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Perfect Netflix Thriller Is Death From Above

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Perfect Netflix Thriller Is Death From Above

By Robert Scucci
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My favorite kind of psychological thrillers are bottle stories because they have to make good use of their limited surroundings to generate real suspense. More often than not, stories like this can be shot on a shoestring budget and lean heavily on dialogue. An exception to that rule, 2022’s Fall is technically a bottle story, and relatively low budget given the reported $3 million that went into its production, but our protagonists aren’t chit chatting over coffee and unpacking their trauma. They’re sitting atop a 2,000 foot TV tower.

They’re still talking about their past traumas on that tower, but at least they earned that trope here because they had to climb for it.

Fall 2022

While Fall spends most of its runtime unpacking grief at an extreme altitude, it never loses sight of what’s actually at stake. Two young women climb to the top of a decommissioned tower that becomes structurally compromised, and they have no way to get back down. Their friendship is tested, and so are their wills when they realize they have no reasonable way to contact their loved ones and let them know what kind of trouble they’re in.

Becky’s Grief And Shiloh’s Influence

The source of Becky’s (Grace Caroline Currey) trauma in Fall takes place one year prior to the TV tower incident. When her husband, Dan (Mason Gooding), falls to his death during what should have been a routine climb with her and her best friend Shiloh (Virginia Gardner), she becomes a husk of a human being, abusing her prescriptions and self medicating with alcohol. On the verge of suicide on the anniversary of Dan’s death, Becky is confronted by her father, James (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who desperately wants her to snap out of her spiral and continue living her life because Dan would have wanted her to.

Fall 2022

Becky is finally pushed to confront her fear of climbing when Shiloh pays her a surprise visit with what she frames as the opportunity of a lifetime. Now working full time as an online influencer and adventurer, Shiloh, always proudly sporting a tight tank top so she can get more eyes on her live streams (her words, not mine), urges Becky to tag along on her next adventure. The plan is simple in theory and insane in practice. Climb a decommissioned 2,000 foot TV tower and scatter Dan’s ashes from the top.

From here on out, we get the expected dynamic between Becky and Shiloh. Becky is trapped in and defined by her trauma, while Shiloh constantly misquotes Dan’s positive platitudes as a way to convince her this is exactly what she needs. Eventually, Becky agrees.

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They make the climb without realizing how many structural faults the tower has due to being decommissioned. After they reach the top, the rusted ladder system collapses beneath them, cutting off their only clear route down. With no cell service because of the tower’s interference and limited supplies, Becky and Shiloh have no way to contact their friends, families, or even Shiloh’s followers, who are periodically seeing updates from the adventure, but are used to waiting for delayed posts when she goes off the grid.

Living Is More Than Just Survival

Forced to confront her renewed fear of heights, Becky has to make peace with her past if she wants any chance at a future. She’s pushed to confront her personal demons in the worst possible setting, with Shiloh’s resourcefulness acting as a temporary guiding light. Unfortunately, nearly every plan they come up with backfires. Swinging their cell phones out far enough to catch a signal proves futile, and their quadcopter drone has limited battery life, making it impossible to reach anyone nearby before it dies.

Fall 2022

As vultures begin circling the tower, the situation becomes more urgent by the hour. If they cannot find a solution, they will eventually succumb to dehydration, starvation, infection, or the elements. Both sustain injuries during their ordeal, and with no safe way down, their options shrink fast. At a certain point, all they can do is ration what little they have and hope that some miracle puts them back on solid ground.

Solid Twist, But It’s Been Done Before

Fall offers a couple of solid twists if you’re a psychological thriller tourist, but if you’ve been around the block a few times, you may find them less shocking than advertised. I was instantly reminded of 2018’s Adrift, which strands its characters on a sailboat in the middle of the Pacific, because the structural playbook is similar with its isolated setting, emotional trauma, and narrative reveal that reframes what you’ve been watching. 

Fall 2022

Still, if you’re a more casual fan of the genre and do not actively seek out every single entry, Fall absolutely delivers on its promises. The setup is simple, the stakes are obvious, and the execution is tense enough to keep you locked in. Sometimes that’s all you really need from a survival thriller. You know what the ride is going to feel like. The question is whether you’re willing to take it.

Fall is currently streaming on Netflix.


