Entertainment
10 Most Cerebral Romance Movies, Ranked
Although some romance films are often dismissed as fluffy and formulaic, others prove that these stereotypes could actually not be farther from the truth. Plenty of stories are clever and delightfully surprising, proving that the heart doesn’t always follow a straight line; the stimulating side of romance — the films that make audiences think as much as they make them swoon — sits at the very top of the list.
From the heartbreaking science fiction fan-favorite Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to devastating psychological dramas like Amour, these best cerebral romance movies throw love into the mix with philosophy, moral dilemmas, or social critique. The result is far more captivating than the first glance might suggest, proving that romance can be just as intellectually stirring as it is emotionally shattering.
10
‘Never Let Me Go’ (2010)
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro‘s 2005 novel of the same name and adapted from a screenplay by beloved sci-fi filmmaker Alex Garland, Mark Romanek‘s Never Let Me Go is set in an alternative history and centers on three youngsters: Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy (Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield) who become entangled in a love triangle.
Never Let Me Go is the sort of slow-burning, science fiction romance that doesn’t just tug at viewers’ hearts but challenges them by diving into compelling themes like mortality and ethical complacency. This isn’t a film you step into expecting high-stakes action or spectacle; rather, it trusts viewers to sit still and consider difficult questions. At its core, Never Let Me Go functions as a meditation on the human condition. And in today’s world, it feels as timely and haunting as ever.
9
‘The Fountain’ (2006)
Those who enjoy a hint of fantasy with their romance will likely enjoy Darren Aronofsky‘s The Fountain, which completely abandons a straightforward narrative in favor of a three-part story (16th-century, present, and future). At the center of this fantasy epic are Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, who play sets of characters bonded by love across time and space, from a conquistador and his ill-fated queen to a modern-day scientist and his terminally ill wife.
The Fountain is packed with metaphors — from the Tree of Life and the Mayan underworld to the recurring ring motif — and it weaves together three distinct timelines, none of which bother with simple linear storytelling. If this isn’t cerebral, it’s hard to say what is. And yet, despite its structural complexity and symbolic density, The Fountain remains deeply affecting. What ultimately stands out about Aronofsky’s movie, beyond its striking visuals and symbolism, is how it challenges audiences to confront existential questions about love, loss, and mortality.
8
‘The Lobster’ (2015)
Yorgos Lanthimos‘ absurdist black-comedy, one of his earliest works before the success of Poor Things, stars Colin Farrell as a newly single bachelor who moves into a hotel with other singles, all under strict instructions: find a romantic partner within 45 days. Fail, and you turn into an animal of your choice.
With its delightfully absurd premise, top-notch deadpan performances — Rachel Weisz plays the love interest, and Olivia Colman also stars as the composed hotel manager — and arbitrary rules in a strict and cold world, The Lobster satirizes societal pressures around romantic relationships and the contemporary dating scene. The film works essentially because it is clever, engaging, and genuinely unlike almost anything else. For anyone drawn to surrealist romantic comedies that transform everyday societal expectations into something terrifying (admittedly a niche crowd), it’s well worth a watch.
7
‘Rebecca’ (1940)
Are you a fan of gothic romance with a touch of psychological intrigue? Alfred Hitchcock‘s iconic Rebecca — his only Best Picture winner — should already be on your list. The filmmaker’s first American project, based on the novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, stars Laurence Olivier as the brooding widower Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine as the young woman who becomes his second wife. While Maxim’s first wife is never seen, her reputation and recollections of her are constant presences in the characters’ lives, haunting every corner of Manderley.
What’s so fascinating about Rebecca‘s suspense is how it is entirely driven by the new Mrs. de Winter’s mental state. The tension is internal as much as it is atmospheric, shaped by her insecurity and isolation. Meanwhile, Rebecca herself — never once seen — runs the show. The result is a haunting narrative that feels cerebral, exploring themes of masochism, obsession with the past, and the skewed power dynamics of an unhealthy marriage. Not your cozy Gothic romance, but certainly unnerving in the most elegant, moody way possible.
6
‘Amour’ (2012)
Through an unflinching portrayal of dementia and old age, Amour more or less insists that you sit up straight and pay attention. This austere, heart-wrenching story follows Georges and Anne — Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva in two incredible performances — a couple of retired music teachers enjoying life in their eighties until Anne suddenly has a stroke at breakfast and their lives are changed forever.
Amour essentially distills what it means to grow old and the inevitable loss of control that accompanies it. Under the minimalist direction of renowned filmmaker Michael Haneke, the bluntly honest drama is not interested in traditional melodrama. Instead, it quietly but surely delivers a thought-provoking, relentless look at a fate we all understand, even if we’d prefer to keep it comfortably out of frame.
