Thrillers thrill, and so do movies that belong to other genres, admittedly, so you will find a few below that also fit within the horror genre, and at least that’s sort of an action movie, too. If something could be considered either wholly or partially as a thriller, though, and was also a movie that stood out for being quite disturbing in a particularly relentless way, then it qualifies for present purposes.
Basically, if you want a nice and relaxing time while watching something, say after a difficult or kind of stressful day, then these movies aren’t very easy to recommend. But if you know what you’re in for, and you want something that’ll get under your skin, then any of the titles below that you might not be familiar with are well worth tracking down.
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10
‘Lost Highway’ (1997)
Robert Blake as Mystery Man holding a camcorder in Lost HighwayImage via October Films
Lost Highway is one of many great and also greatly disturbing David Lynch films, with a bit more of an emphasis on being a psychological thriller than the arguably more confronting Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which is mostly a psychological horror film. Honorable mention to that one, of course, but Lost Highway is here because it moves at a pretty mean pace and feels unpredictable, to the point where it is hard to break down exactly what it’s about.
Lost Highway all makes a dreamy sort of sense, or maybe it just lacks sense in the right kind of way.
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That it’s about a lot of things is part of what keeps it all engaging and (obviously) intriguing, with surveillance and doppelgängers playing a pretty big role in the narrative, or what there is to find of a narrative, alongside other chaos. Lost Highway all makes a dreamy sort of sense, or maybe it just lacks sense in the right kind of way. Anyway, the result from all of this is a mystery/thriller film that succeeds in being consistently unnerving for its entire 134-minute runtime.
9
‘The Experiment’ (2001)
Image via Senator Film
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A study that involves a simulation of a prison environment is what The Experiment is largely about. There are 20 participants all up, with some being given roles as prison guards, and others made to be prisoners. If that all sounds a bit familiar, it’s because there was a real-life study dubbed the Stanford prison experiment that was conducted in 1971, but The Experiment is inspired by that, and not intended to be a retelling of what actually happened.
The result is a genuinely underrated film, and one that manages to be consistently intense throughout. There’s a lot said here regarding human nature and psychology, and then even if you don’t really want to engage with it thematically, it remains uneasily engaging in terms of how it feels. Calling it entertaining wouldn’t exactly be accurate, nor fair, but The Experiment is certainly gripping.
8
‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)
Lee Byung-hun as Kim Soo-hyun looking serious, standing among cultivated plants in I Saw the Devil.Image via Showbox
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When you break down what I Saw the Devil is about, it all sounds very simple, in opposition to something like Lost Highway. It stays interesting because of the new extremes it continually manages to go to, and how far it pushes the straightforward premise that involves one man hunting for a serial killer and then planning to enact a complex vengeance-fueled plan upon him, once found.
So, yes, cat-and-mouse stuff, just with a good deal more bloodshed than you might expect, plus some scenes that go into outright horror territory (though not supernatural horror, even if “Devil” is in the title). As long as you’ve got the stomach to handle some very grisly sights, I Saw the Devil is very much worth devoting nearly two and a half inevitably stress-filled hours to.
7
‘Zodiac’ (2007)
As you can usually expect with David Fincher, there’s a real commitment to recreating the historical setting of Zodiac throughout (San Francisco in the late 1960s and onward, over a number of years), and that makes so much of what’s already an intense story feel all the more engrossing and nerve-wracking. As you might expect from the title, this is a movie about the Zodiac Killer, and a sufficiently long one to explore what happened when he was at large, and then also spend time on how he continued to haunt and affect certain people even after the killings were over.
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Zodiac commits to being a mortifying movie about a serial killer for roughly its first half, and then proves somehow even more disturbing as a story about obsession and the eeriness of a mystery that keeps refusing to be definitively solved. It is also, it must be said, one of the clearest examples of a great movie being made from a disappointing book (as a work of non-fiction, Robert Graysmith’s 1986 book is poorly structured and sometimes even amateurishly written).
6
‘Memories of Murder’ (2003)
Some detectives crouching near a field outside in a scene from Memories of a Murder (2003).Image via CJ Entertainment
Okay, to keep the serial killer thing going for a bit, right after mentioning both I Saw the Devil and Zodiac, here’s Memories of Murder, which is another South Korean movie, like I Saw the Devil. Various detectives are trying to catch a particularly elusive serial killer, and the sense of desperation and obsession becomes heightened in the second half, sort of mirroring Zodiac (which came later in the decade) in that regard.
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Also, like Zodiac, Memories of Murder was inspired by a then-unsolved case, of which there were some developments in (or at least genuine proof relating to it) that came to light years after the film was released. Even with more answers than there may have been back when the film was being made, Memories of Murder does still manage to feel tremendously unsettling, and it’s up there as one of the greatest thrillers of its decade for sure.
5
‘964 Pinocchio’ (1991)
Image via Honekoubou
Calling 964 Pinocchio a thriller might not be entirely accurate, since it’s primarily a horror film, but Letterboxd was used as a source to help with selecting the movies that are appearing in this ranking, and this film’s listed as a sci-fi/horror/thriller movie on that site. It’s also oddly thrilling, but in an admittedly horrific way, as it’s a movie that admirably – and exhaustingly – never lets up, and never stops pushing things well beyond the bounds of “just” going to 11.
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The sci-fi elements come in because there’s a cyborg sex slave on the run, the thriller elements come about because people are trying to track down said cyborg, and then the whole thing’s ultimately a work of horror because of how it’s presented, being stylistically chaotic and honestly quite nauseating. 964 Pinocchio is hard to watch, yet potentially also a cult classic because of such difficulty.
4
‘Dead Ringers’ (1988)
Image via 20th Century Studios
Dead Ringers is a David Cronenberg movie about a pair of twins who are both womanizers and more than a little manipulative, and is eventually focused on things falling apart when one of the twins is himself deceived. Like a good many psychological thrillers, there’s plenty more to Dead Ringers beyond the premise, and the fun (or dread) that comes from a movie like this is, obviously, seeing where it could conceivably go.
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Jeremy Irons plays both twins, and it’s one of the all-time great “twin roles done by one actor” performances, and Dead Ringers does a surprisingly good job at making you forget it’s really only one person interacting with himself for so much of the film. This is also a dark horse candidate for the crown of best David Cronenberg film, or should at least be considered alongside slightly more famous films of his from the same decade, like Videodrome and The Fly.
