The best thrillers currently streaming aren’t available on Netflix, HBO Max or Hulu – they’re on Peacock.

At least, that’s true in July, but Peacock tends to lose titles more often than other streamers.

That’s why you should watch Peacock’s best thrillers streaming right now, especially the hit 2019 mystery Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis and more.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is currently killing it in movie theaters, but you can watch one of the director’s early features, the magician thriller The Prestige, on Peacock right now.

Channing Tatum is still best known for his role in the epic Magic Mike male stripper trilogy, but he’s almost unrecognizable as a Jeffrey Epstein-like creep in the ripped-from-the-headlines film Blink Twice.

‘Knives Out’ (2019)

No one is better at solving mysteries than Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). He’s world-famous for a reason, and he always cracks the case. But his latest one could break that streak. Bestselling mystery author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead one morning with his throat slit. That surely means he was killed, right? But the police rule it a suicide and promptly close the case. Benoit thinks otherwise, but he’s stumped as to who killed Harlan and the motive behind the murder.

The list of suspects is long and colorful. At the top is Harlan’s sleazy son-in-law Richard (Don Johnson), but spoiled grandson Hugh (Chris Evans), desperate daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) and kind-hearted nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) could’ve easily done it. Benoit doesn’t have too much time to solve the case as the killer seems ready to strike again.

‘The Prestige’ (2006)

Hollywood doesn’t make too many magic-centric thrillers, but in 2006, there were two of them: The excellent The Illusionist with Edward Norton and The Prestige with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale) are Victorian-era magicians who are obsessed with being the best at their craft. They are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to prove their supremacy, with Borden seemingly able to teleport himself from one place to another. Angier becomes determined to discover the secret behind his trick. But the more he discovers about Borden, the worse his life becomes until he’s driven to commit an act that no magic trick can erase.

Directed by The Odyssey’s Christopher Nolan, The Prestige has a dense plot that’s difficult to fully understand on first viewing. But it still weaves an intoxicating spell that blends magic and 19th -century science in a movie that generates as much suspense as it does magic tricks. The talented cast includes Scarlett Johansson as a love-struck magician’s assistant, Michael Caine as an older magician and David Bowie as real-life inventor Nikola Tesla.

‘Blink Twice’ (2024)

When cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), are invited to billionaire Slater King’s (Channing Tatum) private island, they have no choice but to accept. After all, who could pass up a free trip to paradise? But even paradise has its drawbacks, and soon, Frida wants to leave. But when Jess goes missing, she’s forced to figure out what happened to her friend and why Slater seems to be at the center of it. Is Jess paranoid, or is she in the middle of a conspiracy she can’t escape from?

If Blink Twice’s premise sounds familiar, that’s because it unintentionally mirrors the real-life scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein and his reported ties to the world’s wealthy and elite class. First-time director Zoë Kravitz crafts an absorbing psychological thriller that uses an unreliable narrator, Frida, to guide you through a hidden society full of pleasures and hidden pitfalls. Channing Tatum has one of the best roles of his career as Slater King, a self-made tech billionaire who thinks money can buy anything – even Frida.

‘Borderline’ (2025)

Sofia Minor (Samara Weaving) is a pop star with a major problem — she has an obsessed fan, Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson), who thinks they are in love. After an initial attempt to establish contact lands him in prison, Paul escapes and, with the help of fellow inmate Penny (Alba Baptiste), breaks into Sofia’s mansion to profess his love for her. But Paul’s best-laid plans come undone as Sofia teams up with a security guard (Eric Dane) eager for revenge to stop Paul’s stalking once and for all.

Related: 5 Great Movies Turning 20 in 2026: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and More

Can you believe that it’s already been 20 years since The Devil Wears Prada? 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of some of the greatest movies of the 2000s. Classics like The Departed, Pan’s Labyrinth and Borat might seem like they just came out yesterday, but time really flies when you’re watching great movies. Watch With Us has rounded […]

While Borderline’s plot is a standard psycho stalker story that Fatal Attraction perfected nearly four decades ago, what elevates the movie is the performances of the two leads. As Sofia, Weaving adds yet another formidable female to her scream queen resume, while Nicholson shows a talent for lunacy that he must have inherited from his famous father, Jack. He has a gift for playing men with madness that isn’t too far off from The Shining’s Jack Torrance.

Borderline is streaming on Peacock.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

‘Memento’ (2000)

Before Christopher Nolan made his name directing the Dark Knight trilogy, his calling card in Hollywood was Memento. For his first trick, Nolan shows audiences the ending of Memento before they realize what it means. Then he lets the story unfold in two parallel narratives before catching up with the conclusion.

Advertisement

Related: 10 Greatest Thrillers of the 1990s, Ranked

Everyone loves a good thriller. From 1960’s Psycho to 2024’s Conclave, suspense movies have been around for decades and will always find an appreciative audience. The genre has been in a bit of a slump lately, with fewer thrillers released in theaters than in its heyday in the ‘90s. That decade was arguably a high […]

The film revolves around Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man who lost his wife and his ability to make new long-term memories due to a brutal attack. Now, Leonard’s memories reset nearly every ten minutes, and he’s not sure if he can trust the people around him, including Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano). Everyone seems to take advantage of Leonard’s condition, including Leonard himself.

Memento is streaming on Peacock.

Led by Senior Editor and experienced critic Jason Struss, Watch With Us’ team of writers and editors sees almost every movie and TV show from the distant past to the present to determine what’s worth your time and money. Our countless hours of multimedia consumption — combined with years of experience in the entertainment industry — help us determine the best movies and TV shows you should be streaming right now. 
 