5
‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)
From the mind of Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, the visually sumptous The Handmaiden whisks audiences away to Japanese-occupied Korea, where a con man plans to seduce a Japanese heiress named Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee), then marry her and commit her to an asylum to steal her inheritance. To pull it off, he recruits a pickpocket named Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) to become Hideko’s maid. Simple plan, right? Naturally, it unravels the moment the two start falling for each other.
The Handmaiden‘s three-part narrative is a gift that keeps on giving, pulling the rug out from under you at every turn. With its constant shifts in perspective, it demands that audiences actively piece together the truth behind a deceptively simple con. At its heart, the movie operates as both a romance and a psychological thriller, rich with symbolism and unsettling imagery. Beneath all the twists and polished surfaces, though, it’s also a sharp exploration of female agency, desire, and the art of manipulation.
4
‘Her’ (2013)
Long before AI became everyone’s favorite dinner-party topic, Spike Jonze‘s was already there with Her, a tender meditation on artificial intelligence and love in the digital age. Starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, the film imagines a beautifully-colored near future in which a lonely, heartbroken, recently separated writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Her is thought-provoking in how it explores the philosophical and emotional complexities of love and loneliness, and the way it treats that same premise with sincerity. It asks whether a relationship with an operating system can truly be considered “real,” challenging viewers to reconsider what connection really means while simultaneously offering an introspective character-driven drama. Add to that fantastic performances (Scarlett Johansson‘s voice work is great, too!) and an immersive, pastel-colored worldbuilding, and you’ve got yourself a thought-provoking romance that sneaks up on you.
3
‘2046’ (2004)
After the huge success of In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai returned with something of a loose sequel: 2046. Its premise follows protagonist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) as he wrestles with lost love after the events of the first film. Chow inhabits a world of fleeting romantic affairs, which he transforms into a sci-fi novel about a train bound for the titular year.
In a way, 2046 is the kind of film that refuses to make sense — it’s deliberately slippery, with an almost dreamlike exploration of memory and loss at its center. It jumps from the 1960s to a futuristic train that may or may not exist, leaving audiences to piece together meaning from symbols and emotion rather than pure plot logic. While it doesn’t quite capture the elegance of its predecessor, Kar-wai’s film remains a stylish, slow, and endlessly interesting romance that captivates with both narrative and aesthetics.
2
‘Vertigo’ (1958)
Image via Paramount Pictures
While Rebecca haunts with its gothic shadows, Vertigo persuades audiences to spiral into obsession. Starring Kim Novak and James Stewart, the Hitchcock classic, adapted from the French novel by Boileau-Narcejac, follows a police detective crippled by a fear of heights. When he’s hired to follow the strange habits of a friend’s wife, he finds himself increasingly obsessed with her.
Vertigo did not exactly set critics on fire when it came out. Today, of course, it’s often hailed as Hitchcock’s magnum opus and one of the greatest films of all time, particularly in the realm of the romance genre. Fundamentally, Vertigo, as the name suggests, is the kind of film that will make you feel dizzy without leaving your seat, full of dreamlike visuals and sly commentary on voyeurism, male desire, and the curious way men think women exist primarily for their contemplation.
1
‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)
When it comes to psychological romance films that are highly cerebral, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is perhaps the most obvious choice. The fan-favorite romantic sci-fi follows the couple Joel Barish (Jim Carrey in an incredible dramatic effort) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), who undergo a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories for eternity.
Michel Gondry‘s movie is a philosophical lecture and romance at once; it fascinates with its big interrogation of memory, identity, and heartbreak. Anchored by a captivating reverse chronological structure and surrealist flair that keeps viewers off balance, this mind-bending romance asks big questions about memory, identity, and heartbreak: if we erase the people who hurt us, do we also erase a piece of ourselves — the joys, the lessons, and even the piece shaped by their wrongdoings?
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NBA Youngboy
Welcomes Baby No. 13!!!
Published
NBA Youngboy and his wife Jazlyn Mychelle have just welcomed their third child … the “Bandit” rapper’s 13th!
NBA took to Instagram to make the happy announcement Sunday, posting a video on his story.
He could be heard in the background saying, “My gangsta had her baby!”
He then asked her, “How do you feel?”
“Relieved,” Jazlyn said.
The new addition — a baby girl — joins the son and daughter NBA and Jazlyn already have, as well as NBA’s 10 other children from previous relationships.