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Rihanna Fans Perk Up After Music Studio Photo

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Rihanna hasn’t released an album in 10 years, but that hasn’t stopped her devoted fans, known as the Navy, from begging for it incessantly. From the looks of the superstar’s social media post, they may be getting their wish sooner than they thought.

In the time since Rihanna dropped her chart-topping “Anti” album in 2016, she has become a billionaire, courtesy of her massively successful Fenty Beauty brand — but her fans have hoped that she would return to what made her a star, her music.

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Rihanna Fans Perk Up After She’s Seen Inside A Music Studio

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Feb. 26, Rihanna shared a day in her life lately, which to the surprise of her fans included some time at the recording studio.

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“I still have to go to the studio after this and I have to make a Mardi Gras costume for my son after the studio,” she said as the video of her day went well until after 2 a.m. “Longest day ever.”

Rihanna told the sound engineers in the video, “Yesterday’s price is not today’s price.”

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The Superstar Has Had Many Stops And Starts In Producing New Music

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Speaking with Harper’s Bazaar in March 2025, the nine-time Grammy winner addressed releasing new music after such a long period away.

“I think music is my freedom. I just came to that realization. I just cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work. I am actually feeling really good about this. I know I kept saying this over the years,” she told the outlet at the time.

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“There’s no genre now,” Rihanna revealed about her next album. “That’s why I waited. Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour.’”

She continued, noting that since her prolonged absence, she needs to ensure that her music is ground-breaking.

“After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more,” she said.

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The multi-platinum artist added: “I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects. And it’s not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!”

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Rihanna Has Been Busy Expanding Her Family

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna
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Since “Anti” topped the charts, Rihanna has become a mother of three, welcoming first son RZA in 2022, second son Riot a year later in 2023, and her first daughter, Rocki, in September 2025.

She sent fans into a tailspin when she hinted earlier this year that a fourth baby could be on her very busy agenda.

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Per Us Weekly, earlier this month Rihanna gave a strong hint that she is not done adding to her family.

The singer-turned-mogul responded to a post by “Love Island” star Montana Rose that read: “Deciding whether to get hot and sexy or get pregnant in 2026.” Rihanna replied underneath the post writing, “Wait! So I’m not crazy then? Bet!”

While many fans were happy at the possibility of Riri becoming a mom again for the fourth time, there were others who expressed their disappointment because another pregnancy means a new album is once again put on hold.

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She Recently Opened Up About Dressing Her Post-Baby Body

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In an interview with Rihanna posted via X, formerly known as Twitter, the singer spoke about some of her favorite looks from the Dior Spring/Summer show during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

However, it was her comment about her post-baby curves that many moms likely related to.

“Favorite look? That’s impossible,” Rihanna gushed about the designs. “I wanted the coats, I wanted the dresses, I wanted the skirts with a little bump [at the stomach] ‘cause I got a little pouch after having kids, so I’d love that.”

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Born Again’ Season 2 Is Officially Fixing a Fan-Favorite Character

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After a near-perfect first season, the highly anticipated Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is right around the corner. Marvel Television has already started the year strong with Destin Daniel Cretton‘s Wonder Man, and based on the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 trailer, it looks like they’re not slowing down any time soon. From Daredevil’s (Charlie Cox) new suit to the return of Krysten Ritter‘s Jessica Jones, there’s a lot to be excited about.

With Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) embracing an even darker side of his Kingpin persona, Matt Murdock will need as much help as he can get to save his city. Besides Jessica Jones, the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 trailer shows that Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) will be a key ally for Daredevil. Since Karen and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) weren’t initially part of the series before showrunner Dario Scardapane came on, their roles were very limited in Season 1. Although Foggy isn’t around in the present-day MCU after his shocking death, Scardapane promises that Karen Page fans have a lot to look forward to in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.

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Karen Page Will Be Matt Murdock’s Equal in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2

Ever since the series premiere of Netflix’s Daredevil, Karen has been a vital part of Matt’s world. The character evolved from being a client of Nelson and Murdock to their secretary/legal assistant. Eventually, her efforts earned her a name on the door, and the firm became Nelson, Murdock, and Page in Daredevil: Born Again. Life imitates art as Woll herself has also played a major role in developing her character for the show’s upcoming second season. In an interview with SFX Magazine, Scardapane highlighted how much Woll collaborated with Karen’s development in Daredevil: Born Again:

“This version of Karen Page is a blast. It’s a curveball that you haven’t seen before. The great thing is we got to talk to her about it in season one, before we started getting into the real nitty-gritty of season two. Her input adds to what we do in the writers’ room and by the time you come out at the end you’re like, ‘Whoa, this actually makes sense!’ I think fans are really going to dig this Karen Page.”