3
‘Revenge’ (2017)
Image via Rezo Films
Eventually, Revenge does become an action movie about obtaining the titular thing, but much of it’s also a thriller, and it takes until the second half before things get action-packed. Though “action-packed” in a fairly small-scale way, because while the film does look quite epic at times, and certain set pieces do go on for a while, it’s ultimately just one woman getting revenge, and she only has three targets to track down and eliminate.
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“Can this really sustain a movie for 108 minutes?,” you might ask yourself, looking at an overview of the film before watching it, and then if you do watch it, 108 minutes later, you’ll probably say, “Yep, I guess it can.” You might realize that before all 108 minutes are up, honestly. This is a real rush of a film and also one of the most brutal action/thriller movies in recent memory, albeit some scenes of violence (mostly in the second half, and after the inciting incident, obviously, which is horrific), do contain immense catharsis, too.
2
‘Angst’ (1983)
Image via Les Films Jacques Leitienne
One more film that simultaneously works as a thriller and a horror movie, here’s Angst, which is another one here that’s about a serial killer, but not really about the hunt for one. Like, the killer here is the protagonist (not to be mixed up with a hero, because a protagonist and a hero are not necessarily the same thing), and the movie is about him breaking into a home and terrorizing the family that lives there.
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Just how visceral Angst ends up being does have to be seen to be believed, and properly felt, but it’s also intense enough that you might not necessarily want to see and/or feel it. The presentation here does so much to make an already grim narrative (or lack thereof) feel extra queasy, and there’s a no-nonsense approach to depicting what happens that makes it feel particularly real.
1
‘Straw Dogs’ (1971)
Dustin Hoffman hunts in Straw DogsImage via 20th Century Studios
The most iconic Sam Peckinpah movie is understandably The Wild Bunch, which was about as heavy-going as Westerns got, at the time it was released, and it still packs quite the punch to this day. There are various other heavy-going movies Peckinpah made, including others broadly classifiable as Westerns, plus Straw Dogs, which certainly wasn’t a Western, and ultimately felt (arguably) more confronting than even The Wild Bunch, for its time.
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This one’s a thriller about a married couple who begin living what they think will be a peaceful countryside lifestyle, only to have various people in the area begin tormenting them, first in casual and slight ways, before things gradually start to get progressively violent. Straw Dogs is very much a bad time, albeit a very well-made and well-executed bad time that pushed boundaries enough, by 1971 standards, to still feel quite shocking when watched today, some five and a half decades later.
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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
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☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
🪙No Country for Old Men
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01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
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02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
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03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
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04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
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05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
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06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
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07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
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08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
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09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
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10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
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The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
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Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
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Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
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Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
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No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
Ella Purnell as Lucy MacLean in the Fallout Season 2 finale, “The Strip”.Image via Prime Video
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Manny Jacinto, Emily Mortimer, and Thomasin McKenzie are the latest to join the cast of Fallout Season 3, the Prime Video sci-fi series that resumes production next month.
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Release Date
April 10, 2024
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Network
Amazon Prime Video
Showrunner
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Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan
Directors
Frederick E. O. Toye, Wayne Che Yip, Stephen Williams, Liz Friedlander, Jonathan Nolan, Daniel Gray Longino, Clare Kilner
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Writers
Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan
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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
“So happy that Sheinelle [Jones] is here while Savannah is on assignment,” Guthrie’s co-anchor Craig Melvin began the Thursday, June 18, episode of the morning show.
Jones, 48, subsequently joked that Guthrie, 54, was, instead, among the thousands of New Yorkers packed in the lower Manhattan crowd ahead of the New York Knicks’ victory parade after winning the 2026 NBA Championships.
Guthrie, meanwhile, is actually away working on another work assignment, which Melvin, 47, confirmed on the second hour was part of pre-production on the Wordle game show.
Savannah Guthrie was absent from the Wednesday, June 17, broadcast of Today. Today co-anchor Craig Melvin revealed at the start of Wednesday’s show that Savannah, 54, is “on assignment” and, thus, would not be present for the remainder of the episode. Sheinelle Jones, who hosts the fourth hour with Jenna Bush Hager, sat at the […]
Guthrie was previously absent from the Wednesday, June 17, broadcast of Today, during which Melvin revealed that she was “on assignment.” Jones similarly filled in for Guthrie at the time.
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Guthrie had returned to Today in April, months after her mother was reported missing at the beginning of the year.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
“It’s really hard to come back and I’ve been trying so hard to hold it together. I promise I will. This show and this hour especially is about joy,” the TV journalist said onToday With Jenna and Sheinelleearlier this month, speaking to Jenna Bush Hager. “Having you, people behind the scenes, people in my ear, the producers, our cast mates. When I see you in the morning, I know that you see me. No matter what is going on.”
Savannah’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing from her house in Arizona in February. (Nancy, 84, has not been located yet, nor has any suspect been arrested in connection with her apparent kidnapping.)
My sister, Annie, called, she said, ‘She’s gone,’” Savannah said on Today in March, recalling how she found out about their mother’s disappearance. “She was in a panic. I was in a panic. I’m like, ‘Call 911.’ She’s like. ‘I did. We called them. They’re here.’ It was just chaos and disbelief. From the very early moments, Annie and [her husband] were saying [to authorities], ‘This isn’t a case that you are used to, where someone wanders off. She can’t wander off.”
Savannah Guthrie’s Today show family is “happy” she’s returned to work after a two-month hiatus amid her mother Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance — but only time will tell how Savannah will reacclimate to the job. “Everyone is supportive of Savannah’s return and very happy to have her back,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly after Savannah, […]
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As Nancy’s case has spanned over 100 days, Savannah also needed to inform her two kids with husband Michael Feldman about the harrowing situation.
“It’s so hard with kids. You want to protect them,” Savannah stated at the time. “They’ll write me all the time, ‘Mama, any leads? You hear anything? Any hope?’ I think that we try to talk to them and try to get them a little more certainty than we have, to let them grieve.”
Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, have since continued to advocate for more information about Nancy’s whereabouts and recovery.
For years, the Bravo series thrived on chaos and broken friendships. Now insiders claim the cast has done the unthinkable: made peace.
Season 15 of ‘RHONJ’ is on the horizon, and sources say the toxic energy that once defined the show is nowhere to be found.