To be considered “the best,” these films and series can be visually engaging, intellectually stimulating or simply just fun to watch, but the one trait they must have is that they are all, in some way, entertaining. We then check which platform they are streaming on and how you can access them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements here — our recommendations are based purely on our love and interest for the films and shows we love.

Every science fiction story asks a question about tomorrow and talks about the unforeseen future. But the six R-rated films on this list all share the exact same dark premise. They look at a future where our own advancements turn against us. Not to mention their stories are great, and driven by cybernetic implants, advanced artificial intelligence, genetic cloning, and automated warfare.

Sounds interesting to hear but the problem is not the premise. The problem is what these filmmakers did with it. Instead of exploring these fascinating sci-fi ideas with intelligence, these movies traded deep concepts for mindless action, cheap thrills, unnecessary scenes and heavy violence. They took genuinely great science fiction premises and flattened them into forgettable box office disasters.

6

‘Johnny Mnemonic’ (1995)

Image via TriStar Pictures

The most surprising thing about Johnny Mnemonic is that it somehow manages to make very exciting concepts, boring. For instance, look at a premise involving cybernetic implants, digital storage in the human brain, and a futuristic conspiracy. All these things are perfect ingredients for a high-quality script, but this film fails to produce that. Johnny Mnemonic (Keanu Reeves) works as a courier who literally stores confidential data inside his own brain, though after accepting one dangerous job, he discovers that he is carrying more information than his mind can safely handle.

What I kept waiting for, however, was the movie to actually do something interesting with that idea. Instead, the film spends most of its runtime throwing Johnny into one noisy, confusing encounter after another. Keanu Reeves looks as if he understands that none of this makes sense, which honestly became part of the entertainment for me. After every few scenes, somebody introduces a new piece of futuristic technology or another complicated plot point, yet none of it ever feels connected to anything emotionally real. The strangest part is that the film constantly behaves as though it is blowing your mind when, in reality, you are mostly trying to stay awake.

5

‘Alien Resurrection’ (1997)

Image via 20th Century Studios

I think the biggest mistake Alien Resurrection makes happens before the movie even begins. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) died at the end of Alien 3 in a tragic way. Then Alien Resurrection simply brings her back through cloning and expects the audience to move on as if nothing happened. From that moment onward, the film never fully recovers.

It is hands down frustrating because there are moments where you can see a genuinely weird and interesting movie going to waste. Clone Ripley is unsettling in ways that the previous versions of the character never were, and some of the ideas involving identity and genetic experimentation could have led somewhere fascinating. I was less disturbed by the Xenomorphs than I was by the realization that the franchise had somehow made one of cinema’s greatest heroines feel like a side character in her own story.

4

‘Judge Dredd’ (1995)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

The first thing I remember about Judge Dredd are the fashion choices of the characters. Before Sylvester Stallone even says a word as Judge Joseph Dredd (Sylvester Stallone), the movie has already committed so aggressively to its ridiculous visual style that it becomes difficult to take anything seriously afterwards. Dredd is supposed to be an intimidating symbol of absolute law and authority but he often looks like somebody trying very hard to convince us that he is intimidating.

The worst part is that the film wasted a good script. A futuristic city governed by judges who act as police officers, juries, and executioners is actually a compelling idea. Yet the movie quickly abandons any interest in exploring that world and turns into a series of explosions, chases, and arguments delivered at maximum volume. Every time you think the film might finally settle down and develop an idea, somebody would crash through a wall or fire another oversized weapon; it feels like you are watching being shouted at for two hours.

3

‘Hardware’ (1990)

Image via Palace Pictures

Advertisement

For almost thirty minutes, everyone genuinely believed Hardware might turn into a cult classic. The film follows Mo Baxter (Dylan McDermott), who unknowingly brings home the remains of a military robot that eventually reconstructs itself and begins hunting artist Jill (Stacey Travis) inside her apartment. The story is simple, claustrophobic, and honestly pretty effective.

Then the movie slowly becomes trapped inside its own atmosphere. Every scene is so obsessed with looking grimy, futuristic, and disturbing that the story itself eventually disappears. I reached a point where I realized I was no longer following the characters or the plot. I was simply staring at smoke, flashing lights, metal walls, and increasingly loud sound effects. There is a good science-fiction horror movie buried somewhere inside Hardware that just failed to reach its full potential.

2

‘Split Second’ (1992)

Image via InterStar

Advertisement

Rutger Hauer plays detective Harley Stone, a man hunting a mysterious killer in a flooded futuristic London while consuming enough caffeine to endanger his own health. Honestly, that premise alone almost convinced me that Split Second deserved to become a cult favorite. For a while, I was willing to forgive nearly everything because Hauer commits so completely to playing a man who appears to have slept for about three hours over the previous decade.

The problem is that the movie never figures out what it wants its monster to be. Is this a detective story? A horror movie? A science-fiction action film? The answer changes every twenty minutes. There is something admirable about the film’s commitment to excess, though eventually that excess becomes exhausting. It just leaves you simply waiting to explain what exactly you had been watching all along.

1

‘Virus’ (1999)

Image via Universal Pictures

Advertisement

One of the worst things a science-fiction horror movie can do is make its central threat uninteresting because that’s the only thing that keeps the film going. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens in Virus. After a mysterious alien intelligence takes control of a Russian research vessel, Captain Robert Everton (Donald Sutherland) and Kelly Foster (Jamie Lee Curtis) find themselves fighting machines that have begun rebuilding human bodies into grotesque mechanical hybrids.

