aesthetic will certainly scratch a certain nostalgic itch for viewers of a certain vintage, but there’s plenty of charm in the film for any age. OBEX operates almost exclusively on vibes, but those vibes have an old-school handmade appeal to them that makes the film an awesome analog adventure.

Set in 1987, the film is low-budget Tron meets Lynchian fantasy as gamer Conor (Birney) is sucked into the world of the titular video game where he must go on a quest to save his dog. Admittedly, OBEX is a movie with a niche appeal, so it’s no wonder that more people haven’t been talking about it, much less actually seen it. Still, it’s got more atmosphere, character, and sheer panache than something like Tron: Ares and 100% less Jared Leto. That alone should be enough to recommend it, especially if you’re into video games, sci-fi, or cinema as a whole.

‘Our Hero, Balthazar’ (2026)

Image via Oh Boy Productions

The appeal of Our Hero, Balthazar isn’t so much niche as it is uncomfortable. A pitch-black satire that takes aim at mass shooters and performative activism, the film is the feature directorial debut of Oscar Boyson, who produced several features by the Safdie Brothers. Its subject matter and tone will make it an abrasive film for many viewers, but the performances by its lead actors should bring them back around.

Balthazar (Jaeden Martell) is a wealthy teen who gets his kicks making faux-emotional posts about gun violence. When he receives a message from Solomon (Asa Butterfield), an aspiring school shooter, he makes a trip to see him. The film is most pointed when taking jabs at toxic masculinity and male loneliness. It’s a black comedy for the perpetually online generation and influencer set. Martell and Butterfield both find enough dimension in their characters to not make them completely reprehensible; the film should likely develop its own cult following.

‘Redux Redux’ (2026)

Image via SXSW

A multiversal revenge thriller, Redux Redux is a true family affair. It’s directed by brothers Kevin and Matthew McManus, who both helmed the equally unique The Block Island Sound, and stars their sister Michaela McManus as a mother seeking retribution for the murder of her daughter. Redux Redux offers a sci-fi variation on a primal premise, using the genre to escalate its cycle of violence.

Irene (McManus) has been hopping between parallel universes, killing every alternate version of the man responsible for her daughter’s murder. Her single-minded, multiversal pursuit of vengeance gets complicated when she saves one of the killer’s would-be victims, and she begins to wrangle with the personal cost of her revenge. Redux Redux is simple but effective, thanks to the collective direction and performance of the McManus family. It’s a throwback to high-concept thrillers that should have more people talking, especially as sci-fi and the multiverse subgenre as a whole are experiencing something of a peak in popularity.

Few stars are more associated with action movies than Jason Statham. The British actor has built a decades-long career in the genre by frequently portraying grizzled, hardened protagonists in a variety of occupations, including “beekeeper” and “mechanic.” In 2018, he was able to add “scuba diver” and “shark killer” to that list of on-screen careers with the release of The Meg. An American and Chinese co-production, The Meg swam to massive international box office success upon its release and is one of the most entertaining films currently available on streaming.

The Meg follows a team of Chinese and American scientists funded by eccentric billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson) who are attacked by a prehistoric shark called a Megalodon while exploring the Mariana Trench. Expert diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited to rescue the scientists and kill the Megalodon, or “meg”, before it can attack the nearby human population. The film’s success spawned a sequel, Meg 2: The Trench (2023), where Statham reprized his role and must fight for survival against not just one megalodon but three, in addition to other creatures from the deep. With a reliable star, fast-paced plots, and big action, The Meg film series has all the necessities to be your next movie night binge.

‘The Meg’ and ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Are Wild Rides for Viewers

Image via Warner Bros Pictures

Murphy’s law famously states “what can go wrong will go wrong,” and The Meg takes that adage to extremes, ensuring viewers never know what’s coming next. No matter what situation Jonas and the scientists find themselves in, things always seem to go from bad to worse. The scientists’ submarine is attacked by the meg during their dive, trapping them underwater. Jonas is sent to rescue the scientists, but one of them dies in the process. And when Jonas, his love interest, scientist Suyin Zhang (Li Bingbing), and the rest of the team finally fight back and kill the meg, a second meg comes out of the depths and kills more of the crew. These events might spell disaster for the characters, but they’re certainly fun for the audience to watch as they get to see how Jonas and the other characters will make it out of their latest life-or-death scenario.

Meg 2: The Trench is similarly full of unexpected plot developments on an even bigger scale. After the death of Suyin, Jonas has adopted her daughter Meiying (Sophia Cai) and raises her with Suyin’s brother, Jiuming (Wu Jing). The family goes on another exploratory dive and discovers an unsanctioned mining operation led by a mercenary named Montes (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), who sets off an explosion to cover up his illegal activities and damages Jonas’ submersible in the process. Jonas and the team must then use special suits to walk across the ocean floor to an escape vessel, but an attack by a meg, as well as new creatures referred to as “Snappers”, and a betrayal by one of their own results in the deaths of almost the entire crew. Jonas, Meiying, Siuying, and the only other survivor, Mac (Cliff Curtis), do make it to the surface, but so do multiple megs and even a giant octopus thanks to the explosion set off by Montes. The best thrillers keep people on the edge of their seats with twists and turns, and Meg 2 does just that, picking off its cast one by one in the style of the best slasher-thrillers and constantly escalating the already impossible odds that demands to be seen to be believed.

The Action in ‘The Meg’ Series is Ridiculous—And That’s A Good Thing

Image credit via Warner Bros.

When Jason Statham is the lead in an action film, it’s guaranteed to be exciting, and he certainly delivers in The Meg and Meg 2 with some of the most delightfully outlandish feats of his career. The first film’s climax sees Statham driving his submersible directly at the meg before stabbing it with a knife, using the knife as a handhold, and then driving a harpoon into the meg’s eye in midair—all with his bare hands. In the sequel, Statham one-ups himself by going after the megs on a jetski while simultaneously being shot at by mercenaries from the mining operation. He once again uses a harpoon, this time to launch bombs at the megs, until he is forced ashore, where he then uses a helicopter propeller to fatally stab the remaining shark. Are these scenes implausible? Highly. Would a marine biologist recommend this approach? Probably not. But is it highly entertaining? Absolutely. This is the kind of big, ridiculous action that one can only find in films like the Fast and Furious franchise (which Statham also stars in) where the cast and crew are willing to lean in to the absurd and just have fun with it, which in turn lets the audience do the same. While this type of action may not be for everyone, it can’t be denied that it’s incredibly entertaining to watch, whether the audience is smiling along with it or laughing at it.