Insiders close to production have revealed that the atmosphere on set has shifted dramatically following the show’s extended pause. The cast shakeup appears to have eased much of the tension that plagued the previous season.
Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, and Dolores Catania are confirmed to return for the new season, joined by a wave of new cast members. The fresh faces are reportedly helping to dilute old grudges that once dominated every storyline.
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Sources close to the show say producers are hopeful the new mix of personalities will bring back the fun, lighthearted chaos that made “RHONJ” a fan favorite in its earlier seasons, per Us Weekly.
Teresa Giudice Found The Show’s Pause To Be A Blessing
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Giudice has been candid about how much the break benefited her personally. The Blast reported in January 2025 that the reality star called the hiatus “good” for her well-being after years of on-camera tension.
The series had grown increasingly strained after Giudice’s relationship with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa, deteriorated on screen. Their fractured family dynamic ultimately contributed to the show’s extended shutdown, leaving castmates divided long before cameras stopped rolling.
Things reached a breaking point when the Gorgas skipped Giudice’s wedding during Season 13, a snub that fueled tension well into the following season. By Season 14, the family members were reportedly no longer speaking at all.
The mother-of-four said stepping away from filming gave her space to focus on her family without the pressure of cameras documenting every disagreement. She credited the time off with helping her reset before returning to a show that once felt impossible to navigate peacefully.
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The Moment Giudice Knew Her Comeback Was Real
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Giudice revealed she had a feeling about her comeback long before Bravo made it official. The Blast reported in April 2026 that the star discussed the news on her own “Turning The Tables With Teresa Giudice” podcast, opening up to fans and her co-host about the experience.
“I knew for a little bit that this was happening, but it’s always confirmed when Bravo put it out there,” she said. Giudice added that she felt grateful and happy once the news became public, describing the moment as a relief after months of speculation.
Reflecting on her run as the franchise’s original cast member, Giudice acknowledged her staying power. “I’m still here from the beginning. I’m grateful,” she said of her lasting place on the series. She credited Bravo’s continued faith in her for keeping her at the center of the show after all these years.
‘RHONJ’ Producers Reportedly Have Lingering Concerns
“Bravo and Sirens are seemingly working hard to bring ‘RHONJ’ back, but people close to the action are a bit worried about how things are playing out,” the source said. The concern reportedly centers on the fact that Giudice, Gorga, and Catania are currently on good terms.
Producers had previously considered moving forward without Giudice altogether, but ultimately decided to keep the show built around her. Whether the newly peaceful dynamic translates to compelling television remains an open question.
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A Franchise Hoping For A Drama-Free Renaissance
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After years of fractured friendships and a canceled reunion, “RHONJ” appears ready to reinvent itself. The combination of returning veterans and fresh newcomers could give the series the reset it desperately needed.
Executive producer Andy Cohen has expressed confidence that the new lineup will deliver a strong season. Fans, meanwhile, remain divided over whether less toxicity will translate to a more entertaining show.
With production gearing up, can a more peaceful “RHONJ” still capture the chaotic magic that made the franchise a hit in the first place?
Kate Middleton is holding down the fort within the Royal Family, at least that is what royal commentators believe.
The Princess of Wales, officially known as Catherine, has become the new face of the British monarchy amid a series of controversies.
Now, a royal commentator is shedding light on Kate Middleton’s role in ensuring the public continues to see the Royal Family in a positive light.
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Royals author Catherine Mayer sang Kate’s praises in a new cover story, crediting her for the wave of momentum the Royal Family is currently riding. She explained that the public’s positive view of the monarchy mostly stemmed from the Princess’s efforts, saying:
“Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days, and she’s the one everyone wants to see. That’s a huge burden for anyone to carry.”
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Mayer hailed the Princess of Wales’ resilience, telling PEOPLE that it couldn’t be easy for her to carry the weight of the monarchy’s spotlight on her shoulders while having “existential battles with her health.” Kate gradually returned to the spotlight after her cancer remission announcement in early 2025.
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Mayer wasn’t the first to address the importance of Kate’s presence in the monarchy, as other royal commentators echoed similar sentiments in May. At the time, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, told the outlet about the Princess’s successful trip to Italy.
Thousands reportedly gathered below City Hall to welcome the future Queen, screaming “Kate!” and “Bellissima!” with children rushing forward to greet her. Anderson praised Kate for handling the situation with grace, noting she understood the weight of the spotlight on her.
Russell Myers, author of “William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story,” shared the same view, claiming the public had missed Kate’s “star quality.” He hailed her for having the ability to draw people in wherever she went, adding, “Catherine is undoubtedly a central force in the monarchy’s popularity.”
Not Everyone Warmly Welcomed The Future Queen’s Comeback
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It seemed royal commentators weren’t the only ones who understood the importance of Kate’s comeback, as anti-monarchists were wary of her return to the spotlight. The Blast covered the story, reporting that these critics did not welcome the Princess at the Trooping the Color event.
While she was traveling in a carriage from the event to Buckingham Palace with her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, anti-monarchists could be heard booing and shouting at the family. The incident left a sour taste in Kate’s mouth, as her expression turned stern at her children’s discomfort.
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Videos of the disrespectful moment went viral on social media platforms like X, incurring the wrath of fans. Many slammed critics for their uncouth behavior, arguing that they should not have insulted young children. Others defended the Princess of Wales, declaring she did not deserve such treatment.
The Senior Royal’s Health May Influence Her Official Duties
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The anti-monarchists’ protest at Trooping the Color wasn’t aimed at Kate alone, as critics were against the monarchy as a whole. However, the chants aimed at the mother of three and her children, including statements such as “Not my King” and “Not my Queen.”
There were also protesters carrying signs about the former Prince Andrew. The latter’s February arrest amid his controversial ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein has cast a shadow over the monarchy in recent months, which Kate’s comeback tried to dispel.
However, her health may impact her future duties. The Blast shared that royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suspected Kate might prioritize her family more and focus on “less stressful” engagements. Her recent visit to a cancer center in Manchester seemingly matched Fitzwilliams’ words.
Kate MiddletonDragged Into Another Drama With Her Estranged Sister-In-Law
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Besides the disgraced Prince Andrew, another controversy plaguing the Royal Family was related to its estranged members, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. Earlier this month, The Blast reported that the latter had stirred up another drama with Kate.