Congrats!
By Robert Scucci
| Updated
There’s a time and a place for one-note humor, and more often than not it’s used wrong. South Park’s most recent seasons proved you can only stretch “the President has a small wee-wee” jokes so far before they fall apart. There are only so many punchlines that can land before the humor goes stale.
Speaking of wee-wees, I expected that same kind of thin delivery when I fired up the 2018 Netflix Original, The Package, which does the unthinkable by taking a one-note joke about somebody getting their wiener chopped off and trying to get it reattached, stretching it across 94 minutes, and somehow keeping things fresh the entire time.
I went in fully prepared to hate-watch it. I wanted to channel my inner old man and say, “They don’t make raunchy teen comedies like they used to,” right before complaining about how restaurant menus are all QR codes now. The Package is a perfect example of a one-note joke done right because it constantly escalates, pushing itself from one extreme situation to the next.
Knowing full well, as a 37-year-old father, that my days of regularly enjoying movies like The Package are well behind me, I’m glad the next generation of young adults still gets raunchy comedies like this one. Had it come out around the same time as Road Trip (2000) or Without a Paddle (2004), everybody my age would treat The Package with the same level of reverence, because it’s just that funny.
The Worst Kind Of Whoopsie
Here’s the plot to The Package. Sean (Daniel Doheny) is planning a bros only weekend in the woods with his best friends, Jeremy (Eduardo Franco) and Donnie (Luke Spencer Roberts). At the last minute, Jeremy announces that his twin sister Becky (Geraldine Viswanathan), who has a crush on Sean, and Sarah (Sadie Calvano), who Donnie used to date, will be tagging along for the camping trip.
The kids head deep into the woods and start drinking and doing spring break stuff, which is par for the course in your typical teen comedy, and then everything goes to hell. Jeremy, who’s been practicing party tricks with his razor-sharp switchblade, accidentally lops off his penis while peeing over a cliff because he’s having just a little too much drunken fun slicing through his own stream. That’s the joke.
Rightfully panicked, a now penisless Jeremy goes into shock and is airlifted to the hospital, his member packed in a cooler after Sarah and Donnie find it in the bushes. For a brief moment, all is right in the world. Until the hospital staff learns that the cooler handed to the first responders was actually the one full of food and drinks, meaning Jeremy’s unit is still with Sean, Donnie, Becky, and Sarah, who are miles from their car and without cell phones because Sean accidentally dropped them off the cliff while searching for service.
The Package Goes Hard
The reason this one-note setup works so well in The Package is because of how fully it commits to the bit. And in this context, “bit” means “Argyle from Stranger Things’ severed dong.” I can’t remember the last time I crossed my legs and winced while watching a comedy, but they truly go all out here.
Bit by a rattlesnake? Someone has to suck out the venom. Covered in dirt and wilderness debris after a chaotic trek? Don’t worry, the gas station clerk will rinse it off in the soda fountain and buff it clean because, strangely enough, he was a military combat medic previously, and this isn’t his first rodeo. Finally make it to the hospital with the package, only to find out it was sewn onto Redneck Reginald (Blake Anderson), whose girlfriend Sheryl (Sugar Lyn Beard) landed him in the hospital at the same time by cutting off his pee pee and “flushing it like a poo poo”? Don’t worry, the gang will figure it out.
The Package will make you want to gag. It will make you cringe and wince. You’ll throw your hands up and yell, “Oh, come on!” to nobody in particular. But nearly every joke lands. It’s juvenile and vulgar in all the right ways, and I give The Package serious credit for taking a one-note joke and committing to it so hard that it keeps paying off.
The Package is a Netflix Original, and you can stream it if you’re a member.
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Rick and Morty is one of those shows that even if you’ve never seen a single episode, you’ve seen the memes: Pickle Rick, “20 minute adventure, quick in and out,” “What is my purpose?” It’s a show packed with jokes that range from the absurd to the multilayered, which makes sense since it shares a creator, Dan Harmon, with the equally acclaimed comedy Community.
Harmon explained in an interview with The Independent that Season 4’s “The Old Man and the Seat” was originally a plot for Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) about shy pooping. True to the spirit of the absurd sci-fi series, the original concept ended up attached to a take on Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, featuring one of the cartoon’s most heartfelt and emotional endings to date.
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Shy Pooper
The Season 4 Rick and Morty episode starts with the reappearance of the butter-passing robot at breakfast, when Rick (voiced by Justin Roiland back then) announces he has to go. Summer (Spencer Grammer) explains to everyone that her grandfather’s a shy pooper, and she’s right. Rick uses his portal gun and works his way to a toilet overlooking a cliff on a picturesque alien world with no other humanoids for hundreds of miles, if not even further. Once he’s done, Rick notices a broken branch, which sets off a manhunt for whoever intruded on his poop sanctuary.
