The common consensus as of late is that DC Comics is on the up and up as of late, thanks to their recent success in theaters and currently on HBO Max, as well. The future is looking bright for the DC Universe, but it’s best not to forget that the brand has been in cinema for quite some time, on and off the theater screen, live-action and animated.

Before James Gunn truly delves into his DCU, it’s fun to look back on films of DC’s past and how people responded to them. There are the obvious ones, yes, but some silent hitters are part of DC’s highest-rated films, according to Letterboxd, a social media platform where people can review films and see how their friends are reviewing their own. Letterboxd is one of the best ways to analyze what fans and general audiences think in the modern day.

15

‘Watchmen’ (2009)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5.0

Image via Warner Bros.

While Zack Snyder‘s more recent time in the DC Comics universe is relatively controversial (thanks to the mixed reviews for most of his projects following Man of Steel), one of his biggest hits comes in the form of Watchmen in 2009. This gritty and very stylized DC movie is extremely memorable for a plethora of reasons, with Snyder’s directing prowess being one of the primary ones.

One Letterboxd user emphasizes this in their review: “while it’s still one of my favorites just for the sake of how great it looks.” The visuals of this movie are exceptional, and this trait would move forward to be a highlight of his later DC Comics movies, too. The plot and cast are great, but the visuals really drive this one home.

14

‘Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker’ (2000)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Batman has gotten pretty lucky when it comes to animated projects, specifically in the television space. One of the most popular of them all is none other than Batman Beyond. Understandably, the popularity spawned a film for the franchise, coming to audiences in 2000, titled, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

“The flashback scene is up there with some of the best Batman stories ever told, and it’s only 10 minutes long,” is what one review says, and it’s a prime example of the love and care put into Batman: Beyond: Return of the Joker. The story has such a profound heart and soul within it, and moments like the flashback scene prove that the team behind this project really cared.

13

‘Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1’ (2012)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via DC Entertainment

The Dark Knight Returns (1986) is one of the most popular and well-beloved DC comic books of all time. So, it only makes sense when, in 2012, audiences were finally treated to an animated film adapting it. However, it wasn’t all covered in one movie. To ensure the story was adapted correctly, director Jay Olivia split the movie into two. The first part of the project, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, set the standard that the second would have to compete against, and is a great example of how to adapt a comic book accurately.

Bringing an older, elderly Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller) back to the Batman fold, this movie features a protagonist unlike any other Batman movie’s own. He’s changed a lot since he was last the Caped Crusader, and one user jokes about it, putting it very well, in their review: “old man wants entirety of Gotham off his lawn.” While funny, it’s also showcasing that age definitely has changed Batman and made him more gritty and cynical.

12

‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ (2013)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via Warner Home Video

If DC Comics has anything, it’s an amazing animated landscape in both the film and television departments, and a strong argument for this is 2013’s Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Adapting one of the coolest DC Comics crossover events of all time, director Jay Olivia delivers a super emotional Flash movie.

That’s right, despite it having “Justice League” in the title, this film is a Flash story through and through. Surrounding the repercussions of the Scarlet Speedster saving his mother from dying — shifting the timeline completely — Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a story that covers grief and loss, which makes it emotionally compelling beyond most other DC animated flicks. One fan states it best in their review: “Visually incredible, classic butterfly effect story, and phenomenal voice acting.”

11

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

With Batman being DC Comics’ most popular character, it should come as no surprise that most of the highest-rated films for the company on Letterboxd are Batman movies. It should also come as no surprise that the Christopher Nolan trilogy surrounding the superhero has most of its films in the top ten. Among the three movies, the first one, Batman Begins, stands out as the one that is closest to the comic book source material.

Despite being part of the same trilogy, the tone here is very different from the two movies that will come after. It includes the fan favorite Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) as one of the main antagonists, was the first live-action Batman film in quite some time, and introduced the ever-beloved Christian Bale as the iconic Caped Crusader. “In terms of origin stories, this is A-Tier,” is a great depiction of people’s thoughts on the movie, stated by a fan in their review on Letterboxd.

10

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via Warner Bros.

