Fantasy can get away with hand-waving how the magic works, but sci-fi usually can’t. So, once a series sets up a rule about physics or technology, breaking that rule later just to save a character is cheating. That constraint actually makes good sci-fi lore harder to build than fantasy lore, since every made-up law of the universe has to sound like it could theoretically work.

These six, however, built entire universes around one or two core ideas, then followed the logic of those ideas all the way out to their most extreme, uncomfortable conclusions instead of chickening out halfway through. But that’s not the entire reason for their success. The character arcs, world building, zero loopholes, stitching of the entire storyline, and the thrill factor, everything contributed to why these six are the best.

6

‘The Remembrance of Earth’s Past’

Image via Tor Books

During the Cultural Revolution, a Chinese astrophysicist named Ye Wenjie gets the chance to send a message out into space, and she tells the aliens who receive it exactly how disappointed she is in her own species. That one decision at the start of The Remembrance of Earth’s Past changes basically everything that happens across all three books.

Liu Cixin builds the whole trilogy around a disturbing idea called the dark forest theory, that every civilization in the universe stays silent on purpose, because reaching out to another species is more likely to get you destroyed than to make a friend. The Trisolarans, fleeing a dying three-sun system, try to stop human scientific progress using proton-sized supercomputers that can see and manipulate matter at will.

5

‘The Expanse’

Image via Orbit Books

An alien substance called the protomolecule gets discovered frozen on a moon out past Saturn, and once it reaches a large asteroid full of people, it starts turning everyone infected into something that isn’t quite human and isn’t quite anything else either. In the book, it is just the beginning of a much bigger political mess between Earth, Mars, and the Belters, people born and raised in the asteroid belt who’ve physically adapted to low gravity over generations.

James S. A. Corey is actually a pen name for two separate writers, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, and together they built out an entire believable culture for the Belters, complete with their own slang and their own grudges against the inner planets that feels genuinely real by book three or four. Then the protomolecule opens a network of gates leading to a thousand new solar systems, and never for once the story is scrambling to catch up with its own ambition.

4

‘Foundation’

Image via HarperVoyager / Apple TV+

Hari Seldon invents a kind of math that can predict the behavior of massive populations centuries in advance, even though it can’t predict what any single person will do, and he uses it to figure out that the vast Galactic Empire is about to collapse into thirty thousand years of chaos. Foundation follows the plan he sets up to shrink that dark age down to just one thousand years instead, using a colony of scientists positioned at the edge of the galaxy.

Isaac Asimov is the writer who structures the whole series around what he calls Seldon Crises, moments where history seems to be falling apart until it turns out Seldon predicted the exact solution centuries earlier and left instructions for it. Then a character called the Mule shows up, a mutant nobody could have possibly predicted, and the entire foundation of the plan, math and all, nearly falls apart because of one variable nobody accounted for.

3

‘Hyperion Cantos’

Image via Doubleday

Seven strangers travel together to a planet called Hyperion to meet a creature known as the Shrike, something covered in blades that seems to move backward through time and kills almost everyone who gets near it, and each of them has a personal reason for making a trip that’s basically a death sentence. Hyperion structures itself like a version of the Canterbury Tales, with each pilgrim telling their own full story along the way, and every single one of those stories could work as a standalone piece of science fiction.

Dan Simmons builds a hidden collective of artificial intelligence, TechnoCore, that secretly runs most of human technology and has its own private plans nobody in the actual government knows about. Between the farcaster network letting people step between planets instantly and the constant question of whether the Shrike is a monster or some kind of judgment, the whole series manages to feel both meticulously planned and properly mysterious book after book.

2

‘The Culture’

Image via Macmillan

Nobody in this society wants for anything, food, medicine, art, all of it exists in unlimited abundance, and the actual government running things isn’t made up of people at all, it’s a collection of hyper-intelligent AI Minds who pilot enormous, sentient starships and give themselves names like Grey Area or So Much for Subtlety.

Iain M. Banks wrote each book in The Culture as its own mostly standalone story instead of one continuous plot, which means you can start almost anywhere in the series without getting lost. Special Circumstances, the Culture’s shadowy division for interfering in less advanced societies when doing nothing would be worse, gives Banks a way to explore some properly uncomfortable questions about whether a utopia has any right meddling in everyone else’s business.

1

‘Dune’

Image via Chilton Books

A desert planet controls the entire galaxy’s economy because it’s the only place a specific spice exists, a substance that extends life, enables faster than light navigation, and gives certain people the ability to see fragments of the future, and every major power in the universe is willing to go to war over it. Dune follows Paul Atreides after his family gets handed control of that planet as a political trap they don’t fully realize until it’s already sprung.