Turns out that an alien named Tony (Jeffrey Wright) found the isolated toilet and started using it, since he’s also a shy pooper. Rick responds in his usual way, by building a giant robotic Rick mech to sit on Tony when he uses the toilet and then putting Tony in a vat of red goo that shows him his ideal version of Heaven (complete with his dead wife). Tony’s shocked, wondering why Rick can build a virtual Heaven but isn’t able to share a toilet?
The question hits Rick like a ton of bricks and succinctly sums up the smartest man in existence. Soon after, Tony dies in a skiing accident from “living his life to the fullest” and Rick goes to use the toilet, revealing he rigged a series of holograms and a speech about how Tony is sitting there, all alone, because no one wants to be around him. It’s not subtle; it’s clearly Rick coming to terms with his own sense of loneliness and how Tony, against all odds, seemed like he legitimately wanted to be his friend. Rick sitting on his toilet, all alone, taunted by his own prank, hits even harder after his loneliness and lack of connection became a major part of the last two seasons.
Rick And Morty Manages To Be Both Very Stupid And Very Smart
“The Old Man and the Seat” wrings the most emotion possible out of a storyline about pooping, but then there’s the other half of the episode. Jerry (Chris Parnell) agrees to develop an app for Rick’s assistant, Glootie (Taika Waititi, no, seriously), which turns out to be a dating app designed to distract the humans while aliens steal Earth’s resources. This is explained by the Monogtron Leader (Sam Neil, and yes, Rick and Morty has surprising stars drop by for cameos) and his Queen (Kathleen Turner, see the prior parentheses), until it all goes crashing down with the addition of a pay wall.
Normally, the thought of a simple pay wall turning a wildly successful app into an instant disaster would be the highlight of an episode, but “The Old Man and the Seat” is all about Rick coming face-to-face with his own loneliness. The B-plot doesn’t matter, even if it has some good moments, notably Summer’s soul mate constantly changing, though it does raise the question of how a shy pooping storyline would have been handled on Community. Dan Harmon could never quite get it to work, but by leaning into Rick’s self-induced loneliness, he managed to turn shy pooping into an episode that was true to the character and revealed new depths to his narcissistic nihilism. Rick and Morty isn’t Shakespeare, but it gets close.
Ilia Malinin is reflecting on his “redemption skate” at the 2026 Winter Olympics after his shocking 8th place finish.
When asked by a reporter how “important” it was to be at the Gala Skate, Malinin, 21, replied, “It just was really important especially for what happened.”
“I mean, it’s just something that we go through as athletes, as people. It’s just all this constant voices, these attention, the pressure, just everything forced upon you,” he said on Saturday, February 21. “It’s very hard to deal with and honestly it’s what makes us very special, very grateful for what we can do. Really it’s just the reason why I wanted to go back out there. Just give it a redemption skate, just prove them all wrong.”
While looking back at the Olympics, Malinin — nicknamed the “Quad God” — noted that his experience has changed him in “many ways.”
After a heartbreaking performance in the men’s free skate final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, figure skating phenom Ilia Malinin said he felt “overwhelmed” in the moment. “It was really just something that overwhelmed me, and I just felt like I had no control,” Malinin said on Friday, February 13, after his shocking eight place […]
“I think that now I’ve really understood my purpose in skating, and that is just to bring joy and happiness to the people that enjoy watching me,” he said. “So that’s what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my career.”
Earlier in the games, Malinin missed the podium after a series of mistakes during the men’s free skate on February 13. He ultimately earned eighth place despite being a gold medal favorite. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov ultimately took home gold, with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama earning silver and Shun Sato, also from Japan, receiving bronze.
Malinin took the ice for one last time at the 2026 Olympics on Saturday for the exhibition gala, where there was no judging and no medals — instead, just an opportunity to entertain.
He sported a dark sweatshirt and distressed jeans, performing to “Fear” by NF.” Malinin previously shared that his routine would represent the negative impact social media has on the younger generation’s mental health. Malinin completed his signature backflip, which was illegal from 1977 to 2024, and became visibly emotional.
Days after he stumbled during his 2026 Olympics free skate, Ilia Malinin is taking some time to reflect. “On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” the figure skater, 21, captioned a montage of highlights via Instagram on Monday, February 16. “Even your happiest […]
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” Malinin wrote after he failed to podium. “Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise. Vile online hatred attacks the and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure.”