Furthermore, action sequences like these set The Meg and Meg 2 apart from other shark movies. The franchise never claims to be the next Jaws, and it doesn’t try to be; these movies carve out their own niche in the genre thanks to their over-the-top approach. The Sharknado franchise may have gotten the head start on the comedic possibilities of shark movies, but the action is nowhere near the blockbuster level that The Meg films can provide. Many movies with sharks feature scenes where the human characters must fight off the ocean’s best predators, but The Meg and Meg 2 are some of the very few movies that can provide that thrill without being serious or scary. There are plenty of fish in the sea, but there are only two like The Meg, and they’re well worth a watch.

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Release Date

August 10, 2018

Runtime

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113 minutes

Director

Jon Turteltaub

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Writers

Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber, Dean Georgaris, Steve Alten

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Producers

Belle Avery, Colin Wilson, Lorenzo di Bonaventura

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Alix Earle is finally sharing her side of the story about what led to her ongoing drama with Alex Cooper.

In season 1 of Alix’s reality show Earle Meets World — where she pulls back the curtain on life with her family, the influencer alleged that she felt “betrayed” by Alex.

“I just get scared because everyone tells me not to fight with her,” Alix explained while talking with dad Thomas “TJ” Earle. “Because they always win and they always come out on top. She even said to me, ‘You don’t want to go to war with me.’”

For the uninitiated, Alix previously launched her “Hot Mess” podcast under Alex’s Unwell Network in 2023. Two years later, however, the partnership came to an end when the podcast was dropped.

While speculation swirled about tension between Alix and Alex, the Dancing With the Stars season 34 runner-up reignited feud rumors when she reposted a TikTok calling the “Call her Daddy” podcast host the “Grim Reaper.” Alex, for her part, directly addressed Alix in a TikTok and asked her to publicly share what their “beef is.” Alix simply replied, “OK on it!!” and had yet to further detail their falling out — until now.

“I know no matter what I’ll say, people will have a problem with this. She’s probably going to have a problem with this and attack me after or twist and manipulate whatever she wants to say about me. That’s scary. That’s where I’m like, ‘Should I be doing this?’ But I know what I’m signing myself up for,” Alix said.

Scroll down to see the biggest revelations from Earle Meets World:

Alix Earle Found Out She Wasn’t Working With Unwell Through the Media

Alix explained that she feels “scared” of Alex, claiming that she found out her “Hot Mess” podcast was dropped by the Unwell Network through the media.

“I’m just intimidated,” Alix said. “I don’t know what she’s going to do or how she’s going to twist things. I always hope that karma or something would do its thing one day and, um, karma’s taking awhile.”

Alix Earle Claims Both ‘Personality’ and ‘Work Things’ Went ‘Wrong’ With Alex Cooper Relationship

While having a conversation with her family in Earle Meets World, Alix claimed that there was “thing after thing” when they were working together — noting that Unwell Network was a startup company at the time so things inherently weren’t going to be smooth.

“There [were] just constantly issues. It just wasn’t run properly. It wasn’t what I was promised or told it was going to be like working with them,” Alix said, while TJ chimed in to add, “One of the primary reasons that we ultimately ended up going with Unwell for Alix’s podcast was one, because she looked up to Alex Cooper and two, Alex Cooper would be able to mentor Alix in the business, in the podcasting business. And show her how to put together a show and give her all the resources to produce and develop a great show.”

He claimed, “We knew what they promised us and then when they came in way below what they promised us, we were kind of like, ‘I guess this is how you produce a podcast.’ You sit on your bed with a camera that they sent you and you film it yourself. There’s no production crew, there’s nothing. … We come to find out, because Alix has other friends that do podcasts, that they are actually given real resources to produce a show. They have a producer. They have people that are helping them film and set up lighting and things like that. Alix had none of that, she was doing all of this by herself. Traveling around with suitcases full of cameras and then setting ‘em all up by herself.”

TJ explained that the expenses were taken out of the show’s revenue, with the leftover profit being split between Alix and Unwell.

“So there was no expenses because they had Alix doing everything,” TJ said, while Alix interjected to claim she got the cold shoulder, “I don’t even care about the money or the contracts … Then once we worked with them again — because I felt pressured into signing with them again, so I did — they said, ‘OK, hire your own people for the show. We are taking everyone off.’ They didn’t invite me to events. They didn’t talk to me. They didn’t come up to meetings anymore. I’m like, ‘Why am I paying you to do something I’m not even happy doing and you’re not even giving me any support and I feel scared of you?’”

She continued, “There’s like personality, and then there’s like work things. And both things went wrong. For example, from the start, I didn’t realize things were going wrong because I was obsessed with her. I was like, ‘This is my idol. I’m so happy to work with her.’ And then constantly felt taken advantage of and used and mistreated and manipulated.”

Alix Earle Claims Alex Cooper ‘Took Advantage’ Of Her ‘Admiration’

Alix recalled appearing as a guest on Alex’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast and feeling “so excited,” before her emotions shifted.

“She sold me on a dream that she was going to protect me and look out for me and I feel like she took advantage of my admiration of her and she used that to her advantage,” Alix alleged.

In a separate scene, Alix claimed that Alex began asking her questions on the podcast that were “really sexual” after the pair had been drinking.

“I’m imagining myself in her shoes. To take someone in college, who is young and impressionable, you know looks up to you. And then ask them these raunchy questions which I was definitely a little bit comfortable with,” Alix said in a confessional, as clips from the podcast began playing. “Part of that was stuff I had asked to be taken out after the interview. And she was like, ‘Oh I think it’s so funny.’ And it’s stuff that I didn’t necessarily want to live on the internet forever. So that definitely hurt me. Or, it hurts now. In the moment, I just was like, ‘She’s looking out for me.’”