This should have been terrifying. Instead, I spent most of the movie admiring the practical effects while feeling absolutely nothing about the story itself. The film introduces horrifying concepts and then presents them with all the emotional impact of an instruction manual. Jamie Lee Curtis does everything she can to make her character believable, though even she eventually seems overwhelmed by the endless machinery, explosions, and shouting.

Advertisement

Virus

Advertisement

Release Date

January 15, 1999

Runtime

99 Minutes

Advertisement

Director

John Bruno

Advertisement

Writers

Chuck Pfarrer, Dennis Feldman

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Roommates, the conversation surrounding Nolan Wells hasn’t slowed down, and now another emotional chapter in the case is making headlines. As loved ones continue mourning the 18-year-old college football player, someone close to him, Warren Hudson, is now speaking out. And now, he’s drawing attention for something many people noticed during Wells’ homegoing service.

RELATED: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Says Ben Crump & Rev. Al Sharpton Are “Stoking Division” & Are To Blame For Threats Amid Nolan Wells Investigation

Warren Hudson Explains Why He Missed Nolan Wells’ Funeral

\Warren Hudson is addressing questions about his absence from Nolan Wells’ funeral in a recent interview.  Hudson says the past few weeks have been filled with grief and intense public scrutiny. Additionally, he shared these are circumstances he never expected to face while mourning someone he considered family.

Speaking on ‘The Officer Tatum’ podcast, Hudson explained that he made the difficult decision not to attend Wells’ funeral because he says he has received thousands of death threats since Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July boating trip. According to Hudson, he also feared that his presence would shift attention away from Nolan and his grieving family during a day that was meant to honor the late teen.

Hudson Says His Family Received Thousands Of Death Threats

Hudson shared that the threats weren’t only directed at him but also at members of his family, saying concerns for their safety ultimately outweighed his desire to attend the service. Furthermore, Hudson said missing the funeral was heartbreaking. He explained that he felt he had to prioritize protecting himself and his loved ones. Warren added that not being able to say goodbye to one of his best friends weighs heavily on him.

“With everything going on on social media right now with people saying the crazy things that they’re saying, I would never want to take the attention off of Nolan and his family,” Hudson shared. “They don’t deserve that.”

Investigation Into Nolan Wells’ Death Continues

Nolan Wells was reported missing after disappearing during a July 4 outing near Horn Island, Mississippi. His body was recovered on July 6 near the area where he was last seen. While the investigation remains ongoing, preliminary findings from an independent autopsy were released this week. Both the cause and manner of Wells’ death were listed as undetermined pending further investigation.

The 18-year-old was laid to rest Monday, July 20, during a packed funeral service in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where family, friends, and supporters gathered to celebrate his life. Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, delivered an emotional tribute through tears, promising that her family would continue fighting for answers. The service also drew several notable attendees, including Spike Lee and former NFL star Terrell Owens.

RELATED: Female Friend Whom Nolan Wells Spoke With On Horn Island Is Reportedly Identified, As Her Sister Speaks On Conversation They Allegedly Shared

Spider-Man is facing a problem too big for him to handle alone, and the Punisher is bringing considerably more firepower than webs. New footage from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” revealed Tom Holland’s hero and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle teaming up against Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in a destructive showdown. The movie is also giving Bernthal’s Punisher another major milestone: his first appearance on a Marvel Studios theatrical poster ahead of his big-screen MCU debut.

5

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was discussing the studio’s next December release when Bernthal interrupted to remind him that another Marvel movie was arriving first. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, July 31.

Marvel then played a clip from the film showing Hulk overpowering Spider-Man during an intense confrontation. Just as the green Avenger appears to have the upper hand, grenades fly into the fight. The person responsible is revealed to be Frank Castle, who has arrived to help Spider-Man despite facing an opponent seemingly impervious to ordinary weapons.

“Frank, what are you doing?” Spider-Man asks. “This is above your pay grade. It’s the Hulk!” he warns.

Punisher responds by firing a barrage of bullets, but they have no visible effect on Hulk.

Punisher And Spider-Man Combine Their Fighting Styles

The scene then shows Spider-Man using his webs to pull Castle across the floor in slow motion, creating an opening for the vigilante to continue firing at Hulk from the ground. Spider-Man eventually restrains Hulk with webbing as Punisher throws a small disc toward him. Hulk catches the device and appears unimpressed by the attempted attack. “Are you kidding?” he asks.

Castle then fires at the disc, triggering an explosion that sends Hulk flying backward. Although their first attacks fail, they quickly begin combining their dramatically different fighting styles.

The unlikely partnership also appears to generate some of the film’s comedy, particularly when Spider-Man questions whether Castle genuinely wants to remain in the fight. “Are you just trying to get out of fighting the Hulk?” he asks.

MJ Sent Frank Castle To Protect Spider-Man

5

After the explosion, Spider-Man and Punisher take cover behind a table and attempt to formulate another plan. The conversation reveals that Castle was originally supposed to be protecting MJ. However, MJ apparently instructed him to protect Spider-Man instead. The detail immediately captures Peter Parker’s attention.

“Did she actually say that?” Spider-Man asks.

“Are you blushing, daffodil?” Punisher responds.

Advertisement

Spider-Man tells Castle that he has a device capable of stopping Hulk. When Frank seemingly suggests doing something else, Peter accuses him of looking for an excuse to avoid continuing the battle. The exchange suggests that “Brand New Day” will balance its larger superhero conflict with the banter created by Spider-Man and Punisher’s mismatched personalities. It also provides a clue about Peter and MJ’s relationship, as Peter appears intrigued that she remains concerned about his safety.

