Every year, I usher in the first official day of fall with a Nora Ephron movie marathon. Watching cozy, nostalgic films like You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally gets me inexplicably excited for the season — partially because of the characters’ impeccable autumn style, which is still chic today. And now, I’m piecing together a wardrobe that embodies some of my favorite characters.

To create an Ephron-inspired wardrobe, I’m incorporating chunky cable knits, plaid blazers, sweater dresses and more. And with just a few clicks on Amazon, you can get in on the aesthetic, too. I found the most timeless pieces that will last in your wardrobe for years, starting at $24.

17 Nora Ephron-Inspired Wardrobe Staples

1. A Cozy Classic: There’s something so nostalgic yet timeless about an oversized cream cable knit. This will be in your closet for years.

2. Fall Forever: Once I whip out my wool plaid blazer — the one with shoulder pads — I know it’s officially fall.

3. Plaid Forever: I think we can all agree that plaid is the pattern of fall, and it’s ultra cute on this sweater vest dress.

4. Extra Chilly: Name something cozier than this rolled turtleneck knit sweater (especially in brown). You can’t!

5. Perfect Layers: Looking for the ideal layering vest? This pick, with its mock neck and unique crisscross hem, pairs beautifully with a crisp button-down shirt.

Related: PSA: ‘Rachel Green Jeans‘ Are Trending Again — Nail the Look

Sure, there’s a time and place for channeling Carrie Bradshaw and Rory Gilmore, but if there’s one character whose style always feels relevant and fresh, it’s Rachel Green from Friends. I’ve worked in fashion for over a decade, and there hasn’t been a single fall where I haven’t found inspiration in the waitress-turned-Ralph Lauren employee, famously played […]

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6. A Little Crop: Yes, cropped cardigan sweaters are just as cozy as their oversized counterparts. Plus, this one is extremely versatile because it can be worn on nights out or chilly evenings in.

7. Keep It Warm: Fend off the cold from your lower extremities without sacrificing style with these chic wool-blend trousers. The design is pretty much a fall life hack!

8. Better Than PJs: Dressing up shouldn’t be uncomfortable, and it won’t be when you wear this intricately knit sweater skirt.

9. Confidence Boost: Even if you aren’t a huge fan of figure-skimming bodycon dresses, you’ll love what this maxi sweater dress does for your figure — it hugs your curves in all the right places.

10. Color of the Season: Navy blazers exude class and coziness. This structured style will become a year-round staple.

11. Like a Glove: Few things are better than jeans that effortlessly conform to the curves on your body. This expertly-made pair does that from the first wear.

12. Stripes Galore: When I picture cozy fall outfits, an oversized striped sweater like this first comes to mind.

13. Sweater or Blanket?: With how long and fuzzy this maxi cardigan is, it really could pass for a blanket!

14. Closet Staple: It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, everyone needs this lightweight V-neck sweater in their rotation. Psst, this popular one is on sale.

15. Cold Shoulder: Keep things flirty this fall season with this off-the-shoulder midi sweater dress. It shows a bit of skin without making you cold.

16. Modern Vintage: This trendy sweater combines a vintage cable-knit design with a refreshed V-neck silhouette, making it an instant classic.

17. Denim Dreams: No need to be an expert layer-er when you have this denim-cuffed cable-knit sweater in your rotation. It does the styling for you.

What’s better than a film noir and a Western? Yeah, a noir Western. The difference between these distinct genres and their combination lies in some skilled genre-blending—in plain Westerns, the protagonist is usually heroic and a representative of the law and all things good, while in noir films, all the characters are a lot more morally complex and nuanced. A morally ambiguous lone wolf sounds like a compelling protagonist, which is why noir Westerns make for an interesting type of film.

Besides a troubled protagonist, noir Westerns are more cynical and dark, presenting a convoluted plot and a bloody solution that carries a moral message. Some of the greatest noir films are Westerns, and some of the greatest Westerns are most definitely also noir. If you’re a fan of both genres and want to explore their blend, here are the greatest noir Westerns, ranked.

10

‘The Ox-Bow Incident’ (1943)

Image via Warner Bros.

The Ox-Bow Incident is a particularly strong film noir with a Western heart. Starring Henry Fonda, it belongs to the group of films that were only ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Fonda’s performance greatly captures the moral dilemma and unease of the story, while director William Wellman successfully creates a John Wayne-like story with the atmosphere of Double Indemnity. Though it lacks some style and violence to be a clear-cut noir Western, it’s philosophical, serious, and pessimistic enough to count.

The Ox-Bow Incident is set in a small Nevada town, where a posse forms after hearing that a local rancher has been murdered and had his cattle stolen. Two cowboys traveling through town, Art Croft (Harry Morgan) and Gil Carter (Fonda), join the posse of locals who mob together to find the rancher’s killer (or killers). Incidents of mistaken identities collude with self-righteous choices, and the movie plays out like a pressure cooker, where the wrong side of justice and mob mentality cause inevitable chaos.