With how abundantly popular Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is, it makes total sense why all three are found in the top 15 DC movies on Letterboxd. After such a successful second movie (more on that later), the pressure was on for The Dark Knight Rises to land the plane and solidify the trilogy as one of the best in superhero cinema. One user states a similar claim in their review: “3rd best out of one of the greatest trilogies of all time, is still pretty great!”

Bringing the one and only Bane (Tom Hardy) — one of the most famous Batman comic book villains — into the fold, Nolan did a lot of work in bringing Bruce Wayne the greatest physical threat he’s ever faced. While the plot isn’t as strong as the first two, the spectacle is huge, Bruce’s character arc is compelling, and it brings everything full circle in a satisfying manner.

9

‘Joker’ (2019)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5.0

Image via Warner Bros.

Of course, the most popular DC hero has one of the most popular DC villains—one of the most popular villains of all time, really—so it felt inevitable that the one and only Clown Prince of Crime get a movie of his very own. Despite being a DC Comics film, some people don’t even consider Joker a “superhero” movie, because of how extremely different it is and less action-oriented it finds itself. Joker finds itself providing more drama, crime, and psychological thriller elements, giving commentary on modern society and how it treats the mentally ill.

While it initially was met with a lot of positive reception, it didn’t take long for cinephiles to quickly smack the film for trying to be deeper than it really was. Nothing could beat Joaquin Phoenix’s absurdly good performance, though. Whether one agrees with the negative conceptions of the film, some reviews on Letterboxd show that the positives usually outweigh the negatives, with one saying: “The film pushes its characters’ emotions and narrative tension to an astonishing frenzy, reaching an almost absurd extreme. The male lead’s performance undoubtedly becomes the film’s greatest flourish.”

8

‘V for Vendetta’ (2005)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5.0

Image via Warner Bros.

Many people may actually not know that V for Vendetta is a DC Comics property, and therefore, a DC Comics film. Many consider V for Vendetta a cult classic, and for very good reason. The thriller film finds itself becoming more and more beloved as time goes on, as it continues to be incredibly relevant to today’s society. Quite a few reviews on Letterboxd point this out, with one simply stating: “Anarchy has never looked so well-spoken.”

V for Vendetta is all about defying oppression and what freedom means in the modern day. It also begs the question of whether change can be accomplished without some sort of anarchy. It being relevant isn’t just what makes it good, though; it’s also a simply well-made movie. The directorial choices of James McTeigue allow this project to achieve a tone that fits its plot perfectly and enhances its messaging to a whole new level.

7

‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2010)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5.0

Image via Warner Bros. Animation

Despite not being theatrically released or seen by much of the “general audience,” Batman movies don’t get a lot better than Batman: Under the Red Hood. If someone is having an argument regarding whether Batman should break his no-kill rule, Batman: Under the Red Hood is the perfect film to show them. At the end of the day, this animated flick almost perfectly adapts one of the best comic book stories surrounding the Caped Crusader.

Taking what is commonly known as the hero’s “greatest failure,” Batman: Under the Red Hood challenges the iconic DC hero in ways no other movie does. One fan on Letterboxd agrees based on their review: “The perfect balance between nail-biting action sequences and exploring the depths of Batman’s character complexity.”

6

‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5.0

Image via Warner Bros.

If you asked someone a few decades ago that one of the best Batman movies (and DC Comics projects in general) would end up being an animated film set in the Lego universe, no one would have believed it. Well, it’s impossible not to believe it now, as The Lego Batman Movie is one of the most adored Batman films of all time.

Despite being more of a satire, it perfectly captures the true heart and soul of the Batman character. “Amazing love letter to everything Batman, no less!” is what one fan said in their Letterboxd review, and that’s truly a great way to put it. The Lego Batman Movie genuinely understands what makes the character so human and relatable for many, regardless of his dark past and personality.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Season 1, Episode 7, “Ko’Zeine.”

The latest episode of Starfleet Academy gives audiences a glimpse into a new species in a grand tradition that echoes through the last 60 years of Star Trek history, with interplanetary lore and themes of identity and duty at its core. As the cadets arrive at their first school holiday, the episode sees George Hawkins‘ Darem Reymi ceremonially kidnapped back to Khionia for an arranged marriage to his royal childhood sweetheart. When Jay-Den (Karim Diané) boldly follows him through the portal, Darem is forced to re-evaluate whether the destiny that was chosen for him at birth is something he’s ready for or if his real future lies among the stars.

