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6 HBO Shows That Are Far Better Than Their Reputation Suggests

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Officer Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) leading his Gun Task Force team down a sidewalk in 'We Own This City'.

The weight of expectation hangs heavy over any HBO television production. Audience anticipation of a spectacle of unflinching storytelling and high-end production value is ever present, but this air of prestige and acclaim can be treacherous, especially when a series pivots away from tradition in an attempt to offer something completely original. While HBO has founded its brand on the back of series that excel in this regard, the network has also produced a number of hidden and misunderstood gems that simply didn’t click with viewers on release.

This can be for any number of reasons, from the first handful of episodes of a show being considered relentlessly bleak, thus seeing the series become known as a morbid and nihilistic slog, to detailed and intricately complex storytelling being received as incomprehensible by many who then label the show a convoluted mess. Whether they were misunderstood by the masses, maligned by critics, or dismissed by too many, these TV series should all be viewed as being among the network’s greatest releases, but they seldom are.

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6

‘We Own This City’ (2022)

Officer Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) leading his Gun Task Force team down a sidewalk in 'We Own This City'.
Officer Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) leading his Gun Task Force team down a sidewalk in ‘We Own This City’.
Image via HBO

Created by David Simon and George Pelecanos—two of the forces behind HBO’s The Wire—and based on Justin Fenton’s nonfiction book of the same name, We Own This City uses a shocking basis on real-life events to analyze corruption in the police system, the bureaucratic and cultural reasons why it is so hard to punish, and the intensifying divide between essential societal institutions and the public they are meant to serve. Framed as the FBI’s investigation into the illegal practices of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, the six-part miniseries implements intense non-linear plotting that jumps sporadically between points between 2003 and 2018.

It is undeniably an approach that demands attentive viewing from audiences, but We Own This City was too quickly dubbed a convoluted and heavy-handed crime drama that veered away from the tone of David Simon’s earlier work in the genre. This reputation of excessive complexity and overbearing thematic work has endured to an extent, seeing the miniseries become something of a forgotten masterpiece when its piercing urgency and eloquent dissection of such relevant issues is timely. Brilliantly analytical, masterfully layered, and exuding a realism and intensity that is truly unforgettable, We Own This City is leagues better than its reputation of clunkiness would suggest.

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5

‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022–2024)

Tokyo Vice
Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) stands in a Japanese-style tatami room alongside Detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe) in ‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022-2024).
Image via HBO Max

To some extent, Tokyo Vice was shrouded in controversy and dismissed by many long before its first episode had even aired. There were multiple reasons for this, from the casting of Ansel Elgort in the lead role to the dubious accuracy of Jake Adelstein’s memoir, which was the series’ source material, and even the decision to explore the Japanese underworld through an American protagonist. To be fair, all of these criticisms are valid, and the series was not at all helped by HBO’s suspiciously low-key marketing campaign and abrupt cancelation after its second season. But is Tokyo Vice’s reputation as a hollow “White savior” narrative entirely fair?

The answer to that question is yes and no. When the series focuses on Elgort’s American journalist, it lacks essence and punch. However, when it pivots away from him and invests more in the characters that surround him, such as Ken Watanabe’s Detective Katagiri and Sho Kasamatsu’s Yakuza enforcer, it soars as a rich and engrossing descent into a fascinating world of neon-lit style and cut-throat morality. Also bolstered by Michael Mann’s creative involvement, Tokyo Vice does largely surpass its uninspiring reputation, even if it still holds its fair share of faults.

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4

‘Entourage’ (2004–2011)

Aiden Grenier as Vincent grins walking in Los Angeles with his three friends and his agent in Entourage.
Aiden Grenier as Vincent grins walking in Los Angeles with his three friends and his agent in Entourage.
Image via HBO

There was a time when Entourage was lauded as being the flagship series of HBO’s ventures into comedy television. But times change, and with them, so too do cultural sensitivities, attitudes, and interests. This point of evolving social standards is always difficult to address with regard to comedy entertainment, and Entourage is simply another once universally beloved genre highlight that has since come to be viewed as archaic, derogatory, and tastelessly offensive. To a point, the matter of whether this view is a valid criticism or a knee-jerk overreaction is up to each individual, but there are several elements of the series that its critics overlook.

It follows Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a young breakout movie star relishing his new life of luxury and wealth in L.A. with his childhood friends. It is easy to regard as a shallow male fantasy that combines its crude irreverence with casual misogyny, but there is a point to be made that Entourage never treats its main characters as beacons of morality. While they’re fun and relatable, they are marked with a satirical edge rather than idolized glory. It may not pry into the characters’ adolescent wish-fulfillment lifestyles with quite as much depth as some would like, and its sense of escapist entertainment can, at times, stray close to casual endorsement, but Entourage has enough sense as an insider-look of Hollywood lavishness to mostly evade its reflective reputation as a harmful, outdated, and demeaning series, even if its eight-season run did get a bit long in the tooth.











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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
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Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

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🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.

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The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

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Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.

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Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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3

‘Station Eleven’ (2021)

MacKenzie Davis reading the Station Eleven comic book in a rainy tent in Station Eleven.
MacKenzie Davis reading the Station Eleven comic book in a rainy tent in Station Eleven.
Image via HBO Max
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Over the past 15 years particularly, television lovers have been given a set vision of the end of the world. It doesn’t matter whether it’s due to zombies, humanity-decimating viruses, or nuclear war, post-apocalyptic drama is supposed to be bleak pessimism accentuated by glimmers of hope and, ideally, plenty of action. Station Eleven indulges none of this, with the miniseries adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s novel occupying an air of optimism and humanity as it follows a group of traveling actors roaming between settlements 20 years after a devastating flu virus decimated civilization.

An important point to make regarding Station Eleven’s initial reception is that it did air in 2021, amid the world of COVID-19, which perhaps didn’t make a story of deadly flus and hopeful Armageddons all that appealing. Moronic review bombing targeting the series’ diverse casting only added to its fledgling reputation. It was an unfortunate perfect storm that saw what is a beautifully tender and profoundly emotional exploration of humanity dwindle in the eyes of many as an uneventful misfire of apocalyptic suspense. That being said, Station Eleven did earn critical acclaim and has come to be viewed as something of a television cult classic.