Punisher Lands On His First Marvel Studios Movie Poster

5

Marvel Studios also released a new “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” poster created for the Chinese market. The artwork gives Bernthal’s Punisher a prominent position, marking the first time the character has appeared on a Marvel Studios theatrical movie poster.

Bernthal received fifth billing for the fourth “Spider-Man” installment, indicating that Castle could play a substantial role rather than making a brief appearance. His inclusion in a Spider-Man film also reflects the character’s comic-book beginnings. Punisher was first introduced in 1974’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” No. 129.

Although Castle has built a long live-action history since then, “Brand New Day” marks Bernthal’s first opportunity to portray him in a theatrical MCU movie.

Jon Bernthal Has Played Punisher For More Than A Decade

5

Bernthal first wore Punisher’s signature skull during the second season of “Daredevil.” His performance led to a two-season Netflix spin-off centered on Castle. The series was canceled in 2019, beginning a six-year absence for the character.

Punisher eventually returned during the first season of “Daredevil: Born Again,” appearing in Episode 4, “Sic Semper Systema,” and Episode 9, “Straight to Hell.” He joined forces with Daredevil during the TV-MA Disney+ series. Bernthal was absent from the second season and its final confrontation with Kingpin because of other MCU filming obligations.

Advertisement

Those projects included “The Punisher: One Last Kill,” a special released on Disney+ in May. At under one hour, the project was the closest Bernthal’s version of Castle had come to leading a Marvel Studios movie before “Brand New Day.”

Frank Castle Has A Long History On The Big Screen

5

Other actors portrayed the vigilante in theatrical projects before Bernthal joined the MCU. Dolph Lundgren played Castle in 1989’s “The Punisher,” which was released theatrically overseas and directly to video in the United States. Thomas Jane took over the role for the 2004 reboot and later returned in the 2012 fan-made short “The Punisher: Dirty Laundry.”

After plans for an official sequel were abandoned, Ray Stevenson played Castle in another reboot, “Punisher: War Zone.” Now, Bernthal will bring his version of Punisher to theaters alongside Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Ruffalo, and Tramell Tillman.

Ryan Reynolds’ surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con did not receive the universally enthusiastic response he may have expected. The “Deadpool” star crashed Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” presentation on Saturday, July 25, and jokingly attempted to secure a last-minute role in the already-completed blockbuster. While the Hall H exchange was played for laughs, critics online quickly accused Reynolds of being overexposed, inserting himself into another Marvel project, and using the moment as a publicity stunt.

5

Several online critics dismissed Reynolds’ Comic-Con cameo rather than celebrating the possibility of Deadpool joining “Avengers: Doomsday.”

“Ryan Reynolds begging for a ‘Doomsday’ cameo is pure desperation,” one person wrote. “Deadpool’s already overexposed and Marvel doesn’t need him wrecking another film.”

Another questioned whether the actor’s surprise appearance had been designed primarily to attract attention. “Wait, is this actually real or just another Ryan pr stunt, dude never misses a chance to insert himself into everything; kinda getting old at this point tbh,” the commenter shared.

Others used the Marvel appearance to criticize both Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively. “Nothing he does will save his career or his wife. They are DONE,” one person declared. Another remarked, “Probably needed a break from his lawsuit-happy wife.”

Robert Downey Jr. Tells Reynolds ‘It’s In The Can’

5

Reynolds appeared in Hall H as part of Marvel Studios’ presentation for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is set to introduce “X-Men” characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He joined several confirmed stars onstage, including Robert Downey Jr. and Paul Rudd.

Reynolds’ involvement in the upcoming movie has not been confirmed. He played into that uncertainty by asking the cast when production was scheduled to begin. “It’s in the can, bro,” Downey Jr. responded, confirming that filming had already been completed.

Downey then gestured toward the packed auditorium, where thousands of fans had gathered for information about Marvel’s future. “Look around you,” he told Reynolds. “Did you bump your head?”

Reynolds responded by pretending to be disappointed that his chance to join the film may have already passed. “I see. So there’s no additional photography, no overages, maybe last-minute additions…?” he asked.

The exchange suggested that Reynolds was jokingly lobbying for a Deadpool cameo rather than announcing that Wade Wilson would officially appear in “Doomsday.”

Critics Connect Appearance To Blake Lively’s Legal Drama

5

Several of the harshest reactions did not focus on Marvel or Deadpool at all. Instead, critics connected Reynolds’ return to the public spotlight with the ongoing controversy surrounding Lively.

One person referenced Reynolds concealing his face during the appearance and alleged that he would have faced a negative reception otherwise. “Makes sense he’s making a public appearance in a mask since he’d be booed showing his face after the train wreck case,” the commenter wrote.

Another speculated that the studio’s release plans had become complicated by the timing of Lively’s legal dispute. “Funny the studio has no choice but to release the film now since it was done when the mess of a lawsuit was happening (and now the fight of their greedy 8 million plus in legal fees lingers) in my view,” the critic shared. “I suppose they could wait a few years, but it seems to me it would likely do even worse by waiting.”

Ryan Reynolds Says Another Deadpool Film Is Coming

5

Despite the complaints that Deadpool has become “overexposed,” Reynolds has made it clear that he is continuing to develop the character’s future. The actor announced during an April 7 appearance at “Today’s Sunday Sitdown Live” that he had begun drafting another project involving the Merc with a Mouth.

He offered his most direct update yet at Fanatics Fest NYC earlier this month. “There’s a few really deep cuts that are missing from the movies, I think there’s a few deep cuts missing from some of the comics,” Reynolds said in a video shared on X on Sunday, July 19.