I recently sat down with Hawkins to dive deep on this episode and break down Darem’s Khionian culture, duty, and sacrifice. During our conversation, he spoke about what it’s like to walk in the footsteps of Star Trek legends like Leonard Nimoy and Michael Dorn as he introduces a new species to the franchise. We also spoke about the deliberate choices he makes as an actor to portray the layers Darem and the duality of the two worlds he’s torn between. This episode also further explores the burgeoning relationship between Darem and Jay-Den, and Hawkins revealed how he and Diané have been able to craft such compelling and magnetic chemistry between their characters. Hawkins gave major props to the costume department for the stunning new outfits Darem wears in this episode and revealed how they also worked to inform his character choices. Finally, he shared some forward-looking moments to keep an eye out for in the Season 1 finale and the soon-to-be-wrapped Season 2. You can read our full conversation below.

George Hawkins Did His Homework Before Joining Star Trek

“You’ve really got to understand Star Trek to understand the value of that moment.”

Image via Brooke Palmer/Paramount+

COLLIDER: I’m so excited to talk to you about this episode. It was such a good one for your character. Star Trek is such a massive franchise that’s been around for so long. What was your relationship with the franchise before you got the part?

HAWKINS: Wow. It was very little. I had very little experience with Star Trek. I was not a Trekkie. I was not part of that part of this world. But I was aware of it. I was very aware of it. And it’s quite hard not to be aware of it. Which gives it testament, right? It has its own Emoji. It’s crazy. So I had a lot of work to do when I came onto this project. And the most important thing was to know the value of things. Something happens in this season, at the end of this season, where you’ve really got to understand Star Trek to understand the value of that moment, to be like, wow, that’s really impressive. That’s really important. So I think that was my homework, to know the significance of things, to know, “Oh, that’s really important. That person’s really important. Their relationship is really important, or that’s not important.” So yeah, I had a lot of homework to do.

You and a few of your co-stars on Starfleet Academy are introducing entire races of aliens to the franchise for the first time. In this episode, we get a little glimpse into Darem’s species and community. What’s it like to sort of walk in the footsteps of Leonard Nimoy and Michael Dorn, to be introducing an entire race of aliens to Star Trek, and that, hopefully, they’ll refer back to you in another sixty years when the franchise is still going?

HAWKINS: Oh, wow, wow. No one’s ever made that sort of reference before. I would — yeah. That’s incredible. It’s amazing. It’s such a privilege. It’s such a privilege to introduce a species not just to Star Trek, but just as a performer. Right? Just general. Even outside of Star Trek, it’s actually a freeing thing. It’s very freeing. I can imagine it was very difficult for some of our cast members or past cast of previous shows to pay homage to already existing species that you’re not actually a part of. So you’ve got to really invest in it. I think it was very freeing. It’s a very freeing experience to know that what I do sort of paves the way for that species. You’ve got to just let go. I think just let go, be truthful to the character, be truthful to the circumstance that the scene finds you in, and enjoy it. I think when you watch on screen, you want to watch someone enjoying themselves, and you want to watch a performer really commit to the world that our showrunners have so wonderfully made. So it’s a testament to our showrunners, to be honest, and our writers’ room, who have done an amazing job on this character.

Absolutely. I think this show is absolutely firing on all cylinders at all times. And I love that.

HAKWINS: Thank you so much, Samantha, thank you.

Playing Darem Pushed Hawkins Out of His Comfort Zone Early on in ‘Starfleet Academy’

“If someone walks into the room, their energy doesn’t have as much of an effect on Darem as it does on me.

We get a lot of Khionian in the lore in this episode with the kidnapping ritual and the matrimonial moon. What’s something that we don’t necessarily see on screen, but you maybe did in your character work for Darem, that fuels your performance?

