Courteney Cox shared a heartwarming tribute to late Friends director James Burrows following his death at age 85.

“I will miss you so much Jimmy… the joy and laughter you brought to everyone who knew you. How much you cared… but I know your light will always be shining on us,” Cox, 62, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, June 20.

In her memorial post, Cox shared a humorous memory of Burrows, who directed 15 episodes of Friends, including the 1994 pilot, “The One Where It All Began.”

“Jimmy B called me Cox-N-Hammer,” she revealed. “I have no idea why or what it means, but I just went with it ‘cause he was Jimmy Burrows.”

The Monica Geller actress recalled that Burrows was a crucial influence on the Friends cast early in the show’s run, often dispensing advice and preparing them for superstardom.

“He always referred to us as ‘the kids’… he took the cast under his wing and taught us everything we needed to know — whether through his direction, or telling us how things in our lives were gonna unfold — never sugar-coating anything and he was always right,” she wrote on Saturday. “I would beg him to make more time to direct us, but so did all of his other shows, because everything was better when he was around. You felt safe and confident and man, what a blast we had!”

Cox also touched on her relationship with Burrows away from the Friends set, explaining that she relished watching his courtship with second wife Debbie Easton before their 1997 wedding. (Burrows shared three daughters with his first wife, Linda Solomon, as well as a stepdaughter with Easton.)

“I’m not sure how someone with that much talent, wisdom, and adoration could be so egoless,” she added. “Making anything the best it could be was all that mattered to Jimmy… well, that and his wonderful kids and his beautiful wife, Debbie. I so loved watching them fall in love.”

Burrows’ family announced on Friday, June 19, that the 11-time Emmy winner died at age 85 following a short illness.

“Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter. It was about humanity, connection and truth,” his family statement read. “His influence will continue to be felt for generations through the countless artists he inspired, the stories he helped tell and the millions of people whose lives were brightened by his work. … He will be profoundly missed and forever remembered.”

Burrows directed for many of television’s most famous sitcoms, including Will & Grace, Frasier, The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He cocreated Cheers with Glen and Les Charles in 1982.

The director was inducted into the TV Hall of Fame in 2006 and received his own NBC career tribute in 2016, which featured a rare reunion with the cast of Friends.

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Following Burrows’ death, Cox’s Friends costar Jennifer Aniston remembered the TV director as a “father figure” early in her career.

Related: Jennifer Aniston Shares Sweet Photos From Friendsgiving With Courteney Cox

Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox got Us in the holiday spirit by kicking off Thanksgiving early. “A few scenes from Friendsgiving,” Aniston, 55, wrote via Instagram on Monday, November 25, alongside Polaroids of the pair all smiles at the party. Aniston and Cox, 60, formed a friendship after starring on Friends from 1994 to 2004. […]

“His own incredible children were generous enough to share him with all of us who were lucky enough to experience his unicorn presence,” Aniston wrote via Instagram on Saturday. “He was a father figure to me. He always checked in on me. He worried about me, celebrated me, taught me, guided me and held me through the hardest times and the best of times. He spoiled us rotten.”

She went on, “Most of all, he taught us — the kids — how important it is to love and respect one another. To take care of each other. To have each other’s backs and support each other, no matter what. And we did just that.”

Forget 300, which many may consider Gerard Butler‘s best film ever; the award-winning Scottish actor is now garnering attention for an entirely different feature released just three years ago. That year saw Butler star in and produce two prominent action titles, both of which have experienced some sort of revival in recent days thanks to streaming. One of those titles recently found a new streaming home in the United States, prompting a resurgence that no one saw coming.

Directed by Jean-François Richet from a screenplay by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davis, Plane is Butler’s critically acclaimed action thriller released by Lionsgate on January 13, 2023. The film sees him portray Brodie Torrance, a commercial pilot and former RAF pilot from Scotland, who saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island controlled by rebels. Also starring is Mike Colter as Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer being transported by the FBI and who ends up helping Brodie when things get salty on the island.

Earlier this month, Plane landed on Prime Video, where it has quickly become a major favorite over the past two weeks and more. This week alone has seen the intense film rank among the top 10 movies on the streamer in the U.S., even reaching as high as the fifth spot a few days ago. Additionally, Plane is trending on the Apple TV Store internationally in Saudi Arabia and Taiwan as well as on Infinity+ in Italy.