The issue began when a well-known critic of the Prince and Princess of Wales, The Notorious JTB, received a box of As Ever products from Meghan. The median personality documented the moment on social media, singing Meghan’s praises.
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However, fans immediately called out the Duchess of Sussex for her petty behavior. They argued that her actions showed she was aware of those bashing her estranged in-laws on her behalf, with someone bashing her decision to reward one of those critics as “disgusting.”
Can Kate Middleton’s star power protect the monarchy from negative media?
On Wednesday, June 17, The Shade Room obtained a photo of Jaden Smith. In the picture, he appeared to be naked but donning red paint on his body. Specifically, the photo showed him flashing his open palms at the camera as he covered his groin area.
Jaden Smith Had Internet Users TURNIN’ Their Heads
The photo of Jaden Smith appears to be connected to an apparent campaign he shot for Christian Louboutin. In September 2025, the brand announced Smith as its “first Men’s Creative Director.” Nonetheless, social media users gathered in TSR’s comment section, voicing their confusion.
Instagram user @coopdajuice wrote, “Whole family a lil off tbh”
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While Instagram user @sweetmillerr added, “That family is never beating the allegations”
Instagram user @chimeka_ wrote, “Cosplaying a tampon is crazy 😂😂😂😂”
While Instagram user @lashd4eva added, “Humiliation ritual at its finest 😂”
Instagram user @thelifeofdiego wrote, “The ‘sacrifice’ IYKYK”
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While Instagram user @daejones added, “Tell us it ain’t there without telling us, especially when we didn’t ask loll”
Instagram user @hijoshotit wrote, “Jada n will. Come get ya kids..”
While Instagram user @papichulo_300 added, “It’s like they sit up and think about how to outdo the day before 🤣🤣🤣”
Instagram user @bravemoney__ wrote, “Jackie Chan would be pissed right now”
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While Instagram user @monithedon added, “something gotta be going on in that house man 😂”
Instagram user @tattithebodyy wrote, “Me on my cycle the first two days 🥴🫠”
While Instagram user @caisloading added, “My parents where right it’s this Damm phone😂”
Instagram user @tommmmi3 wrote, “wtf I just opened this app”
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He Previously Raised Eyebrows When He Made Headlines With Justin Bieber
This isn’t the first time Jaden Smith has raised eyebrows. As The Shade Room previously reported, in April 2024, Smith turned heads when he popped out at Coachella, and footage captured him walking up behind Justin Bieber, embracing him with a hug, and kissing him on the cheek. The footage left one social media user in The Shade Room’s comment section, writing, “A Bieber back hug followed by a Smith Smooch is freaky work 🤦🏾♂️”
Sylvester Stallone is an action god. Rambo, Cobra, Cliffhanger, he basically invented the modern muscle-bound hero who punches first and thinks later. What people don’t know is that Sly’s also the unsung hero behind Predator, one of the greatest sci-fi action franchises ever. No, he didn’t star in it (yet, don’t tempt Hollywood).
Stallone’s relentless sequel-churning career lit the fuse for Predator to become an alien-hunting masterpiece. This is how it happened.
Rocky vs. Aliens? Yeah, It’s a Thing
Back in the ‘80s, Stallone was pumping out Rocky and Rambo sequels like a machine. By Rocky IV (1985), he’s duking it out with communism in the form of Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago. Hollywood insiders started cracking jokes like: “What’s next, Rocky fighting aliens?”
It was a sarcastic jab at Sly’s knack for beating up every human opponent on Earth. But that throwaway gag stuck with newbie screenwriters Jim and John Thomas. They didn’t laugh it off; they ran with it.
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From Joke to Jungle Bloodbath
The Thomas brothers cooked up a script called Hunter, riffing on that Rocky vs. aliens idea. A gang of intergalactic weirdos (think Star Wars cantina rejects) hunting humans for sport, like a cosmic Most Dangerous Game.
They dialed it back to one badass alien stalking a commando team in a Central American jungle, a nod to the real-world violence tearing up the region. The script became Predator, and boom, a franchise was born. All because Sly couldn’t stop making sequels.
Writing Like Stallone
The Thomas brothers didn’t just stumble into this. They heard Stallone wrote Rocky in a feverish weekend, a rags-to-riches tale that screamed Hollywood dream. True or not (and let’s be real, Sly’s early days had some shady roles), that legend pushed them to bang out Hunter in a single weekend, chasing the same overnight glory. Without Stallone’s mythos, we might not have that cloaked, spine-ripping alien terrorizing Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold vs. Sly: The ‘80s Action Showdown
Speaking of Arnold, Predator (1987) was his gig, not Sly’s. Ironic, right? Stallone’s rival got to flex as Dutch, mowing down jungle and alien alike, while Sly was busy with Rocky IV and Rambo II. By ‘87, Stallone had Oscar nods and was dabbling in comedies like Tango & Cash (a mess, but we love it).
Arnold? Still grinding in schlock like Commando. Predator was his glow-up, paving the way for Total Recall. And Sly’s shadow made it happen.
Sly’s Predator Legacy
Predator didn’t just launch a franchise; it birthed a legacy. It turned director John McTiernan into an action king and gave us comics, games, and that killer 2022 prequel Prey, which proved the series still has teeth. All this from a dumb joke about Stallone punching E.T. in the face.
So next time you’re watching a Predator rip spines for fun, tip your cap to Sylvester Stallone. He didn’t just shape action flicks; he accidentally sparked a sci-fi legend.
The “Diamonds” singer, 38, shared a message of support for the Summer House star recently, encouraging Ciara to keep shining amid ex West Wilson’s controversial relationship with her former BFF, Amanda Batula.
Ciara, 30, was interviewed on the red carpet at the 2026 Las Culturistas Culture Awards in May by Bravo’s roving reporter, Chanel Ayan of The Real Housewives of Dubai fame, and Chanel, 48, surprised her by reading out a text message she received from Rihanna.
“She said, ‘Just let her know, stay vibrating in her beautiful frequency,’” Chanel read from her phone in a video shared by Bravo on Wednesday, June 17. “She said, ‘And give god thanks that he’s relieved her of people who don’t deserve an inch of her now chapter. It’s a reward season, baby girl.’”
Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are self-proclaimed Real Housewives superfans — and they’re not alone. In July 2021, Minaj revealed via social media that she would love to host The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion, which host Andy Cohen supported. “I want to see this!” he wrote in the comments section of Minaj’s post. Several cast […]
“Oh, my god. I’m dead!” Ciara reacted to seeing Rihanna’s text message.
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Ciara then continued to read out Rihanna’s inspiring words to her.
“Up and on. Now the petty bitch in me wants to say way more, but we’ll do that when I see her,” Rihanna said in the text message.
An excited Ciara told Chanel, “I’m obsessed with her. I listen to her. I mean, I was listening to her before I got ready for this.”
Ciara Miller has broken her silence on Amanda Batula and West Wilson‘s relationship. “It’s one thing to experience hurt behind closed doors,” Ciara, 30 said in an interview with Glamour published on Friday, April 17. “To experience it so publicly is like another layer, and then to have to see what you thought was your […]
“I feel like we have so much to talk about, and I can’t wait to catch up with her,” Ciara continued, noting that she was hoping to “kiki” and “throw shots back” with Rihanna, Chanel and Summer House costar Mia Calabrese in the near future.
The Las Culturistas Culture Awards took place on May 30 in Los Angeles and aired on Bravo on Wednesday.
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Ciara picked up the Allison Williams Cool Girl Award at the awards ceremony and alluded to the drama with West and Amanda in her acceptance speech.
“Thank you so much. If by ‘cool,’ you mean utterly disappointed in everyone around me, yes, I am so f***ing cool,” the former nurse said.
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She added, “Obviously, this year has been a little rough, but you know what they say: the best revenge is winning the Allison Williams Cool Girl Award. And booking Love Island USA. And being in Shaboozey’s music video. And also being a registered nurse. And a model. So I’m gonna put this in the bathroom at my new house.”
In April, Ciara’s friend, Mia, 34, revealed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that Rihanna quizzed her about the Summer House scandal during a night out in New York City.
“I love her. I love RiRi. And she loves me. I think she loves Ciara as well,” Mia said at the time. “Rihanna wanted all the tea. As soon as she saw me, she beelined for me, took her glasses off, and said, ‘We need to talk.’ I said, ‘Anything for you.’”
A digital poster flips through upcoming titles, revealing a serious, meditative Jodie Comer in a blue, flowing, 17th-century style outfit in The Death of Robin Hood. The film, set to release June 19, is not your average folklore retelling, but instead follows the outlaw (played by Hugh Jackman) at the end of his life, coming to terms with his behavior and misguided deeds. Robin Hood is the draw of the film, but the secret weapon? The enigmatic healer named Sister Brigid, who is brilliantly brought to life by Comer.
Hallway chatter breaks the stillness, with an undeniable Scouse accent and laughter filling the air, ushering in a new energy to the sleek Manhattan lobby. “Hi, I’m Jodie!” the star beams as she puts her hand out for a shake. Though she has the unmistakable glow of an A-lister, the Emmy, Tony, and BAFTA winner is as genuine and down-to-earth as they come. She’s dialed into her environment, and she exudes gratitude for all the many moving parts and people that go into making her press day run as smoothly as possible. Her smile, authenticity, and calm confidence are contagious. Comer is the definition of class, and everyone should take notes.
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‘The Death of Robin Hood’ Sparked Jodie Comer’s Contagious Curiosity
Comer and I sit at the end of a long table in the A24 library, where she excitedly offers me some of the muffin she was given at Live with Kelly and Mark, her first bit of press for The Death of Robin Hood. Her playful energy makes the conversation feel like we are two school friends picking up where we left off rather than meeting for the first time. “I got here yesterday, and it’s my first on-camera interview for the film, so it always feels like the first one is [where] you’re trying to figure out what your words are. They’re like, ‘Sum up the film,’ and you have two sentences to do so. How do you do that?”
The actress, who’s best known and beloved for her exceptional work as the charming assassin Villanelle in the critically-acclaimed series Killing Eve, is excited to talk about the film and her career. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the movie is the definition of bleak, brutal, and bloody. The film, also starring Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe, and Bill Skarsgård, more than earns its R rating, as it’s unafraid to lean into the literal and metaphorical darkness of Robin Hood’s world, and all the brutality that comes with it. With all of this in mind, it makes Comer’s response to my first question about her references for the film that much more unexpected. “I love Shrek, so my reference to Robin Hood is the Robin Hood song in there,” she says with a laugh, before adding, “Of course, growing up, there’s the ‘steals from the rich, gives to the needy’ loose framework or idea that you have of him. And I didn’t know much more, to be honest. So when I got Michael’s script, I just delved into that. I loved it because it felt like a much more human and tangible exploration.”
Comer perfectly captures the essence of the story with that brief description. Jackman’s take on the outlaw is not what you’d expect; his long-flowing white hair and eerily calm, Dirty Harry-like disposition put the audience both at ease and on the edge of their seat. “He was a man who’s lived and has lived in a very particular way and is having to reconcile with that life, which feels like you may not be able to relate to him on many, many levels, but also on a very base level. I think that’s something we all experience within our lives. So for me, I felt like I was really able to connect to him and the story.”
As the title implies, Robin Hood is at the end of his life, and that’s where Come comes in. The folkloric figureheads to a remote island — rather reluctantly — where he is to meet with Comer’s Sister Brigid, a woman with a mysterious and complicated backstory, as well as alleged “healing powers” that could aid the ailing outlaw. Comer’s a master of restraint and subtlety in her performances, which makes her the perfect choice for the part. “I loved her poise. She was an incredible observer and listener. I felt there’s a lot that she’s having to withhold. She’s holding a lot for everybody else, so she’s not always able to express her true feelings. I was fascinated… she references a lot of philosophy and mythology, and I was like, ‘Where does that come from?’”
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There was something very unself-aware, and a real lack of vanity and a bluntness and a weirdness.
There’s a beautiful, childlike wonder to nearly every word that falls from Comer’s mouth. She gets lost — in the best way — in her answers, as if she’s processing her experiences and relationship to her character and the film in real time, for the first time. As Comer’s gears continue to turn in her head, she explains why she was so drawn to this character. “What I loved about it was that everyone on the island is presenting as something else, or they’re hiding something,” adding, “[Brigid] was taken in by a prioress. She couldn’t read or write. These are things that she’s learned through story, and then this role is bestowed upon her. So even that is her own contradiction, and there’s little glimpses where you’re able to see that within the film.”