While talking with her family about the falling out, Alix became emotional as she noted that the “things [Alex] put out there [is] stuff [she] can never take back.”

“My kids are going to see that and it took a toll on all of us,” Alix said. “After that interview when we talked about our family experience, I cried to her. I was like, ‘Thanks this meant so much to me. I really looked up to you and I’m so happy I got to share this story.’ It just makes me feel like a f***ing loser. I was so excited and happy and I thought I was doing something so good and I did something so hurtful to all of us.”

In a separate confessional, Alix’s stepmom, Ashley Dupré, shared that she felt like she “lost my spark” after the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that discussed her affair. (Ashley previously made national news in 2008 after having relations with former New York governor Eliot Spitzer before having an affair with TJ while he was married to Alix and Ashtin Earle’s mom, Alisa Earle.)

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Alix Earle Claims Alex Cooper Reached Out to College Friend to ‘Get Dirt’

In a separate scene, Alix claimed that Alex reached out to her college friend to “get dirt” on the content creator.

“Someone that I’m friends with told me that Alex Cooper DM’d her the other day asking to get on the phone to talk about me,” Alix told her mom, while footage from four days prior played. “Alex Cooper DM’d [censored], asking to get on the phone and talk to her. … Reaching out to someone I went to college with to try and get dirt on me?”

Earle Meets World is streaming on Netflix now.

A conversation about nostalgia has unexpectedly turned into a Hollywood war of words. Ryan Reynolds recently reflected on why he believed people often romanticized the 1980s, but his comments struck a nerve with Spencer Pratt. 

The reality TV personality wasted no time firing back, accusing the actor of helping fuel the growing divide between celebrities and everyday Americans. 

The exchange has since sparked fresh debate over how Hollywood talks about the past and whether audiences are still listening.

For Spencer Pratt, the issue was bigger than a single actor or a single interview. The former reality star used Ryan Reynolds’ comments as an example of what he believed was a larger problem within the entertainment industry.

After unsuccessfully running for Los Angeles mayor earlier this year on a platform that included bringing more film production jobs back to the city, Pratt has continued speaking about Hollywood’s relationship with the public. 

Reynolds’ latest remarks struck a nerve, prompting him to voice his frustration on social media. “Here I am trying to bring back American film jobs, and then these tools keep saying stupid crap like this and making every normal American hate them,” Pratt wrote on X.

He followed up with another blunt criticism of the industry itself, adding, “Hollywood is seriously its own worst enemy. Just stick to the Cricket wireless ads, dude.”

Pratt Reacts To Reynolds’ View Of American Nostalgia

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Spencer Pratt’s frustration stemmed from Ryan Reynolds’ red carpet appearance for “Mayday,” his upcoming Apple TV film. 

While discussing the movie, which features a former KGB agent fascinated by American culture from the 1980s, the actor reflected on how people tend to remember past decades.

According to the 49-year-old, nostalgia often smoothed over difficult realities. “What’s interesting is when you get far enough away from a time period that’s distinct, there’s always a lovely feeling associated with it,” Reynolds told Variety, adding, “It’s almost like you pave over all the trauma with puppy dogs and ice cream.”

He argued that many people focused on the decade’s pop-culture highlights while overlooking the uncertainty that defined the era. 

Reynolds described the period as “a brutal, brutal time for people” and “a tremendous strife,” pointing to widespread social and political tensions.

Spencer Pratt Finds Himself Opposing Ryan Reynolds’ Bigger Message

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While the debate centered on the 1980s, Reynolds’ larger point was actually about the present. The “Deadpool” actor suggested that every generation tends to remember only the most recognizable moments in history while forgetting the challenges of the time.

Using the 1980s as an example, Reynolds argued that future generations might eventually look back on the current era with a similarly romanticized perspective. 

He noted that decades were often defined by a handful of cultural touchstones, while the fear, uncertainty, and difficulties of the period faded from memory.

Reynolds also reflected on how different decades developed distinct identities, contrasting the cultural character of the 1980s with later periods. 

Looking ahead, he predicted that the years shaped by the pandemic could eventually be remembered very differently from how people expect today.

Summing up his perspective, Reynolds declared, “We’re living in the frickin’ salad days. We just don’t know it.” 

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Pratt Pushes Hollywood Tax Credit Campaign

If Spencer Pratt’s criticism of Reynolds revealed his frustration with Hollywood’s public image, his push for industry reform showed where that frustration came from. 

Long before the Ryan Reynolds controversy erupted, Pratt had been publicly campaigning for measures he believed could help reverse the exodus of film and television production from California.

In early August, he revealed that he had met with President Donald Trump and was advocating for a 25% federal film and television tax credit designed to keep productions in the United States. 

Sharing details of the effort, Pratt wrote on Instagram that he was “Working with the President on a 25% FEDERAL film tax credit to bring back Hollywood.” 

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The proposal emerged amid growing concern about productions relocating to countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, where generous incentives have attracted major studio projects. 

Pratt argued that California was losing jobs while policymakers failed to address the problem. He also took aim at state officials, claiming government policies were pushing production elsewhere. 

Spencer Pratt Sparks Jimmy Kimmel Controversy

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Pratt’s willingness to challenge prominent entertainment figures surfaced again later that month when he inserted himself into a viral conversation involving late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney.

The controversy began after McNearney appeared on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast and discussed the early days of her relationship with Kimmel. 

At the time, she was working as a writer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and admitted she initially viewed a romance with her boss as a risky proposition. 

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Recalling her reaction, McNearney said, “Oh, no. This is a bad idea. He was my boss.” She explained that she worried a failed relationship could affect her career while Kimmel’s would likely remain unchanged. 

Kimmel acknowledged during the conversation that he had not considered those concerns at the time. McNearney responded, “The person in power usually doesn’t.” 

She also described feeling nervous about altering the workplace dynamic in a predominantly male writers’ room. 

After media outlets picked up the interview, Pratt reacted on X with a provocative question: “Isn’t this what Harvey Weinstein did?” 