2

‘Generation Kill’ (2007)

Two American soldiers and a journalist with a camera stand in a street in Baghdad in Generation Kill, 2008.
Two American soldiers and a journalist with a camera stand in a street in Baghdad in Generation Kill, 2008.
Image via HBO
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HBO has mastered large-scale war drama through miniseries like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, both of which were defined by the enormity of their productions and the sentimental humanity that serves as a tragic undercurrent to the sheer brutality of war. Generation Kill operates much differently, and anyone who went into it expecting the same balance of grandiose, albeit harrowing, spectacle and relatively comfortable morality would have had their expectations immediately shattered. Based on Evan Wright’s nonfiction book, the seven-part miniseries delivers an unflinching dramatization of the US Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, immersing viewers in the soldiers’ experiences during the first weeks of the Iraq War.

Defined by a tone of coarse realism, Generation Kill defies Hollywood’s penchant for realizing war drama with patriotic fervor and comfortable moral challenges. Even the unit camaraderie is presented with an acidic, darkly comic edge that normalizes the characters, but distances them from the traditional image of war heroism. Also buoyed by its authentic illustration of dysfunctional leadership, military bureaucracy, and the frustrating monotony of a soldier’s journey, Generation Kill is the definitive examination of modern warfare in media thus far. It’s a shame that it has come to be a largely underappreciated gem that is more renowned for its slow pacing, modest budget, bleak themes, and its less reassuring image of America’s armed forces than its dramatic ferocity and punishing commitment to realism.

1

‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)

Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon in The Leftovers (2014)
Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon in The Leftovers (2014)
Image via HBO
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The Leftovers is perhaps HBO’s single most underrated production of all time. The three-season series unfolds in a world of grief, loss, and unresolved trauma. On October 14, 2011, two percent of the world’s population mysteriously vanished without a trace in an event that is known as the “Sudden Departure”. The show opens three years later, plunging viewers into a world of unedifying grief and depression, festering nihilism, and simmering unrest between people who believe humanity must never forget the “Sudden Departure” and those who simply want to move on with their lives.

It is an interesting series to analyze in terms of its cultural impact and reputation. Its narrative style isn’t so much plot-driven as it is a lingering meditation on characters, thematic ideas, and expressions of misery. Needless to say, it is a departure from traditional television storytelling that can take some time to acclimatize to. However, many viewers didn’t, and instead of persisting, they wrongly dismissed the series as a relentlessly pessimistic and depressing watch that refuses to give satisfying, easy answers. It has led to something of a split reputation wherein some people deride it as a laborious, soul-sapping bore while others herald it as being one of the greatest feats in television history. That The Leftovers is viewed as anything other than a flawlessly written, perfectly performed, and ceaselessly absorbing masterpiece that epitomizes deep television drama at its empathetic and excruciating best is an injustice.


The Leftovers tv series poster
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The Leftovers

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Release Date

2014 – 2017-00-00

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Showrunner

Damon Lindelof

Writers
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Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta


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Ridley Scott’s First Sci-Fi Movie in 9 Years Officially Releases This Week

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the-dog-stars-poster.jpg

After a nearly decade-long detour, director Ridley Scott is returning to the sci-fi genre this week. The filmmaker has spent the last several years making period epics of different scales, from the character-focused drama The Last Duel to the sword-and-sandals sequel Gladiator II. None of them, however, was able to break out at the box office. Scott’s last major hit came in 2015, when The Martian grossed more than $600 million worldwide and scored several Oscar nominations. It was followed by what would become his last sci-fi feature in quite some time: a franchise entry that was released to mixed reviews and an underwhelming box-office response in 2017. The movie in question, Alien: Covenant, has its fans, but its divisive reception forced the long-running franchise into hibernation for several years while Scott moved on to other projects.

He’s now back with a new film in a genre synonymous with him. Scott broke out with the landmark hits Alien and Blade Runner, and over the course of his career, has remained attached to both properties in some fashion. He produced Blade Runner 2049, the critically acclaimed legacy sequel directed by Denis Villeneuve, and directed the two Alien prequels, Alien: Covenant and Prometheus. He also executive-produced the franchise’s latest installment, Alien: Romulus, and the television spin-off Alien: Earth. His new movie doesn’t have the legacy of a decades-old franchise to live up to; it isn’t, however, an original film. Scott’s upcoming sci-fi movie is based on a 2012 post-apocalyptic novel by Peter Heller.











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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Advertisement

Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

Advertisement

🚀Star Wars

Advertisement

01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





Advertisement

02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





Advertisement

03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





Advertisement

04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





Advertisement

05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





Advertisement

06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





Advertisement

07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





Advertisement

08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





Advertisement
Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

Advertisement


The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.

Advertisement


The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

Advertisement


Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.

Advertisement


Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.

Advertisement


A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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Here’s When Ridley Scott’s New Sci-Fi Movie Will Be Released in Theaters

This week, the legendary filmmaker will finally debut The Dog Stars, featuring Jacob Elordi in the lead role. The movie also features Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Benedict Wong, Allison Janney, and Guy Pearce. The Dog Stars was adapted by Mark L. Smith, the co-writer of the Oscar-winning epic The Revenant. The movie has been produced on a reported budget of $110 million, which is roughly the same budget-range that The Martian and Alien: Covenant occupied as well. Scott is well-known for juggling multiple projects at the same time, and in recent years, has divided his collaborators for orchestrating fast-paced productions using multiple cameras and rapid turnarounds. The Dog Stars will be released theatrically on August 28. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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the-dog-stars-poster.jpg

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Release Date

August 26, 2026

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Runtime

119 minutes

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Entertainment

All 10 Quentin Tarantino Movies, Ranked by a Diehard Fan of the Director

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Rose McGowan and Kurt Russell in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof

Quentin Tarantino is one of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood today, having made a name for himself with modern classics such as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, and Django Unchained, and is universally known for his unique style of storytelling, intense action, and intriguing characters. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tarantino grew up in Los Angeles and spent most of his time at a nearby movie theater where his love for film and storytelling flourished into an undeniable passion, leading him to write one of his earliest screenplays at the age of fourteen.

In 1992, Tarantino made his feature-length directorial debut with his crime thriller, Reservoir Dogs, but two years later, the young filmmaker’s career officially took off with his 1994 Oscar-winning classic, Pulp Fiction. Over the years, the writer and director has become a defining figure in modern cinema and continues to captivate audiences with his artistic ambition and unpredictability. Tarantino has delivered a collection of notable flicks, including Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, with many of them being credited as some of the finest films to grace the silver screen in years.

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10

‘Death Proof’ (2007)

Rose McGowan and Kurt Russell in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof
Rose McGowan and Kurt Russell in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof
Image via Troublemaker Studios

Kurt Russell stars in the 2007 slasher movie, Death Proof, as a stuntman, Mike, who cruises around picking up young women only to murder them with modified cars that he believes to be “death-proof.” The movie was originally released as part of Robert Rodriguez‘s Grindhouse, which flopped at the box office, leading Tarantino to release Death Proof as a standalone movie. The film’s combination of sharp dialogue, memorable characters, dark humor, and brutal suspense showcases Tarantino’s distinctive filmmaking style, while Russell gives one of his most entertaining performances as a charismatic madman that varies from his traditional good-guy roles.