Frank Herbert built the Fremen, the planet’s native desert people, with their own language, religion, and water-conservation culture so detailed that the appendices at the back of the book read almost like an actual anthropology text. The ecological message underneath all of it, about resource scarcity and what happens when outside powers exploit a fragile environment for profit, was unusually ahead of its time for a book published back in 1965.

The science fiction genre is thriving right now, but it can feel like a huge commitment to pick up a new book knowing you might be reading for months — or even years. Many of the most influential sci-fi titles are dense tomes or shelf-hogging series, but some of the best stories are short, sweet, and to the point. The greatest recent example is This Is How You Lose the Time War, co-authored by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone and published in 2019. The book can be read in just one afternoon, yet it conveys an epic story spanning centuries and worlds.

This is How You Lose the Time War is an epistolary novel, meaning it is written in the form of letters sent back and forth between two characters. Its protagonists are known only as Agent Red and Agent Blue, and both are time-traveling warriors on opposite sides of a war so grand in scale we can’t really comprehend it. Even in this context, the two fall in love against all odds, yet they are trapped in a conflict that seems endless. It would be a heartwarming story at any length, but the fact that it’s packed into one short novel is all the more impressive.

‘This Is How You Lose the Time War’ is Grand in Scale

Image via Saga Press

Sci-fi fans often measure their favorite media on celestial scales. Space operas span galaxies and millennia, cyberpunk stories pack planets with dense cities, and Lovecraftian horrors introduce us to monsters so great we can’t even perceive them with human eyes. This Is How You Lose the Time War matches this scale in a single volume, not wasting a single word. There are no exposition dumps or technical jargon, yet it’s easy to understand that we’re reading about advanced non-human beings traveling through time and fighting a war of interdimensional territory.

The two agents in this story work for warring empires who exist in separate timelines, yet both want to eradicate the other before they can pose a threat. To do this, they need to hop through history tweaking events to suit their needs, and in the process they inevitably run into each other. Rather than fighting, they begin passing discrete messages back and forth, starting a bond that evolves into real love by the end of the book.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with sci-fi books that span thousands of pages — many of my personal favorites do — but there’s something impressive about fitting such a grand story into a short book. This Is How You Lose the Time War is around 200 pages long depending on which edition you pick up. The audiobook is four hours and 16 minutes long at regular speed, narrated by Cynthia Farrell and Emily Woo. Whether you’re a veteran of the Dune Saga or you’re intimidated by massive sci-fi books, this is one that all fans of the genre should check out.

The Viral Success of ‘This Is How You Lose the Time War’

If you’re familiar with This Is How You Lose the Time War, chances are have one anonymous Twitter user to thank. Back in 2023, the book shot up many bestseller lists thanks to the user @maskofbun, who at the time was using the display name “bigolas dickolas wolfwood.” They wrote: “Read this. DO NOT look up anything about it. just read it. It’s only like 200 pages u can download it on Audible it’s only like four hours. Do it right now I’m very extremely serious.”

Something about the emphatic recommendation paired with the user’s display name made this a viral tweet. It’s notable that this account wasn’t often used to recommend books — it was primarily a fan account for the manga and anime franchise Trigun. The user chose to remain anonymous after the tweet took off, and even declined a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Related Work the following year. Their post inspired thousands to read the book and recommend it to others, so whether you’ve heard about it from a friend or are hearing about it for the first time in this article, you have Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood to thank.

This Is How You Lose the Time War is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats. It has been optioned for a TV adaptation, but there has been no news on that front for several years.

2026 has been a busy year for Russell Crowe, though none of his newer movies have gained the same traction at the box office or on streaming as some of his older hits. Crowe has already starred in a pair of movies this year — he began 2026 by starring as an MMA coach in Beast, the action thriller that’s now streaming on Starz after grossing only a few million at the box office. His next action movie, The Get Out, also failed to gain any box office traction, and the film is now available to purchase on VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV. Crowe will return to the world of blockbuster filmmaking with the new Highlander reboot co-starring Henry Cavill. The film hails from long-time John Wick director Chad Stahelski, but it’s still without an official release date.

While most movie fans would agree that the pinnacle of Crowe’s career came in the late ’90s and early 2000s when he was nominated for three Oscars in a row, he continued this success into the late 2010s with other notable hits like 3:10 to Yuma. Crowe stars alongside Christian Bale and Ben Foster in the 2007 Western, which is a remake of the 1957 Western starring Glen Ford and Van Heflin. 3:10 to Yuma came into theaters carrying a $55 million budget, meaning it needed over $100 million to break even, but it left theaters with a cumulative total of only $70 million at the global box office. Nearly 20 years after its theatrical premiere, 3:10 to Yuma fans can rewatch the film via the Howdy extension on Prime Video, which can be added to a standard subscription for only a few dollars.