9

‘Blood on the Moon’ (1948)

Image via RKO Radio Pictures

Blood on the Moon is one of director Robert Wise‘s greatest achievements. His vision here brings true noir to the frontier, from gloomy standoffs and night-vision ambushes to low-ceiling interiors that were lit to feel like seedy detective offices. Blood on the Moon is a perfect combo of cowboy mythology and the moral ambiguity of a noir film, and who better to step in as the lead than Robert Mitchum? When co-star Walter Brennan saw Mitchum in his costume, he was awestruck by how impressive Mitchum looked “in uniform.”

Blood on the Moon follows a cowboy drifter, Jim Garry (Mitchum), who arrives in a frontier town to help an old friend, only to discover he’s being pulled into a scheme regarding a land dispute; betrayal and political corruption mark Garry’s stay in town, where he’s left to choose between preserving his pride and honoring past alliances and friendships. Mitchum is brilliant here, as usual; one could argue he’s the most natural noir face in film history. Because of his presence, Blood on the Moon is an essential stepping stone in the blend of noir and Western, perfectly cast, and beautifully imagined.

8

‘Pursued’ (1947)

Image via Warner Bros.

Pursued is often cited as the first true noir Western. It’s structured almost entirely around psychological trauma, repressed memory, and fatalistic violence, all the defining traits of a true noir film. This is another feature starring Mitchum, and he’s joined by Teresa Wright, the then wife of the film’s screenwriter Niven Busch. Busch based Pursued on a real-life story he read in the newspaper, finding the plot of the story—and his film—akin to a Greek play or myth. Raoul Walsh, who was usually associated with directing muscular adventure films, superbly guided Mitchum and Wright in two of their greatest performances.

Pursued follows Jeb Rand (Mitchum), a man who was raised by a foster family after surviving the massacre of his entire family. Jeb, growing up under the dark cloud of the trauma he barely understands, falls in love with his foster sister, Thor Callum (Wright). But Jeb’s past only comes out after Thor’s family starts getting involved in their relationship, including Thor’s brother, Adam, and uncle, Grant (Dean Jagger). The Western here is merely a backdrop, and the plot of Pursued is steeped in psychological thrills and a noir mood.

7

‘The Proposition’ (2005)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

The Proposition was written by Nick Cave, the famous Australian musician, and he also scored the movie entirely. John Hillcoat directed Cave’s essentially Shakespearean tragedy, giving it a gritty, almost post-apocalyptic feel. The movie has the key ingredients, from moral rot to fatalistic dread and impossible choices, and its unflinchingly brutal violence is rarely stylized; paired with the harsh Australian outback, The Proposition is a scorching hot, dusty noir film. In some ways, the Australian outback here feels like a much better setting for a Western than any American landscape, though it’s hard to call it a Western in a geographical sense.

The Proposition follows outlaw Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce), who is captured by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) together with his younger brother, Mikey. Stanley promises to let him and Mikey go free and unharmed if Charlie agrees to kill their older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston), who committed a heinous crime. The examination of family, class, and societal structures that Australia was built on makes up a large portion of the narrative and is neither subtle nor presented through hints; it’s a brutal film with a powerful core.

6

‘High Plains Drifter’ (1973)

Image via Universal Pictures

High Plains Drifter was directed by Clint Eastwood, and it’s one of his most outstanding works—despite being only his second directorial effort. It’s a ghost story wrapped in a revenge Western, complete with a bow made of moral lessons. Visually, the film gives a lot: bright red buildings all over town, a haunting score, and hints of potential supernatural plots at hand. Eastwood preferred the supernatural twist and the offbeat story at the core; he, in fact, loved it so much that he wrapped it before schedule and under budget and enjoyed talking about “The Stranger” in the film as a ghost that haunts for moral high ground.

High Plains Drifter follows a mysterious stranger (Eastwood) who rides into the isolated town called Lago. The townspeople hire him to protect them from vengeful outlaws, but as he himself seizes control of the town, its dark secrets are exposed, and he turns out to be something other than just their savior. The film’s moral world is pitch-black—the townspeople collectively participate in cowardice and violence while asking for moral retribution against others. High Plains Drifter is a fantastically stylish noir Western that remains unforgettable.

5

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)

Image via Warner Bros.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the most out-of-the-mold Westerns ever, and it’s a pretty clear-cut example of a beautiful noir film. This Andrew Dominik masterpiece is a slow-burn psychological drama disguised as a Western; the focus is less on robberies and shootouts and more on obsession, ego, and fatalism. Dominik’s direction is paired with Roger Deakins‘ grainy cinematography, with the tension emphasized through beautiful, moody lighting. Brad Pitt‘s Jesse James is charismatic and terrifying, while Casey Affleck delivers one of the greatest portraits of insecurity shifting into violence in his portrayal of Robert Ford.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford follows the two titular characters—James, near the end of his outlaw career, when he was becoming increasingly paranoid, and Ford, who takes this chance to infiltrate the inner circle of James, an outlaw he greatly admires. As he gets closer to James, his adoration quickly develops into resentment and obsession, resulting in a final betrayal insinuated in the film’s very title. The film leans heavily on noir psychology and develops poetically into a tragic Western—a perfectly complex blend.