He continued, “It all builds up as these moments flash before our eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story. Coming February 21, 2026.”
While looking back at his performance during the men’s free skate, Malinin shared that he was “not expecting” it to go the way that it did. He also admitted to feeling “overwhelmed” at the moment.
“It was really just something that overwhelmed me, and I just felt like I had no control,” he said on February 13. “Honestly, I still haven’t been able to process what just happened. It’s a lot of mixed motions. Going into this competition, I felt really good. This whole day, I felt very solid, and I just thought that all I needed to do is go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition. But of course, it’s not like any other competition, it’s the Olympics.”
Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams kicked off their romance with an epic summer of love — and they’re still going strong.
In between their busy 2024 schedules — he worked on the blockbuster film Gladiator II while Abrams opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras tour — the pair found time to make a special connection.
Mescal and Abrams sparked romance rumors in June 2024 when they were spotted enjoying a meal in London. It wasn’t until the following July that Abrams seemingly confirmed their relationship, posting an Instagram photo with Mescal from Glastonbury Festival in England.
In January 2026, Abrams professed her “love” for Mescal while praising his role in Hamnet, which came out in late 2025. The following month, Abrams shared a series of PDA-filled photos with fans in honor of Mescal’s 30th birthday.
Scroll down to see how Abrams and Mescal’s private bond unfolded into a special love story:
June 2024
Let the romance rumors begin! TMZ obtained photos of both Mescal and Abrams enjoying a meal together at BRAT Restaurant in London. In one picture, the actor reached over during the meal and stroked Abram’s cheek.
August 2024
In a profile for The Sunday Times, Abrams addressed the interest in her personal life. “It’s all spooky,” she said. “You hope for just privacy in your life as anyone else would. That’s just the truth.”
August 2024
Two months after first being spotted, Mescal and Abrams were photographed together again in London. This time, however, they were captured holding hands. According to the Daily Mail, the duo enjoyed a shopping trip before attending the All Points East Music Festival. While enjoying Mitski’s set, the pair were joined by Mescal’s Normal People costar Daisy Edgar-Jones and her boyfriend, Ben Seed.
Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams. Courtesy of Gracie Abrams/Instagram
October 2024
When kicking off The Secret of Us tour, Abrams received some support from Mescal in the audience on October 5. According to People, the actor showed up at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to witness his rumored girlfriend’s set. And yes, he was spotted dancing and singing along to her performance.
Less than one week later, Mescal expressed his hopes that he can keep his personal life a bit more private. In an interview with GQ, the actor said that he’s “learned that there’s certain lines in the sand now for me that just are going to be impenetrable for the benefit of my own sanity.”
“The speculation has been kind of mad for the last x amount of years,” Mescal added about his relationship status. “I’m not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life. How I am in my private life is so precious to me because I get very little of it, and it might be public interest, but it’s not public-obligated information.”
Swifties spotted Mescal attending Swift’s Eras tour on October 20 to watch Abrams’ opening set at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. He seemingly watched the show from one of the private VIP sections on the floor of the stadium. Because there were no tent covers on the VIP suites in Miami, fans have a better view of who was in attendance.
November 2024
Abrams supported Mescal at the Los Angeles premiere of his movie Gladiator II, according to social media footage. They were also seen hugging at the official afterparty.
December 2024
They made their respective Saturday Night Live debuts one week apart. Mescal hosted the December 7 episode, while Abrams served as the musical guest one week later. After Abrams’ December 14 performance, they were spotted holding hands in New York City.
Days later, Abrams made a rare comment about her private life. “Abrams keeps it brief when I ask how she’s found navigating personal relationships under this new public microscope,” Nylon’s Lauren McCarthy wrote in an interview published on December 17. “‘That has nothing to do with me,’ she says, straight-faced. ‘It doesn’t affect me.’”
July 2025
After Abrams’ set at England’s Glastonbury Festival, she shared a recap of her highlights via Instagram.
“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” she captioned a carousel.
In one of the uploads, Abrams snapped a selfie with Mescal during a beach day.
Mescal’s sister, Nell, replied, commenting, “At any moment we can just say we’re so back.”
September 2025
The Normal People actor made a rare comment on his love life by explaining to Rolling Stone why the couple decided to go “Instagram official” over the summer.
“I actually do have an answer [as to the timing], but everything to do with that is deeply precious to me and I don’t want to. … This isn’t … I don’t really … umm … I want to protect those things fundamentally,” he told the outlet.