Is There a ‘Plane’ Sequel?

Boasting a Certified Fresh 79% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 175 reviews, Plane is certainly worth watching. The audience rating is even more impressive, a laudable 94%, with the consensus describing it as “good old-fashioned fun” featuring a preposterous plot “loaded with entertaining action.” As for its finances, Plane grossed $32.1 million in North America, and $42.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $74.5 million against a $25 million budget.

Two years after Plane’s successful release, a sequel titled Ship was announced, with Colter set to reprise his role as Louis Gaspare and Butler possibly making a cameo appearance. Director Richet was also expected to return as an executive producer. Unfortunately, Colter recently revealed that the Plane sequel had been canceled, apparently because Butler had exited the project two weeks before filming was expected to begin.

Plane streams on Prime Video.

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Release Date

January 13, 2023

Runtime

107 minutes

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Director

Jean-François Richet

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Writers

J.P. Davis, Charles Cumming

Producers

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Gerard Butler, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Marc Butan, Mark Vahradian, Alan Siegel

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War movies are some of the hardest films to get right. Plenty of them can deliver impressive battle sequences, but not all of them can make the audience care about the people caught in the middle of the conflict. The truth is that spectacle alone isn’t always enough. There’s no denying that wars shape history, but translating those events into compelling stories requires far more than explosions and intense combat sequences.

Now, there are plenty of films that strike that balance. However, some of the genre’s most impressive achievements often get overlooked because they refuse to follow the traditional mold. Instead of simply recreating famous battles, they experiment with perspective, feature unconventional protagonists, or approach familiar conflicts from entirely new angles. Here are six such underrated war movies that break away from predictable tropes and are as close as it gets to perfection.

1

‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ (2003)

Image via Universal Pictures

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a war movie that deserved to become a full franchise because of how grand its narrative was. Peter Weir’s epic is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and follows Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), the commander of HMS Surprise, after his ship is ambushed and badly damaged by the French privateer Acheron. The story picks up when Aubrey decides to repair the ship at sea and continue the chase instead of returning to port because he believes that stopping Acheron is worth the risk. Now, this isn’t a predictable fast-paced naval action movie but a tense, slow-burning hunt, where every decision carries weight.

Weir doesn’t rush from one battle to the next. He lets the audience experience the boredom, fear, loyalty, and exhaustion of life at sea. Aubrey’s friendship with ship surgeon Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is the film’s emotional core and grounds all the spectacle in something that feels human. Master and Commander: Far Side of the World comes pretty close to perfection thanks to its incredible sense of immersion. The HMS Surprise is a world in its own, and because the film spends so much time showing the crew as people, every conflict they find themselves in hits hard. Perhaps the film was a little too old-fashioned to be turned into a blockbuster franchise, but it’s definitely a war film that only gets better with time.

2

‘The Thin Red Line’ (1998)

Image via 20th Century Studios

The Thin Red Line often gets overshadowed whenever discussions about great war films come up, primarily because it was released in the same year as Saving Private Ryan. However, Terrence Malick’s World War II epic sets out to do something completely different. The story takes place during the Guadalcanal campaign in the Pacific Theater and follows the soldiers of C Company as they are sent to capture a heavily fortified Japanese position. Along the way, the narrative shifts between multiple perspectives, including the idealistic soldier Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) and the cynical First Sergeant Welsh (Sean Penn), along with several other men struggling to survive a conflict they barely understand.

The Thin Red Line isn’t interested in the logistics of military strategy or grand war heroics. That’s not to say the film doesn’t feature some of the most impressive action sequences of all time, but the premise uses war as a lens to explore larger questions about humanity. The contrast between the violence unfolding on Guadalcanal and the breathtaking jungles, wildlife, rivers, and open skies really drives that point home. The Thin Red Line lingers on the quieter moments of war, including the impact it leaves on the soldiers caught in the crossfire. That approach may not be for everyone, but that doesn’t take away from the brilliance of The Thin Red Line.

3

‘Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War’ (2004)

Image via Showbox.
 

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War is one of the most successful films in South Korean history, but it remains surprisingly under the radar for many Western audiences. The war epic, directed by Kang Je-gyu, follows brothers Lee Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) and Lee Jin-seok (Won Bin), whose lives turn upside down when they are forcibly drafted into the South Korean army following the outbreak of the Korean War. That premise expands into a tragedy that stays with the audience long after the credits roll. The film’s greatest strength is how personal it feels despite its massive scale. The Korean War serves as the backdrop, but the emotional core is always the relationship between Jin-tae and Jin-seok.