4

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

No Country for Old Men is one of the greatest neo-Western noir thrillers of all time, and this beautiful and ominous blend of genres only makes it more appealing; the Coen brothers‘ signature noir-style cinematography and storytelling is present, and the entire plot is very much just straight-up noir, despite being more classified as a neo-Western. The tension is palpable in every shadow, silence, and movement, especially when showing the psychotic killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) on the move; as one of the most famous serial killers on film, Chigurh embodies the existential dread that many noir films tend to make us feel.

No Country for Old Men follows Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), an everyday man living in Texas, who finds a suitcase full of drug money. Feeling guilt for having taken the money, Moss tries to return it, but not before becoming the target of psychopathic hitman Anton Chigurh. No Country for Old Men updates the noir Western for the modern era, and it’s a beautiful, if not haunting, adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s nihilistic novel.

3

‘Ride the High Country’ (1962)

Image via MGM

Ride the High Country is Sam Peckinpah‘s masterclass in hiding the noir in plain sight. It’s a crime story wearing a Western disguise, remaining deceptive and nostalgic, but carrying a bleak noir essence. Stylishly directed and elegant, it builds a bridge between old Hollywood Westerns and the noir-filled revisionism of the latter years. There’s everything: betrayal, ethical dilemmas, doomed relationships, and inescapable pasts, you name it. The chemistry and tension between the two classic Western heroes, Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea, is what drives the plot forward most of the time. This was Scott’s final role.

Ride the High Country follows two former lawmen, Steve Judd (McCrea) and Gil Westrum (Scott), who join forces after a long time for a mission to escort a gold shipment through some highly treacherous terrain. As they travel, Westrum plans to steal the gold while the still honorable Judd tries to uphold the law and morality in the situation. The two classic Western heroes, Scott and McCrea, come together in this legendary story of deception and fading moral codes. Some also find Ride the High Country to be quite an emotional tale of right and wrong.

2

‘The Wild Bunch’ (1969)

Image via Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

The Wild Bunch is a classic Western drenched in blood and infused with a deeply noir premise, boasting one of the few antiheroes as the protagonist of a Western. This is another Peckinpah feature, so it’s no surprise it finds its way among the greatest; beyond that, it’s also a revolutionary film for its (then) novel uses of slow motion and quick cuts. The frontier Peckinpah depicts here is Western-coded: morally crooked, corrupt, and full of betrayals and temporary loyalties. What the film ends up depicting is highly noir: a group of men clinging to codes that don’t matter in such environments.

The Wild Bunch follows Pike Bishop (William Holden), an aging outlaw who leads a group of men similar to him, who plan to finally call it quits after one last robbery attempt in Mexico. The job takes place in a revolution-riddled place, inevitably trapping the outlaws between political factions and old acquaintances. There are a few Western films darker than The Wild Bunch; this one may be fatalistic, but it’s the gold standard in many ways, most notably for being a great mix of noir and Western, and for marking a true end of an era in Western-style storytelling.

1

‘The Searchers’ (1956)

Image via Warner Bros.

The Searchers is a movie that inspired cinema throughout history, sometimes in the unlikeliest places. Some analyses draw parallels between The Searchers and Taxi Driver; others find its unique Western setting and noir storytelling to be unlike anything ever made. The protagonist, Ethan Edwards, is one of cinema’s most complex antiheroes; he is charismatic, heroic, and dutiful, yet underneath bigoted, hateful, and often terrifying—he’s someone fairly realistic in a setting that usually depicts glorified, larger-than-life types of heroes.

The Searchers follows Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) as he returns home to Texas after the Civil War. Edwards is invited to become a Texas Ranger, and though he refuses, he goes on a mission with them; while there, Edwards and the Rangers realize it was a ploy to draw them away from their homes. Edwards’ niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood), is abducted and his brother and his family are killed; he embarks on a quest to find Debbie, becoming obsessed and impulsive. As the search lasts, his outbursts of violence make him a threat and a target at the same time. With this, noir is effortlessly present in the film; nearly every theme is there: obsession, vengeance, and alienation. In many ways, the reason it was transposed onto the frontiers of the Old West was to break the myth of the Western genre and critique it.

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The Searchers

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Release Date

May 26, 1956

Runtime

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119 minutes

Director

John Ford

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Writers

Frank S. Nugent

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• 
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  Jeffrey Hunter

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  Martin Pawley

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Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the center of another heated debate following the release of a provocative campaign for sports trading platform Novig.