January 2026
“Also I love him surprise,” Abrams wrote via her Instagram Story alongside a photo of boyfriend Mescal wearing a “Will Power” T-shirt that had William Shakespeare’s face on it.
In the picture, Mescal smoked a cigarette and threw open his jean jacket so Abrams could properly see the witty pun on his shirt, which was a nod to his portrayal of the iconic playwright in 2025’s Hamnet.
Abrams also applauded Mescal and Hamnet his costars in a series of Instagram Story uploads on January 16, calling them all “singular.” She added, “Thank god for what they made. Go see it and you will be better off.”
February 2026
Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams. Courtesy of Gracie Abrams/Instagram
Abrams celebrated the birthdays of two very special people in her life via Instagram on February 2, including her longtime friend she calls “Clemmy” and boyfriend Mescal, who turned 30.
“P❤️Clemmy❤️ My whole heart!!!!!!!!!” the singer captioned a series of Instagram pictures of moments with both the birthday girl and birthday boy. “I love February 2 … Happy birthday❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️I love you both more than words could ever describe. Thank you for making everything better.”
Among the photos, Abrams gave fans a glimpse at her PDA-filled romance with Mescal. In one snap, the couple attended a Boston Red Sox game together, while another image showed them kissing in a photo booth.
Mescal was also spotted kissing his girlfriend at one of her gigs in a third photo, while Abrams shared a cute snap of the actor at a candlelight dinner in another.
February 2026
Mescal and Abrams made their official red carpet debut at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards in London, where they cuddled up in sweet snapshots.
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I hate talking on the phone. When my parents call, my first question is, “Why didn’t you text me first to see if I’m even taking calls today?” Not because I don’t like my parents. Quite the opposite. I just don’t like filling awkward silences with small talk, and I’ve never been good at idle chit-chat, even with people I care about. Tom Hardy’s Ivan Locke in 2013’s Locke, on the other hand, can dial and talk with such urgency and fluency that if he hosted a seminar about proper phone etiquette, I’d probably pay $50 to attend.
Considered by many to be one of Hardy’s best performances, Locke is a tense thriller set entirely in his car as he takes a 90-minute drive to the hospital to witness the birth of the child he conceived during an extramarital affair. There are no cutaways showing what the people on the other end are doing. It’s just Tom Hardy in a car, shifting gears, barreling down the highway, dialing, and either confessing his sins or giving critical instructions, depending on who’s on the line.
A Tense, 90-Minute Drive
When we’re introduced to Ivan Locke, he’s tense but fully in control of his faculties. Though Locke is billed as a psychological thriller, there’s no unreliable narrator here. You have every reason to take him at his word. Is he stressed? Absolutely, and for good reason. A production foreman about to oversee one of the largest concrete pours in European history, his life is falling apart in every measurable way, and he’s trying to reckon with past mistakes as all of his stress points converge on this single evening.
The primary source of stress Ivan Locke faces is the premature birth of the child he conceived with former colleague Bethan (Olivia Colman). An otherwise faithful man, Ivan had a moment of weakness during a three-month job, and that lapse resulted in Bethan’s pregnancy. Though he hasn’t seen her since, he’s haunted by the fact that his own father abandoned him. Even without romantic feelings for Bethan, he refuses to let his child be born fatherless.
Because Bethan’s water breaks on the eve of the biggest job of his life, Ivan has to pass the torch to his trainee Donal (Andrew Scott), which understandably irritates his boss, Gareth (Ben Daniels), who promptly fires him for jumping ship at the last minute. Between phone calls to Donal, who is known to drink heavily after 5 p.m. and needs to ensure critical elements are in place for the pour, Ivan calls home, confesses his infidelity to his wife Katrina (Ruth Wilson), and attempts pleasantries with his sons Eddie (Tom Holland) and Sean (Bill Milner), who he hasn’t yet told the full story.
As the phone in his BMW lights up with voicemails, missed calls, and calls waiting on the other line while he navigates toward the hospital, Ivan Locke also lectures his absent father as if he were sitting in the passenger seat. It’s his way of confronting his demons and reassuring himself that although his life as he knows it is effectively over, he’s doing the right thing.
Top-Tier Voice Acting
While it may sound boring to watch a man talk on the phone in his car for 90 minutes, Locke is anything but. Whether he’s delivering life-shattering news to his wife, reassuring the mother of his new child, getting chewed out by his boss, chewing out his trainee, or comforting his sons, he remains calm and controlled while having conversations that would give any reasonable person a heart attack.