What Is ‘3:10 to Yuma’ About?

The official synopsis for Russell Crowe’s 3:10 to Yuma, which holds scores of 89% from critics and 86% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: “Outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) terrorizes 1800s Arizona, especially the Southern Railroad, until he is finally captured. Wade must be brought to trial, so Dan Evans (Christian Bale), the owner of a drought-stricken ranch, volunteers to escort him to the train. Along the trail, a grudging respect forms between the men, but danger looms at every turn, and the criminal’s men are in pursuit.” The film was written by Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas and directed by James Mangold. It’s the perfect mash-up of Sicario and Unforgiven for fans who love a classic revenge story set against the backdrop of a dusty Western.

Check out 3:10 to Yuma via the Howdy extension on Prime Video and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Russell Crowe’s future projects.

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Release Date

September 6, 2007

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Runtime

122 minutes

Writers

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Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Elmore Leonard

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Katie Holmes spent more than a decade building a life that looked very different from the one she left behind after her split from Tom Cruise. 

While she focused on raising daughter Suri and carving out her own path in New York, marriage seemed firmly in the rearview mirror. 

However, according to a new report, the actress is viewing life through a different lens these days, and one unexpected relationship may be changing a belief she once seemed determined to keep.

Long before conversations about a future with Jason Bard Yarmosky entered the picture, Katie Holmes was already experiencing a major change in how she viewed life.

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According to a source close to the Hollywood star, the death of her longtime friend and former “Dawson’s Creek” co-star James Van Der Beek earlier this year forced Holmes to reflect on how quickly life can change and whether she was making the most of her own.

“After James died, Katie started to realize she better enjoy the days she has ahead and just live life to the fullest no matter what,” the insider told the Daily Mail.

The source described a woman who is no longer postponing experiences for some distant future. Instead, Holmes is reportedly embracing opportunities as they come, whether that means traveling, pursuing new adventures, or allowing herself to fully invest in a relationship.

“She is looking at the glass as not just half full but totally full. It’s like Carpe Diem in fast forward. She wants to have fun, she wants to explore and laugh and love,” the insider stated. 

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That change in mindset has reportedly become visible in her day-to-day decisions, with the source revealing, “She loves Italy and was like, ‘Let’s go there!’ That ‘some day’ feeling is today, she is doing what she wants now.”

Holmes Finds A Different Kind Of Romance With Yarmosky

Katie Holmes’s renewed outlook on life appears to have coincided with her relationship with New York artist Jason Bard Yarmosky.

While the 47-year-old has been linked to several men since her divorce, sources say this romance feels different. 

Yarmosky, an accomplished painter whose work has appeared in galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, reportedly offers a grounded presence far removed from Hollywood’s usual glare.

The pair recently attracted attention after photos showed them enjoying time together in Italy, sparking widespread interest in their relationship.

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Behind the scenes, however, insiders claim Holmes’ feelings run much deeper than a vacation romance. “Katie would definitely entertain the thought of marrying Jason one day because she is in love and he makes her feel amazing,” the source told the outlet.

The insider added, “She is over the moon that she has found a guy who makes her sparkle.” What makes the development particularly surprising is that Holmes reportedly spent years with little interest in marriage.

According to the source, “After her divorce from Tom, she pretty much swore off marriage, but these days she is reconsidering. It might happen.”

The Blast Internal Link Bullets

Katie Holmes Refuses To Repeat The Mistakes Of Her Past

Even as marriage is reportedly back on the table, those close to Holmes insist she is approaching this relationship far differently than she did her first trip down the aisle.

Her 2006 wedding to Cruise was a lavish celebrity affair held at Italy’s Odescalchi Castle and attended by some of the biggest names in entertainment. The marriage ended in 2012, and Holmes quickly relocated to New York and focused almost entirely on raising Suri.

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“After she divorced Tom, she totally focused on raising Suri, so she put dating on the back burner,” the source explained.

Now, with Suri attending college and Holmes entering a new phase of life, she reportedly feels more freedom to prioritize her own happiness. Still, that does not mean she is rushing.

“Katie is having a fantastic time, but she is also sensible, so she will wait a year before she makes a big move like marriage,” the insider said.

The source noted that Holmes has learned valuable lessons from her past, sharing, “With Tom she jumped right in; she had so much confidence in their union, but with Jason she will first make sure they are a very good fit.”