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So many of Comer’s characters across stage and screen tell stories that are deeply rooted in perspective, which she agrees is “so true,” and her work in The Death of Robin Hood is no exception. Right when you think you know the extent of Sister Brigid and Robin Hood’s relationship, the rug is pulled out, and the entire movie feels different. “I also love that there’s quite a big revelation in the film of who Robin is and actually the connection that he has to her own past, and how she’s able to transmute her own pain. She doesn’t meet violence with violence. She’s also at a point where she’s connected with this man on a different level. Then she finds out that news. So there’s just a lot that she has to deal with in that moment, and I feel like she had a tremendous amount of grace. Which made me question, ‘God, would I be able to find that within myself?’”
Given our relaxed vibe, I joke that her character also has a “great haircut,” something that is… not true. Brigid has a choppy, temple-length bowl cut. Comer, without hesitating, leans in to the bit. “I mean, that’s the real reason,” she laughs, as we continue to dissect the character. “I think Michael was like, ‘Should we shave your hair?’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely not, Michael!’ she says with a massive laugh. “We wanted it to feel like she’d [cut her hair] herself. There was something very unself-aware, and a real lack of vanity and a bluntness and a weirdness. There’s something childlike but also quite masculine, as opposed to a lot of depictions of that time. So it just felt off. There’s a lot about that island and the energy of it that is mysterious and weird.”
Comer’s fascination with this character didn’t end with the film, as she just recently took an herbalism course, something Brigid would certainly approve of. But when preparing for the role — which doubled as a way to connect with nature, something she was trying to do more of anyway — Comer did what she does with every project: walked into a bookstore. “When I start a job, I like to go into a bookstore and see what jumps out at me.” One of these books was Why Women Grow: Stories of Soil, Sisterhood and Survival by Alice Vincent, as well as Melissa Febos‘ The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex. “I thought, well, that’s quite interesting because that’ll definitely be something that [Brigid] is practicing. What does that activate within your life? When you’re not having that connection to sex or a distraction per se, what else in your life becomes more vivid and apparent?”
For Comer, reading about medieval healthcare was the anchor of her preparation. “At that time, the mind, body, and soul were still very much connected, and each of those components was just as integral as the next, and that made a lot of sense to me. She’s always telling him stories. She’s actually never really telling him what to do. She’s encouraging him through her sharing of what she knows. It’s like breadcrumbs, trying to bring Robin back to himself.”
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Stephen Graham Saw Something in Jodie Comer Many Years Ago
Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider
Comer doesn’t come from a Hollywood family. Her mother worked for Merseyrail, and her father is a sports physiotherapist. “I was pretty fearless,” she says, thinking back on her childhood. “I was very vivacious. Always playing in the garden, picking up the frogs and the slugs,” the actress remembers fondly. “All my baby videos are me just constantly trying to be front and center. I watch them back, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this makes sense that I would want to do acting.’” Comer knows that she’s always been very sensitive, something that she now views as a “superpower” given her profession. “You’re constantly trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You’re often reflecting on your own experiences and how they may mirror or how they differ.”
It was one of the earliest experiences on her acting journey that proved to be the most meaningful, even today. Back in 2012, Comer had a small role in the BBC One police procedural Good Cop. She didn’t necessarily think much of it, but her scene partner Stephen Graham — who’s most recently known for co-creating, writing, and starring in the Netflix phenomenon Adolescence — certainly did. Her few scenes in the episode were with him, and he was so taken by the innate talent that he gave her his contact info and encouraged her to reach out to him. Despite being a child who loved attention, Comer was quite hesitant to take him up on his offer. Thankfully, her father nudged her to reach out, and the young performer mustered up the courage to send him a text.
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Her fears came true, albeit very briefly, when she didn’t hear back. “I just thought, ‘Okay, that was that,’” until everything changed in the blink of an eye, weeks later, when she needed it most. “I was on a train to London doing an audition for a pilot where I had to sing, I’d chosen an Adele song. Jesus Christ, talk about setting yourself up for a fail. I really didn’t want to go. I just was quite disheartened.” Then, as cliché as it sounds, one phone call changed everything. “I got a call from the Good Cop production company.” Graham, a man of his word, reached out and asked them if he could have her number. “He called me straight away, and he was like, ‘Where are ya?’ ‘I’m on the train to Liverpool, got this audition, don’t want to go.’” His exact words? “‘Fuck your audition off.’” Comer, who’s undoubtedly retold this story dozens of times by now, tells it with as much passion and thrill as though it were a secret she has been dying to tell someone. “‘Don’t go to your audition. You want to go meet my agent?’” It all feels almost too good to be true. “Divine intervention,” I say. Her eyes widen as she leans forward, agreeing. “Literally.”
Graham and Comer’s bond has only strengthened since then, with the pair teaming up for the 2021 film Help about the COVID pandemic and its impact on Sarah (Comer), a healthcare worker in Liverpool caring for Tony (Graham), who has early-onset Alzheimer’s. As if winning a BAFTA for her performance wasn’t enough, it was also the first project Comer executive-produced. “It was amazing to be a part of adapting the script and thinking about the cast, and just seeing how a piece like that forms and what goes into it.”
Comer’s been the star of several big-budget, high-profile films in the last few years, including a small role playing Rey’s mother in Star Wars: Episode I – The Rise of Skywalker. She then followed that up with Ridley Scott‘s The Last Duel with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, in which she played 14th-century woman Marguerite, who accuses her husband’s friend of raping her. In the crime drama The Bikeriders, she transforms into Kathy, the uninhibited wife of brooding biker Benny (Austin Butler), and effortlessly pulls off a thick Chicago accent. Add to that the survival thriller The End We Start From and the post-apocalyptic horror 28 Years Later to the list, and her movie career has mostly featured emotionally heavy, extremely serious subject matter (except for the Ryan Reynolds sci-fi comedyFree Guy).
But this is all a sharp contrast to how Comer carries herself. Comer is thoughtful, introspective, and inquisitive, and that is rounded off by a relaxed, up-for-anything attitude. She’ll gleefully get into the minutia of a performance and the dedication of her craft, but she just as easily comes across as severely unfussy, someone you’d be happy to get a pint with at the pub while you spend the afternoon talking about astrology.