Tom Hardy doesn’t do all the heavy lifting alone. Everybody he speaks to carries their emotional weight through dialogue without ever appearing on screen, which is no small feat.
While critics often call Locke Tom Hardy’s best performance, the only thing that complicates that assessment for me is Mad Max: Fury Road. Sorry. I know it’s a completely different kind of movie and comparing them is apples to oranges, but if we’re talking about the singular best thing he’s ever done, I’m siding with the greatest action movie of all time. Coming in as a very close second, Locke, which technically doubles as a road thriller, is absolutely worth your time if you want to see how to handle the hardest conversations of your life without completely losing your cool in the process.
Locke is streaming on Netflix.
Kylie Jenner is sharing a new tribute to her friend Jesus Guerrero on the one year anniversary of the hairstylist’s untimely death at 34.
“222. I miss you,” Jenner, 28, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, February 22, over a black-and-white picture of Guerrero styling Jenner’s hair while she snapped a mirror selfie.
Guerrero’s sister Gris Guerrero confirmed the late stylist’s death on February 22, 2025, after she set up a GoFundMe page to cover the celebrity hairstylist’s funeral expenses. (In addition to Jenner, Jesus worked with numerous Hollywood stars including Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez.)
“My name is Gris, Jesus’s younger sister,” Gris wrote in the fund’s description. “It is with a heavy heart that we let the world know that Jesus Guerrero has gone to heaven. He is a son, a brother, an uncle, an artist, a friend, and so much more.”
Jenner took to social media shortly after news broke to honor her stylist and late friend, calling him “a light in my life.”
“Jesus was more than my friend — he was a light in my life, a source of laughter, comfort, love and unwavering support. I don’t know how I would have made it through the last almost decade without him by my side,” Jenner wrote via Instagram at the time. “He had a way of making even the heaviest days feel lighter. Thank you, Jesus, for always being there for me, for lifting me up, for being my friend. The pain of losing you is just unbearable and I don’t know how to move forward without you but I know great grief is born only of great love. And I loved you so much. You were the best person, with a talent that was unmatched. A true artist. You inspired so many, and you always will.”
She continued, “Your words, your laughter, your kindness, your beautiful spirit will live in my heart forever. I’ll cherish all our moments together. Every laugh and hug. I wish I could hug you again. I laid in your bed the way you used to lay in mine, talking for hours. I would give anything for one more deep talk. I’m going to miss you so much, more than any words can say. 222 my angel.”
Days later, People reported that the Kardashians star was covering the cost of her late friend’s funeral. “As upset as she feels, she knows it’s so much worse for his family,” a source told the outlet. “She doesn’t want them to stress about money. She’s taking care of expenses, including those associated with his funeral.”
Jenner attended the stylist’s funeral on March 30, 2025. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Gris praised Jenner and Lopez, who also attended the funeral, for their support following her brother’s untimely death.
“[Kylie] has told us anything we need. Jesus was family to her, and she was family to him,” Gris told Us. “She has kept an open line. Anything we need, any questions we have, she has been there for us. She wants his memory to be honored and wants to do as much as she can so he gets the farewell he deserves.”
Michael B. Jordan & Delroy Lindo
Tourette’s Activist Shouts N-Word During BAFTAs Telecast
Published
BAFTA Awards
During Black History Month??? Tourette Syndrome activist John Davidson was heard shouting the N-word during Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo‘s presentation at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday.
Michael and Delroy’s professionalism kept the show going without too much of a hiccup. The two just calmly continued presenting the award for best visual effects to “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
But we’re guessing the mood in the room was pretty dour after the shocking outburst, because host Alan Cumming issued an apology.
He said, “Tourette Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”
Davidson, who was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 25, is the inspiration for the BAFTA-nominated movie “I Swear.”
He made a number of outbursts throughout the ceremony, including “shut the f**k up” at BAFTA chair Sara Putt, and “f**k you” when the directors of “Arco” won for best children’s and family film.
But the N-bomb is when Davidson reportedly put his own self in time out. According to Variety, Davidson left the ceremony of his own volition after using the slur.
Aww! Roommates, congrats are in order for NBA YoungBoy and Jazlyn Mychelle as they have confirmed the arrival of their third child together. NBA announced the news through a sweet video he shared of Jazlyn on social media.