HAWKINS: Oh, yes! Actors love to talk about their own process. I really had to work on slowing down, I think, which is really funny because I feel like I talk quite quickly, and I’ve got quite an intensity to myself. Darem is a lot slower; he turns to see something a lot slower than I do. Or if someone walks into the room, their energy doesn’t have as much of an effect on Darem as it does on me. So I did a lot of physical work on the king caricature, where they are slower in temperament, and they move, they cut through the air. Something I really loved about playing with Darem is when he moves, it’s almost like he cuts through the air. So I just wanted to slow down. I think I wanted to slow down and allow status to rise and to inflate in someone’s ego. And what does that feel like, to be full of confidence in a moment? You see Darem in a few moments in this season, like when he becomes the captain, and he’s being paraded around on the chair. That for me was really hard. That was really difficult for me to do. Having loads of people just staring at you, and you have to, like, flaunt yourself like that. I had to really, really build some adrenaline up for that. It was just about taking up space. How do you take up space and feel confident in that, and like, really breathe into that? Yeah. Not the easiest thing to do for sure.

I love the insight that we get into Darem in this episode. As a queer person and also a people pleaser myself, I found him very relatable. For you as an actor, when you’re diving into these two sides of who he is, how did you go about reconciling this sort of double life he’s been living?

HAWKINS: I think, firstly, there’s nothing to reconcile. I think there’s something that we all see in ourselves where we live in a certain sense, like a double life, where we believe this thing and we say this thing. I want to say this, but I do this. And we have these two minds, and I think that’s where anxiety comes from, is these two places, like a conflicted mind. I think it’s about being kind and compassionate towards Darem. I think that’s sort of why I was cast as Darem, is that I didn’t really want to approach him as just this surface level, sort of cocky guy that’s just going to have sex with everything that moves and sort of just wants to be worshiped by everyone, but actually to understand that where that deep ambition comes from is a longing and a running away from something. So in every moment where I saw Darem show these huge moments of confidence and bravado, I wanted to fill that with some sense of humanity. And to know that no matter how confident someone comes off and no matter how assured and comfortable someone comes off in a scenario, there’s an equal sense of anxiety, and fear, and running that they’re doing at the same time.

You do such a good job of that duality because both parts of his personality are true. You’ve woven it in very beautifully through the season.

HAWKINS: I appreciate that.

Another thing that I really loved about that storyline was that even though marrying Kyra isn’t what’s right for him anymore, you can see why he would feel such a strong sense of duty to her and to his people. Because there’s so much love there. How do you think abdicating will affect his relationship with his parents and his people moving forward?

HAWKINS: I think you see it. You see it in the moment where Kyra gives Darem permission to live the life that he wants to live, or live the life that feels truer to him. Because I can imagine for Darem, there’s a sort of purpose, and there’s fulfillment in actually being the king and actually living the life with Kyra and leading that life out. But it’s just that moment where you see everyone turn around, where Kyra expresses to everyone and sort of lets everyone know what’s happened. And you see his parents turn, and that’s the moment. That’s what I was envisioning when in Episode 3, where we talk about the moment where he’s playing the Belaklavion, and he misses a note, and then his parents leave. That sort of judgment that he gets from his parents, where his value was found in what he could do and what he could achieve and uphold and be, instead of living, for being alive, for being who he was. This episode is really special. It’s really, really special. And it’s really important for Darem’s story, to see what he’s running away from. And what he’s trying to define himself as.

How Hawkins and Diané Crafted Darem and Jay-Den’s Will-They-Won’t-They Chemistry

“He’s an answer to a lot of empty space for Darem.”

Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+

I also really love the burgeoning relationship between Darem and Jay-Den. The tension between those two is really good, and it feels like there’s a little thread of jealousy between Darem and Kyle.

HAWKINS: [Laughs] Just a little bit.

I would love to hear about how you and Karim went about crafting that dynamic.

HAWKINS: Karim is such a beautiful human being, and we get on really, really well. We come from such different backgrounds, and it’s such a lovely thing to see two completely different people come together and sort of create chemistry. Karim was the first person I had chemistry reads with to do this project, to play this character. And he was the first person I met in my auditions who was playing another character. So he is sort of the person I held onto, and he’s like a staple in this job for me. Karim is a sweetheart. Karim is such a sweetheart. So it’s quite hard not to, he’s just a great person. My family loves him. My friends love him. He’s a sweetheart. And he’s an incredible actor. He’s incredible to work off of. And actually watching Karim create Jay-Den, and then seeing the end result…Jay-Den is so powerful because of his stillness. It’s like he’s rooted to the ground, I think, and that’s just an admirable thing. I think that’s a really admirable thing for Darem to witness, is someone standing still, confidently saying what they love, saying what they want, and saying what they believe. Because that’s just such an absence of what Darem has had in his life. He’s like an answer. He’s an answer to a lot of empty space for Darem.