While the campaign succeeded in attracting attention, it also sparked criticism from female athletes and others who questioned the message it sent about women in sports.

However, experts believe the controversy is unlikely to damage Sydney Sweeney’s career because the campaign fits the public image she has already established.

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Sweeney’s Novig campaign quickly became a talking point after images from the shoot appeared online and on billboards. In the ads, the “Euphoria” star posed mostly nude while different pieces of sports equipment were positioned across her body.

“Think you know sports? Prove it. Novig is just sports. So, they wanted a show,” Sweeney said in the campaign. The attention that followed, however, was not entirely positive.

As reported by The Blast, several female athletes criticized the approach, including Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ariarne Titmus, British sprinter Amy Hunt and former American gymnast Gracie Kramer. Some social media users also argued that the campaign relied too heavily on Sweeney’s body rather than celebrating women for their sporting achievements.

Sweeney later explained that the campaign was intended to be playful. She said the idea was to “cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports,” describing its execution as confident and humorous.

Why The Actress’s Provocative Approach Is Unlikely To Hurt Her Brand

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Despite the backlash, communications expert Adrienne Uthe does not believe the campaign will cause lasting harm to Sweeney’s public image.

Instead, she argued that the actress has the freedom to decide how she presents herself, even if others disagree with those choices.

“Women having agency also means allowing women to make choices about their image that other women may not personally agree with,” Uthe told Fox News Digital. She acknowledged that athletes and members of the public are equally entitled to criticize the campaign.

However, Uthe said she does not think the controversy is “materially damaging” to Sweeney. In her view, appearing in the Novig campaign is not a dramatic departure from the actress’ existing image or the types of projects she has previously chosen.

Still, Uthe cautioned against assuming that widespread online attention automatically translates into successful marketing. “Going viral tells me they captured attention. It doesn’t tell me they captured the customer,” she explained.

Expert Feels The Negative Reactions To Sydney Sweeney’s Sport Campaign May Be Blown Out Of Proportion

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The controversy has developed into a larger discussion about whether Sweeney’s campaign represents personal empowerment or contributes to the objectification of women in sports.

Uthe noted that both interpretations have gained traction, with different audiences viewing the same images in completely different ways.

She argued that online discussions can make the loudest viewpoint appear more widespread than it really is.

Once a particular interpretation dominates a person’s feed or aligns with their existing beliefs, Uthe said that perception can begin to feel like reality.

Critic Brands The Actress’s Ad’ Bad For Women In Sport’

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Olivia Bennett, Senior Account Director at Go Up, was far more critical. She described the campaign as “bad for women in sport,” arguing that Novig should have anticipated the reaction when it chose Sweeney for a national campaign.

Similar criticism also came from a commenter who identified herself as a former athlete.

“I’m genuinely disgusted and deeply disappointed by this campaign,” she wrote, arguing that women have fought to be recognized for their “talent, strength, and achievements-not reduced to our bodies.”

The contrasting opinions show why the campaign has generated such a heated conversation. What some see as confidence and personal choice, others see as taking away from the achievements women have fought for.

Sydney Sweeney Has Long Embraced Nudity As Part Of Her Brand

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Sweeney’s willingness to appear nude is not limited to advertising. The actress has previously discussed her comfort with on-screen nudity and how portraying Cassie Howard in “Euphoria” helped her develop greater confidence.

“I don’t get nervous,” Sweeney told W Magazine when discussing nude scenes, per People. She explained that she views the female body as “a very powerful thing” and approaches such moments according to what she believes is necessary to tell a character’s story properly.

For Cassie specifically, Sweeney has viewed her character’s relationship with her body as another method of communicating her emotions and experiences.

“We all get naked in real life,” she previously told Teen Vogue, explaining that Cassie’s body functions as “a different form of communication for her.”

Those comments show that Sweeney has long treated nudity as something she is willing to incorporate into her work when she believes it serves a purpose.

Some of the greatest Westerns of all time aren’t particularly fun, or they’re engaging in ways that are a little different from “entertaining,” making it feel a bit strange to call them “fun.” So, the likes of Unforgiven, The Wild Bunch, Once Upon a Time in the West, and (obviously) The Great Silence will not be found below, even if they are some of the best Westerns ever made, and indeed better than some of the movies ranked here.

What matters here is that the Westerns are fun. These ones might well be good to watch if you’re not hugely fond of the genre, or if you are, then maybe they’ll prove extra entertaining. They can all count themselves among the most entertaining and broadly fun Western movies of all time, thanks to being action-packed, or funny, or particularly fast-paced, or maybe even all of the above.

8

‘Young Guns’ (1988)

Image via 20th Century Fox

As the title implies, the main characters of Young Guns are indeed young, but it’s not really a kid-friendly movie, nor particularly identifiable as a coming-of-age one. It’s about Billy the Kid and other outlaw members of the Regulators, but without much that’s historically accurate, though that’s okay. It’s not really that kind of movie, and the Old West is filled with stories of a more legendary variety, anyway.