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And if another wedding does happen, it will reportedly be the opposite of the grand spectacle that once captivated Hollywood. According to the insider, “The next time Katie marries, it will be a small celebration with family and close friends; it won’t be showy.”

Holmes Makes Romance New York Fashion Week Official

Katie Holmes made a sweet NYFW appearance alongside her new boyfriend, NYC artist Jason Bard Yarmosky, as they attended the Calvin Klein Collection show. A soft, romantic moment wrapped in fashion‑week glamour. pic.twitter.com/xT7BXzYGDp

— Global Celeb Updates (@gcelebupdates_) September 12, 2026

 While insiders were discussing how the actress had embraced a new outlook on love and life, Katie Holmes and the artist quietly turned that momentum into a very public relationship milestone at the 2026 New York Fashion Week.

Vogue reported that the couple made their Fashion Week debut together at the Cult Gaia show in New York City, where they sat front row alongside fashion heavyweights including Iman and Helena Christensen. 

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It marked one of their most high-profile appearances to date and left little doubt that their romance had entered a new phase. 

Holmes looked effortlessly chic in a black off-the-shoulder top paired with textured metallic gray trousers and black pointed pumps, finishing the look with chunky gold hoop earrings. 

Yarmosky complemented her understated aesthetic in a faded gray T-shirt, black trousers, and black leather boots.  

The appearance was not an isolated outing. The night before, the pair attended a Michael Kors dinner where Holmes wore a vibrant purple dress with striking red pumps, while Yarmosky opted for an all-black ensemble. Fashion Week insiders noted that the couple appeared relaxed and affectionate throughout both events. 

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Katie Holmes Goes Instagram Official With Birthday Tribute

If Fashion Week served as one of the public debuts, social media may have been the moment Holmes officially confirmed what fans had suspected for months.

The actress surprised followers when she shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to Yarmosky on Instagram, marking one of the rare times she has publicly acknowledged a romantic partner on Instagram since her divorce from Cruise. 

The post featured intimate images from a private celebration and immediately generated headlines because it felt so personal coming from someone who has historically guarded her private life. 

Holmes captioned the post: “Happy Birthday to the best of the best… @jasonbardyarmosky.” 

One photo showed the couple embracing while holding microphones during what appeared to be a karaoke session. 

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Another featured a candlelit birthday cake prepared for the artist. The birthday post didn’t come out of nowhere. Throughout the summer, the couple had gradually become more visible. They were first linked after being spotted holding hands at a film screening in East Hampton before attending dinners, art events, and Hamptons gatherings together.

Following one of the most acclaimed science-fiction movies ever made would be intimidating for almost any filmmaker, but James Cameron didn’t try to replicate what Ridley Scott had accomplished with Alien. Instead, the filmmaker behind The Terminator turned its sequel into something bigger, louder and more action-oriented.

The result was 1986’s Aliens, a rare sequel that is routinely mentioned alongside — and sometimes even above — its predecessor. Four decades after its theatrical release, Aliens has found another streaming home, and it officially landed on Netflix in the United States on September 1 alongside Scott’s original Alien, allowing subscribers to watch the first two chapters of Ellen Ripley’s story back-to-back.

Aliens picks up decades after the events aboard the Nostromo, when Ripley is finally rescued from hypersleep and returns to civilization. After learning that humans have established a colony on LV-426, the same world where her crew first encountered the Xenomorph, Ripley reluctantly agrees to accompany a squad of Colonial Marines there after contact with the settlement is suddenly lost.

The cast is led by Sigourney Weaver (Avatar) as Ellen Ripley, alongside Michael Biehn (The Terminator) as Corporal Dwayne Hicks, Carrie Henn as Rebecca “Newt” Jorden, Paul Reiser (Stranger Things) as Carter Burke, Lance Henriksen (The Terminator) as Bishop, Bill Paxton (Twister) as Private William Hudson, Jenette Goldstein (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) as Private Jenette Vasquez, and William Hope (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Lieutenant Gorman.

‘Aliens’ Became One of the Greatest Sequels Ever Made

As we all know, Cameron inherited Ridley Scott’s Alien and turned its sequel into a much bigger, louder and bombastic kind of movie without just trying to be a retread of what came before it. Speaking to Collider, Biehn explained that he believes Cameron achieved something monumental with Aliens.