While Tarantino has cited Death Proof as the worst film he’s ever made, the movie still has several strengths, notably the contrast between its relaxed, conversational first half and its increasingly intense second half, which culminates in a thrilling car chase and a satisfying reversal of power. Tarantino also fills the film with references to 1970s exploitation movies, complete with deliberately rough visual touches that give it an authentic grindhouse feel, effectively immersing audiences in a nostalgic movie-going experience.

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9

‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)

Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1997)
Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1997)
Image via Miramax Films

Jackie Brown is a thrilling homage to blaxploitation films based on the 1992 novel Rum Punch, written by Elmore Leonard, and stars Pam Grier as the titular character, a clever flight attendant who, after being caught by the authorities trying to smuggle money for her arms dealer boss (Samuel L. Jackson), decides to play both sides against each other and take off with the money herself. The movie was both a critical and commercial success and earned praise from critics, notably Roger Ebert, who gave the movie four out of four stars, citing it as one of his favorite movies of the year.

Unlike some of Tarantino’s more explosive movies, Jackie Brown is a hangout movie that takes its time, allowing the characters and shifting alliances to develop naturally, which essentially sets it apart from other crime films of its time. The movie earned several award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Robert Forster and two Golden Globe Award nominations for Grier and Jackson. Its stylish 1970s atmosphere, excellent soundtrack, intricate plot, and emphasis on character over spectacle are just a few qualities that make Jackie Brown one of Tarantino’s most rewarding and underrated films.

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8

‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015)

Samuel L. Jackson and Walton Goggins in western attire firing weapons in The Hateful Eight.
Samuel L. Jackson and Walton Goggins in western attire firing weapons in The Hateful Eight.
Image via The Weinstein Company

Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight combines his trademark dialogue, dark humor, brutal violence, and morally complex characters with the traditional tropes of the Western genre, delivering a tense mystery that would impress Agatha Christie herself. Set in Wyoming after the Civil War, the movie follows several strangers who all seek shelter from a blizzard in a remote cabin and are forced to confront one another while suspicion and paranoia steadily build around them. The movie features an ensemble cast including Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, and Tim Roth, as well as a haunting musical score composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone.

The gorgeous 70mm cinematography, razor-sharp dialogue, and unpredictable twists give The Hateful Eight the feel of a classic Western mixed with a locked-room murder mystery, making it one of Tarantino’s most ambitious and memorable films. The Hateful Eight received three Oscar nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh, and went on to win Best Original Musical Score for Morricone.

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7

‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’ (2019)

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood as a former Western TV star, Rick Dalton, who, along with his stunt double and best friend, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), tries to find their place in the rapidly changing film industry while the chaos and increasing violence of society begin to creep towards the doorstep of Hollywood’s rising star, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). DiCaprio and Pitt give outstanding performances, with their chemistry providing much of the film’s heart and humor, while Robbie shines as the lovely and bubbly Tate.

Tarantino creates an incredibly detailed recreation of late-1960s Hollywood that makes the backdrop and its culture feel like characters themselves, while the alternate-history approach to the Manson murders turns real-world tragedy into a violent, darkly comic fantasy. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood earned ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and ended up winning for Best Production Design and Best Supporting Actor for Pitt. With its fantastic performances, authentic atmosphere, and unforgettable finale, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is easily one of Tarantino’s most entertaining and emotionally satisfying films to date.































































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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz
Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie?

Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

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🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

🐦Birdman

🪙No Country for Old Men

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01

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What kind of film experience do you actually want?
The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.





02

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Which idea grabs you most in a film?
Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?





03

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How do you like your story told?
Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.





04

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What makes a truly great antagonist?
The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?





05

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What do you want from a film’s ending?
The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?





06

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Which setting pulls you in most?
Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.





07

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What cinematic craft impresses you most?
Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.





08

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What kind of main character do you root for?
The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.





09

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How do you feel about a film that takes its time?
Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.





10

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What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema?
The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?





The Academy Has Decided
Your Perfect Film Is…
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Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

Parasite

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You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

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You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.

Oppenheimer

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You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

Birdman

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You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

No Country for Old Men

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You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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6

‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ (2004)

Uma Thurman with a katana in Kill Bill Vol. 2
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 2
Image via Miramax Films

Uma Thurman returns in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 as the fierce assassin, Beatrix, A.K.A. the Bride, who, after leaving a slew of bodies behind her, continues to cross off the names on a list she compiled of those who tried to kill her four years ago before her wedding, including her former boss and boyfriend, Bill (David Carradine). While Kill Bill: Vol. 1 focuses heavily on action and revenge, Vol. 2 slows down to explore Beatrix’s relationships, her past, and her complicated connection with Bill, exposing a more humanizing side to the vengeful heroine without downplaying her physicality and purpose.

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The dialogue is sharp and memorable, especially during the long conversations between Beatrix and Bill, while the action sequences feel meaningful because they reflect Beatrix’s growth and determination. The movie also blends martial arts, Western, romance, and drama in a way that only a filmmaker of Tarantino’s caliber could pull off with such precision and originality. The emotional depth, combined with Tarantino’s incredible dialogue, fascinating characters, cinematography, and vivid storytelling, makes Kill Bill: Vol. 2 one of his finest films of all time.

5

‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)

Christoph Waltz sits at a desk with a phone on it in Inglourious Basterds
Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Image via The Weinstein Company

Brad Pitt stars in Inglourious Basterds as an Allied officer, Lieutenant Aldo Raine, who, along with a group of American soldiers, join forces with a German actress (Diane Kruger) to take down the leaders of the Third Reich at the premiere of their latest propaganda film, while the owner of the theater, Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), has a plan of her own hidden up her sleeve. As Raine and everyone else prepare for their plan, they are unaware that the fearsome SS colonel, Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), has caught on to their elaborate plot, raising the already high stakes to unforeseen heights for everyone involved.

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Inglourious Basterds keeps audiences engaged through long, tense conversations, with the opening scene immediately establishing Tarantino’s ability to build suspense with little to no dialogue, cementing it as one of his most distinctive and impressive movies. While the overall cast delivers exceptional performances, Waltz undoubtedly steals the show, conveying his character with charm and intimidation in a way that is both alluring and unsettling. Inglourious Basterds received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, and went on to win for Best Supporting Actor for Waltz’s tremendous performance.