It’s engaging and scarcely boring, containing a bunch of great actors and a fair amount of action for something that’s ultimately quite short, as far as feature-length films go. Young Guns is just all-around solid stuff, and it does what it needs to without worrying about going much further. It works, and that’s all that really matters, with the things that might be dated honestly feeling kind of charming, at least in some ways.

7

‘¡Three Amigos!’ (1986)

Image via Orion Pictures

¡Three Amigos! is pretty much a comedic The Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven was pretty much a Western take on Seven Samurai. You do the math there (a kind of math, at least) and what you have is a comedic Western about people who are hired to defend a village from attackers, but the “warriors” here are actually just actors, and they don’t have the skills that traditional gunfighters have.

If that also sounds like A Bug’s Life, that’s because yes, A Bug’s Life builds on ¡Three Amigos!, which builds on The Magnificent Seven, which builds on Seven Samurai. There may be some other steps involved in that whole chain. Anyway, the main thing is that ¡Three Amigos! is a good deal of fun, and also one of the best Western comedies of all time (the absolute greatest came out a little over a decade earlier, though, and will be mentioned shortly).

6

‘Westworld’ (1973)

Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

It’s easy to put Westworld here because, on one hand, it’s about people seeking fun, and there’s vicarious fun as a viewer in watching people do that. And then there’s a thrill in seeing things go wrong, because the source of “fun” here is a futuristic amusement park where visitors get to be immersed in an Old West kind of playground, but it’s also a sci-fi movie, and the technology malfunctions, because of course it does.

While that makes it sound very similar to Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton wrote both, so at worst, he was plagiarizing himself. But not really, because the Western feel of Westworld helps it stand out, and then it’s also entertaining because of how straight-to-the-point, well-paced, and punchy it is, doing quite a lot within a runtime that doesn’t exceed 90 minutes.

5

‘The Quick and the Dead’ (1995)

Image via TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection

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Sam Raimi made a Western. It’s The Quick and the Dead. It’s fun as a Western the same way his horror movies are fun (especially the sequels to The Evil Dead, which lean more into comedy) and his superhero movies are fun (hey, Spider-Man trilogy). There is something of a plot here, but it’s mostly concerned with assembling a bunch of colorful characters and having them take part in a quick-draw tournament.

It’s one of the more underrated Westerns of all time, too, getting overshadowed by those other Sam Raimi films, and also suffering a little popularity-wise, perhaps, from clearly being a cult classic. Still, why shouldn’t it be a more conventional classic, too? There’s a lot to like here, alongside all the offbeat and strange things (which you might also dig anyway), so it’s worth devoting a couple of hours of your time to, if you’ve never seen it before.

4

‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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A movie about a pair of outlaws who go on the run after taking things a bit far with all their robberies and stuff, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is effortlessly fun, and always has been. It’s old now, coming up on its 60th anniversary in not too much time, honestly (at the time of writing), but it’s timeless, so who cares? It doesn’t really feel like it was made in 1969.

Also, it’s obvious to say, but Paul Newman and Robert Redford are dynamite together on screen, even in the scenes that don’t involve actual dynamite. They’re so good together that you kind of wonder why, after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they only shared the screen in one other movie (The Sting, which is another crowd-pleaser directed by George Roy Hill, albeit certainly not a Western).

3

‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the best spaghetti Western of all time, and it also happens to be the most entertaining. You’ve got three main characters here, more or less alluded to in the title, and they’re all trying to get to some buried gold first, and that’s the movie. It’s three hours almost, all up, with an obvious MacGuffin, and also not much that could be called unpredictable, but that’s all good.

It’s more than all good. And it’s not bad, nor is it ugly. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is phenomenally paced and also one of the best-looking movies of its time, and maybe of all time, too. What else do you need? What else can be said? It’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, for crying out loud.

2

‘Blazing Saddles’ (1974)

Image via Warner Bros.

It is a parody of Westerns, yes, but Blazing Saddles is still a Western, just a very silly one. For what it’s worth, though, it gets the look and feel right, in terms of replicating classic Western films, which can also be said about Young Frankenstein and the old horror movies it parodied, with that movie coming out the same year as Blazing Saddles, and Mel Brooks directed both.

Sorry, that’s a bit of a tangent, but it’s always impressive how Brooks’s two best movies (and two of the funniest films of all time) came out the same year. Anyway, Blazing Saddles has non-stop jokes, and the vast majority of them hit the mark. You can hate Westerns and still find a lot to love here, or love Westerns, and enjoy this as a good-hearted parody. Or if you fall somewhere in between, that’s all good. This is a winning film in any event, really.