Woll and Scardapane agree that Karen was never and will never be seen as just Matt’s sidekick. As Scardapane added, “In my mind — and in Deb’s mind — she’s never been a sidekick; she’s never been a girlfriend. She’s always been somebody who both mirrors and pushes Murdock — not always in the best way.” While some fans argue about the relationship between Karen and Daredevil, aka Karedevil, or Karen and Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), it’s good to hear that the character isn’t being reduced to just a romantic partner.

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Matt Murdock Returns to a Darker Hell’s Kitchen in First Look at ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 [Exclusive]

It’s almost time to assemble the Devil’s Army.

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Scardapane’s interview also mentions that Karen has become a lawyer in the time between Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again. Even without any formal legal background, Karen has more than proven herself capable of successfully handling legal matters. Without her, Foggy and Matt wouldn’t have been as involved as they were in taking down Fisk through the justice system in Daredevil Season 1. When she was face-to-face with Fisk in Daredevil Season 3, she was confident in the eyes of the man who almost ruined her life, and didn’t hesitate to try to scare him by revealing she had killed his loyal friend and employee, James Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore). This version of Karen is exactly who Matt will need in his fight against Fisk’s corruption.

Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page Is Nothing Like the Marvel Comics Version

Karen has always been a staple in Daredevil’s world, from comics to screen. Although the character went down a dark path and ultimately met a tragic fate in the comics, thankfully, Woll’s version of Karen is given much more agency. Along with proving herself Foggy and Nelson’s equal in legal affairs, she also became a great journalist and a hero who isn’t afraid to speak up for the voiceless. Karen may not be one of the most powerful Marvel characters, but she’s definitely one of the healthiest from a mental standpoint.

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Whenever Matt enters his typical self-destructive phase, Karen knows how to balance being a good friend and walking away from that toxicity when it becomes too much for her mental health. She stops Matt from going up against an army of Fisk’s officers in the Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 finale and inspires him to build his own army against Fisk. At the end of the day, Karen is Matt’s voice of reason, and it’ll be exciting to see Karen play a more definitive role in Season 2 thanks to Woll’s increased contributions.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premieres March 24 on Disney+.


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Release Date

March 4, 2025

Network

Disney+

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Showrunner

Dario Scardapane

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Directors

Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Writers
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Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree

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Sam Raimi’s Near-Perfect 3-Part Horror Series Just Got Even Easier To Watch

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Ash stands next to his allies looking up at a threat in Ash vs Evil Dead.

Following his last feature-length horror effort as a director, 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, Sam Raimi took 17 years to return to the big screen with another from the devil’s favorite genre. Since its debut at the end of January, the pulsating Send Help has continued to impress, becoming the biggest horror release at the box office this year so far. Currently, the movie boasts a global box office haul of $83.9 million against a reported budget of $40 million, with Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien‘s violent and often hilarious survival thriller impressing theatergoers.

If Send Help is your first introduction to the horror icon Raimi, consider the arrival of one of his best modern projects on a new streamer as a sign to continue your education. Debuting on Halloween night 2015, the brilliant Ash vs Evil Dead picks up decades after the events of the iconic films, with Bruce Campbell returning as the iconic Ash Williams. “Constantly peering over his shoulder, Ash somehow knew that the Evil Dead would return for him,” a synopsis for the series reads. “That day arrives when Ash commits an act of carelessness, unleashing a Deadite plague that threatens to destroy mankind.”

Co-starring Lucy Lawless as Ruby, Ray Santiago as Ash’s sidekick, Pablo Simon Bolivar, and Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell, the series ran for three successful seasons and thirty episodes, culminating in a kick-ass finale on April 29, 2018. Eight years later, you can watch Ash vs Evil Dead on Plex starting this March. Over-the-top and brilliantly gory, you won’t want to miss the gem of a horror series some consider one of the best of the last decade.