4

‘Django Unchained’ (2012)

Django lights a cigarette and stands among the ruins of the Candyland mansion in Django Unchained.

Django lights a cigarette and stands among the ruins of the Candyland mansion in Django Unchained.

Image via The Weinstein Company
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Tarantino’s revisionist Western, Django Unchained, is a gripping tribute to the spaghetti Western starring Jamie Foxx as a slave, Django, who, with the help of a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Shutlz (Christoph Waltz), sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a ruthless plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The title refers to the 1966 spaghetti Western, Django, starring Franco Nero, who also has a brief cameo in Django Unchained, which provides a bit of comic relief to the extreme intensity of the scene.

The film’s greatest strength is Tarantino’s ability to rawly explore the brutality of slavery while also creating an entertaining and unpredictable revenge story, making it one of the best Westerns in movie history. Foxx gives a tour de force performance as Django, and effectively uses his character’s quiet and reserved demeanor to conceal his wrath until the perfect moment. With its stylish visuals, edgy dialogue, emotional moments, and satisfying action sequences, Django Unchained shows how Tarantino can take a serious subject and turn it into an innovative and unforgettable film. Out of its five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Django Unchained won for Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino and Best Supporting Actor for Waltz.

3

‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ (2003)

Uma Thurman wielding a katana in Kill Bill: Volume 1
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Volume 1
Image via Miramax Films
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Tarantino’s action-packed hit, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, is a love letter to the Kung Fu and Western genres, celebrated for its vibrant visuals, catchy soundtrack, and creative camerawork. Uma Thurman stars as a former assassin, Beatrix, who hunts down her former boss and boyfriend, Bill (David Carradine), and the people responsible for nearly killing her four years ago. Tarantino had originally planned on releasing both volumes together, but with a runtime of over four hours, he was forced to split the project into two separate films while also cutting several vital scenes.

While both movies are genuine masterpieces, Tarantino’s full vision came to fruition with Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which is simply a sight to behold and a must-see for any diehard Tarantino fan. What makes Kill Bill: Vol 1 stand out is how Tarantino brilliantly combines elements of martial arts films, samurai movies, and classic revenge stories to create something that feels both familiar and original. Between its brutal action, Thurman’s powerhouse performance, and distinctive style, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 shows Tarantino at his most energetic and visually creative and is hands down one of his all-time best contributions to contemporary cinema.

2

‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)

The cast of 'Reservoir Dogs' wearing black suits and walking down the street.
The cast of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ wearing black suits and walking down the street.
Image via Miramax Films
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Reservoir Dogs is a vital Tarantino movie that not only led to the director making his first major mark on the big screen but also embodies many of the elements that would go on to define the director’s signature style of filmmaking. The movie follows six criminals, all with pseudonyms, who are hired to carry out a robbery, but when things go horribly wrong, the surviving culprits realize that they were set up by someone in the group, forcing them to smoke the traitor out at any cost.

Reservoir Dogs is a simple but ingenious crime thriller that stands out for its quick-witted dialogue, non-linear storytelling, menacing humor, and intense violence. The characters, played by an ensemble cast of stars including Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, and Steve Buscemi, are especially memorable and, despite a lack of backstory and details, are incredibly detailed. While the movie takes off running and quickly comes to a slow pace, the tension constantly rising between the criminals manages to maintain and even build up the intensity, showcasing Tarantino’s uncanny ability to create suspense through conversations and character interactions rather than relying only on action.

1

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace wearing a white top smoking a cigarette in 'Pulp Fiction'
Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace wearing a white top smoking a cigarette in ‘Pulp Fiction’
Image via Miramax Films
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Tarantino’s legendary neo-noir thriller, Pulp Fiction, is an iconic throwback to hardboiled crime fiction and is often considered to be Tarantino’s best movie, mainly because it perfectly captures everything that makes his filmmaking so unique and distinct. The movie follows a non-linear narrative about several different characters whose storylines eventually become intertwined, making the plot unpredictable and engaging from beginning to end. The movie was a massive success, earning praise for its original story and string of compelling performances by an all-star cast including John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and Uma Thurman, and has since been credited as one of the most significant movies of its era.

Tarantino’s rich dialogue turns ordinary conversations into some of the most memorable scenes in the movie, while moments of over-the-top action and unexpected plot twists effectively keep audiences on their toes at all times. Pulp Fiction received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, and went on to win Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino, marking his first of two wins in the prestigious category. While Tarantino has delivered an array of notable modern classics, the combination of strong characters, clever storytelling, and unforgettable scenes in Pulp Fiction is what ultimately makes it not only an influential masterpiece but also Tarantino’s greatest cinematic achievement (so far).


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Pulp Fiction

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Release Date

September 10, 1994

Runtime
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154 minutes


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This Forgotten 96-Minute Slasher Thriller is the Perfect Free Streaming Watch for ‘Ready or Not’ Fans

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Theatrical poster for You're Next (2013) featuring Fox, one of the masked killers.

Over halfway through 2026, and it’s clear that this has been an incredibly successful year for horror, with standalone stories like Obsession debuting to commercial and critical success alongside new installments of beloved series like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Bridging the subsections of this year’s original and franchise horror releases is Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, a sequel to the 2019 horror-thriller Ready or Not, a relatively young franchise in the landscape of horror film series. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet returned to helm the second film, with Samara Weaving once again trying to survive a murderous game of hide-and-seek.

Much like its predecessor, Ready or Not 2 is a bloody and entertaining experience that received generally positive reviews and achieved moderate success at the box office upon its release in March 2026. As of this writing, Ready or Not 3 is not currently in the works, but fans needn’t worry: there’s a similar film that’s available to watch for free that can fill the void. You’re Next, an American horror film directed by Adam Winguard, premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and received a theatrical run in August 2013. While it may have missed out on some “best films of 2013” lists, it made $27 million at the box office against a budget of $1 million and left a positive impression on audiences — for good reason.

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‘You’re Next’ is a Must-See Entry in the Slasher Genre

Theatrical poster for You're Next (2013) featuring Fox, one of the masked killers. Image credit via Lionsgate.

The story of You’re Next instantly hooks the viewer: A young woman, Erin (Sharni Vinson), is at her boyfriend Cristian’s family reunion (A.J. Bowen) when she finds herself fighting for her life as the group is suddenly attacked by sadistic killers wearing animal masks. As the family is picked off one by one, Erin must turn to her bravery and her survivalist background to get through the night. While the set-up may lean on some tropes from other slasher and horror films, You’re Next quickly distinguishes itself thanks to Winguard’s keen direction and strong performances from the cast.