Jin-tae’s initial attempts to earn a military decoration so his brother can be sent home initially come from a place of love, but the horrors of combat slowly transform him into someone completely unrecognizable. Watching that transformation unfold is heartbreaking because the audience understands exactly why and how it happens. That emotional journey gives the film a level of weight that many war stories struggle to achieve. Of course, Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War also features its fair share of battle sequences that place viewers directly in the middle of the carnage. However, none of that is for the sake of pure shock value. Every explosion and casualty serves to reinforce the film’s central message about the devastating consequences of war. Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War refuses to portray its conflict as black or white, and that’s what makes it so powerful.

4

‘’71’ (2014)

Image via StudioCanal

’71 doesn’t focus on large-scale battles and military campaigns like most other war films. Instead of following an army, the film follows a single soldier trying to survive one terrifying night. The story is set during the early years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and centers on young British Army recruit Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell), who is deployed to Belfast in 1971. During a riot that spirals out of control, Hook becomes separated from his unit and is left stranded in hostile territory. Suddenly, he finds himself trapped in a city he barely understands, surrounded by armed groups, shifting loyalties, and people who may either help him or kill him. What makes ’71 so effective is that it places the audience in the same position as Hook.

The film doesn’t stop to explain every political faction or historical detail. Instead, viewers experience the confusion, fear, and uncertainty through the eyes of a young soldier who has been thrown into a situation he is not equipped to deal with at all. This sense of uncertainty results in a thriller where danger can come from almost anywhere, and trusting anyone is risky. The film conveys this urgency with its handheld camerawork, gritty production design, and relentless pacing that makes Belfast feel claustrophobic. ’71 transforms history into a tense, immersive experience, and that approach works because it’s grounded in genuine fear instead of spectacle.

5

‘A Bridge Too Far’ (1977)

Image via United Artists

War movies usually build toward victory, but A Bridge Too Far doesn’t. Richard Attenborough’s epic tells the story of Operation Market Garden, the ambitious Allied plan to seize a series of bridges in the Netherlands and create a direct route into Germany that could potentially end World War II months earlier. The operation involved more than 35,000 airborne troops dropped behind enemy lines while British ground forces raced north to relieve them. On paper, it sounded brilliant. In reality, it became one of the most famous military failures of the war. Now, A Bridge Too Far doesn’t try to rewrite that history or paint defeat as triumph. The film carefully shows how a combination of overconfidence, flawed intelligence, communication failures, logistical problems, and plain bad luck gradually pushes the operation toward disaster. The story follows dozens of commanders and soldiers spread across the battlefield, including General Roy Urquhart (Sean Connery), Lieutenant Colonel John Frost (Anthony Hopkins), General James Gavin (Ryan O’Neal), and Major Julian Cook (Robert Redford).

Despite its stacked cast, the film does an impressive job of making the operation easy to understand for all kinds of audiences. A Bridge Too Far’s scale of production feels grand even today. Attenborough recreated airborne drops, armored advances, and urban battles using real aircraft, practical effects, and thousands of extras. Even critics who were divided on the film couldn’t help but acknowledge the sheer craftsmanship involved in bringing all this to life long before CGI became the standard. Aside from all that, though, A Bridge Too Far presents a different perspective on war and serves as a reminder that sometimes, the most compelling stories aren’t the victorious ones.

6

‘Tigerland’ (2000)

Image via New Regency Productions

Tigerland builds its entire story around the uncertainty faced by young men who know they will soon be sent to Vietnam. The film takes place in 1971, right as the United States was steadily losing the war, and follows rebellious draftee Private Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell), who is stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Bozz openly despises the military and constantly challenges authority, but beneath all that defiance, he genuinely cares about the men around him. The protagonist forms an unlikely friendship with aspiring writer Jim Paxton (Matthew Davis) and becomes the unofficial protector of his fellow recruits while navigating the brutal final stages of training before deployment to Vietnam.