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‘Prima Facie’ and the Power of Perspective
Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider
Every facet of Comer’s career is rather impressive and fearless, with her immense range evident in shows such as the E4 teen dramedy My Mad Fat Diary, where she plays Chloe, the pretty, popular best friend of main character with exceptional line delivery, Thirteen, a dark drama about a kidnap victim that proved Comer can easily lead a project, and Doctor Foster, the psychological thriller that sees her as “the other woman” in Gemma’s (Suranne Jones) marriage. But it’s her exceptional work in the play Prima Facie that is unsurpassed. Directed by Justin Martin (who most recently co-directed Stranger Things: The First Shadow) and written by Suzie Miller, the one-woman play follows Tessa (Comer), a bold barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault, only to have her entire perspective shift when she, herself, is sexually assaulted. Prima Facie, which was Comer’s explosive West End debut in 2022, was a critical success, earning Comer an Olivier Award and brightening the light on her extraordinary talents.
When it was announced that Prima Facie — which means “at first sight” in Latin — would be heading to Broadway, I was determined to secure tickets. At that time, Comer was riding the wave of the Killing Eve series finale (more on that later), and for many, it was hard to imagine her as anyone but Villanelle. It’s easy for actors to get typecast in a role, especially one tied to such a devoted fanbase, but when I saw Comer take the Golden Theatre stage, the assassin that a massive fandom had fallen in love with for four years was nowhere to be found. As Tessa, Comer speaks nonstop for an hour and 40 minutes with no intermission, and goes through a searing set of emotions, from unbridled confidence and dancing on a table to utter fear and hopelessness as her tears flow on the stage.
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My director on the play said that film is a director’s medium, TV is a writer’s medium, and theatre is an actor’s medium.
After such a successful period on the West End, Comer could have easily ended her run on that high note, but when I ask her if she had any hesitations about going to Broadway, her pure love of the craft shines through. “Weirdly, no, because it was so personally rewarding. It’s exhausting, but it’s also invigorating, and you learn so much doing theatre. It demands a lot of you. You really need your full commitment, as does every job, but there is a complacency that can happen within TV and film because you know you’ve got another chance. It’s very sporadic; you’re jumping from the end of a story to the beginning to the middle, it’s very quick. With theatre, you get the luxury to live out a whole story every night, and you get the opportunity to do it again the next day. I just loved it.”
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As a dauntless and intrepidly daring performer, Prima Facie was the perfect project for her. “I think there’s also part of me that chases that feeling of exhaustion. I do want to feel like I’ve explored something deeply or that I’ve had to work hard and challenge myself, and there’s also just the beauty of the immediacy of being in a theatre and feeling that connection with people and holding that space.”
Earlier in our conversation, when Comer mentioned executive-producing Help, we discussed how, as an actor, you can feel almost helpless — to an extent, depending on the project — when it comes to the final product. “You might play a scene that’s at the end of the film that emotionally is right for that moment, and then you can see something screened and they put it at the start. It can be jigsawed, it can change so drastically that you’re absolutely at the mercy of.”
This makes her time as Tessa that much more precious. “Justin Martin, my director on the play, said that film is a director’s medium, TV is a writer’s medium, and theatre is an actor’s medium. You can rehearse, come up with all the ways you feel like it’s right. The director also leaves after opening night, it’s crazy. At first, I was like, ‘What?!’ but then you get used to it. But once you go out on stage, it’s yours, and things happen that aren’t meant to happen, or you find something new that invigorates the latter part of the play, and you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s never happened before,’ but you’re more in control of that.” Comer, unsurprisingly, won the Tony for Prima Facie, before taking the production to Ireland and back to the UK, where she, in a very full-circle moment, ended her run in Liverpool, where she was born and raised, this past March.
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Comer Says ‘Killing Eve’ Was a “Brilliant” Experience Built on Teamwork
The project Comer is perhaps best known for is Killing Eve, the BBC America spy thriller that follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), an MI5 agent stuck in a bit of a rut, who becomes fixated on the assassin Villanelle (Comer) and is quickly consumed by her. No one knows much of anything about the elusive killer, but Eve is determined to learn everything, even risking her life and the lives of the ones she loves to do so. The fanbase for the series, which is based on Luke Jennings‘ Codename Villanelle novellas, grew (and grew intensely) following its premiere in 2018, with fan accounts featuring edits of Villanelle’s best outfits, guises, kills, witty quips, and, of course, flawless accent gymnastics.
Killing Eve‘s entire cast is sharp. Oh nails Eve’s unpredictability, dedication, and snarky attitude with ease, Fiona Shaw embodies the pretension, smarts, and mystery of Carolyn, and Kim Bodnia, who plays Villanelle’s handler (though such a position is quite impossible), might have a tough exterior. Still, he cares deeply for his wildly unpredictable work companion. However, the series would not have worked had it not found its Villanelle. From the very first moment we lay eyes on the mischievous assassin — who sets the tone for her character when she purposely knocks ice cream onto a child’s lap and smirks — it is crystal clear that Comer is the only one who could pull off this juicy role. Comer won an Emmy and BAFTA in 2019 for Season 1, the same year Oh won a Golden Globe.
Tension mounts in every episode of the stylish series, not just because of the inherent white-knuckle-grip energy that comes with an espionage thriller and high-stakes government missions, but because of the growing sexual tension between Eve and Villanelle. Killing Eve is billed as a cat-and-mouse game between the two complex women, with Eve erring on the side of caution — initially. But Episode 5 of Season 1, “I Have a Thing About Bathrooms,” is where we get the first real taste of the intense sexual chemistry between the two leads, with Villanelle breaking into Eve’s home, much to Eve’s terror, with the sole objective of sharing a meal. Villanelle shouting, “I just want to have dinner with you!” to a petrified Eve is one of the many quotable lines uttered by the assassin, and unofficially kicks off their will-they-won’t-they dynamic for four seasons.
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Fleabag fame, is credited with bringing Killing Eve to life, serving as showrunner and head writer for Season 1. Though the love for and dedication to these characters would only build, the series as a whole didn’t have a flawless reception, with some arguing that the tone and overarching narrative felt fractured in the latter half of the series. One of the possible explanations for this could be that each season had a new showrunner, meaning a new captain steering the ship. Season 2 was run by Emerald Fennell, Season 3 by Suzanne Heathcote, and Laura Neal for its final — and most divided — season. “I think it can innately be tricky,” Comer says when I ask her about the frequent changes in showrunner. “Each person has their own impression, their own viewpoint of the characters, and so it’s always going to be flowing, and it’s always going to have a different imprint on it, you know? You want to make sure that that is grounded by an innate sense of truth and loyalty to the characters, but it’s inevitable that it’s going to shift because we’re all so different and we all have different experiences to different things, depending on our own life experiences.”