Before the killers even start picking people off, the tension is already high in the opening scenes. During dinner, family members trade passive-aggressive remarks across the table with dialogue and delivery so authentic that it could double as footage of a real family’s worst Thanksgiving dinner. Coupled with occasional handheld angles and shadowy lighting, it’s almost a relief when the killers do begin their murder spree, delivering violence that feels like it was inevitable with this group of volatile personalities. Even when the first relative is taken out by a crossbow bolt through the window, the dysfunctional family can’t stop verbally sniping at each other, weaving in moments of dark humor that continue throughout the film.

And when the violence does get going, it doesn’t let up. In less than a hundred minutes, nails, hammers, axes, crossbows, and even a blender come into play as Erin, Cristian, and the rest of the family go up against the masked killers. Without spoiling the film, it’s safe to say no one walks away unscathed, and looking away from You’re Next risks missing the moment in which the next relative meets their horrific end. The use of practical special effects, as can be seen on some of the gruesome close-ups, means that every blow, cut, and kill looks painfully real and keeps us watching until the jaw-dropping final shot.

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Why Fans of ‘Ready or Not’ Will Love ‘You’re Next’

Sharni Vinson as Erin, the final girl, in You're Next (2013).

The elements cited in positive praise for the Ready or Not films can also be applied to You’re Next. Winguard’s film is highly entertaining just like Ready or Not and Ready or Not 2, moving at an equally fast clip with a blend of black comedy and delightfully bloody violence. For the viewers who enjoyed the set-up of Ready or Not, You’re Next has a similar premise, as the protagonist is also stuck in a remote location with the family of her significant other (in this case, her boyfriend, not her new husband). And also like Ready or Not, Erin is a worthy “final girl” as she and Grace both carry their films across the finish line with their inspiring and unbreakable determination to live.

That being said, You’re Next is very much its own film and worthy of praise in its own right. It may be similar to Ready or Not, but it is by no means the same experience. For instance, Grace knows who her assailants are, as her in-laws clearly reveal their murderous intentions to her, and their ritualistic game of hide-and-seek leans into the world of the supernatural. However, in You’re Next, the killers targeting Erin, Cristian, and Cristian’s family are strangers hidden behind masks (or are they?), which lands the story closer to the mystery genre and always firmly grounded in reality.

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Furthermore, Erin and Grace are not the same person. Erin is as strong of a “final girl” as Grace, just in a different way. The fun of Ready or Not comes from watching Grace start off unassuming and unprepared, but eventually triumphing against the odds over her more experienced pursuers. Meanwhile, You’re Next provides the satisfaction of an already very capable Erin dominating her attackers with years of survivalist experience and her overall grit, all the while staying cool, calm, and collected. The audience likely recognizes before the killers do that they chose the wrong would-be victim when they put Erin in their crosshairs — and it’s so much fun to watch her prove that she is not, in fact, next.

You’re Next is currently streaming for free on Philo, Plex, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.


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Release Date

August 23, 2013

Runtime

94minutes

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‘Heat’ Meets ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ in Quentin Tarantino’s 10/10 Crime Thriller Officially Streaming for Free

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Quentin Tarantino on the set of Jackie Brown

It’s been a while since fans trekked to the theater to see a new Quentin Tarantino movie, but that’s all going to change later this year when he returns for The Adventures of Cliff Booth. Tarantino did not direct the film, but he did write the script for the Brad Pitt-led sequel, which is coming to IMAX in November before it debuts on Netflix around the world in December. Tarantino enlisted David Fincher to direct the film, but with Tarantino’s script, it’s set to be one of the best movies of the year. The movie is a direct sequel to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, but only Pitt is returning as Cliff Booth in the film — Leonardo DiCaprio is not expected to reprise his role as Rick Dalton.

Quentin Tarantino has directed so many iconic movies over the years that it’s almost impossible to pick his most famous feature film. Many fans would vote for Pulp Fiction while others would vote for newer classics like Django Unchained or Inglourious Basterds. One movie that may not get a lot of votes but still deserves some love is Jackie Brown, the 1997 caper crime thriller starring Pam Grier and Samuel L. Jackson. Michael Keaton also has a role in the film, which earned only $39 million at the box office — this was enough to turn a profit, though, thanks to its modest $12 million budget. Nearly 30 years after Jackie Brown hit theaters, fans are discovering a new way to watch the film via the free streaming service, Fawesome TV. Fawesome TV contains a massive library of some of the best old movies and TV shows, all available to stream for only the cost of a few ads.

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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz
Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie?

Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

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🐦Birdman

🪙No Country for Old Men

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01

What kind of film experience do you actually want?
The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.





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02

Which idea grabs you most in a film?
Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?





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03

How do you like your story told?
Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.





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04

What makes a truly great antagonist?
The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?





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05

What do you want from a film’s ending?
The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?





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06

Which setting pulls you in most?
Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.





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07

What cinematic craft impresses you most?
Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.





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08

What kind of main character do you root for?
The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.





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09

How do you feel about a film that takes its time?
Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.





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10

What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema?
The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?





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The Academy Has Decided
Your Perfect Film Is…

Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

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Parasite

You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once

You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.

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Oppenheimer

You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

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Birdman

You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

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No Country for Old Men

You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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What Is ‘Jackie Brown’ About?

The official synopsis for Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, which also stars Robert Forster and Robert De Niro, reads as follows: “Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is a flight attendant caught smuggling cash for gunrunner Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) when federal agents close in. Facing serious prison time, she strikes a dangerous double game — playing Ordell against the ATF while teaming with worn-down bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster) — to walk away with the money and her freedom intact.” The crime caper is perfect for fans of Heat and The Thomas Crown Affair, as it centers around a woman under intense pressure to secure her future while also being caught in the middle of some dangerous and illegal activities.

Check out Jackie Brown streaming for free on Fawesome TV and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Quentin Tarantino’s future projects.


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Release Date

December 25, 1997

Runtime

154 minutes

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Producers

Bob Weinstein, Elmore Leonard, Harvey Weinstein

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The Thriller That Inspired ‘John Wick’ Is Officially Leaving HBO Max

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After a 10-year gap during which he experimented with long-form streaming and glamorous advertisements, director Nicolas Winding Refn made his long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with Her Private Hell. Starring Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton, the movie divided critics and audiences and grossed $1 million at the box office. Refn’s last film was the 2016 thriller The Neon Demon, which made around $3.5 million; before that, he directed Only God Forgives, which ended its run with $10 million. All of this is to say that Refn hasn’t replicated, nor shown particular interest in replicating, the box-office success of 2011’s Drive. The movie took a decidedly arthouse approach to mainstream entertainment, and grossed more than $80 million at the box office. Drive remains one of the most acclaimed cult classics of the 2010s, and now, the movie that it was modeled on is available to stream on HBO Max for its fans.