1

‘The Good, the Bad, the Weird’ (2008)

Image via CJ Entertainment

No one should be surprised to learn that The Good, the Bad, the Weird has pretty much the same premise as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There are three main characters, and they’re all after the same thing. They race each other, they compete, and all that expected stuff. It’s not so much the plot that matters here, though, because what is important is what The Good, the Bad, the Weird does tonally and regarding genre.

Like, it’s not necessarily a better movie than The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (like, not much is on that film’s level), but it’s arguably even more entertaining, owing to its emphasis on action, comedy, and some other potentially unexpected genres. It’s a film where it feels like every weird and/or creative idea was thrown into the mix somehow, and while the final product isn’t the most consistent thing in the world, by any means, it is ultimately ridiculously entertaining, and that’s the main thing worth considering, for present purposes.

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The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Release Date

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July 17, 2008

Runtime

139 Minutes

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Director

Kim Jee-woon

Writers

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Kim Jee-woon, Min-suk Kim

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 6 minutes ago

I was never a theater kid. I was friends with a lot of theater kids (Hi Mark!) and attended every single play to show my support for them. Which is why, when Glee hit Fox before my 10-year High School reunion, I tuned in and recognized a lot of my friends and classmates in Glee Club. Since going off the air in 2015, after the conclusion of Season 6, Glee faded from the public consciousness, only to be dredged up after the far too early death of Naya Rivera, and the conviction of Mark Salling.

Glee Was Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Today, in 2026, it’s coming back up for a great reason: Harry Shum Jr., underutilized on Glee, is part of Dancing with the Stars Season 35. Well, that, and the “Gleeks” coming out in force to defend the series from Gen Z by accurately pointing out that, for its time, Glee was as much a revelation as it is problematic.

In the never-ending quest to find things problematic or cringe, Gen Z turned their ire to Glee, which, by today’s standards, isn’t the most sensitive series and is guilty of a lot of tone-deaf storylines. It hasn’t aged well at all. What’s lost in the discourse is that Glee aired in 2009, and it was considered, at the time, progressive. Notably because it featured gay high school characters outside of “a very special episode,” which, even in 2009, wasn’t common.

Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) and Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) were openly gay characters from the start, eventually joined by Santana (Naya Rivera) and Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris). While the storyline that outed Santana was horrendous since it wasn’t her choice, what came after was praised for Rivera’s portrayal of a high school coming to terms with their identity. To give you an idea where society was at the time, the writers managed to get an unsubtle “scissoring” joke right past the network censors. Progressive for making the joke on a broadcast network, and also problematic for making that joke on a broadcast network.

Glee Fell Into A Progressive Trap

Glee wanted to be inclusive, but fell into the same trap as most well-meaning progressives by missing the mark worse than if they had never tried in the first place. For one, Artie Abrams, the paralyzed, wheelchair-bound member of the club, was played by Kevin Mchale, an able-bodied actor. At the time, progressive for including the character; today, problematic for not getting a wheelchair bound actor to play the part when they are already struggling to find decent roles in Hollywood.

The multi-ethnic Glee Club never found anything for Harry Shum Jr’s Mike to do until the third season, when he’s saddled with a story about his Asian father wanting him to become a doctor and not a dancer. He’s also dating Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), after the two had bonded at “Asian Camp.” 10 points for including two Asian-American characters, minus several thousand for generic stereotype storylines. Jenna would go on to win two Tony Awards for her work in Broadway, while Harry won multiple awards for his work on Shadowhunters.

Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome, played Becky Jackson, a recurring student on Glee in what was, again, a progressive role, giving someone who had overcome Down syndrome a real role and a real character. Up until the episode “Shooting Star,” where she brings a gun into the school and it accidentally goes off. All of the character development was tossed out the window for the shock reveal that it was Becky with the gun. It’s classic Ryan Murphy, who would go on to cast Lauren in multiple seasons of American Horror Story, including Coven, the best of the series.

For all the ways that Gen Z is completely correct to call Glee problematic, it comes out of a desire to be progressive, and failing. Sometimes horribly. At the time, Glee was an acquired taste, having started out as a dark satire of teen comedies, before becoming one after resonating with teenagers and 20-somethings. We had debates and discussions about if it was really progressive or simply regressive and offensive in a new way. Over the years, Glee hasn’t aged well at all, making it a full-blown millennial tragedy that, despite the talented cast, it’s best left forgotten.

We love a good viral product, and shoppers have gone absolutely wild over the Adidas polka-dot tracksuit. While we’re always game for a fun fashion moment, dropping over $200 on loungewear isn’t really our thing — which is why we’re scouring the Internet for elevated loungewear pants for less. Thankfully, Amazon has plenty of stylish, budget-friendly options that deliver the same chic vibe without the splurge.

From polka-dot track pants to chic animal print and even velvet and colorblock styles, these chic loungewear pants are just as cozy as your favorite sweats, yet polished enough to wear pretty much anywhere. Shop our 13 favorite styles below — starting at $27.