“He did two sequels. He did T2, and he did Aliens. People will argue until I’m gone, well gone and in the grave, about which is a better movie, Alien or Aliens, and Terminator or Terminator 2. But I can tell you one thing: it’s very hard to follow Jim Cameron. [David] Fincher had to do it with Aliens, and then somebody else had to do it for the third Terminator, and it’s just not the same to have expectations that somebody else is going to write something, and they’re going to direct it. People talk about, ‘Well, this guy didn’t play a very good Kyle Reese.’ He didn’t have Jim Cameron writing Kyle Reese. He didn’t have Jim Cameron creating it. That actor who played Kyle Reese didn’t have the words that I got to say.”

Aliens is streaming on Netflix, fuboTV, Philo and YouTube TV.

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Release Date

July 18, 1986

Runtime

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137 minutes

Director

James Cameron

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Writers

James Cameron

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Producers

Gale Anne Hurd

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German tennis pro Alexander Zverev poked fun at his rival Ben Shelton’s girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, following his U.S. Open men’s singles win.

“Trinity, I thought you had a game today, no?” Zverev, 29, said during his winner’s speech inside New York City’s USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sunday, September 13, following his 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 defeat over Shelton, 23. Shelton and pro soccer player Trinity, 24, began dating in March 2025.

“Well done to you as well,” the Grand Slam winner continued to direct at Trinity, whose father is NBA legend Dennis Rodman, as the crowd erupted in laughter. “You’re the lucky charm, so … not today, but usually.”

Trinity, who plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Woman’s Soccer League, took the lighthearted jab in her stride, laughing at Zverev’s comments before agreeing that today wasn’t her day, per footage of the moment shared via ESPN’s TikTok account.

Related: Olympian Trinity Rodman Cheers on Boyfriend Ben Shelton During BMW Open 

Olympian Trinity Rodman was boyfriend Ben Shelton’s No. 1 fan and cheerleader during the BMW Open tennis tournament. Rodman, 22, stepped out in Munich on Saturday, April 19, for Shelton’s semifinal match against Argentine athlete Francisco Cerundolo, sitting in a private box. The soccer player, for her part, dressed sporty chic in a black T-shirt […]

The athlete has served as a loyal supporter to Shelton throughout the tournament, spotted cheering him on during his semifinal matchup against Frances Tiafoe on Friday, September 11. She took her encouragement online after the match, which saw Shelton compete in his first U.S. Open final, taking to her Instagram Stories to spread the love.

“Onto the next,” she wrote atop coverage of Shelton’s progress into Sunday’s final. Trinity also showed her support on Shelton’s Instagram grid, commenting on a carousel of images her shared prior to Sunday’s match. “Love you so much,” she wrote, drawing a string of praise from fans of the athletic duo.

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Trinity also threw her support behind Shelton through her U.S. Open fashion choices, sharing a look at her “I Love My Boyfriend” cropped T-shirt via an Instagram carousel of her own on September 4. Her snaps captured her standing outside Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Sunday’s final was staged, in paired white heels, a mini skirt and a designer clutch.

Shelton spoke to Us about his romance with Trinity in April 2025, admitting that he knew some people would talk about their union. “But I didn’t think it would be a ‘break the Internet’ type of thing,” he said of the couple’s social media debut . “I’ve always been like, ‘OK, if I have a serious girlfriend,’ then [I’m] posting about it on Instagram … isn’t that crazy.”

He continued at the time, “I feel like for the past six months, whenever I would get seen with somebody, people would think we were dating. It’s like, ‘No, we’re just friends.’ Or if I’d hang out in a group of three and it was a guy and a girl, they’d cut the guy out and make it seem like I was on a date. It’s either gonna be I post about my girlfriend or they post about assuming who my girlfriend is.”

Fantasy has been one of the most beloved movie genres ever since its inception. Ever since the work of artists like Georges Méliès, lauded as the father of fantasy cinema, the genre has seen great development over the decades. With its use of complex magic systems, mythical creatures, and inventive magical concepts, fantasy can delight and shock, bringing audiences to new worlds and drawing powerful parallels to the real one.

There are many ways to classify fantasy, but the most popular classify it into two categories: “Low fantasy” and “High fantasy.” Whereas high fantasy brings its fantastical elements (such as magic and fictional creatures) to a parallel world, low fantasy places them in everyday situations, quite literally bringing fantasy to the real world. From the iconic, like the Harry Potter franchise, to the underappreciated, like Wings of Desire, low fantasy has a kind of charm that no other subgenre of fantasy can replicate.

15

‘A Matter of Life and Death’ (1946)

Image via Eagle-Lion Films

Originally released in the United States as Stairway to Heaven, the British romance drama A Matter of Life and Death is nothing short of one of the best fantasy movies of all time. Directed, written, and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, it’s a delectably creative and exciting fantasy gem unlike any other the genre has ever produced.