However, the film won’t be around for much longer, as it’s slated to be removed from the platform next month. The movie was originally released in 1967, which makes it nearly 60 years old. It follows a silent assassin who must uncover why he’s being targeted. The classic film was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and has influenced everything from Refn’s Drive, the John Wick franchise, and Frederick Forsyth’s bestselling novel The Day of the Jackal, which inspired a 1973 movie and a 2024 series. Defined by its cool aesthetic and Alain Delon’s central performance as the suave assassin, the film also influenced Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional, and the Star Wars series The Mandalorian.













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Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz
Which Taylor Sheridan
Show Do You Belong In?

Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
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Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn’t write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.

🤠Yellowstone

🛢️Landman

👑Tulsa King

⚖️Mayor of Kingstown

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01

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Where does your power come from?
In Sheridan’s world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.




02

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Who do you put first, no matter what?
Loyalty in Sheridan’s universe is always absolute — and always costly.




03

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Someone crosses a line. How do you respond?
Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it’s crossed.




04

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Where do you feel most in your element?
Sheridan’s worlds are as much about place as they are about people.




05

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How do you feel about operating in the grey?
Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.




06

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What are you actually fighting to hold onto?
Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they’re defending.




07

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How do you lead?
Authority in Sheridan’s world is never given — it’s established, maintained, and constantly tested.




08

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Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction?
Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.




09

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What has your position cost you?
Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.




10

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When it’s over, what do you want people to say?
Sheridan’s characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.




Sheridan Has Spoken
You Belong In…
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The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you’re complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.

🤠
Yellowstone

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🛢️
Landman

👑
Tulsa King

⚖️
Mayor of Kingstown

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You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world’s indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you’re willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family’s weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what’s yours, you don’t escalate — you finish it. You’re not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone’s world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn’t make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.

You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You’re a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they’ll do to get it. You’re not naive enough to think this world is fair. You’re smart enough to be the one deciding who it’s fair to.

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You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you’re not above reminding people that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they’d be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they’re more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don’t need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.

You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you’re the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky’s world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You’ve made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.

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Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch the Influential Assassin Movie on HBO Max

We’re talking, of course, about the landmark neo-noir thriller Le Samouraï. The movie now holds a “Certified Fresh” 92% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Le Samouraï makes the most of its spare aesthetic, using stylish — and influential — direction, solid performances, and thick atmosphere to weave an absorbing story.” Quentin Tarantino has spoken about the movie’s impact on fashion, while Variety critic Peter Debruge hailed it as “the coolest film ever made.” You can watch Le Samouraï on HBO Max until September 30, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.


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Release Date
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October 25, 1967

Runtime

105 Minutes

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Director

Jean-Pierre Melville

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  • Cast Placeholder Image
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    François Perier

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    Le Commissaire

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    Nathalie Delon

    Jane Lagrange

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Hayden Panettiere Dies, Prince Harry Returns Home & More

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Hayden Panettiere

This week began on a sad note. On Sunday, August 16, actress Hayden Panettiere passed away at the age of 36. Many former co-stars have spoken out about her passing, which came a few months after the release of her memoir. In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced plans to move back to the U.K., drawing mixed reactions. There have been a few more updates in the political world, and The Blast has exclusives ranging from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” to a legal expert weighing in on the “completely different” strategy playing out in the Tupac murder trial. Check out the latest news and updates in another edition of The Weekly Blast.

Hayden Panettiere Passed Away At Age 36

Hayden Panettiere
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA

Best known for her roles in “Heroes,” “Nashville,” and the “Scream” movie franchise, many fans took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved actress, who was open with her struggles with mental health and addiction.

A doctor once warned her that she could be “dead within five years” if she didn’t get her drinking under control, but she was determined to “leave the world” a better place in final remarks made before her sudden death.

According to the autopsy report, no signs of trauma were found that would have contributed to her death, although 911 dispatch audio said a female was in “cardiac arrest.” The dispatch audio reportedly referenced a possible overdose.

Her mother blamed their estrangement on a “toxic individual,” while actor Jack Coleman called out the “predatory” treatment that she faced from paparazzi. One director who previously worked with the actor also recalled talks about an intervention before her sudden passing.

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Questions Have Been Raised About Her Boyfriend, Brian Hickerson

Hayden Panettiere
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Hayden Panettiere’s neighbor made some troubling claims about her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, including repeated calls to 911.

Reports of his money troubles also resurfaced. It is not clear if the two were involved following her death, but one source claimed that he had “inserted himself” into her life. Yet another insider said that they had gotten back together in a romantic relationship before he passed away.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle To Return To The UK

Prince Harry and Markle at a fundraiser
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Following brutal advice to “disappear professionally” as they faced another major Hollywood flop, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are heading back to the UK with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

One expert claims that the decision has Prince William and Kate Middleton “tearing their heart out,” while others have questioned what the move means for the brothers’ estrangement.

For Meghan Markle, it’s been said that she is dealing with “mixed emotions” regarding the move, which may have been fueled by growing financial concerns.

Ariana Grande Gets Political & More Trump News

Ariana Grande on the red carpet
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Ariana Grande has asked the White House to stop using her music once again. It’s not the first time that she’s made the request. The singer has never been shy about discussing politics with her fans, and openly supported Kamala Harris during the 2024 Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, current U.S. President Donald Trump is in hot water after he told a little boy that he wouldn’t have jumped in to rescue him after a near-drowning, prompting backlash online.

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Trump also threatened “tremendous” consequences for Iran allies and pushed a new crypto bill – the Clarity Act – after his family’s crypto ventures generated more than $1 billion in 2025.

His wife, Melania Trump, is also reportedly about her husband’s allegedly close relationship with his aide, Natalie Harp. The aide’s brother has also spoken out about the “sad” reason she is “infatuated” with the current U.S. President.

The Blast Exclusives: Everything You Missed This Week

Jen Affleck
MEGA

This week, the “Sexiest Data Scientist,” Bianca Stanciu, revealed the unexpected compliment that men secretly yearn for.

Jen Affleck teased a “huge divide” on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” spin-off.

One Vegas attorney broke down the “completely different” strategy playing out in the Tupac murder trial.

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Edwin McCain joined a “Big Time Rush” star for an unexpected Olivia Rodrigo cover.

One popular Vegas influencer turned a childhood magic dream into reality with a brand new show.