I love that so much. We have to take a minute to talk about the incredible costumes that you guys got to wear in this episode. What was it like to finally get out of the cadet uniforms and into such stunning looks?

HAWKINS: You know what — the costumes, big up to Avery [Plewes], our costume designer. She’s incredible. And the robe that I get to wear in this episode was incredible. The way it pins your shoulders back, your head up, your neck up, so you can’t help but hold some sort of regality to it. And that’s what the cadet uniforms do as well. They do half the job for you, because they pin you in this position, and you can’t really pull your arms up, but you feel the authority, you feel the status. You feel what you’re trying to uphold. And there wasn’t much difference in the Khionian wedding costumes because they were heavy. Like, oh, my gosh, this thing has alligator skin on it. It’s deep, deep fabrics, thick fabrics. It was incredible. So you’ve just got to let it do its work. You’ve got to allow the costumes to play a part in the story themselves. They’re a character in their own right. It was beautiful. It was a beautiful experience.

I think it was a bit of a surprise, both for Jay-Den and the audience, when we got to Khionia’s moon, and it’s a very dry climate. I know they have the explanation that it dried up, but I am curious if, at some point, we will get to see Khionia in its aquatic glory or if we’ll see Darem’s fish form again in Season 2, perhaps?

HAWKINS: You know what, I can’t say anything about Season 2, because I’ll get sniped. Man, Khionia is such a beautiful place. And it’s such a perfect opportunity to show a different culture. So, I hope so. I really, really hope so. I really hope we get to dive deeper into the Khionian culture, because it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. And it’s a beautiful thing to play. I really hope so.

I know you can’t share spoilers, but you guys were gearing up to film the finale when I spoke with you guys last, at the beginning of January. Have you wrapped yet?

HAWKINS: We wrap on Saturday. […] We’re almost there.

Working With Holly Hunter on ‘Starfleet Academy’ Was a Tremendous Honor for Hawkins

“For me to collaborate with Holly is a really big thing.”

Photo Credit: Nino Munoz/Paramount+

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Also in this episode, just a little thing that I caught onto potentially coming back in the future, we learned that Darem can be sort of knocked unconscious with a little boop to the forehead. Is that going to come back at any point? That seems a little dangerous for him!

HAWKINS: I know! They’ve given him a secret, it’s like Kryptonite. I would like to believe that that’s only a Khionian warrior sort of thing that can happen that they can do to people. It’s not necessarily something you can just happen to Darem, but it’s something that Khionians can do. So I actually want to see Daram use it. I want to see Darem use against other people.

Like the Vulcan nerve pinch!

HAWKINS: Exactly. That would be good.

Star Trek is such a wide-ranging thing in terms of tone and genre. You can be doing hard sci-fi and drama one week and be doing camp and comedy the next. What’s something in Starfleet Academy that pushed you as an actor and allowed you to grow and your craft further?

HAWKINS: Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I can’t speak for all actors, but I think something that’s really powerful and really fulfilling is being a part of a story that means so much to people and has something to say. And there’s a lesson. I think what’s helping, and what I’ve learned and what I’m learning, is a lot of doing this show is how to hold a message. It’s almost like Shakespeare, really. As an actor, you want the text to sort of do its job for you. Or to do its job for you, but to do its job. And there are deep lessons, psychological lessons, and moral lessons in our show. So it’s about giving yourself over to a story. That’s what I’ve loved doing, is knowing that there’s something so much bigger going on than me, and I’m a part of a franchise that really cares about its audience and really cares about the message that it’s giving. So yeah, just being subservient to a story and being subservient to a message has been a really, really lovely lesson. How to give myself over.

Lastly, is there a particular moment, either in this episode or in the season in general, that you are especially proud of? Maybe it was challenging to get there, or just something that, when you got there, it just unlocked something for you.