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Critics Adored ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’

Ash stands next to his allies looking up at a threat in Ash vs Evil Dead.
Ash stands next to his allies looking up at a threat in Ash vs Evil Dead.
Image via Starz

It wasn’t just audiences who took to this horror revival when it debuted in 2015; critics also gushed over Raimi’s return to the franchise that put his name on the map. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Ash vs the Evil Dead boasts a near-perfect score of 99%, as an average across all three seasons. The consensus on the site for Season 1 reads, “True to the movies that spawned it, Ash vs Evil Dead is a gory, hilarious, and audacious resurrection of Sam Raimi’s beloved horror franchise.”

Ash vs Evil Dead is streaming on Plex this March. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.

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Cher's son Elijah Blue Allman arrested on charges of assault and trespassing at New Hampshire prep school

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Allman was also charged with criminal threatening and disorderly conduct after allegedly causing a disturbance in the school’s dining hall.

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Susan Sarandon says she's been blacklisted from Hollywood for recent Gaza remarks

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“It became impossible for me to even be on television,” the actress, who was dropped from her agency, said at a press conference in Barcelona.

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Why Sophia Grace Brownlee Doesn’t ‘Regret’ Becoming a Young Mom at 19

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Former Ellen DeGeneres Show child star Sophia Grace Brownlee has no regrets about becoming a young mother.

“I was quite young when I had River. I was 19, which I do feel like is quite young,” Brownlee, 22, said on the Wednesday, February 25, episode of the “Private Story” podcast, referring to her son. “I don’t regret, like, doing anything because I’m quite happy with where I am now.”

Brownlee announced in October 2022 that she was expecting her first baby before giving birth to River in March 2023. The social media star revealed the next year that she was pregnant again. Brownlee gave birth to daughter Athena in January 2025. (Brownlee has not publicly revealed the father of her children.)

“When I had Athena, I was 21, which is a bit more older,” she explained on Wednesday’s episode. “It’s obviously young to have kids, but I don’t really think there’s a right age to have kids as long as you’re ready and you’re mature enough, that’s all that matters.”

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Ellen Stars Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland Recreate Super Bass


Related: ‘Ellen’ Stars Sophia Grace and Rosie Recreate Iconic ‘Super Bass’ Moment

Courtesy of Rosie McClelland/Instagram The Ellen Degeneres Show stars Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland recreated their iconic “Super Bass” duet. “Throw back 💕 @therealsophiagrace,” McClelland, 18, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, October 20, alongside a video of her and Brownlee, 21, lip-syncing to their viral version of the Nicki Minaj song. The clip featured […]

Brownlee further acknowledged that, because of her experience on Ellen DeGeneres Show, she was “financially stable” enough to provide for a family without struggling.

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“If I wasn’t, like, I would have been struggling a lot,” she said. “So, yeah, I’m blessed to have been in that situation.”

While Brownlee has found a sweet rhythm as a mom of two, she didn’t have the easiest pregnancy and childbirth journey.

“It actually went quite bad with River. It wasn’t a nice experience,” she recalled. “I went into labor naturally, and I was just a week early, which is common. That’s not a problem, and everything was fine. It just, kind of, got bad when you’re actually trying to push the baby out. He was getting really stressed out, and he just wouldn’t come down properly like how [babies] are supposed to.”

Brownlee continued, “Loads of different doctors and surgeons [came into my room], which is so scary. I was, like, ‘What’s happening?’ They were, like, ‘We think we’re going to have to do a C-section because the baby’s getting distressed.’ I was just so scared that they were going to put me to sleep ‘cause that is one of my biggest fears because I think I’m not going to wake up.”

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Related: Sophia Grace Reveals Name She Gave Newborn Daughter

Courtesy of Rosie McClelland/Instagram Two weeks after announcing the birth of her second child, Sophia Grace Brownlee is sharing an update. On January 5, Brownlee announced that her second child, a baby girl, was born on December 29. Now, Brownlee is announcing her infant daughter’s name. On January 19, the social media star, who became […]

According to Brownlee, her emergency caesarean was “one of the scariest times” in her life.

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“I’ve never even been in hospital properly for anything in my life, so I’m laying there in a room full of so many people,” the YouTube star explained. “I’ve got this curtain up in front of me because they don’t want you to see it, and I was numb anyway. I’d had an epidural, which numbs you from the waist down, because I couldn’t handle the pain.”