See inside the $37,000 “Let’s Marry Harry” plane that took Harry Jowsey to Vegas!

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Netflix Officially Adds Anya Taylor-Joy’s Brutal Fantasy Masterpiece

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Anya Taylor-Joy is on top of the world right now after the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which was the first feature film of 2026 to reach $1 billion at the global box office. Other movies such as Michael, Toy Story, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day have also reached the milestone. Taylor-Joy can also be seen on Apple TV starring in one of the most underrated crime thrillers of the year, Lucky, with Timothy Olyphant. Later this year, she’s confirmed to return and reprise her role as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Three, which opens in theaters on December 18. Her wacky thriller with Chris Evans, Sacrifice, has been acquired by Netflix for release later this year — safe to say ATJ is as booked and busy as any star in 2026.

One of the most underrated movies of Anya Taylor-Joy’s career came back in 2022 when she teamed up with director Robert Eggers for The Northman. Taylor-Joy previously starred in The Witch for Eggers, who has gone on to direct other hits like Nosferatu. The Northman infamously bombed at the box office due to its bloated $90 million budget — the film grossed only $75 million, but it’s become one of the most popular movies in the world on streaming over the last few years. Right now, it’s available to stream on Netflix, and the streamer has not announced any plans for it to depart the platform anytime soon. Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, and Ethan Hawke all have key roles in The Northman, which was co-written by Sjón and director Robert Eggers.











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Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz
Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most?
Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek
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Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

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🖖Star Trek

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01

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning?
Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.





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02

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit?
The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.





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03

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved?
The shape of a world’s conflicts tells you everything about its soul.





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04

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult?
Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.





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05

What is your relationship with power?
How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.





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06

How does your universe treat good and evil?
A world’s moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.





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07

What role would you naturally fall into?
Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?





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08

What do you ultimately believe about the future?
The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.





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Your Universe Has Been Chosen
You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

  • You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
  • You’d find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
  • Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
  • The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

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Middle-earth

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world’s beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

  • Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
  • You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
  • Tolkien’s universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
  • Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

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The Wizarding World

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what’s right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

  • The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
  • You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
  • Harry Potter’s universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
  • That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

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Westeros · The Known World

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

  • Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
  • You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don’t confuse the world as it is with the world as you’d like it to be.
  • Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
  • Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

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The United Federation of Planets

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

  • Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
  • You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
  • The Federation is the universe’s most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
  • You don’t just hope that’s possible. You think it’s the only thing worth working toward.
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What Is ‘The Northman’ About?

The official synopsis for The Northman, which earned scores of 90% from critics and 64% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: “Prince Amleth watches his father slain and his mother stolen away, escaping with one vow burning in his heart: avenge his father, save his mother, kill his uncle. Years later, grown into a fearsome Viking warrior, Alexander Skarsgård’s Amleth infiltrates his uncle’s (Claes Bang) fortress in disguise, aided by a mysterious sorceress (Anya Taylor-Joy), as fate drives him toward a brutal reckoning.” The Northman is the perfect mash-up of Gladiator and Vikings, as it features some all-time great historical action scenes set against the backdrop of a world steeped in immersive Norse lore.

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Check out The Northman before it’s removed from Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Anya Taylor-Joy’s future projects.


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Release Date
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April 22, 2022

Runtime

137 minutes

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NBC’s 4-Part Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is Ready To Become a Weekend Binge

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Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman) in the 'Heroes' episode "Company Man."

Superheroes are inescapable nowadays, but there was once a time when they were actually a novelty, especially on live-action TV. Although DC and Marvel now dominate even prestige television programming, it was NBC’s Heroes that reintroduced the genre to larger audiences back in 2006, when most people thought about it only as Saturday morning cartoons. Created by Tim Kring, it imagined a world where some individuals suddenly found themselves dealing with newfound superpowers, and it even introduced traditional comic book structures and narrative formats before they became a thing on visual media. With one of the best first seasons on 2000s TV and three competent following installments, now is the perfect time to binge or revisit Heroes, as it has just arrived on Netflix, too.

‘Heroes’ Told an Original Superhero Story on TV Before the Rise of Marvel and DC

When Heroes first premiered in 2006, “Save the cheerleader, save the world” was repeated ad nauseam among viewers and in marketing pieces, making it one of the most celebrated phrases in 2000s pop culture. It was one of the many things about the series that stuck with the audience, one of the first things people usually remember about it, and the simplest way to describe the story, really, as the cheerleader in question, Claire Bennet (played by the late and great Hayden Panettiere), plays a pivotal role.

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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz
Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like?
Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky

Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🏜️Paul Atreides

🖖Capt. Kirk

Princess Leia

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🔦Ellen Ripley

🔥Max Rockatansky

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01

How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher?
The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.





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02

What is your greatest strength in a crisis?
The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.





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03

What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for?
Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.





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04

How do you relate to the people around you?
Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.





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05

You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do?
How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.





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06

What has your heroism cost you personally?
Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.





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07

How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in?
Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?





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08

When everything is on the line, what keeps you going?
The answer is the most honest thing about you.





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Your Hero Has Been Identified
Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…

Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.

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Arrakis · Dune

Paul Atreides

You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.

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  • You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
  • You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
  • Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
  • That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.


USS Enterprise · Star Trek

Captain Kirk

You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.

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  • You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
  • Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
  • Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
  • That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.


The Rebellion · Star Wars

Princess Leia

You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.

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  • You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
  • You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
  • Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
  • That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.


The Nostromo · Alien

Ellen Ripley

You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.

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  • You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
  • Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
  • You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
  • When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.


The Wasteland · Mad Max

Max Rockatansky

You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.

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  • You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
  • Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
  • Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
  • That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.

It all begins when, after a solar eclipse, seemingly random people around the world discover that they now have superpowers. Claire has superhuman fast healing, Japanese office worker Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) controls space-time, New York nurse Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) can mimic other powered individuals’ abilities, and so on. The scope of their powers varies between each person, but, in general, they try to keep their abilities concealed — until a common threat brings them together to prevent a catastrophe in New York.

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Of course, not every superhuman intends to use their powers for good. The story is put into motion when Claire, the cheerleader, is targeted by a serial killer who has been killing superhumans with particular cruelty. Soon, the few non-powered humans who are aware of this new reality start organizing, too, and what starts as a collection of individual stories about destiny and responsibility quickly grows into a larger conspiracy with stakes being constantly raised for everyone.