Tigerland is compelling because it isn’t really about combat. Instead, the film’s central conflict comes from the looming reality that hangs over these young men. The film explores how different recruits cope with that fear. Some embrace the military, some break under the pressure, and others desperately look for a way out. Bozz sits at the center of it all as a fascinating contradiction, and watching him clash with authority is the most fascinating part of the story. Tigerland strips away the spectacle usually associated with war movies and adopts a realistic, almost documentary-like style to focus on its characters. The film sets out to capture a specific moment in history instead of the entire war itself, and in doing so, it turned into one of the most thoughtful entries in the genre.

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Tigerland

Release Date

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October 6, 2000

Writers

Ross Klavan, Michael McGruther

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At the 98th Academy Awards, many outstanding movies stole the headlines, representing a superb year for cinema. The global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters flew the flag for animation, while international cinema was celebrated via the Danish-Norwegian drama Sentimental Value. Blockbusters were given their due thanks to Apple’s F1, and even the horror genre found Academy gold courtesy of Weapons. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s vampire flick Sinners were the night’s most notable winners, but there was one glaring omission from any of the categories, and it was all its own fault.

Of course, we’re talking about Wicked: For Good, the musical sequel to the 2024 first half that won over the hearts and minds of both audiences and critics. Sadly, this sequel proved ultimately disappointing, unable to live up to the high bar set by the first installment, and eventually earning a total of zero Academy Award nominations. However, there is still lots to love about Wicked: For Good, such as fresh new music, some darker themes, and a pair of excellent lead performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with the latter perhaps unlucky not to find herself nominated for the second year in a row.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good might’ve disappointed critics, but it still found box office success, turning in a global haul of $532 million against a reported $150 million budget. Split between a domestic haul of $343 million and a further $189 million from overseas markets, Wicked: For Good was the year’s highest-grossing musical, and has since found streaming success on Peacock. Now it’s about to make the move to the world’s biggest streamer, as the musical sequel debuts on Netflix on July 20.

Ariana Grande Will Return in Another Big Hollywood Sequel

For Grande fans, her recent work in some of the biggest Hollywood titles has felt well-deserved. Later this year, she will provide a fresh face to a memorable returning cast in the fourth film in the Fockers franchise, Focker-in-Law. Grande joins Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Skyler Gisondo, and Beanie Feldstein in an all-star cast with the film set to be released theatrically by Universal Pictures on November 25, 2026.

Wicked: For Good comes to Netflix next month. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

November 21, 2025

Runtime

137 Minutes

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Writers

Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire

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Producers

Marc Platt, David Stone

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Pool and beach season is here, and Bethenny Frankel found a slimming one-piece suit so good, you’ll want it in multiple colors. The retro bathing suit is fitting for poolside lounging and beach days alike.

Frankel shared her Amazon find in an Instagram post, and we were thrilled to see that real shoppers are just as obsessed with it. The Suuksess Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit has an open back and halter top, so you can tie it as tight or loose as you’d like. You’ll get the support you need without feeling suffocated in the heat.

Get the Suuksess Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit for $35 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The Suuksess swimsuit offers tummy control, thanks to ruching in the stomach area. The one-piece is fully lined and has a removable padded bra. And if you don’t want the halter top pulling on your neck, you can tuck the straps in, and it works as a strapless bathing suit, as well.

Frankel showed off the black and white swimsuit, but it comes in various other color combinations. The former The Real Housewives of New York City star suggested pairing this suit with a belt or skirt, which is ideal for grabbing lunch by the beach or looking a bit more elevated. Something tells Us this slimming one-piece won’t go to waste this season!

Real-life Amazon shoppers agree: This swimsuit is super flattering and actually offers tummy control. Plus, it provides solid coverage and is very comfortable.

“I love this suit! It has a vintage vibe. Not high cut in the hips and offers full coverage in the back. The tummy control is perfect! I have a long torso and the fit was great!” a five-star reviewer shared.

“This one-piece swimsuit is both supportive and stylish. The tummy control feature offers a smoothing effect without feeling too tight, and the design accentuates curves in all the right places,” one verified purchaser said.

Going swimsuit shopping isn’t always the most fun experience, which is why we’re happy Frankel pointed out an Amazon option that’s flattering in the stomach area. Summer, here we come!