River was eventually delivered safely, which was a completely different experience from Brownlee’s birth with Athena.

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“Because I had a C-section, they were like, ‘We’re going to book you in for another one,’” she said of delivering her second child. “That’s what they like to do, but the midwives were, like, ‘No, we think you can have her naturally, so at least try.’ I did, and it went so quickly. … I was so proud of myself, and I was glad I got to experience a natural birth, which I would choose every time over a C-section.”

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Remy Ma Shares No-Makeup Post That Has Fans Double-Tapping

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Rihanna Seemingly Addresses Baby Rumors, Talks "Little Pouch"

Y’all! Remy Ma just reminded the timeline that whether it’s glam squad-ready or fresh out the house, she’s still THAT girl. The Bronx rapper had fans double-tapping heavy after dropping a carousel that subtly showed two very different vibes — and both ate.

RELATED: Who’s That Sis? Fans Demand Answers After Mystery Man Voice Pops Up In Remy Ma’s Video (WATCH)

No Makeup, No Problem — Remy Slays

On Friday, Remy Ma blessed the gram with a photo dump that took fans from natural beauty to full red-carpet slay in one smooth swipe. In the first few flicks, she rocked a fresh face with a sleek, side-parted dark bob, hoop earrings, and a cozy brown hoodie — giving effortless, everyday glow. But as you scroll through the carousel, Remy transitions into a fierce, face-beat-by-the-gawds look we’re used to seeing on the carpet. And while the glam was flawless, we can’t even lie — bare-faced Remy? Absolutely stunning.

The post quickly grabbed attention, with fans praising her versatility and confidence. From soft and natural to bold and camera-ready, Remy proved she doesn’t need filters or heavy edits to make a statement. One thing about it — she’s going to give beauty, with or without the glam.

Remy Leaves Fans In Awe

Fans quickly flooded Remy Ma’s Instagram comment section, and the energy was off the charts. You know how it goes — they couldn’t help but shower her with praise, calling her timeless and even trying to get her skincare routine. A few others were in disbelief, wondering how she’s aging backwards, and of course, the emojis came through — because we all know she ate that post.

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@fatjoe said, 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥”

This Instagram user @ohhhh_jahjah shared, “My sister look tf good 🤎🥰”

And, Instagram user @sicasowavey added, “Serving in every aspect 🔥🔥😍 Gemini Gang ♊️❤️Naturally Beautiful 🤩 🔥🔥🙌❤️”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @everlasteneblossom commented, “😍😍😍😍 🥰 Bob ate 🔥”

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While Instagram user @priscillashawntee wrote, “Over here aging backwards 😍”

Lastly, Instagram user @rogueb_iz_nish added, “There’s just SOMETHING about REMY! 🤎

Is She Hiding A Mystery Man?

Is Remy Ma trying to look cute for somebody special? Valentine’s Day may have passed weeks ago, but the ‘Conceited’ rapper was already setting the vibe. A few weeks ago, she hopped on a livestream dressed in red, clearly feeling those love-day vibes. While fans couldn’t get enough of her beauty, others switched into detective mode, trying to figure out who the deep-voiced man in her videos was. Remy kept glancing off to the side, and fans were working overtime to crack the case. Now, everyone’s buzzing, and fans are hoping she’ll spill the tea on who that mystery man was.

RELATED: Snatched & Serving! Remy Ma Shuts Down Timelines After Flaunting Curves In Fiery Bikini & Icy Temps (PHOTOS + VIDEO)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Ivanka Trump Heads to Synagogue In All Black Amid U.S. & Israel’s Attack on Iran

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Ivanka Trump
Heads to Synagogue Amid Iran Conflict

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Leonardo DiCaprio’s 5 Greatest Drama Movies, Ranked

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Leonardo DiCaprio laying on Kate Winslet's lap on the couch in Revolutionary Road

Leonardo DiCaprio‘s best movies are a mix of his comedic and dramatic skills, and a bit of action on the side. He’s versatile and transformative, capable of embodying his roles and researching them methodically, with a lot of dedication; that’s why he’s considered one of the greatest actors of today. Although he has a long and interesting filmography sitting in a wide variety of genres, his most famous movies tend to be dramas.