RELATED: NBA YoungBoy Shares Family Selfies And Praises Wife Jazlyn Mychelle For Being His “Everything”
NBA YoungBoy & Jazlyn Mychelle Expand Their Family To Five
On Sunday, February 22, NBA YoungBoy hopped on Instagram and let fans know he and Jazlyn Mychelle have welcomed their third child together. The husband and wife are already parents to a son and a daughter, and now they’ve added another baby girl to their squad, making them a family of five. In the clip NBA posted on Instagram, he could be heard saying, “My gangsta had her baby,” before turning to Jazlyn and asking, “How do you feel?” to which she replies, “relieved!”
NBA and Jazlyn haven’t dropped any pics of their bundle of joy just yet, but fans are already on standby to see who their baby girl will resemble. The couple’s newest addition reportedly marks NBA’s 13th child as TMZ previously reported that he shares a total of 12 kids with various women.
The Internet Reacts To NBA & Jazlyn’s Newest Addition
After TSR dropped NBA’s clip of Jazlyn, fans flooded the comment section with reactions. Some fans said they loving NBA & Jazlyn’s family vibes, while others joked they need a family tree to keep up with all of the rapper’s kids.
Instagram user @shaquisha.monroe wrote, “New diamond ring, new baby… they’re just doing it all and I love it!”
Instagram user @zeethedoggydoula wrote, “Aww. Him sound so gentle w her.”
Then Instagram user @dafemmefatale23 wrote, “Idc what nobody say SHE IS TOP TIER AND I LOVE THIS FOR HER😍🔥”
Another Instagram user @aaliyahmelody2 wrote, “Congratulations blessings to you both please no more enjoy your young lives🙏👑”
While another Instagram user @love.jeynell wrote, “We need the chart , like how y’all do Nick Cannon.”
Then another instagram user @icarlyshy wrote, “I’m not finna give yb too many more congratulations 😩”
Finally, Instagram user @therealshundasia wrote, “Having your Man with you during The Birth of your Children is EVERYTHING 🫶🏽”
Jazlyn Mychelle & YoungBoy Previously Celebrated Baby No. 3 With Sweet Gender Reveal & Maternity Shoot
Jazlyn kept fans updated on her pregnancy through plenty of cute moments. In October 2025, she shared a peek at their gender reveal, showing her, NBA and their daughter celebrating with family. Video footage showed Jazlyn and NBA by a pool, anxiously waiting to find out their new baby’s gender. After a countdown, fireworks and pink smoke revealed they were having a baby girl. Then in January, Jazlyn gave fans a look at her maternity shoot, posing in a dramatic pink ruffled robe while NBA stood behind her, gently holding her hand.
RELATED: Awww! Jazlyn Mychelle Gives Peek Into Her Maternity Shoot On Third Anniversary With NBA YoungBoy (VIDEO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Chile! Dining out in Sydney took an unexpected turn when a well-known chef says his restaurant was targeted in a jaw-dropping scheme. Neil Nolan, who has led the kitchen at Pony Dining The Rocks for two decades, is speaking out after accusing a visiting family of staging an elaborate contamination complaint in an attempt to dodge a hefty bill.
RELATED: Say, WHAT?! Oklahoma Teacher Passes Away Years After Allegedly Consuming Drink Laced With Industrial Cleaner At Restaurant
$600 Steak Dinner Ends With Sudden Hair Complaint
According to reports from 7NEWS, the family—said to be visiting from Ireland—ordered some of the restaurant’s most premium offerings, including a nearly four-pound tomahawk steak, plus entrées and drinks, bringing their total to around $600. But after finishing their meal, staff say a complaint suddenly surfaced about hair found in one of their meals.
Restaurant Claims Man Planted Hair To Skip Bill
Footage reviewed by the restaurant allegedly shows a man reaching under his arm, pulling out a strand of hair, and placing it onto his plate after eating. Nolan described the situation as something he had “never seen…before,” calling it “another level of trying to scam.” He also pointed out that the hair in question was blonde—something that didn’t match anyone working in the kitchen at the time.
When confronted, Nolan claims the man became increasingly agitated, refusing to pay and raising his voice in the dining room. The scene reportedly escalated, with the man’s wife allegedly breaking down in tears as other diners looked on. To calm the disruption, management ultimately waived the entire bill.
Restaurant Warns Others After Alleged Scam Spreads
The situation didn’t end there. Pony later learned of similar allegations believed to involve the same family at another nearby venue. Nolan says he reported the matter to police but was told there was little immediate action that could be taken. Frustrated, he shared the CCTV footage on social media to warn other hospitality operators, noting that the booking’s contact details were allegedly false and that the family is believed to have since left the Sydney area.
RELATED: Prayers Up! Pennsylvania Olive Garden Cook Reportedly Dies After Dunking Head In Deep Fryer
What Do You Think Roomies?
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