Get the Suuksess Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit for $35 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more one-piece swimsuits here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Bethenny Frankel Just Wore the Rich Girl Swimsuit of Our Dreams

Beach season is right around the corner, and Bethenny Frankel just proved that one-piece swimsuits can be sexy. Truly, you don’t need to show excessive amounts of skin on the beach. Frankel kept things classy — yet head-turning — in her deep-cut black one-piece, which beautifully accentuated her waist with a gold-buckle belt. Not only […]

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There are plenty of romantic stories coming out this year that you can’t afford to miss. After breaking box office records with the rom-com Anyone But You, director Will Gluck is back in the genre with One Night Only, starring Top Gun: Maverick‘s Monica Barbaro opposite Masters of the Air star Callum Turner. Focus Features will later bring the fifth adaptation of the Jane Austen classic Sense and Sensibility to the screen, featuring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Fiona Shaw, and more.

But the most exciting romantic tale to come in the second half of 2026 is the conclusion of a beloved Netflix series, which has been praised endlessly for bringing representation and breaking down barriers for young people across the world. Of course, we’re talking about Alice Oseman‘s young-adult series Heartstopper, which first aired in 2022 and earned 53.46 million hours viewed in its first three weeks. Two years later, Season 2 drew 55.5 million hours viewed in the same amount of time, with Season 3 achieving similar success.

On July 17, the young love story between Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) will come to an end, as they face a pivotal crossroads on the cusp of adulthood. Directed by Wash Westmoreland, Heartstopper Forever promises one final touching chapter in this endearing story, sure to bring its audience to both tears and laughter. Joining Connor and Locke in the feature-length finale are William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Jenny Walser, Rhea Norwood, and Leila Khan. A synopsis for the third season reads:

“Nick is soon leaving for university — which will push him and Charlie into a long-distance relationship. As Charlie says in the first few seconds of the trailer, above, they’re haunted by the idea that ‘everyone thinks teenage relationships don’t last.’ Will Nick and Charlie beat the odds?”

‘Heartstopper’ Is Growing Up

Oseman and co have been keen to increase the maturity of each season of Heartstopper, to reflect the in-world aging of their characters and the real-world aging of their fans. In the feature film, which sees Charlie and Nick about to blossom into adults, the maturity dial has been turned up once again, with more nuanced themes related to relationships ready to be discussed. “Heartstopper starts like a fairy tale and a bit idealistic, in a beautiful way that we all love,” said Oseman in an interview. “But in the film, we’re taking a slightly grittier look at romance and what it is to be in a long-term relationship. I find that fascinating and exciting.”

Heartstopper Forever debuts on July 17. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

2022 – 2024-00-00

Showrunner

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Alice Oseman

Directors

euros lyn, Andy Newbery

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Writers

Alice Oseman

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Taylor Swift just proved lipstick isn’t the secret behind her signature red lip. While watching Taylor Swift’s End of an Era docuseries, I caught the songstress applying the Smashbox Be Legendary Line & Prime Lip Pencil in True Red. It was obvious to tell it’s one of her tried-and-true makeup products because the pencil was whittled away to a little nub — a true sign that this lip liner is well-loved.

This silky lip liner is made with ingredients you’d find in most hydrating lip balms, including sunflower seed and jojoba oils, that soften lips and keep them comfortable throughout the day — or 12 hours to be exact. The creamy formula also doesn’t tug or skip; it beautifully glides as you apply for a perfect outline every time.

Get the Smashbox Be Legendary Line & Prime Lip Pencil for $24 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

As someone who has worked in the beauty industry for nearly a decade, I know that it doesn’t matter how long-lasting a lipstick formula is. The real trick to the perfect lip look is a smudge-proof lip liner base. Swift knows this, and it’s the real reason you never see her vibrant lip color bleeding outside of the lines.

Here’s the thing with lip liners, though: Using them is like a double-edged sword. Will lining your lips prior to swiping on lipstick make your pout impermeable? Yes. However, many lip pencil formulas are drying and can accentuate cracks and lines. The Smashbox one isn’t like other lip liners, though.

If you plan on wearing red lipstick, this liner in True Red is a necessary addition to your routine. That said, even if you aren’t wearing a red hue, it’s a good idea to stock a neutral color in your makeup bag — especially if you’re over 40.

As we age, our lips become drier and thinner with age, which results in annoying feathering when you apply lipstick. Older shoppers who have purchased this say it fixes the issue.

“This lip liner is a must have for older women who struggle with feathering or lipstick bleeding into lines around the lips,” one Amazon reviewer said. “It definitely helps to reduce that and keeps the lipstick on your lips, not in your wrinkles!”