Whether he portrays a poor kid falling for a wealthy girl or a man returning from war, DiCaprio has some incredibly memorable dramatic roles and movies. If you’re less into his action and thrills and more into the dramatic, heavier stuff, here are Leonardo DiCaprio’s five greatest drama movies.

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5

‘Revolutionary Road’ (2008)

Leonardo DiCaprio laying on Kate Winslet's lap on the couch in Revolutionary Road
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road
Image Via Paramount Pictures

Revolutionary Road marks DiCaprio’s second collaboration and reunion with Kate Winslet, with whom he starred in Titanic for the first time. Revolutionary Road feels like “what would have happened if Jack and Rose stayed together,” though it’s a much less romantic and a lot more realistic and sad story about the evolution of a marriage. Initially, the two were reluctant to play a couple again after Titanic, for the exact fear of being equated to Jack and Rose, but in Revolutionary Road, they show incredible maturity and progress from their first collab. Sam Mendes directed this film, which was based on Richard Yates‘ 1961 novel of the same name; the movie was meant to be made that same year, which must be one of the longest noted “limbo periods” for a movie, maybe ever.

Revolutionary Road follows a couple throughout the 1940s and 1950s as their marriage falls apart due to heavy personal problems and dissatisfaction. In 1948, longshoreman Frank Wheeler meets aspiring actress April, and the two soon fall in love and marry. They move to a suburban area, meeting their neighbors, Shep (David Harbour) and Milly (Kathryn Hahn), and befriending their realtor, Helen (Kathy Bates); on the surface, they seem happy and harmonic, but Frank is tired of his mundane job, while April isn’t successful at getting acting gigs. Their personal dissatisfaction seeps into their relationship, turning it into a strained push and pull of emotions. Revolutionary Road is a difficult film but an interesting, visually gorgeous, and play-like drama worth watching. It’s also kind of underrated, considering its biggest selling point at one moment was DiCaprio and Winslet’s reunion. While their chemistry from the first collab remains, Revolutionary Road sees DiCaprio as the slightly better performer of the two, with intense dedication and vulnerability on display.

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4

‘The Basketball Diaries’ (1995)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jim Carroll smoking and looking to the distance in The Basketball Diaries.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jim Carroll smoking and looking to the distance in The Basketball Diaries.
Image via New Line Cinema

The Basketball Diaries is an early film that wasn’t the most critically acclaimed but is, upon reassessment, a vital film for both the 1990s and DiCaprio’s emerging career at the time. It’s a biographical crime drama based on the autobiographical novel by Jim Carroll, who, in the book, reflects on his promising basketball career and its inevitable demise after developing a drug addiction as a teenager. The Basketball Diaries is Scott Kalvert‘s feature directorial debut, and it’s a grim and heavy story that attempts to deliver a cautionary tale while staying packed into quintessentially grunge/90s packaging, evoking the lives of so many artists who succumbed to drug addiction at the time. Even the soundtrack is packed with grunge legends, like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and The Cult, with Carroll himself contributing his musical artistry to it. Whatever you feel about The Basketball Diaries, it’s a star-making film for DiCaprio, who is magnetic in it.

The Basketball Diaries follows Jim Carroll as a high schooler in NYC, taking part on the school’s basketball team and hanging out with his best friends, Pedro, Mickey, and Neutron (James Madio, Mark Wahlberg, and Patrick McGaw, respectively). Jim and his friends begin taking recreational drugs at school, and while no one notices at first, they soon begin showing bigger signs of addiction until they begin living on the street, begging for money and doing anything to get their next fix. Jim, privately, is artistic and enjoys writing and poetry, which soon helps him get better and get clean (spoiler, but Carroll was an adult at the time of making the film, so you could’ve guessed twice). The Basketball Diaries is a pretty realistic portrait of youth when it’s affected by addiction, and while it may not be pleasant to watch, it’s an incredible and essential film among DiCaprio’s dramas.