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The comparison immediately generated backlash because Weinstein is serving a prison sentence in California for sex crimes and remains one of the most notorious figures in Hollywood history.

For Sandra Bullock, conversations about dating apparently come with some very specific requirements. 

The Oscar-winning actress recently offered a rare glimpse into life at home with her children while discussing family, relationships, and the unexpected advice she receives from her daughter. 

Years after the death of longtime partner Bryan Randall, Bullock revealed that her 12-year-old daughter, Laila, has her own ideas about who the actress should date next, and the criteria have little to do with romance.

During an appearance on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Sandra Bullock shared that her daughter has been encouraging her to get back into the dating world. 

However, Laila’s interest in her mother’s love life appears to be motivated by something other than finding the perfect match.

Recalling one of their conversations, Bullock revealed, “She said I needed to date, but only someone where they could get stuff. So I said, ‘What, a rapper, a basketball player? That’s the parameters?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah.’ I went, ‘Oh.’”

The “Bird Box” actress also explained that her children, including her 16-year-old son Louis, were far less interested in her Hollywood status than in the perks that might come with it. 

According to her, “they don’t care” about her career and instead focus on what she brings home. Leaning into the joke, Bullock quipped, “My job is craft service. That’s what my job was [when they were little]. A place that had extensive craft service.” 

Bullock Shares Rare Photos Of Louis And Laila

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Before revealing that her children have strong opinions about her dating life, Sandra Bullock gave fans an unusual glimpse into her world as a mother by sharing rare photos of Louis and Laila. 

The actress has spent years protecting her children’s privacy, making the images especially noteworthy for longtime fans. 

The photos appeared as part of a personal social media post that documented moments from her summer. 

Among the Instagram images was a striking shot of Louis and Laila, walking together through the countryside as the sun set behind them. 

The siblings were framed by trees and open landscape, offering a quiet look at a side of Bullock’s life rarely seen in public. “Friends, family, fun, fishes, furries, aaaaand work,” she added in the caption.

Sandra Bullock Reveals Kids Have Secret ‘Practical Magic 2’ Cameos

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The rare family photos were not the only reason Louis and Laila recently found themselves in the spotlight. 

As promotion for “Practical Magic 2” intensified, the mom of two surprised fans by revealing that both children actually appear in the movie. 

Speaking during a recent chat with Access Hollywood, Bullock disclosed that her children would make brief cameo appearances in the highly anticipated sequel. 

According to Bullock, the cameos are subtle enough that many viewers may not even realize they are seeing her children on screen. 

The actress was visibly proud while discussing their involvement and described herself as “unbelievably proud” of both of them. The sequel reunites Bullock with Nicole Kidman and introduces a new generation of Owens family characters. 

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Bullock Details How Her Children Faced Bryan Randall’s ALS Battle

Recent interviews have also seen Sandra Bullock open up about one of the most difficult periods her family has ever faced: Randall’s private battle with ALS. 

For years, Randall helped raise Louis and Laila alongside Bullock before his death in August 2023. 

Speaking candidly about the experience on the “SmartLess” podcast, Bullock revealed that both children were aware of Randall’s illness and understood far more than many people may have realized. 

“Absolutely aware, because eventually, once there is a situation where you’re bedridden, we all have to go there,” Bullock stated, adding, “It was in my house, and I did my best to set up whatever I could, and I am lucky in that I had the means to pay for it.”

Rather than shielding them entirely from reality, she chose to navigate difficult conversations honestly while helping them cope with the emotional challenges that accompanied the disease. 

Sandra Bullock’s Tattoo Carries Special Meaning For Her Children

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The importance of family has been a recurring theme in Bullock’s recent interviews. That bond was also on display on August 26 when the “Blind Side” actress stepped onto the London premiere carpet for the sequel. 

Fans noticed fresh ink on her shoulder, sparking immediate speculation about the meaning behind the design. 

The tattoo, which read “LB²,” was visible thanks to the strapless Givenchy gown Bullock wore for the premiere. 

As Page Six stated, the design featured the letters “L” and “B” intertwined in cursive with a raised number two beside them, leading many observers to wonder whether it referenced multiple people in her life. 

The mystery was quickly cleared up when Bullock’s representative confirmed that the tattoo was a tribute to her children. The initials represented the siblings, while the superscript two symbolized the pair together. 

Before that confirmation emerged, social media had been flooded with theories. Some fans believed the “B” could also be a nod to Bryan Randall.

If you get your opinions exclusively from very angry people online, you may have heard there’s been backlash lately against the concept of movie twists. Audiences demand that movies cater to their expectations, and when movies instead surprise them, that’s a deep betrayal.

Fortunately, people haven’t always felt this way (and many people don’t feel that way even now). The first decade of this century brought us some movies with amazing twists. Some were movies that never got the recognition they deserved, while others were huge enough to launch franchises or to turn their filmmakers into stars.

Warning: Spoilers, obviously.

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‘Atonement’ (2006)

Image via Focus Features

The book Atonement, by Ian McEwan, has a twist that would seem hard to translate to film. You read a story of war and romance where things go very wrong, but in the end, there are hints of a somewhat happy ending. Then comes a postscript that reveals you’ve been reading a fictionalized account written by one of the characters themselves. The real version of the story ended quite miserably.

How do you adapt that as a movie? Should the last scene be an epilogue revealing that the previous footage was a movie directed by one of the characters? 2006’s Atonement adaptation does not do that. Instead, Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) is once again an author, revealing in an interview that she wrote a fictionalized account of her life. The previous scenes we saw depict the novel she wrote.

That was the right choice. If they instead revealed that what we’d seen was an in-universe movie, with Briony now praising the performances of Keira Knightly and James McAvoy, the whole thing would have come off as a joke. You’re allowed to break the fourth wall, but you must do so with great caution.

9

‘The Mist’ (2007)

Image via Dimension Films

The ending of The Mist breaks several guidelines on what movies can do. Faced with what appears to me a monster apocalypse that has wiped out civilization, our hero David (Thomas Jane) shoots the entire band of survivors he’s traveling with. He kills them out of mercy, with their consent, but this still isn’t the way we’ve been taught movies are supposed to end. In addition to several charming elderly people, this band of survivors includes the hero’s young son, and Hollywood tells us kids that age are immortal. Then, moments later, the military arrives, revealing the world is far from over and they would have been saved had they just held out longer.