He pointed to material written by Deadpool comic creators Fabian Nicieza and Gerry Duggan as possible inspiration. “There’s certainly some stuff that I love that Fabian [Nicieza] wrote that is incredible. Gerry Duggan is a friend and an incredible comic book writer,” Reynolds continued. “There’s stuff coming, there eventually will be another ‘Deadpool’ film.”

Will Deadpool Join ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

5

Reynolds last played Wade Wilson in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide.

Although he has repeatedly suggested that he is not rushing into a conventional “Deadpool 4,” the actor has hinted that he is developing a different Marvel project involving the character and members of the X-Men universe.

His unannounced “Doomsday” appearance naturally fueled speculation that Deadpool could still turn up in the movie. However, neither Reynolds nor Marvel confirmed his possible appearance.

It’s been 22 years since we first boarded Oceanic Airlines flight 815 right before it crashed on a mysterious island in the middle of the ocean, but the legacy of Lost continues to loom large in the television landscape. Often regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, the series garnered attention critically and with audiences at home. It won 11 Primetime Emmys along with hundreds of other industry award nominations. In the zeitgeist, it became the show that everyone had to watch right when it came out, because no one wanted to be spoiled for what happened on the island this week.

Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, the series ran for 121 episodes over six seasons on ABC, with the show being one of the most expensive on the air at the time as it included an ensemble cast and was primarily filmed on location in Hawai’i. But the investment was ultimately worth it as Lost became such a big hit that, decades later, people are still arguing about whether the finale was good or not, talking about the smoke monster twist, and crying over the “Not Penny’s Boat” scene. Sitting down with co-showrunner Carlton Cuse at the 2nd edition of Italian Global Series, Cuse reflected not only on the popularity of the show, but how the television landscape was changed by a show like Lost.

How Network TV Shaped the Drama of ‘Lost’

“I think Lost was really propelled by the sudden emergence of social media.”

Before audiences were being shocked by Ned Stark’s sudden execution or Walter White’s dark transformation into Heisenberg, Lost was the show that everyone couldn’t stop talking about. By Season 3, Twitter had officially been created, setting up a perfect space for fans of the show to scream about the series and discuss the weekly twists and turns. “We happened to be making a TV show that was engaging and also confounding, and the perfect thing to be discussing on social media,” Cuse explains, thinking back to the height of Lost. “There was this incredible, inadvertent confluence of those two events, and I think Lost was really propelled by the sudden emergence of social media.”

At the time, TV seasons could run for 20+ episodes, and each episode had to be timed to 42 minutes and 30 seconds long. The episodes couldn’t have curse words; a new episode had to be made every eight days, according to Cuse, and the flow of the episode had to accommodate the commercials. Cuse recalls the challenges they faced in the writers’ room: “The constraints of having to have an act break shaped the way we broke the story, so we thought a lot in the writers’ room about, well, what’s the teaser out, what’s the episode out, what are ways in which we can really ensure that the audience doesn’t disappear during a commercial break?”

These constraints, as frustrating as they might be, formulated the perfect environment for the writers of the series. “That narrative structure, I think, really helped shape the way Lost exists,” Cuse admits. “We had to find emotional intensity other ways than just having graphic content, whether it’s extreme violence, sex, language, and it gave us an opportunity because we were doing things that other people weren’t doing, to really be more singular.”

Networks like ABC weren’t — and still aren’t — putting out shows like Lost at the time. Those studios are sustained by familiar procedurals, shows that anyone can drop into and dip out of without losing the plot. Cuse admits that Lost being so different gave the show a leg up in the TV landscape. “There weren’t network television shows that were highly serialized, that had a big sprawling cast, where characters had done really bad things, like murder people. So I think that we benefited enormously from doing Lost in a network environment.”

22 Years Later and TV Has New Problems That ‘Lost’ Never Faced

“I will probably end up spending two and a half years making eight episodes of television, all told…”

Image via ABC

Since the streaming boom and this new era of television, you’ll be hard-pressed to find shows with serialized stories like Lost lasting more than even 10 episodes, and it’s more than common to wait at least a year before another season drops. However, the pressure of that type of work environment, which led to Lost‘s success, isn’t necessarily something that Cuse wants to return to. “We made 24 episodes the first season, 23 the second season, 22, and then there was a strike short in a 14-episode season, and then we only made 17, and then 18. I mean, it’s insane when I think about it.”

“My partner, Damon Lindelof, and I would stay late in the office one or two nights a week until you know one or two in the morning, rewriting that week’s script, because we had to put a script out every eight days, and it’s kind of baffling that we were able to do it.” Cuse calls that traditional format of TV making “mind-boggling” and says that what exists today is completely different. “But I don’t really want to go back. I mean, it was just a very different time,” he says.

Cuse, who is currently working on a Netflix adaptation of Dan Brown‘s latest novel, The Secrets of Secrets, which follows Robert Langdon, the character formerly played by Tom Hanks in the three movies, is far happier with the pace of television making today. “I will probably end up spending two and a half years making eight episodes of television, all told, and it’s just completely different.”

Although this new approach is no doubt far less stressful on showrunners, it also means that extended productions lead to large gaps between seasons. Fans of these shows know firsthand what it’s like to feel like you’re waiting forever just for a handful of episodes to drop all on one day and then disappear again for another couple of years. HBO’s Euphoria had three years between Seasons 1 and 2 and then a whopping four years between Seasons 2 and 3. Netflix is known for its multi-year breaks between show seasons, with shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday having at least two years of a hiatus between seasons.