Blending color and black-and-white to emphasize the difference between the real world and a fantastical one wasn’t unheard of in 1946, but A Matter of Life and Death does something refreshingly different by making Earth the one that’s in gorgeous three-strip Technicolor and the afterlife the one that’s in black-and-white. This is but one of the reasons why this beautiful romance drama, one of the most dazzling fantasy films of the 1940s, is such a masterpiece.

14

‘Song of the Sea’ (2014)

Image via GKIDS

Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon has been making some of the greatest animated fantasy movies of modern times since 2009. Their second-ever feature film was Tomm Moore‘s Song of the Sea, which is far and away one of the best animated fantasy movies the big screen has ever seen. Perfect for kids, families, and adults alike, it’s the sort of pure movie magic that’s humanly impossible to resist.

Heavily inspired by Irish folklore, this impressively animated little gem is a profoundly hard-hitting tale about grief, family, and all the reasons why humanity needs pain in order to feel truly alive. These are complicated themes for such a cutesy-looking family film, but it’s precisely that emotional maturity which Song of the Sea hides under its surface that makes it a must-see.

13

‘The Fall’ (2006)

Image via Roadside Attractions

Directed by Tarsem Singh, The Fall is one of those R-rated fantasy movies that forever changed the genre. Though its botched distribution strategy and the polarized critical reception that it drew guaranteed its becoming one of the most notorious fantasy film flops of the 2000s, it has since become one of the decade’s most widely beloved low fantasy cult classics.

All in all, The Fall is low fantasy at its most delectably artsy and surreal: visually striking, wonderfully imaginative and dreamlike, and largely reliant on jaw-dropping on-location shooting over cheap visual effects. Couple that with an emotionally stirring meta-narrative about the act of storytelling itself, and you get what’s one of the most essential fantasy cult classics of the 21st century so far.

12

‘Army of Darkness’ (1992)

Image via Universal Pictures

Horror lovers and fans of campy movies will find the perfect marriage of both in Sam Raimi’s 1992 classic Army of Darkness, the third installment in Sam Raimi‘s The Evil Dead trilogy. It also happens to be a dark fantasy film, where Ash is transported to the year 1300 and must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle his way back home.

By far the most absurd, outlandish, and, arguably, funniest of the three installments, Army of Darkness sees Raimi at his Raimi-est. In many ways, Army of Darkness is a hilarious satire of big fantasy blockbusters and traditional horror movies. It’s an experience that’s vastly different from its two darker, gorier, scarier predecessors, but in a delightfully fun way.

11

‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)

Image via Toho

Known for his ability to create immersive, enchanting, fantastical worlds that anyone would love to visit, Hayao Miyazaki has dominated the modern anime industry for years. My Neighbor Totoro is among his most wholesome and highly acclaimed works, following two girls who move to the country to be closer to their ailing mother, where they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live there.

Funny, sweet, and touching, My Neighbor Totoro is simply humanly impossible to hate. It exudes magic and wonder as only the best family fantasy movies can, and the fact that it all happens in the scenic Japanese countryside makes it all the more delightful. With some fun interactions with the real world, such as a big chubby creature standing under the rain with an umbrella at a bus stop, Totoro is a masterclass in low fantasy done right.

10

‘The Green Mile’ (1999)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Doubtless one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work, Frank Darabont‘s The Green Mile is one of the most singular and moving prison movies ever made. Set on death row in a Southern jail, it follows the lead guard who realizes a gentle giant awaiting his execution has the mysterious power to heal people. Michael Clarke Duncan is magnificent in the role that gave him his only Academy Award nomination, and Darabont – who also directed The Shawshank Redemption, another top-tier adaptation of a Stephen King story set in prison – does a beautiful job behind the camera.

The Green Mile is a tearjerker like few others, with potent social commentary on prejudice and racism and beautiful themes of spirituality, magic, and healing. Its fantasy elements are simultaneously the foundation of the story and a subtle detail to boost the power of its deeper message, which is precisely what low fantasy is all about.

9

‘Wings of Desire’ (1987)

Image via Orion Classics

Known for his austere, almost poetic approach to filmmaking, Wim Wenders has made some really magical movies, even those that aren’t fantasy. One of his most acclaimed works is the criminally underrated Wings of Desire, a slow-burn low fantasy drama about an angel who, tired of merely overseeing human activity in Berlin, longs for the pleasures of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal.