HAWKINS: Oh my gosh. Yeah. Something that comes to mind is that there is a moment in Episode 10. It’s not really it’s not really a scripted moment, but there’s a moment between my character, Darem, and Nahla. It’s just a lovely moment of connection. It wasn’t really in the script, but it made so much sense. And Holly Hunter is who she is, right? She holds the authority that she has every right to hold. And for me, who does not have the same authority, for me to collaborate with Holly is a really big thing. That’s a huge thing for me. And I had an idea for one of our scenes, and she was so receptive to it. It was risky, because she could have very easily been like, “Who are you talking to? Who do you think you are?” But she was so, so receptive, and it was such a beautiful lesson of sharing ideas, sharing personal beliefs.

In that moment, in that scene, it shows a moment of courage and unity, and we get to see Nahla Ake being who she is, and why she’s such a good captain is because she comes down to the cadets’ level and really — she, like, kneels. It’s almost like when you meet someone who’s really great with kids, they get down to the child level, and they become an equal with that child. In a, in a sense, sort of like a holistic, symbolic way, I think that that interaction with Nahla in that scene really feels like she’s like a humble leader, I guess. […] I really hope they keep it in. I haven’t seen Episodes 9 and 10, so I really, really hope. Because I was at dinner with Holly the other night, and we were speaking about it. I really, really hope it’s in the show, because it’s a beautiful moment.

Episode 7 of Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+. Stay tuned at Collider for more.

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Release Date

January 15, 2026

Network

Paramount+

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Showrunner

Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau

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Directors

Douglas Aarniokoski

Writers

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Alex Taub, Tawny Newsome, Kirsten Beyer, Jane Maggs, Kiley Rossetter

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No other show has captured the 1980s tech scene better than the 2014 AMC drama series Halt and Catch Fire. It remains the epitome of character-centric stories, set in a time when much of the technology we use today was in its infancy and cost many people a great deal to develop. Halt and Catch Fire was neither loud nor abrasive, yet it captures the tension of a monumental breakthrough with incredible precision. The show ended in 2017, but recent streaming data from FlixPatrol shows renewed interest in it.

Halt and Catch Fire is one of several AMC shows receiving fresh attention on Apple TV’s VOD service. The series is the third most popular show on the service in the US at the time of writing. Other AMC shows on the chart currently include Fear the Walking Dead and Into the Badlands. Halt and Catch Fire was created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers and was anchored by strong performances from sci-fi icon Lee Pace, as well as Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Kelly Bishé.

With near-perfect critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, Halt and Catch Fire remains a masterpiece that stayed true to its identity to the very end. While reviewing the finale for Collider, Emma Fraser praised the show for remaining people-centric even as the tech leaned heavily toward commercialization. “Thankfully, Halt and Catch Fire evolved into something that went beyond a Mad Men retread, and became something that stood on its own, with this final season proving to be leaps and bounds from where it began. It is an achingly beautiful portrayal of four people striving to make something that matters, all the while screwing up relationships and finding a way back to each other. Rebooting, but not erasing, each season improved on the one that came before it,” she wrote in her review.

What Is the Cast of ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ Up to Currently?

Being some of the most talented actors, the cast of Halt and Catch Fire has achieved significant success in the years following the show’s conclusion. Davis led the critically acclaimed HBO series Station Eleven and starred in the beloved holiday comedy Happiest Season. Pace stars in the Apple TV sci-fi epic Foundation, while Bishé has delivered memorable performances on shows like Super Pumped and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. McNairy has had a successful transition to films with movies like Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, A Complete Unknown, and Nightbitch. McNairy and Davis recently reunited for the horror film Speak No Evil.

Halt and Catch Fire is available to stream on AMC+ in the US or for purchase on Apple TV.

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Release Date

2014 – 2017-00-00

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Network

AMC

Directors

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Juan José Campanella, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Karyn Kusama, Michael Morris, Phil Abraham, Kimberly Peirce, Larysa Kondracki, Terry McDonough, Meera Menon, Reed Morano, Tricia Brock, Andrew McCarthy, So Yong Kim, Craig Zisk, Jon Amiel, Johan Renck, Jake Paltrow, Ed Bianchi

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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Demi Engemann has requested that Marciano Brunette’s defamation lawsuit against her be dismissed.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, February 17, Engemann, 31, asked the judge to throw out Marciano’s lawsuit, claiming that Brunette, 33, was punishing her “for exercising her First Amendment right to speak out concerning [Brunette’s] misconduct.”