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3

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, sitting in a dining room, in Killers of the Flower Moon
Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, sitting in a dining room, in Killers of the Flower Moon
Image via Apple TV

The sixth collaboration between DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese happened in 2023, in Scorsese’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. The seventh is coming up with What Happens at Night, which is currently filming, and there’s a short film from 2015 that stars DiCaprio and Robert De Niro as the two actors argue over who gets to make another film with Scorsese. Both starred in Killers of the Flower Moon, and while De Niro is the meanie, DiCaprio isn’t exactly the most positive character in the film, either. Both, as brilliant and impressive as they are, give way to Lily Gladstone to shine as the lead; sometimes, a great actor also knows when to pull away to give others a chance, which just makes them all the more iconic. Killers of the Flower Moon is based on real-life events that took place in Oklahoma during the late 1910s and early 1920s, when members of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma struck oil, became rich through mineral rights, and were killed off in brutal ways.

Killers of the Flower Moon opens with the story of the people of the Osage Nation discovering oil on their land, which made them wealthy at the time. However, the law needed their land to be “run” by white residents, as they were deemed incompetent; enter William Hale King (De Niro), who posed as a benefactor to the Osage Nation. After his nephew Ernest (DiCaprio) returns from WWI to live with him on his estate, William introduces him to Mollie Kyle (Gladstone), whose family has rights to the wealthy land. At first, Ernest is considered to be a mere “gold digger” but falls in love with Mollie, showing their relationship while depicting the growing danger and stress of the Osage murders. While some have considered Killers of the Flower Moon to be exploitative of the tragic narrative of the Osage murders, others found it revelatory, praising Scorsese’s efforts to include members of the Osage Nation today as advisors on the film’s narrative and details.

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‘Titanic’ (1997)

Of course, the most famous DiCaprio movie has to be Titanic, in which he stars alongside Kate Winslet. For both of them, this was a breakthrough on a global scale, starring in a beautiful but tragic romance that is still widely considered one of the most romantic movies of all time. Titanic also jumpstarted DiCaprio and Winslet’s longtime friendship, after which they collaborated on the same project once more in 2008, Revolutionary Road. James Cameron‘s drama is about the real-life ocean liner, which departed from Southampton, England on April 10, 1912, and sank not even a full five days later after clashing with an iceberg. While this timeline might break the illusion of Jack and Rose’s whirlwind romance, which is arguably one of the greatest romances ever, Titanic is still a celebration of love and life.

Titanic opens with a modern-day crew setting out to find a famous jewel they believe is still in the wreck; they don’t find the jewel, but they do find a sketch of a woman wearing it. After Rose Dawson Calvert reaches out to the crew, telling them she’s on the drawing, the story goes back to 1912, following the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic, with Rose (Winslet) boarding the ship in Southampton with her mother and American fiancé, Cal (Billy Zane). Rose is only 17, and she’s unhappy with her incoming marriage, even contemplating jumping off the ship’s stern. On one such occasion, she is stopped by Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), a poor artist; they begin to bond, becoming friends and quickly falling in love. DiCaprio and Winslet have a beautiful chemistry, and it’s hard to tell who is better out of the two; it’s like they bring the best out of each other, giving dedicated, intense, and beautiful performances.

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‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ (1993)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?'
Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie in ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’
Image via Paramount Pictures
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The film that earned DiCaprio national acclaim and the title of “one to watch out for” is What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He stars as the titular Gilbert’s younger brother, Arnie, who has a mental disability; he was so convincing in the role that, at 19, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The role of Arnie was meant to go to Corey Feldman and then Christian Bale, but while the former had issues with Johnny Depp, the latter simply couldn’t measure up to DiCaprio’s audition. He prepared for Arnie by spending time with mentally disabled kids and teens, watching them and hanging out with them to understand their lives. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is a well-known star-maker of a film; it most notably allowed DiCaprio to find his footing in Hollywood.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape follows the eponymous Gilbert Grape (Depp), who lives with his mother Bonnie and three out of four siblings, spending the most time with the mentally disabled Arnie. Gilbert works at a local grocery store, caring for his family full-time since his mother, grief-stricken, became obese and homebound. Caring for Arnie, his sisters, and his mother leaves Gilbert with little time for a private life; one day, he meets Becky (Juliette Lewis), and she befriends him and Arnie, helping Gilbert find himself. It’s quite a dramatic coming-of-age film, and it’s hard to watch Gilbert’s life sometimes. Although some critics have found the film predictable, it’s been lauded over and over for its immense charm and warmth, including DiCaprio’s stunning performance, which is often used to describe his talents from an early age.

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