Poignantly romantic and philosophically profound, Wings of Desire has some of the most beautifully composed scenes of any ’80s film and two of the best angel characters in media. Wings of Desire is an arthouse film that requires patience and attention. However, audiences willing to grant them will be graced with one of the most beautiful fantasy movies they’ll ever see.

8

‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ (2013)

Image via Toho

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Though he’s the face of Ghibli — and arguably contemporary Japanese cinema in general — Miyazaki isn’t the only exceptional Japanese filmmaker. Isao Takahata has made some of the most bewitching animated films of all time, including the enrapturing The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. It’s about an old bamboo cutter and his wife discovering a tiny girl in a shining bamboo stalk, who they raise as their child as she rapidly grows.

Set during Japan’s Heian period, the film is based on an iconic piece of Japanese folklore. It’s extremely easy to get emotionally invested in the story and characters, following a deeply moving story of womanhood and parenthood that makes perfect use of its fantastical elements and historical setting.

7

‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)

Image via Studio Ghibli

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Princess Mononoke is a surprisingly mature and violent action fantasy drama about a confident young warrior who, on a journey to protect his village from a demon, finds himself in the midst of a war between a mining colony and the forest gods. Miyazaki’s exploration of the eternal humans-versus-nature conflict and how harmony can be found within is a film that has aged like fine wine.

Although Princess Mononoke was set up for failure in the US, it became an international success. Visually striking and with a timeless story, Princess Mononoke offers as many constant thrills as it does thoughtful scenes of world-building. Its story is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan’s history, introducing fantasy elements like gods, demons, and spirits. A fascinating slice of history with its director’s signature magic touch, Mononoke is a must-see for Japanese history buffs, low fantasy fans, and animation lovers.

6

‘Harry Potter’ Franchise

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Entering a hidden platform through a wall in King’s Cross Station; driving a flying car through the skies of the Scottish Highlands; going down to the Ministry of Magic through a London phone box. These are some of the magical things that only low fantasy can offer, and the Harry Potter movies make the best use of them. Taking place over seven years, the eight movies follow the adventures of a trio of young sorcerer friends.

Harry Potter is one of the most popular fantasy franchises of all time. From Chris Columbus‘s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to David Yates‘s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, the films beautifully grew and matured alongside their loyal fanbase. Each Harry Potter installment has something unique to offer, and together, they form one of the most beloved sagas cinema has ever seen.

Guy Ritchie continues to be an unstoppable force in the streaming game, ahead of the return of his hugely popular Paramount+ hit MobLand. However, the road to Season 2 was anything but smooth, as social media erupted when it was reported that star Tom Hardy had been fired from the show amid off-screen conflicts. Thankfully, all was quickly resolved, and the show even earned a third season, with Hardy’s Harry Da Souza returning alongside Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia!) and Helen Mirren (Gosford Park).

Ahead of MobLand‘s return on Friday, September 18, the global charts have already been captured by Ritchie, as another of his major current TV projects returns to the streaming throne. A follow-up to the hugely popular 2019 movie of the same name, The Gentlemen was an unstoppable force when it first aired in 2024. Now, Fuze‘s Theo James and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales alum Kaya Scodelario are back as Eddie Horniman and Susie Glass, expanding their drug empire across international waters under the guiding hand of Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone).

Currently, The Gentlemen Season 2 is the most-watched show on Netflix in the world and tops the streaming charts in many countries, including the UK, Spain, Iceland, and Australia. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The series’ second outing had a lot to live up to, with the first season earning 12.2 million views during its first few days on streaming. In the same period, The Gentlemen Season 2 has only earned 6.7 million views, marking a steep drop-off of 45% between seasons that will quietly ring alarm bells for higher-ups.

What Did Critics Say About ‘The Gentlemen’ Season 2?

This drop-off in viewing figures isn’t indicative of the show’s popularity with critics. Season 2 is currently “certified fresh” on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, boasting an 81% score, which is an improvement on the first season. For Collider, Therese Lacson awarded the second season a 9/10 in her review, writing, “As The Gentlemen sheds some of its flash, it’s replaced with a far more thoughtful and philosophical story, one that will carry it through to what is sure to be another outstanding season.”

The Gentlemen Season 2 is the most-watched show on Netflix in the world. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

2024 – 2026-00-00

Network

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Netflix

Directors

David Caffrey, Guy Ritchie, Eran Creevy, Nima Nourizadeh

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Writers

Stuart Carolan, Guy Ritchie, Matthew Read, Billy Mason Wood, Haleema Mirza

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The backlash surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s latest commercial has been impossible to ignore, but the actress appears to have found a way to respond without typing a single word. 