It’s even more of a shocking twist if you’ve read the Stephen King novella on which the movie is based, because that ends with the hero and his son surviving and feeling optimistic when they pick up a radio signal. Crazy thing, though? The movie ending (which King has said is the superior one) and the book ending have the same message. Whether the characters live or die, both endings still say: Don’t give up.

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‘Moon’ (2009)

Image via Sony Pictures

Sam Rockell stars as a lone astronaut stationed on the Moon, and along with him is a robot, voiced by Kevin Spacey. The robot appears to be entirely helpful, and it sometimes communicates by displaying the image of a smiley face. Then, at the end of the movie, in a twist that destroys everything we thought about how science-fiction works, the robot… does not turn out to be evil.

Okay, that’s not the real twist of the movie. The actual twist, which comes in multiple stages, may send you into a deep state of worry about the nature of existence. We’re not going to recount it here, and we’re actually not going to recount the twist for many of the movies we’re listing. We’re just going to assure you each twist is good. That’s this list’s twist.

7

‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)

Image via Universal Pictures

With many movies, the big twist is that nothing we’ve seen up to this point was real, that it was all in someone’s head. Mulholland Drive isn’t even the only movie on this list to go that route. But rarely do these movies, after showing you the fantasy, spend much time showing the reality. You might get just a quick glimpse of the character confined in an asylum, and then we cut to credits.

Mulholland Drive’s reality lasts a good half hour. Maybe every movie that tries a twist like this needs to do something similar, because you can’t appreciate someone’s fantasy without knowing in detail what they’re escaping.

Though, it does take a few viewings to even understand what you’re watching. And if you watched it for the first time years ago, without knowing who Namoi Watts is, you might have looked at the two very different versions of the same character, seen what appears to be two clearly different women, and wondered why they cast two actresses who look so much like each other.

6

‘The Fountain’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros.

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In The Fountain, we again have what appears to be a single actor (Hugh Jackman) playing multiple characters. Exactly what the connection is between these three men (as well as between the multiple women played by Rachel Weisz), well, that turns out to be the movie’s twist. Some people leave the movie still unclear on the answer, which is surely a testament to how good a twist it is.

The movie also has a more traditional twist, a sort of Twilight Zone twist in which someone does not get the victory they sought. It’s the most famous scene, as you might have seen a GIF of Jackman staring blissfully at some golden light, without your having any idea what the context is. The full scene is a bit different from what you’d expect from the meme, and the sight is all the more impressive when you learn they pulled this movie off using only half the originally planned budget.

5

‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’ (2009)

Image via West End Films

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The lowest-budgeted film on the list, however, by a wide margin, would be The Disappearance of Alice Creed. The movie cost just $1.5 million. They must have saved some money on cast salaries, as the cast consists of just Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, and Eddie Marsan. Those aren’t the leads: That’s the entire cast, as the whole movie has only three characters.

A little bit into the movie, there’s a twist. Then, after a bit, there’s another twist. Then there’s another twist. You’re supposed to go into movies like this knowing nothing in advance, and we hopefully haven’t spoiled anything for you by telling you there are twists, because after all that, once you figure you now know where it’s all going, there’s a twist.

4

‘A Beautiful Mind’ (2001)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Given all the biopics of Great Men that came out in the years that followed A Beautiful Mind, you might imagine this 2001 movie was a sort of early template that a bunch of later movies iterated on. The truth is the opposite. It plays out like a twist on a bunch of movies that hadn’t even been made yet.

Many movies tell you the story of some figure you’re already familiar with. A Beautiful Mind tells you a story something like that then tells you that a chunk of what it told you isn’t true. Its twist assumes, correctly, that the viewer knows less about the subject of the movie than could be learned by reading the intro to his Wikipedia article (if economist John Nash had a Wikipedia article in 2001, which he did not).

Few biopics attempt anything close to that. Sure, Oppenheimer, to its credit, does have a big twist, but the twist is not, “Actually, there never was an atomic bomb.” If it were, that would have been quite a surprise.

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‘Memento’ (2000)

Image via Summit Entertainment

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We definitely need one Christopher Nolan movie in this roundup, and Memento’s final twist is one for the ages. What’s really notable about it, though, looking back, is that the movie probably could have got away with having no twist ending at all. The movie already had its gimmick. When a movie’s premise is especially nutty and becomes especially famous, you’ll often discover it doesn’t have a twist ending.

The Truman Show doesn’t end with a twist. Groundhog Day doesn’t end with a twist. The Matrix, despite the wild reveal one-third in, doesn’t end with a twist (unless “the main character, who they said was the Chosen One, really is the Chosen One” counts as a twist). So, Memento could have just been a movie about someone with short-term memory loss, told in reverse, about him tracking down a murderer. It wouldn’t have been as great as it is, but it still then may have permanently shaken pop culture, leaving us forever referring to anterograde amnesia as “Memento disease.”

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‘Triangle’ (2009)

Image via Icon Film Distribution

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Other movies play with time, and you can name several where the twist is the character’s in a loop. You might guess, early on, that’s what’s happening in Triangle. You might even guess one mysterious hooded figure who tussles with the main character (Melissa George) is really the main character herself, from the future.

You’d be right. Except, that’s not all the movie has in store. Time loops can get more complicated than what you’re used to. And then, the movie gets truly weird when it breaks the laws that you assumed were in place and shifts to more horrifying stuff that you’d think was physically impossible. In fact, you should feel silly for thinking the story was constrained by rules at all. It’s a movie. The story can do whatever it wants.

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‘Saw’ (2004)

Image via Twisted Pictures

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In 1999, The Sixth Sense somehow made everyone agree on what the ultimate movie twist is: What if that guy who’s been on the screen the entire movie turns out to have been dead the whole time? Saw took that and instead offered us: What if that guy who’s been on the screen the entire movie turns out to have been alive the whole time?