Engemann, who called the lawsuit a “sham,” alleged that Brunette previously bragged about how his workplaces made a “special policy prohibiting him from sleeping with other employees” because he allegedly “slept with an ‘extraordinary’ number of employees.”

Engemann also requested Brunette’s to pay her attorneys’ fees and costs.

Related: Breaking Down Demi Engemann and Marciano Brunette’s Drama On and Off Camera

The drama between Demi Engemann and Vanderpump Villa‘s Marciano Brunette may just be beginning. Back in August 2024, the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives traveled to Italy for a vacation featured on Vanderpump Villa. During the getaway, Engemann and Brunette met for the first time. What occurred during the trip between the […]

TMZ was first to report.

Us Weekly has reached out to Engemann and Brunette for comment.

Engemann and Brunette first connected in 2024 when the Mormon Wives cast traveled to Italy to appear on season 2 of Vanderpump Villa. Brunette claimed that he shared a consensual kiss with Demi, who is married to husband Bret Engemann. Demi, for her part, accused Brunette of crossing the line in May 2025.

“I did come out with a pretty bold and true statement against Marciano [recently] because at that point it was like, ‘You’re lying about me. Actually, you were the predator.’ So I’m not going to stay quiet — and I stand by that statement,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025. “There’s more happening behind the scenes that will come to light. I’m sure at this point it’s become a legal matter. There’s not much more I can say on it as of now because I want to preserve the fact that it’s a serious situation. But I stand behind those statements.”

Later that year, Demi claimed during a Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ season 3 confessional that any physicality between her and Brunette was “unwanted.”

“Everyone is going to handle these kinds of situations different. You never deserve unwanted touch,” Demi said in the November 2025 episode. “No matter what it looks like, no matter what your relationship was like before or after, unwanted touch is unwanted touch.”

Following the episode, Brunette denied Demi’s accusations.

“It is unfortunate to see everything that is going on now, because everything that happened [on Vanderpump Villa] was consensual,” Brunette claimed on a November 2025 episode of the “Juicy Scoop” podcast. “I will just flat-out say that the accusations she’s making against me are 100 percent false.”

The following month, Brunette sued Demi for defamation. According to documents obtained by Us at the time, Brunette alleged that Demi falsely described him as a “sexual predator.”

“The truth is straightforward. Engemann and Marciano met while filming in Italy. They flirted. They spoke privately. They shared a consensual kiss. They separated,” Marciano’s legal team said per the docs. “After filming, Engemann stayed in contact with Marciano for months through calls, FaceTime, texts, invitations, and even location sharing. That behavior confirms a continued relationship, not a person reacting to sexual assault.”

Related: Marciano Brunette Shares Post About ‘Getting Even’ Amid Demi Engemann Lawsuit

Marciano Brunette isn’t holding back amid his lawsuit against The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Demi Engemann. Maricano, 32, shared a Reel via Instagram on Saturday, December 6, featuring the reality TV star miming trending dialogue about “getting even” with someone who has done you wrong. “Somebody do something to me, I’ll do something […]

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Brunette claimed that Demi’s allegations caused “severe” damage to his reputation.

“They accuse Marciano of criminal sexual conduct he did not commit. They were published broadly, republished repeatedly, and framed to harden into ‘truth’ in the minds of viewers,” the docs read. “The damage has been immediate and severe, including lost professional opportunities, harassment by strangers, and lasting harm to Marciano’s reputation.”

After filing the lawsuit, Brunette took to social media to open up about how challenging life had been for him in the past year.

“This past year has been one of the hardest of my life — honestly maybe the hardest ever,” he said in a December 2025 Instagram video. “I know if you have seen me, on TV or on the internet, you know I like to joke around and have fun and always keep the energy high. But behind the scenes, I’ve been dealing with a lot mentally — it’s really f***** me up.”