The problem with these long hiatuses is that whatever momentum is being built up during the show comes to a screeching halt by the finale. “I think I just read an article about how difficult it is for some streamers, how big a drop off there was in the second and subsequent seasons of most shows, and there are a few exceptions, but a lot of shows — even well-reviewed and regarded shows — are dropping off because audiences have lost any momentum they have for that show, because they have to wait a couple of years between seasons,” Cuse explains.

Can you imagine what it would be like to wait three years after “Through the Looking Glass,” the Season 3 finale of Lost that not only gave us the “Not Penny’s boat” moment but also the “We have to go back!” line from Jack? With so much happening on that show in terms of timelines, factions, and characters, waiting three years would take the wind out of the sails of such an impactful final moment, and that would be the case for any show trying to mimic the format of Lost. But, Cuse sees a new path forward for television that takes a more hybrid approach.

The Streaming Landscape Needs To Change and Carlton Cuse Knows How

“I think subsequent seasons of television are going to be more like movie sequels in a way.”

When asking Cuse if he thinks Lost would be the same sensation today as it was back in 2004, the producer admits, “I don’t think it would be quite as much of a phenomenon as it was back then; everything was so singular at that time.” But, in truth, the media landscape and the industry have been completely revolutionized in the last 22 years. How we watch TV is different, how we watch movies is different, and how we engage with media is completely different. While Lindelof and Cuse had to deal with how to get people to tune back in after a commercial break, showrunners today have to deal with how to keep people engaged after being gone from the cultural landscape for over a year.

For Cuse, the best way forward is to keep season stories contained rather than having multi-season arcs. “Personally, for me, I’m at a place right now where I like more limited storytelling,” he explains. “I created the show Jack Ryan with writer Graham Roland, and that show we have envisioned that each season was a complete story, and you could revisit it with a character. So, I think subsequent seasons of television are going to be more like movie sequels in a way, where they’ll tell an individual story with the beginning, middle, and end.”

This doesn’t mean that a throughline won’t always be there through a television show, but this approach allows for more complete stories to be told that won’t disappoint audiences if, God forbid, the show doesn’t come back until two years later or is cancelled altogether. “I think streamers will move to a place like in books, you know, there are many novelists who write books like Dan Brown with a certain character, but each story is its own closed-ended story.”

This is a pattern we’re already seeing in shows like Bridgerton, which is based on a romance novel series by Julia Quinn where each book follows a member of the family, but rather than having to read all the books in the series in order, you can jump in at any time. With the show focusing on one sibling every season, even with overarching storylines, the show becomes easier to keep up with. “I think you’re going to see more of that, because the idea of ending a show with a cliffhanger and expecting someone to remember what’s going on and pick it back up 18 months or two years later is really tough.”

Cuse points out that this method of storytelling will lead to a rise in more limited series, something that we’re already seeing more of today, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way forward for TV. “On the other hand, I think you’re starting to see another evolution, which is someone who’s a really great producer, like John Wells, really pushing and reinventing the model with The Pitt, where they’re making 15 episodes a season, and they’re continually going writing and producing, so there aren’t these big gaps,” Cuse says. “I think The Pitt is an example of a hybrid model where they’ve taken the traditional network model, and they’re trying to apply it to streaming.”

With so much changing in television today, it’s hard to imagine a show like Lost surviving, but old stories are being rebooted and revived daily, so what’s stopping us from getting a new version of this beloved show? Especially since Lost is still raking in millions of streaming hours even today. Well, Cuse is personally not interested in revisiting the world himself. “In the years following the show, it would get raised by executives at ABC, and they would ask if we were interested in doing it, and we were kind of unhesitant in saying no. We felt like the story we told, we told it, and I think a lot of the reboots of TV shows haven’t gone that well, and so I think the answer for us is very much no.”

However, don’t let that disappoint you if you are champing at the bit for more of those Lost twists. Cuse is fully open to the idea of someone else adapting the series, saying, “I do think and believe that at some point some talented young writer or writers will come to ABC and say, ‘Hey, we have a great idea to do another story in the Lost world,’ and they’ll do it, and that would be great. I don’t have a problem with somebody else telling a story in the world of Lost. But I don’t see us doing it.” One can only hope that if (or more realistically, when) that time comes around, the studio involved will take a bit of advice from Cuse and adapt to this new approach to TV storytelling rather than try and catch lightning in a bottle twice with the old.

Advertisement

Release Date

2004 – 2010-00-00

Advertisement

Showrunner

Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse

Advertisement

Directors

Jack Bender, Paul A. Edwards, Tucker Gates, Eric Laneuville, Bobby Roth, Greg Yaitanes, Daniel Attias, J.J. Abrams, Karen Gaviola, Kevin Hooks, Rod Holcomb, Stephen Semel, Adam Davidson, Alan Taylor, David Grossman, Deran Sarafian, Fred Toye, Mario Van Peebles, Marita Grabiak, Mark Goldman, Matt Earl Beesley, Michael Zinberg, Paris Barclay, Robert Mandel

Writers

Advertisement

Jim Galasso, Christina M. Kim, Graham Roland, Kyle Pennington, Brent Fletcher, Dawn Lambertsen Kelly, Janet Tamaro, Jeffrey Lieber, Paul Dini, Jordan Rosenberg

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Netflix takes pride in its roster of thrillers. From the post-apocalyptic Bird Box and the TSA anxiety of Carry-On to the hit crime action Rebel Ridge, the streamer has a knack for reimagining all kinds of scenarios—from the ordinary to the highly specific—and showing the many ways they can spiral out of control. Whether it’s a case of jealousy gone wrong or a classic detective mystery with a motive for everyone, these thrillers deliver much-needed suspense.