That wasn’t its only twist. It also gave us the inconspicuous background character who masterminded everything, the apparent good guy secretly taking orders from the bad guy, and the creepy villain who’s actually just another victim. Also, a man saws off his own foot. It’s hard to even remember that last part was a twist, but it was. The movie’s about a guy (Cary Elwes) figuring out how to escape his bonds without cutting his foot off, but then, he actually does cut his foot off, and we weren’t supposed to expect that.

Of course, Saw isn’t really the best movie of its decade and is probably not truly the one with the best twist. We still wanted to spotlight it to remind you how good twists can get, even in movies that some dismiss as trash. On the other end of the spectrum, 2023 saw the release of the tenth Saw film, and though it was the only movie in the franchise to receive positive reviews, its final twist was a wet wad of nothing. Now that the series is in the hands of new owners, let’s hope it does not forget the importance of twists in motion pictures.

The old owners, incidentally, go by the name of Twisted Pictures.

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Release Date

October 29, 2004

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Runtime

103 minutes

Director

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James Wan

Producers

Gregg Hoffman, Mark Burg, Oren Koules

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• 
• 

  Leigh Whannell

  Adam Faulkner-Stanheight

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Honestly, biopics can play things a bit too safe. That’s actually understating things. To push a bit further, the biopic genre might well be the least ambitious and most conventional, at least overall. These are films that focus on one person, or one part of a person’s life, and there’s always an attempt to condense whatever timeframe is focused on down to a manageable two hours or so.

There are countless biopics that play things safe (and some aren’t even that bad while doing so, to be fair), but what’s more interesting are the ones that stand out as riskier and a little bolder. Enter the following ones, which are among the most ambitious biopics of all time, standing out because they’re epic in length/scope, they make some unusual creative choices, they’re visually bold, or maybe even all of the above.

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‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The Wolf of Wall Street is intentionally chaotic, all to reflect the life of Jordan Belfort, the controversial figure at the film’s center. He doesn’t physically hurt people to the extent that various main characters in Martin Scorsese’s other films do (including some of his non-crime biographical/historical movies, like Raging Bull), but he’s morally questionable – to put it mildly – in other ways.

There are different kinds of harm when it comes to crime, and The Wolf of Wall Street makes this particular strand of white-collar crime look exciting, until it isn’t, but then even after it isn’t, it’s not really punished. Belfort’s benefited from The Wolf of Wall Street, writing the autobiography the film was based on and then getting to cameo in the film itself, so the movie presents itself as something to take into account when looking at Belfort getting away with things. And that it does all that without feeling preachy and while still being enormously entertaining is even more impressive.

9

‘I’m Not There’ (2007)

Image via The Weinstein Company

2024 saw the release of a more conventional Bob Dylan biopic in the form of A Complete Unknown, which does what you’d expect while focusing on the most famous part of Dylan’s career that’s already far from unknown. It’s a safe film, which doesn’t really line up with the always ambitious and sometimes even confounding man himself, which is why 2007’s I’m Not There is kind of the more accurate biopic.

It’s more spiritually and thematically accurate, at least, while there’s an obvious breaking from reality by having several actors play different versions (or ideas) of Bob Dylan, reflecting the different personas he’s had throughout his various eras. It’s an approach that would probably also work for David Bowie, if anyone wanted to attempt that. Actually, it could be even more difficult in Bowie’s case (see the documentary Moonage Daydream, which is deliberately fractured and oftentimes overwhelming in its attempts to cover a bit of everything).

8

‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Image via Universal Pictures

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If Christopher Nolan continues making movies in the IMAX format, it’s fair to say “Oppenheimer is his longest movie ever,” rather than “Oppenheimer is his longest movie so far.” There’s a three-hour limit to movies made that way, though if technology improves or changes, then that could change things. Hmm. But it’s outside Christopher Nolan’s control, unless he backs away from IMAX, but that feels unlikely after the success of both Oppenheimer and The Odyssey.

All a bit of a tangent there, but the main thing is that Oppenheimer is huge, and it packs a lot into its long runtime, owing to how fast it’s paced and how dense it proves to be. Maybe it’s even a bit much, but the ambition can’t be faulted, with Nolan covering a lot of history, having a ton of characters, and playing around with structure in interesting ways throughout, thanks to the screenplay and editing.

7

‘Amadeus’ (1984)

Image via Orion Pictures

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Amadeus has an emphasis on drama over historical accuracy, with some of it having a basis in history, and other parts being heightened or not really verifiably accurate. It largely takes place in the late 1700s, so that probably makes the approach more forgivable, and then Amadeus also gets away with things because the narrative here – and what it all has to say thematically – proves so compelling.

And then Amadeus stands out from some of the other movies here by having two main characters: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, though the latter does recount the events of the narrative from his perspective. It’s about Salieri resenting Mozart, and living in his shadow, all the while having aspirations of being a famed composer but not finding the same success. It’s a loose biopic, if it’s even a biopic at all, but it’s just too impressive and distinct a film to overlook, for present purposes.

6

‘The Irishman’ (2019)

Image via Netflix

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Martin Scorsese was mentioned before, because he directed The Wolf of Wall Street, and he is one of those directors who can make movies about as long as he wants them to be, just from goodwill built up throughout his directing career (see also Christopher Nolan, IMAX time limits aside). The Irishman came out the same decade as The Wolf of Wall Street, and was arguably even more ambitious.

Frank Sheeran is the man at the center of this particular story, with it being about his reflecting on his life of violence (a given if you’re a hitman for the mob) and all the death around him in that time (another given). The ambition here comes from the narrative spanning many years without casting different actors in the roles, and having actors who are getting on in years de-aged. The effects aren’t perfect, but the creative choice is undeniably bold, as is the structure of The Irishman and the phenomenal way it’s edited throughout.

5

‘Better Man’ (2024)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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Since the current landscape of music biopics is dominated by fairly bland and/or safe movies like A Complete Unknown and Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, films like Better Man ought to be celebrated. Specifically, Better Man was regrettably not celebrated at large, since it went above and beyond (or below and beyond?) the majority of box office bombs, since a gross of $22.5 million against a budget of more than $100 million is absolutely disastrous.