I always wonder, when a series wraps, if the cast and crew keep in touch. “Not for a while, actually,” Comer says with an air of melancholy. It’s hard to imagine these people, who seem joined at the hip for such a long time, suddenly not speaking anymore. But the reality is that, well, it’s a job. “But I’ve just seen that Sandra is doing a play in London, I think! I have to go see her,” she says excitedly. “You’re thrust into these very intense situations for, like, eight weeks, and then you feel like, ‘This is my life!’ and then you’re gone. You have to be adaptable, and that doesn’t take away from anything that you have experienced with someone,” continuing, “You can support someone, but it doesn’t mean that you’re in each other’s pockets.”
When I suggest that it must be like an intense summer camp, Comer added, “It really, really is. It’s kind of crazy, but it’s brilliant. It’s brilliant because everyone is so open, which you have to be. We’ve got this amount of time, we’ve got this much to achieve, we’ve got to go, the only way you can do it is with teamwork.”
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Comer Was Prepared for the Backlash to ‘Killing Eve’s Ending
Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider
When talking about Killing Eve, there’s an obvious elephant in the room: the series finale. For most fans, the obvious preferred ending was to have Eve and Villanelle run off, hand in hand, happily ever after, having declared their love for each other. The series finale — spoiler alert — does feature Villanelle and Eve finally giving in to their temptations, sharing a passionate kiss, and even going on a cute date that feels like a scene pulled directly from an ’80s John Hughes movie. However, in the literal last few seconds of the episode, Villanelle is shockingly shot dead after having saved the day and jumping to safety in the water with Eve. The last thing you hear before the credits roll is a piercing shriek of anguish from Eve, which, for many fans, left a toxic taste in their mouth. When I mentioned the series earlier in the conversation, she lit up when I noted how passionate the Killing Eve fanbase remains to this day. I delicately ask Comer if she anticipated the reaction to be that intense, and she didn’t miss a beat, “I think so. Yeah. On some level, absolutely.”
People immediately pointed to the unfortunate “bury your gays” trope seen in media, which is when queer characters’ storylines ends in death disproportionally compared to straight characters. Perhaps there was a feeling that, if the show stayed under the tutelage of Waller-Bridge, Villanelle’s arc wouldn’t have ended the way it did. Even Jennings, the author of books for which the series is based, refused to be silent, penning a detailed, scathing critique of how the series wraps up for The Guardian. “The Season 4 ending was a bowing to convention,” he stated, “A truly subversive storyline would have defied the trope.” Jennings elaborated further, arguing, “How much more darkly satisfying, and true to Killing Eve’s original spirit, for the couple to walk off into the sunset together? Spoiler alert, but that’s how it seemed to me when writing the books.”
It’s hard if you feel like people feel disappointed by something. I had the most amazing time on that show.
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If you’ve studied the show since day one, Villanelle’s arc and growth as a person is immeasurable, especially evident in the Season 3 bottle episode, “Are You From Pinner?” — which Comer hilariously recounts to me as being “mental” — in which she goes home to Russia, and we pull back the layers to her wounded upbringing. “I remember when Shannon Murphy came through as a director [for that episode]. It was just this injection of life and clarity. She was like a cannonball. I felt like, ‘Oh, yes, I needed this.’” By the final season, Villanelle’s objectives and priorities have shifted, which makes the final scene all the more devastating. So devastating, in fact, that Jennings was compelled to erase it from everyone’s memory, writing another novel, Killing Eve: Resurrection, which picks up where the finale left off, revealing that Villanelle faked her death and that Eve and Villanelle’s relationship continues.
“When people are spending so much time with these characters, you know there is going to be an expectation. Each individual person will have their own relationship to what they see is right or just, so that is always going to be out of your control,” adding, “It’s hard though, because, once you’re in it, you have to focus on what you’re doing and the material that you have. I will say that everyone who worked on it wanted it to be the best that it could be in that moment. It’s hard if you feel like people feel disappointed by something. I had the most amazing time on that show. I learned so much. I had so much fun.”
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Jodie Comer Is Ready To Return to Television
Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider
As the conversation winds down, Comer unintentionally brings it back to the beginning, as she mentions reuniting with The Death of Robin Hood‘s Sarnoski for The Chain. The show is based on the novel of the same name by Adrian McKinty, which follows a suburban mom who will go to unspeakable lengths to get her daughter back when she is kidnapped. Comer begins filming on the 8-episode HBO limited series thriller later this year with Damon Lindelof at the helm and Sarnoski directing the pilot and executive-producing the series.
“You spend a couple of episodes with a director, and someone else will come in, and the energy shifts because they work in a different way, and you have to move with it,” she notes when describing the chaotic, yet rewarding process of making television. “I haven’t done TV for a while, and I was like, ‘Oh boy, I forgot about this.’”
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I haven’t done TV for a while, and I was like, ‘Oh boy, I forgot about this.’
Our conversation ends, and Comer continues with her packed press schedule. She admits that she’s a bit relieved to be doing press in the coming days with her castmates. Comer easily has enough star power to promote the film on her own, but is humble enough not to want to take up all the spotlight. We return to where our day started — the A24 lobby — which is now filled with people preparing for her photoshoot. Comer’s enthusiasm for the day hasn’t waned at all, as she chats with her team, takes the Polaroid photo that all celebrities take when it’s their first time at the office, and gets her makeup touched up ahead of the shoot.
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“It’s so quiet,” she says with a smile, breaking up the nonexistent tension and allowing everyone to veer, ever so slightly, from their focus on their individual tasks. “Now’s your chance to sing Adele,” I cheekily suggest, to which Comer responds with a that’ll-be-the-day laugh. If our conversation proved anything, though, it’s that Comer is unafraid to face any obstacle that comes her way, and if anyone is going to pull off the impossible, it’s her.
Photography: Celeste Sloman | Hair: Christian Wood | Makeup: Emily Cheng | Styling: Emma Jade Morrison | Dress: The Row
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