‘Heroes’ Also Introduced Typical Comic Book Structure and Devices Into Live-Action Television

Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman) in the 'Heroes' episode "Company Man."
Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman) in the ‘Heroes’ episode “Company Man.”
Image via NBC

If Heroes sounds too similar to superhero comic book stories, that’s entirely by design. Tim Kring conceived the story to be relatable to the larger audience, but still rooted in a typical comic book structure. The biggest difference from other regular series of that time is that, although Heroes does have four seasons, the story is actually divided into volumes; Seasons 1 and 2 are one volume each, while Seasons 3 and 4 are two volumes a piece, each with its own conflict, dynamics, and looming threat.

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Besides structure, Heroes also draws from the storytelling language, framing each episode as if it were an actual comic book issue. They end in cliffhangers more often than not and work like pages in a larger, overarching story where different storylines converge. The same goes for the visual language of the series; the most obvious nod is the in-universe 9th Wonders! comics, but even the framing in most shots feels as if they were taken straight from a comic book. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that big names from the comic book industry also worked on Heroes, like writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale.

Nowadays, this is all easy to spot in Marvel movies and series, but it was Heroes that blazed a trail for these tools to be incorporated into live-action. Two years before the MCU even began with Iron Man and its crossovers and event-based storytelling filled with post-credits scenes as cliffhangers, the NBC series was already keeping audiences hooked for the following week, excited to see who could even save the proverbial cheerleader. No multiversal shenanigans here, just good old-fashioned character-driven storytelling.

‘Heroes’ Well-Built Mythology Helped Launch and Consolidate Many Acting Careers

Saving the cheerleader to save the world might be the entry point, but as it gets there (and, eventually, past it, too), Heroes builds one of the best and most elaborate mythologies on 2000s television, and that’s saying something considering it aired at the same time as Lost. Besides learning how to control and conceal their powers, each character also has to understand their place among the other superpowered individuals, and that usually comes at a high price in terms of personal sacrifice.

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Building mythologies from the ground up often requires sprawling ensemble casts, too, and, luckily, Heroes has that, too. The undeniable best, Zachary Quinto‘s Sylar, easily remains among the best villains in the superhero genre. His polar opposite, Milo Ventimiglia’s Peter Petrelli, brought the actor to a wider audience between his works on Gilmore Girls and This Is Us. And, of course, Hayden Panettiere will always be remembered for her standout roles in Scream and Nashville, among many others, but for some of us, she will always, always be the most important cheerleader in the world.

So, watching Heroes nowadays has an interesting double effect. First, it’s about how superhero stories were told on TV before they became a huge cultural phenomenon, and how much of what made the genre so big was already making Heroes special. Second, it’s like watching a time capsule of actors before they became the stars everyone knows them as today, and not just limited to Quinto, Ventimiglia, and Panettiere, of course. Considering this legacy, there’s just no better weekend binge than Heroes right now.

Heroes is available to stream on Netflix.

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'Spiderman: Brand New Day' Did What No MCU Movie After 'Avengers: Endgame' Had the Guts To Do

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'Spiderman: Brand New Day' Did What No MCU Movie After 'Avengers: Endgame' Had the Guts To Do

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit some road bumps on the path away from Avengers: Endgame. There are various fingers that can be pointed in various directions regarding where things have faltered, but one of the biggest missed opportunities goes back to the first act of Endgame and the time jump of five years after 50% of the universe’s population was wiped out. That’s pretty intense — until you realize it took the ending of Endgame just to get to the same level of potential collateral damage as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Which is still not as big as the stakes at the climax of Deadpool & Wolverine, which would’ve seen the destruction of the entire multiverse. Take that in for a second: the largest-scale threat in any Marvel movie is Deadpool & Wolverine.

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The Indiana Jones Replacement That Roger Ebert Was “Unreasonably Pleased” With Is Officially Leaving HBO Max

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harrison ford as indiana jones in indiana jones and the temple of doom

To alleviate some of the confusion surrounding a new adaptation of The Mummy, Warner Bros. and producer Jason Blum had to come up with a solution. The idea they landed on didn’t really help. They agreed that the movie should be titled Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, which left general audiences wondering who the two-movie-old Cronin was, and what he was doing with the action-adventure franchise that millennials watched repeatedly on television. As it turned out, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy was a standalone horror movie that had nothing to do with the franchise headlined by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. But it was too late; the movie received mediocre reviews and underperformed at the box office, grossing $90 million worldwide against a reported budget of $22 million. Around the same time, Universal announced that Fraser and Weisz would be returning for a fourth installment of their popular franchise.

The series began with the 1999 movie The Mummy, which grossed more than $420 million worldwide against a reported budget of $80 million. It’s currently streaming in the United States on HBO Max, but not for much longer. Directed by Stephen Sommers, the movie spawned a direct sequel titled The Mummy Returns. It grossed more than $435 million worldwide against a reported budget of nearly $100 million. Fraser returned for a third installment titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which was released in 2008. The third installment was a hit as well, grossing more than $405 million worldwide against a reported budget of $145 million. The only reason Universal didn’t get another installment off the ground immediately was that Fraser wanted to take some time for himself. Now that he is back — he won an Oscar for his comeback performance in The Whale — a fourth installment seems like a home run.

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Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You?

One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed

The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.

💍Frodo

🌿Samwise

👑Aragorn

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🔥Gandalf

🏹Legolas

⚒️Gimli

👁️Sauron

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🪨Gollum

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01

You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do?
The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.




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02

Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You:
True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.




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03

Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is:
Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.




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04

What does “home” mean to you?
Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.




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05

When a battle is upon you, your approach is:
War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.




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06

Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You:
Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it’s knowing which questions to ask.




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07

How do you see yourself, honestly?
Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.




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08

Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world?
Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.




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09

You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You:
How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.




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10

When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you?
In the end, we are all just stories.




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The Fellowship Has Spoken
Your Place in Middle-earth

The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.

💍
Frodo

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🌿
Samwise

👑
Aragorn

🔥
Gandalf

🏹
Legolas

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⚒️
Gimli

👁️
Sauron

🪨
Gollum

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You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don’t have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.

You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you’d do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.

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You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.

You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.

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Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.

You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don’t do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.

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You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you’re not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.

You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.

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Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch ‘The Mummy’ on HBO Max

The new film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaker duo known as Radio Silence, who successfully rebooted the Scream franchise some years ago. They’d hope to take the franchise to a degree of critical acclaim that has so far eluded it. Despite its success, The Mummy wasn’t all that well-received by critics. It holds a 64% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. That said, Roger Ebert was an early defender of the movie, writing in his review, “There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor, except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased.” You can watch The Mummy on HBO Max until September 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.


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Release Date
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April 16, 1999

Runtime

124 minutes

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Producers

James Jacks, Kevin Jarre

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