That gross does not reflect the quality of the film, though, because Better Man is incredible. If you know nothing about Robbie Williams, that’s okay, because the movie’s about more than just Williams, or maybe it’s accurate to say that it uses the life of Robbie Williams as a springboard to explore surprisingly interesting and intense subject matter. It’s got a lot by way of spectacle, it’s moving at times, and the special effects are flawless. They have to be, because Robbie Williams is depicted as a CGI chimpanzee for the whole movie. Probably should’ve led with that info… that’s the big thing about the movie, and also likely the main reason it cost so much to make.

4

‘Malcolm X’ (1992)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Spike Lee, in general, is a tremendously ambitious filmmaker, and he’s taken various creative swings over the decades, occasionally striking out… but not all that often, considering how prolific he is. And he definitely didn’t strike out with Malcolm X, which is quite comfortably his longest movie, at over three hours, and one of the few biographical movies he’s made, too (BlacKkKlansman is the other major one, though he does have other films that take place in history without necessarily being biopics).

Malcolm X is indeed about the titular man, and it covers his entire life throughout its nearly 3.5-hour-long runtime. Spike Lee infuses the whole thing with many of the stylistic choices found in his non-biographical movies, and so an unconventional portrait of Malcolm X is painted very effectively here, and the film has more than earned its reputation for being one of the best films of its decade.

3

‘Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters’ (1985)

Image via Warner Bros.

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It’s easy to call Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters an arthouse film when so much of it looks like artwork brought to life on the screen, and then part of the film is about art, specifically writing. That’s because the titular Yukio Mishima was partly known for being a writer, and then also known for various other things, including a controversial political activist whose life had a dramatic end in 1970.

You know that’s where Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is always heading, but the journey there is far from straightforward, since this is a biographical movie that also adapts bits and pieces of Mishima’s writing. It’s like an adaptation, a biopic, and something more abstract all at once, but it’s a difficult film to shake or stop thinking about, once seen, and potentially one of the greatest biopics (or semi-biopics) of all time, too.

2

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)

One of those classics you can still comfortably recommend to people who might not usually like watching older films, Lawrence of Arabia is bigger and better than the vast majority of biographical movies out there. It’s the gold standard in many ways, although it’s potentially unusual for how little time it covers, because there’s an initial sequence set in 1935, and then the rest of the movie takes place in 1917 through to 1918.

T.E. Lawrence did a lot in that time, though, to put it mildly, so Lawrence of Arabia does feel sufficiently packed with things happening for the entirety of its almost four-hour-long runtime. It’s an effortless watch, and you don’t feel like you’ve spent that much time with it, with Lawrence of Arabia feeling essentially flawless on just about every front.

1

‘Napoleon’ (1927)

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Not to be mixed up with the Ridley Scott movie of the same name (even if that one’s admittedly quite ambitious as well), 1927’s Napoleon is wild. Just the fact that it exists is wild. It’s a silent era epic that goes for well over five hours, and it’s only a partial account of Napoleon Bonaparte’s life, since the director, Abel Gance, had planned to make a series of movies that’d ultimately tell the entire life story.

In that sense, Napoleon (1927) had ambition that spanned beyond the film itself. But if you’re only looking at the film that does exist, rather than thinking about what could’ve been, then Napoleon (1927) is still incredibly forward-thinking and adventurous on a technical front, with its camerawork and the famed finale that features a very early cinematic attempt at widescreen. And, again, this film’s more than five hours long. Taking into account all of it being helmed nearly a century ago, it feels difficult to argue that any other biographical film is more ambitious.

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Napoleon

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Release Date

April 7, 1927

Runtime

330 Minutes

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Director

Abel Gance

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Writers

Abel Gance

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• 

  Albert Dieudonné

  Napoleon Bonaparte

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  Nicolas Roudenko

  Napoléon Bonaparte enfante

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Following World War I, the 1920s saw the war genre become one of cinema’s most popular, and that’s a trend that hasn’t really stopped since. It’s a genre that has produced several of the greatest movies in film history, one that has remained timeless thanks to how it puts the very concept of war—the ultimate form of human conflict—into a dramatic package that one can experience safely from the comfort of a seat.

Whether it’s a hilarious satire like Dr. Strangelove or a gut-wrenching drama like Come And See, the best war movies in film history prove how intimately this genre can speak to people’s innermost fears and anxieties regarding the state of the world and its conflicts. Anyone looking to check the most essential war masterpieces off their list ought to watch these gems at least once in their lives.

10

‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’ (1964)

Considering just how serious and inherently sensitive of a topic war is, most of history’s greatest war movies have been dramas. Every now and then, though, war comedies can be of vital importance, exposing the pure idiocy and absurdity of military conflict in a way so exaggerated that one can’t help but laugh. And as far as war comedies go, it doesn’t get much better or much more essential than Stanley Kubrick‘s Dr. Strangelove.

Loosely based on the thriller novel Red Alert by Peter George, who co-wrote the screenplay (one of the best of the ’60s) with Kubrick and Terry Southern, Dr. Strangelove is absolutely brilliant in how it blends the horrifying absurdity of nuclear paranoia with genuinely hilarious dark comedy. Its themes were a product of its Cold War times, but they nonetheless have aged terrifyingly well.

9

‘Incendies’ (2010)

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Nowadays, Denis Villeneuve has firmly established himself as one of the greatest filmmakers currently working in Hollywood; but before he made the jump over the border, he was making some of the best Canadian movies of all time. Case in point, and what some still consider to be his best film to date: Incendies, a mystery drama based on Wajdi Mouawad‘s play of the same name, itself inspired by parts of the life of Lebanese communist militant Souha Bechara.

This film is a gut-wrenching tragedy through and through, and definitely not for those without a remarkably strong stomach, but that doesn’t make it any less of a must-see. But far from just hinging on the shock value of its big twist, it’s a genuinely marvelously-crafted masterpiece dealing with how the cyclical horrors of war only breed violence, trauma, and darkness. It’s a magnificent achievement anchored by Lubna Azabal‘s towering performance.