13 Elevated Loungewear Pants For Fall

1. Our Favorite: This polka-dot matching set is as close as you can get to the viral Adidas set without spending over $200. Even better: the jacket’s peplum-style fit is super slimming.

2. Wild Style: Over 800 shoppers have snagged these leopard print trousers this past month, and we don’t blame them. With a relaxed fit, chic red stripe and expensive-looking design, they sharpen everything from simple tees to fall knits.

3. Botanical Brights: Paisley with a punch of floral? These bright wide-leg pants are a playful but poised take on statement dressing — and they’re surprisingly wearable for everyday outfits.

4. Black & White: Polished polka-dots never looked so good as these striped polka-dot pants. With a billowy, wide-leg fit, they even feature chic ankle ties.

5. All Year Long: Gingham girlies, don’t miss these sporty wide-leg pants that are made perfect for all the seasons. Best yet: they’re majorly marked down.

6. Perfect Marriage: Who knew polka-dots and stripes go so well together? The demure details on the luxe loungewear set add a feminine twist to the classic sporty silhouette.

7. Powerhouse Pair: Floral meets animal print in these cheetah-print loungewear pants. They look stunning with just a plain black blouse, giving you that bold, boho energy.

8. Bold Energy: Go punk with a lot of polish in these chic checkered wide-leg pants. Reviewers call out their cozy, flattering fit and dress-up-or-down versatility.

9. Patched Together: There’s a lot of boho beauty in these patchwork loungewear pants. Adorned with deep blues and ditsy florals, they bridge the gap between summer ease and autumn days.

10. Perfect Duo: Who doesn’t love a great color combination? These striped color block pants come in numerous quiet-luxury hues, including khaki and black, navy and red and green and white.

11. Fashionable Fun: Feminine and fun come together in these lace polka-dot loungewear pants. With a poised polka-dot print, the head-turning pants look gorgeous with ribbed tees, a cropped cardigan or cozy knits.

12. Designer Duo: Farm Rio and Adidas have created quite possibly the most gorgeous floral track pants ever. Infused with moody florals, the figure-giving piece is perfect for those early fall days.

13. Sumptuous Texture: Don’t just rely on a print to stand out this fall. These luxe velvet track pants are super sporty and poised — proving endless comfort and high fashion can coexist.

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Scarlett Johansson may be best known for her appearance as Black Widow, but her talent doesn’t end within the boundaries of Marvel’s multiverse. Certainly, as Black Widow, she brings life and energy to her action sequences, and has surprisingly good comedic timing when it comes to delivering a withering stare. But 12 years later, Under the Skin still showcases Johansson’s most intimate, chilling performance.

Directed by Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest), one of today’s most masterful creators of the sci-fi thriller, Under the Skin follows an alien disguised as a woman who consumes unsuspecting men. Johansson’s challenge as an actor went beyond the usual: in addition to embodying this alien creature (already a cerebral, abstract challenge), she was actually driving around Scotland, hitting on non-actors to generate footage for the film. Most of the men she encounters in the film had no idea they were being filmed until after the fact. The choice to include non-actors in the film forces the alien into the real world, and because she’s a superstar who could be recognized at any moment, Johansson’s real-life identity is brought into the film too.

Jonathan Glazer Makes Clever Use of Guerrilla Film-making

Johansson looks out of place in the streets of Glasgow not because of any visual cues about the alien-ness of her character, but because of her status as a superstar: the audience recognizes her in a crowd of everyday people. Incredibly, during filming Scarlett Johansson was very rarely identified by members of the public, likely because they just didn’t expect her to be there. In the film, she drives or walks, followed by hidden cameras, and even as she tries to melt into the crowd, she is drawn out of it by the very act of being filmed, often centered in the frame, always tracked by the shot.

In a pivotal scene, Johansson walks down a street in tight, acid-washed jeans and a fur jacket, tracked by a camera in a moving vehicle. The shot is full of regular people who have no idea they’re being filmed, and then she trips and falls. The non-actors around her help her up and make sure she’s okay. This display of simple human decency is the beginning of the alien’s entry into the human world, becoming more empathetic and human herself. By using Guerrilla film-making to illustrate this point, director Jonathan Glazer more effectively illustrates that people are kind and will help someone when they can.

Scarlett Johansson Knows How to Watch and Learn

Image via A24

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Under the Skin begins as a creepy sci-fi movie about an alien predator, and becomes a profound study in embodied experience, tracking the alien’s developing understanding of humanity and the place she could occupy within it. The alien’s transformation is conveyed through Johansson’s almost entirely silent performance. Her performance is remarkably subtle, often defined by a deliberate lack of expression, which makes her emotional development clearer and more meaningful by contrast.

From the beginning of the film, Johansson’s performance is more about being an observer than it is about being observed. Even as she uses sex appeal to lure men into her van, Johansson hardly performs sexuality in her body language or voice at all. She doesn’t draw attention to herself on purpose. Instead, her gaze is fixed on the men she’s hunting, energy focused outward. She is the predator watching her prey, scanning the streets for who’s next. Observation is the key to Johansson’s performance and to Under the Skin on the whole.