With tightly written scripts that leave little room for wasted moments and cinematography designed to make viewers feel as uneasy as the conflict itself, Netflix’s thrillers know how to keep audiences on edge. While the platform’s biggest hits have had their time in the spotlight, its underrated films deserve just as much recognition. In honor of those overlooked gems, here are forgotten Netflix thriller movies that are perfect from start to finish.

‘Fair Play’ (2023)

Image via Netflix

All’s fair in love and war. Fair Play follows freshly engaged Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), who look like the perfect pair. But when a promotion gets in their way, it’s a corporate battle from here on out. When Emily receives the coveted role instead of Luke, their once-supportive romance descends into a workplace rivalry gone wrong. From sarcastic, passive-aggressive remarks to a full-blown case of abuse, Fair Play exposes how fragile men can be at the sight of a woman’s success.

With Chloe Domont‘s relentlessly paced script, Fair Play continually ups the ante as Luke’s mounting anxiety spirals out of control. Despite Emily clearly being the more talented of the two, jealousy brings out the worst in Luke, pushing him to sabotage her success. It’s a biting commentary on how toxic ambition, particularly from a male perspective, can destroy another person — especially when that person is the one you love. The scary part is that Emily’s experience as a woman, where gender microaggressions are still present in corporate, is not far from fiction.

‘Reptile’ (2023)

Image via Netflix

Reptile follows Detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) as he investigates the brutal murder of real estate agent Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz). Together with his partner Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh), the two ask around those closest to the victim. Their suspects include boyfriend Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), estranged husband Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman), and local troublemaker Eli Phillips (Michael Carmen Pitt). While the evidence seems to point toward an obvious culprit, Tom refuses to accept the easy answer.

Reptile keeps audiences questioning because all three suspects have evidence tying them to different crimes. Through a familiar crime thriller formula, supported by del Toro’s strongest performance since Sicario, Reptile requires audiences to notice the inconsistencies. Just because someone is guilty doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the perpetrator behind the central crime. However, it does suggest that forces far bigger than del Toro’s detective are at play. What initially seems like a single case escalates into a wide corruption scheme, giving Reptile its man-versus-the-system edge.

‘The Killer’ (2023)

Image via Netflix

Gritty, bloody, and stylish, The Killer is a nod to the sleek hitman genre. After missing a high-profile sniper assassination in Paris, a nameless contract killer returns to his hideout in the Dominican Republic only to find his girlfriend brutally attacked in retaliation. Abandoning his rule of never making a job personal, he ventures across the United States to find the person responsible, bringing him to the client he ordered the cleanup back in France.

The Killer shows another side of the hitman profession. Beneath all the traveling, Michael Fassbender‘s detached voiceover reveals that the life of a contract killer is a lonely one, making the assault of his girlfriend even more personal. Because any sign of his true identity could expose him, he lives in constant isolation, whether he’s working from abandoned WeWork offices or relying on food delivery apps. There’s nothing glamorous about contract killing, especially when you’re too detached to reap the rewards.

‘His House’ (2020)

Image via Netflix

His House follows Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), refugees fleeing the civil war in South Sudan, as they undertake a dangerous trip of survival to Britain. However, along the way, they lose the young girl they claimed as their daughter during the crossing. Granted temporary asylum, they are assigned a rundown house and warned that leaving could result in deportation. As they struggle with their new surroundings, the last thing they would expect is an apeth, a sinister night witch tied to their past.

Unlike your typical supernatural ghosts, His House presents another kind of demon — one born from survivor’s guilt, grief, and displacement. Amid the jump scares and heart-racing tension lies the heartbreaking reality of living with the consequences of the impossible choices Bol and Rial were forced to make to survive. As much as it is a haunted-house horror film, His House also explores the effects of racism, xenophobia, and the expectations placed on refugees.

‘The Good Nurse’ (2022)

Based on the crimes of the real-life serial killer, The Good Nurse shows how danger can lurk even within an institution that’s meant to save people from death. Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain), a compassionate nurse and single mother, struggles to support her family while hiding a life-threatening heart condition. Thankfully, she receives the help she needs at work when the thoughtful Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) joins her shift as a fellow nurse. But beneath his warm smile, Amy begins to feel that something’s off about him.

It’s tough to play a character who is both disarmingly kind and deeply sinister, yet Redmayne nails the balance. At the beginning of The Good Nurse, Amy and Charlie share a sincere, trusting friendship as they bond over the exhaustion of working night shifts in the ICU, making it all the more heartbreaking when Amy discovers Charles’ true nature. While the film ultimately points to larger forces at fault for allowing Charlie to remain in the hospital’s hallways, it grounds the story in a heartfelt connection that goes sideways.

‘The Platform’ (2019)

Image via Netflix

In The Platform, Goreng (Iván Massagué) voluntarily enters The Hole, a mysterious vertical prison, hoping to earn an accredited diploma after serving six months. Inside, he discovers a brutal system where two inmates occupy each level, and a descending platform delivers food from the top down, leaving those on lower floors to starve. Every month, prisoners awaken on a different level, forcing them to experience privilege and deprivation alike — the latter spiraling into cannibalism, violence, and the collapse of morality.

Even in this dystopian prison, the unjust system persists. It’s a high-concept sci-fi thriller at its best, but The Platform is ultimately a powerful social allegory about wealth inequality, greed, and the darker side of human nature. Every monthly floor change brings new twists, forcing viewers to ask whether they would share their food or consume everything out of fear of ending up on a lower level. The slightest chance of survival pushes these inhabitants to consider the moral limits they are willing to cross.