8

‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

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Steven Spielberg, father of blockbusters, is the mind behind several of the greatest and most entertaining popcorn movies in history. It just so happens, however, that one of his greatest films to date isn’t a popcorn flick at all, but the absolutely devastating Saving Private Ryan. Inspired by the books of Stephen E. Ambrose and accounts of multiple soldiers, it has been widely praised as one of the most horrifyingly realistic and authentic war movies ever made.

A common criticism of action-packed war movies is that they can sensationalize military conflict by making it seem exciting, but that’s definitely not the case with Saving Private Ryan, one of the best Oscar-winning period movies ever. Its combat sequences are absolutely brutal, its character writing is refreshingly nuanced and complex, and Spielberg’s direction is some of the best ’90s cinema ever saw.

7

‘Paths of Glory’ (1957)

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Many still regard Stanley Kubrick as the single greatest filmmaker in the history of cinema, and purely considering that he has made several of history’s greatest war pictures (consider this Full Metal Jacket‘s honorable mention), it isn’t the least bit hard to see why. His best war movie came relatively early into his career: Paths of Glory, whose anti-military sentiments made it severely controversial upon release.

As the years have passed, however, not only have the controversies died down: Paths of Glory is now universally considered one of the most perfect and timeless war movies in film history. It’s one of Kubrick’s quietest, subtlest, and most refreshingly humanist movies, a surprisingly subdued war drama that dares to searingly critique military bureaucracy and institutional hypocrisy. For all those who prefer the human side of the war genre rather than the action-driven side, it’s a must-see.

6

‘The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer’ (1961)

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Masaki Kobayashi was one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers of all time, and though it’s hard to point to a single one of his films as his best, any installment of his Human Condition trilogy (based on Junpei Gomikawa‘s six-part novel) could have a strong claim to the title. The best of the three is arguably the conclusion, A Soldier’s Prayer, the best way to cap off one of the most universally acclaimed movie trilogies ever.

Bolstered by Tatsuya Nakadai‘s tour-de-force performance, one of the best in the history of war cinema, A Soldier’s Prayer offers a beautifully humane yet undeniably devastating climax to this nine-hour anti-war epic. It’s a film all about the wonders of the endurance of the human spirit, but far from being saccharine or overly optimistic, it never shies away from the horrors of war or the brutality of fighting for survival.

5

‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)

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As if any more proof were needed that Steven Spielberg is far more than just the biggest name in the history of blockbuster filmmaking, Schindler’s List—an entirely serious dramatic biopic that earned seven Academy Awards—is almost universally regarded as his magnum opus. It is, indeed, an achievement unlike anything else that the war biopic genre had ever seen before or has ever seen since.

Schindler’s List is nothing short of one of the best drama movies in film history, an emotionally devastating yet powerfully hopeful celebration of the humanity and compassion that managed to seep itself out of cracks in the darkest corners of the Holocaust. Full of unforgettable moments, performances, and music by John Williams, it really is one of the most hard-hitting war dramas ever made for the big screen.

4

‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)

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The making of Francis Ford Coppola‘s Apocalypse Now was one of the most infamously hellish production processes in the history of film, but considering that what came out of it is one of the greatest feature films of all time, it’s hard to say that it wasn’t worth it. Hollywood has made plenty of Vietnam War movies over the years, but none have ever been—or will likely ever be—better than this.

A loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad‘s 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, a book written as a scathing critique of Europe’s colonization of Africa, Apocalypse Now transposes those themes to the Vietnam War to speak about the hypocrisy of imperialism, war’s breakdown of humanity, and the psychology of madness. All in all, it’s one of the best American movies of the ’70s, as there’s virtually nothing to point out as a negative when watching this absolute masterclass in war filmmaking.

3

‘Come And See’ (1985)

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The Soviet Union made several of the greatest films of all time throughout its brief existence, many of them war movies, and few of them better than Elem Klimov‘s Come And See. It’s easily one of the heaviest movies of the 20th century, a film so dark that Klimov had to fight through years of censorship and bureaucratic pushback in order to finally get it out there. The result feels entirely like the uncompromised vision of an artist in full control of his craft.

Indeed, Come And See is no traditional war movie. Powerfully surreal, intensely philosophical, and so unapologetically brutal that it almost feels like a horror drama at times, it’s certainly not a masterpiece for the faint of heart. But even still, Klimov’s direction is so perfect and young Aleksei Kravchenko‘s transformational performance as the boy through whose eyes we see the story is so powerful that Come And See is essential viewing for any cinephile.

2

‘Casablanca’ (1942)

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There are countless superlatives that could reasonably apply to Michael Curtiz‘s Casablanca. It’s one of the most romantic movies ever made, one of the most enrapturing Hollywood war pictures ever made, and certainly the best film made in the United States during World War II. There are remarkably few—if any—Golden-Age Hollywood movies more iconic than this, and few war films more deserving of being considered among the greatest ever made.

Indeed, all in all, Casablanca is one of the most perfect feature films in history, even if virtually no one involved in its production actually believed the project would become anything transcendental. Commercially, its performance was nothing extraordinary. But on top of winning three Academy Awards, it has aged as one of the most essential classics in film history, with some of the best acting, some of the most memorable characters, some of the most quotable dialogue, and one of the best endings in movie history.

1

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)

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There is no film quite like Lawrence of Arabia, a biopic epic made by David Lean, the greatest master of the cinematic epic genre. Winner of seven Academy Awards, this paragon of British-American cinema is not only one of the best historical epics of all time, but also one of the best biopics of all time, and arguably the single greatest war movie in film history.

Staggeringly vast and sweeping in scale yet surprisingly intimate and character-driven in scope and execution, Lawrence of Arabia is a cinematic achievement unlike anything else the Seventh Art has ever seen. It’s visually striking, Maurice Jarre‘s score is legendary, the performances (Peter O’Toole‘s first-ever lead performance most of all) are incredible, the writing is some of the best of the ’60s, and Lean’s direction is some of the best in film history.

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Lawrence of Arabia

Release Date

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December 11, 1962

Runtime

228 minutes

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Director

David Lean

Writers

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Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson

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