Scarlett Johansson Brings Human Tenderness to Her Alien Character

Image via A24

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The alien watches people to hunt them, but by watching them she also learns about their emotional lives, their decency, and their beauty. In a critical scene, the alien picks up a man with a facial disfigurement. They chat in the van. She asks if he has friends or a girlfriend, or if he’s ever had a girlfriend. He hasn’t. She asks if he gets lonely. He doesn’t respond. She says, “You have very nice hands. You have beautiful hands.” She holds his hands and encourages him to touch her face, which he does, before taking him inside to consume him. Crucially, he’s the first person she lets go without consuming him. The subtleties of Johansson’s performance convey real hesitation after having connected with the man personally and emotionally, a real emotional breakthrough for the character.

For much of the film, Johansson’s performance is intentionally guarded, revealing little. As she accrues experience with people, her expression softens and becomes more naturalistic. After the alien crosses over into the human world, she becomes truly vulnerable for the first time, transitioning from predator to potential prey. As this transition takes place, Johansson’s gaze turns inward, observing herself as a part of humanity for the first time. She befriends a man and stays at his home. She observes her body in a mirror, tracing it lightly with her hands. Her expression is softer, less laser-focused on others as she becomes one of them. The beginnings of her emotional transformation make the ultimate fate of the alien even more tragic.

Image via A24

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At the end of Under the Skin, the alien ends up in the woods where she’s molested by a logger. She runs away from him, but he catches up and attempts to sexually assault her. In the struggle, he peels away her skin, revealing a hard, gray, featureless body beneath. The body beneath is like a mask, hard and unchanging, illegible. The body is not sexed, more like a rough bronze statue than a person. In his horror, the logger lights the alien on fire, and the film ends. Her integration into human subjectivity makes her subject to human paradigms of violence and victimhood. It is her openness to human goodness that puts her at risk of suffering from human cruelty.

Under the Skin is a profound meditation on embodied human experience, compassion, connection, and the ways people fail at those same things. The film is a visual feat, with wonderful, bizarre sequences recalled in newer films like The Substance. The guerrilla film-making and director Jonathan Glazer’s vision are both phenomenal, and the film wouldn’t work without those components. But Under the Skin rides on Johansson’s performance, which is suitably minimalist, like the rest of the film, allowing space for real tenderness and curiosity to bleed through. Without Johansson’s incredible talent and intuition as a performer, Under the Skin wouldn’t be nearly as creepy, touching, or devastating as it is.

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Release Date

April 4, 2014

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Jonathan Glazer

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Writers

Jonathan Glazer, Walter Campbell

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Fans are waiting with bated breath for Amazon MGM Studios to announce which actor has been cast as the new James Bond; the latest shortlist includes frontrunners Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Jack O’Connell, and Jack Barton. Gary Oldman, who stars alongside Lowden in the hit Apple TV series Slow Horses, recently let slip that the studio may have already finalized the actor for the role, but is waiting for the right time to announce his name to the world. Meanwhile, former Bond star Pierce Brosnan had nothing but positive vibes for whoever will play the iconic character next. Brosnan starred as Bond in four movies, and recently returned with the second season of his blockbuster Paramount+ crime drama series MobLand. The show’s return nudged audiences to revisit one of Brosnan’s four Bond movies, which recently surged up the streaming charts.

The movie in question is widely regarded as Brosnan’s finest hour as the suave British spy. His tenure began in 1995 and ended in 2002. His successor, Daniel Craig, played Bond in five films across 15 years, from 2006 to 2021. The gap between two Bond eras has never been as long as the one we’re experiencing now. Although Denis Villeneuve has been selected to direct the next Bond movie, it would be safe to bet that the project probably won’t land in theaters before 2028. This would further extend the gap between two Bond eras to seven years. All that fans of the legendary franchise can do until then is to revisit their favorite past installments.

One of the Most Beloved James Bond Movies Is Having a Streaming Resurgence

And that’s exactly what they’re doing now. According to FlixPatrol, the 1995 classic GoldenEye is among the most watched movies on the domestic Vudu chart. The movie marked Brosnan’s debut as Bond, and helped usher the franchise away from its Cold War roots. Also featuring Sean Bean and Famke Janssen, the film was directed by Martin Campbell, who returned to direct Craig’s first Bond movie, Casino Royale. GoldenEye was a box-office hit, grossing more than $355 million worldwide against a reported budget of $60 million. The movie now holds a “Certified Fresh” 81% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The first and best Pierce Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye brings the series into a more modern context, and the result is a 007 entry that’s high-tech, action-packed, and urbane.” You can watch the movie on Vudu, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

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November 16, 1995

Runtime

130 minutes

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Writers

Ian Fleming, Michael France, Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein

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