‘Hold the Dark’ (2018)

Image via Netflix

No place makes a better backdrop for a thriller than the remote wilderness of Alaska. Hold the Dark is set in the aftermath of the disappearance of three children believed to have been killed by wolves. Retired naturalist and wolf expert Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) is summoned by grieving mother Medora (Riley Keough) to track down her missing six-year-old son. As Core digs deeper into the case, he realizes that Medora’s account may not be entirely truthful.

Hold the Dark is a prime example of how the brutality of nature and the darkness of the human mind are deeply intertwined. Despite its icy setting, Hold the Dark has the gritty appeal of a Western, with Russell battling not only a supposed killer but also the unforgiving glacial wilderness. In the isolation of remote Alaska, people are free to commit horrific acts with little fear of consequences, leaving Russell with no one nearby to rely on.

Advertisement

Hold the Dark

Advertisement

Release Date

September 22, 2018

Runtime

125 minutes

Advertisement

Director

Jeremy Saulnier

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

With Christopher Nolan‘s latest epic, The Odyssey, continuing its box-office domination this weekend, studios preferred to stay out of its way. Even Sony might be concerned about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which debuts in a week. The movie will court an entirely different demographic, but The Odyssey is on a generational run, outpacing both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. This weekend, the movie overtook two previous Nolan films — Tenet and Batman Begins — and was essentially given a wide berth by competitors. The only other new releases were Hadestown: The Musical, a filmed adaptation of the Broadway production that serves as an unusual companion piece to The Odyssey, and the action movie Motor City.

Starring Alan Ritchson, Motor City is being distributed domestically in around 1,600 theaters by the Independent Film Company. Ritchson has cemented himself as one of the streaming industry’s foremost stars over the years, and it’s no coincidence that Prime Video chose to release fresh trailers for his career-defining hit Reacher and its spin-off Neagley, on the same day as Motor City‘s release. The movie premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2025, where it received mostly positive reviews. The wider reception for the film remained mostly favorable following its commercial release, and it now holds a 65% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. In his review, Collider’s Aidan Kelley wrote that the movie is “a thrill ride that has some janky turns and bumps, but the bulk of it is a smooth journey that has some really interesting things to say without saying a word.”

Here’s How Much ‘Motor City’ Grossed in Its Box Office Debut

With The Odyssey topping the charts once again, grossing around $85 million — a record for Nolan — in its second weekend, Hadestown: The Musical grossed just under $10 million for a top-five finish. Motor City found a spot in the top 10 despite its limited release, grossing around $1.6 million over the weekend against a reported budget of $30 million. Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, the movie also features Ben Foster, Ben McKenzie, Pablo Schreiber, and Shailene Woodley in supporting roles. Reacher, meanwhile, will return for a fourth season in August, while Neagley will be released in September. You can watch Motor City in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

July 24, 2026

Runtime

Advertisement

103 Minutes

Director

Potsy Ponciroli

Advertisement

Writers

Chad St. John

Advertisement

Producers

Greg Silverman, Jon Berg, Chad St. John, Cliff Roberts, Joshua Harris

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Reacher universe is expanding rapidly, mainly because it’s becoming far too big to contain to just one (admittedly giant) man, and Prime Video used its San Diego Comic-Con panel to unveil new footage from both Reacher Season 4 and its first television spin-off, Neagley. But that wasn’t the only news they dropped for fans.

Maria Sten, who’s played Neagley on screen since the first season of Reacher, had another surprise waiting for the Ballroom 20 audience. Frances Neagley is now officially getting her own novel, which is a first for the series. During the panel, Sten announced that Lee Child and author Yasmin Angoe are collaborating on the first standalone Neagley novel, titled Zero Margin. The book is scheduled to be released in March 2027.

Neagley has long been one of Reacher’s most trusted allies, but Zero Margin will give her an adventure entirely of her own. Her role was expanded significantly from the novels due to the fact Reacher tends to do a lot of work in his own head, which wouldn’t be particularly appealing televisiually. It was thought a character who could help with exposition would be a good addition to the series, so Neagley emerged and proved to be so popular that she’s appeared in all three seasons so far, as well as her own series.

What Is ‘Neagley’ About?

The news arrived alongside the first teaser for Neagley, which showed the similarities and the differences between the two shows. Neagley is a bit… cooler, than Reacher, who tends to deal with things like a blunt object whereas Neagley is more akin to a Swiss army knife. The show follows her as she works as a private investigator in Chicago, launching her own dangerous investigation after a close friend is killed in dodgy circumstances.

The series stars Greyston Holt (The Night Agent), Adeline Rudolph (Hellboy: The Crooked Man), Jasper Jones (King Ivory), Matthew Del Negro (Mayor of Kingstown), Damon Herriman (Justified), Cassandra Freeman (Bel-Air) and Marshall Cook (All American).

The panel also confirmed that Reacher Season 5 will be based on Make Me, the 20th novel in Child’s series. Alan Ritchson (Fast X) revealed the news as production continues on the next instalment, even before Season 4 makes its debut. Talk about a busy guy.

All episodes of Neagley premiere September 16 on Prime Video.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Cast

• 

  Maria Sten

  Frances Neagley

  Advertisement
• 

  Greyston Holt

  Detective Hudson Riley

• 
• 

  Matthew Del Negro

  Advertisement

  Pierce Woodrow

Advertisement

Advertisement