If you’ve struggled with lipstick that fades, feathers, bleeds or smudges, the solution just might be the Smashbox Be Legendary Line & Prime Lip Pencil. I trust anything that Taylor Swift swears by, so I’m adding this to my cart STAT!

Get the Smashbox Be Legendary Line & Prime Lip Pencil for $24 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more from Smashbox here and more lip liners here! Don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Taylor Swift Praised This ‘Very Creamy’ $5 Lipstick in This Exact Shade

Taylor is no stranger to serving looks on and off the stage. Her bold red lip is one of her signature looks, and we discovered she’s used this affordable $7 formula. Swift has used many red lipsticks through the years, and one of her picks is CoverGirl’s Exhibitionist Lipstick in shade 305. It’s a classic red hue that’s […]

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There is something to be said about a show that takes two distinct genres and blends them without one overshadowing or detracting from the other. Apple TV has seen some success recently with such shows after Widow’s Bay became a runaway hit. The Matthew Rhys-led series blends comedy with horror. And Widow’s Bay is not the only hit Apple TV show to combine two genres and still manage critical and viewer acclaim.

Several weeks ago, the streamer launched a gripping thriller that has taken over watchlists. This show is currently ranked in the top ten on Apple TV’s global streaming chart according to FlixPatrol. It can be best described as a perfect hybrid of FX‘s hit espionage thriller The Americans and Apple TV’s long-running sci-fi drama For All Mankind. It’s comparable with the former because it also takes place during the Cold War, as the West and the Soviet Union sought to outdo each other in every facet of life. One of the most heated competitions between the two sides was the space race, which is also explored in the show.

Titled Star City, it is not entirely fresh to Apple TV, as it is an offshoot of For All Mankind. But instead of focusing on a character or moving to a new location like other offshoots, Star City turns back the clock and returns to the period that started everything — the Moon Landing. Here, it takes viewers behind the Iron Curtain into the Soviet Space program that was run with great secrecy and crippling control by the KGB — and landed the first man on the moon. Instead of playing defense in suburbia, America goes on the offensive as tech and science become hot commodities.

‘Star City’ Builds a Cold, Paranoid Persona

Critics have praised the show for carving out its own identity rather than treading in For All Mankind’s footsteps. And with how out of love most of the flagship show’s viewership have found themselves in recent seasons, Star City read the writing on the wall and pivoted to being tense, paranoid, and cold. Collider’s Carly Lane called it the “best decision” for the show not to wash, rinse, and repeat, but instead to use every advantage of its setting to become something engaging. She praised its “distinct visuals, sharp performances, and compelling narrative” in her review of Star City Season 1.

Other critics had more or less the same to say about the show, with their consensus on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes declaring: “Taut, ambitious, and impressively self-assured, Star City proves a worthy expansion of the For All Mankind universe with its blend of political intrigue and human drama.” New episodes of the show stream on Apple TV on Fridays at 3 am ET. In next week’s episode, “Awl in a Sack,” Chief Designer’s (Rhys Ifans) crew is off to their secret mission on Venus while Irina (Agnes O’Casey) tries to save Tanya (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis), putting them both at risk.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

May 28, 2026

Network

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Apple TV

Showrunner

Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert

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Cast

• 
• 

  Anna Maxwell Martin

  Lyudmilla Raskova

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  Agnes O’Casey

  Irina Morozova

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  Alice Englert

  Anastasia Belikova

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Taylor Sheridan is no stranger to the streaming summit. In fact, it would be noticeably strange for a Sheridan series not to be the most-watched at any given time on Paramount+. Right now, the latest project from his ever-expanding Yellowstone universe is topping the charts, as millions tune in to see Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) face Ranch rivalry in their new life in South Texas. With just two episodes left until the season finale, Dutton Ranch proves once more that the Western genre is a sure-fire route to streaming success.

With most Sheridan projects on Paramount+, rival streamers will have to find their Western success elsewhere. On Netflix, this came in the form of Ransom Canyon, a Texas Hill Country-set series created by April Blair. First released in 2025, Ransom Canyon was an instant hit, debuting at #2 on Netflix’s English-language charts with 56.6 million hours viewed. This success continued to rise in the following weeks, eventually leading to a jaw-dropping 1.12 billion viewing hours earned in its initial release period.