Days after her headline-making Novig campaign sparked criticism online, the actress quietly shared a series of images that many fans interpreted as a pointed message to those questioning her decision to appear nude in the ad.

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Rather than address the controversy directly, Sydney Sweeney let her Instagram Stories do the talking. 

On Sunday, the “Euphoria” actress uploaded a collection of images featuring some of the biggest names in sports who have previously posed nude or nearly nude for magazine shoots and promotional campaigns.

The athletes highlighted in her posts included Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki. 

Sweeney’s roundup wasn’t limited to women. She also featured male athletes including Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce, all of whom have participated in revealing sports-themed photo shoots over the years.

The timing of the posts immediately caught attention because they arrived just days after criticism erupted over her new Novig advertisement. 

Notably, the movie star never directly referenced the backlash. Instead, she paired the Stories with another clip from the commercial and promotional images from the campaign itself, allowing followers to draw their own conclusions about what she was trying to say.

Sweeney Says The Campaign Was About Sports, Not Shock Value

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At the center of the debate is Novig’s new nationwide advertising push, which featured Sydney Sweeney as both a strategic partner and equity holder in the company.

As The Blast reported, the “Anyone But You” star appeared nude while posing with footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, hockey equipment, and other athletic gear. The ad repeatedly returned to one message: sports.

“The campaign was about embracing a fun idea,” Sweeney said in a statement per Variety, adding, “The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge.”

The actress drove that point home throughout the ad. “Think you know sports? Prove it. Novig is just sports. So they wanted to show just sports,” Sweeney said while posing atop a basketball hoop.

The commercial then moved through a series of sports-themed scenes featuring football pads, baseball gear, hockey equipment, and billiards. At one point, she joked, “You can’t trade this. I just look good here,” while stretched across a pool table.

Sydney Sweeney’s Investment In Novig Helped Shape The Campaign

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The 29-year-old’s involvement with Novig goes beyond appearing in commercials. She also owns an equity stake in the company, making her one of the most visible faces associated with the platform’s rollout.

Novig launched nationwide last month under a federally regulated framework and is restricted to users 21 and older. Unlike some prediction markets that allow wagers on politics, current events, and other topics, Novig focuses exclusively on sports outcomes.

That distinction reportedly played a major role in attracting Sweeney. According to Novig founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky, Sweeney appreciated the platform’s narrow focus. Fortinsky recalled that the star expressed discomfort with prediction markets that ventured into highly personal territory.

“She said, ‘I’m uncomfortable with other platforms that have markets on what color underwear I’m going to wear,’” Fortinsky said per the Daily Mail. He added that Sweeney believed, “There’s something clean about sports.”

More From The Blast

Sweeney’s Ability To Command Attention Was Part Of The Strategy

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While critics focused on the nudity, Novig’s leadership openly acknowledged that Sydney Sweeney’s ability to dominate conversations was one reason she became such an important partner for the company.

Fortinsky praised the actress’s knack for generating attention and keeping audiences engaged, something the company clearly benefited from after the commercial’s release sparked widespread debate online.

“Sydney is great at captivating audiences and being the center of attention,” Fortinsky said. The executive suggested that creating discussion around the campaign was never viewed as a negative outcome. “In some sense, it forces us into the national discourse,” he added.

Sydney Sweeney’s Bathwater Soap Ignited A Firestorm Before Novig

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If the debate over Sweeney’s Novig campaign feels familiar, that’s because the “Christy” actress found herself at the center of a nearly identical controversy more than a year earlier. 

Long before critics accused her of using sex appeal to sell a sports app, Sweeney sparked a social-media frenzy when she partnered with Dr. Squatch to release a limited-edition soap made with her actual bathwater. 

The controversy erupted on May 29, 2025, when Sweeney and Dr. Squatch announced “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss.” 

In a post that quickly went viral, the actress told fans, “You kept asking about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad … so we kept it.” The company described it as “A very real, very limited-edition soap made with my actual bathwater.” 

The soap wasn’t just a joke product. Dr. Squatch revealed that the bar contained sand, pine bark extract, and what it described as “a touch of Sydney’s real bathwater.” Only 5,000 bars were produced, with 100 given away before the official launch. The product sold for $8 and was released on June 6, 2025. 

Reaction online was immediate and divided. However, rather than back away from the criticism, Sweeney fully embraced the campaign. 

“When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it, or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap,” she said in a press release for the product per PEOPLE. She added, “It’s weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that’s not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love.” 

What happened next only amplified the story. The soap sold out almost immediately, demand overwhelmed the launch, and bars began appearing on resale sites for dramatically inflated prices.