Next month, on July 23, Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly‘s Staten Kirkland and Quinn O’Grady will return in a hotly anticipated second season of Ransom Canyon. Creator Blair has teased what fans can expect in the second season, which will feature a six-month time-jump from Season 1. “Love is at the forefront this season, and it’s really about people fighting for those relationships and fighting to figure out how to be with the person they want to be with,” Blair said, also saying:

“Season 1 was fighting these outside forces that were coming in and threatening a way of life. Season 2 is really about community, rebuilding in the wake of that, and coming together. There’s definitely a lightness and hopefulness in Season 2.”

What Is Currently Topping the Netflix Charts?

Before Ransom Canyon inevitably makes its quick rise back to the streaming summit next month, what movies and shows are currently proving popular? At the time of writing, the most-watched series on Netflix is actually a reality show, namely Outlast: The Jungle, the third season in the Outlast series, which sees 16 new contestants battle it out in the tropical jungle of the Panama Islands. On the movie side of the streaming ranks, it’s another work of non-fiction topping the charts, courtesy of director Jessica Dimmock‘s Maternal Instinct.

Ransom Canyon returns to Netflix on July 23, 2026, with Season 1 available to stream in full right now. For more of the latest streaming news, make sure to stay tuned to Collider.

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Release Date

April 17, 2025

Network

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Netflix

Showrunner

April Blair

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Directors

Amanda Marsalis

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Writers

April Blair

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Reese Witherspoon celebrated the 25th anniversary of her iconic movie Legally Blonde by reuniting with the original cast, including Jennifer Coolidge and Selma Blair.

The Legally Blonde trio walked the red carpet at Hall Des Lumieres in New York City on Saturday, June 20, as part of the Elle World pop-up event to promote Amazon Prime Video’s prequel series Elle, which features newcomer Lexi Minetree as a younger version of Witherspoon’s character Elle Woods.

Witherspoon, 50, Blair, 53 and Coolidge, 64, were joined by their Legally Blonde castmates Ali Larter, Matthew Davis and Victor Garber, along with new Elle stars Minetree, 25, and Elle Woods’ onscreen parents June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott.

As the red carpet event got underway, Witherspoon shared a special moment via her Instagram Story where she got to pose with Minetree. Witherspoon paired a pink satin midi dress with Miss Z pumps while Minetree went for a glittery pink skirt.

“Passing the pink torch and it feels so good,” Witherspoon wrote.

The upcoming Elle series takes place before Woods became a Harvard law student, focusing instead on her high school years in 1990s Seattle. Witherspoon executive produced the prequel comedy series, which will premiere on July 1 on Prime Video.

Witherspoon officially announced the project in May 2024, teasing. “I had this crazy idea that the world might want to know the origin story of Elle Woods. So, here I am to officially tell you the most amazing news ever, which is that we’re going back to high school with Elle.”

“Before she became the most famous Gemini vegetarian to graduate from Harvard Law School, she was just a regular ‘90s high school girl. And thanks to Amazon and Hello Sunshine, all of you are going to get to know her in this new series on Amazon Prime Video,” she added. “I’m so excited.”

Amazon promoted the impending launch of the Legally Blonde prequel with Saturday’s Elle-World, which the company described as “a one-day NYC event bringing the world Elle Woods to life through experiential activations, exclusive merchandise, and can’t-miss surprises.”

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Related: James Van Der Beek Joins ‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel Cast

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A Legally Blonde prequel is in the works at Prime Video — but what is there to know about Elle so far? Based on Amanda Brown‘s novel, the 2001 movie Legally Blonde introduced Us to Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), a sorority girl who attempted to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) by getting a […]

Meanwhile, Blair — who played Elle Woods’ romantic rival Vivian Kensington in the 2001 movie — recently opened up exclusively to Us Weekly about some of the memorable red carpet looks she wore to promote the classic comedy.

“I remember styling myself only, like, it never occurred to me to have a stylist,” Blair told Us in April. “I do remember that about that time, I just liked something, and I’d go to the store and I’d buy it, or go to the store and be like, ‘Hi, can you dress me?’ It was just a different time. I thought it was wild when people put makeup on for [a] premiere or style it.”

She went on, “That’s a young girl’s idea, though, because you realize five years later, I need makeup. I did makeup for that premiere and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, such a big deal.’”