Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Entertainment

8 Worst Stephen King Book Endings, Ranked

Published

on

Cell - 2006 - book cover

Since Stephen King has written a massive number of books, he’s also, quite naturally, had to write a huge number of endings, and some of those endings aren’t exactly well-loved. Even if you want to look at his best works, you’ll find people who have issues with how those books end up wrapping up, as can be seen with the likes of The Stand, It, and the final book in The Dark Tower series.

In the eyes of this writer, those endings are all good, actually. And then there are also books like 11/22/63 and Pet Sematary that have genuinely great endings, or at least endings where most people are like, “Hey, yeah, that wasn’t bad.” The following novels, on the other hand, do not conclude very well, and all of them have some of the worst endings Stephen King has written to date.

Advertisement

8

‘Cell’ (2006)

Cell - 2006 - book cover Image via Charles Scribner’s Sons

The best part of Cell is how it opens, and that’s not too controversial an opinion to have, by any means. This is one of a fair few Stephen King stories where the author expresses his displeasure with cell phones, but while such “old man yelling at cloud” moments are usually relegated to little one-off moments, here, the whole book has that kind of energy. The phones turn people into zombies, basically, or zombie-like creatures.

And when it’s all starting to go down, early on, it’s kind of thrilling, with Cell being one of many Stephen King books that the author manages to get off to a good start. But it becomes increasingly harder to stay invested, even with the novel not exactly being an epic, by any means (there are longer books by King that stay entirely interesting throughout). It’s a novel that gets slowly worse as it trudges along to an eventually merciful ending, but at least the book still manages to be a potentially decent (or not entirely irredeemable) read, unlike the movie adaptation of Cell.

Advertisement

7

‘The Tommyknockers’ (1987)

The Tommyknockers sees Stephen King getting very weird, even by the standards of a King book released in the 1980s, and there are probable reasons for that there isn’t time to get into here. Let’s just stick to the basics, as much as that’s possible, for such a wild and chaotic book. In The Tommyknockers, the people of a small town all become affected by an object discovered in the woods, and said object seems to be of an extra-terrestrial origin.

Stephen King isn’t the best at sci-fi, but he’s helmed some good ones a little more recently than The Tommyknockers, like 11/22/63 and Under the Dome (the ending to the latter isn’t quite as disastrous as some people make it out to be). With The Tommyknockers, though, you get the sense he really wasn’t in control, and while the wildness of it all can be sporadically fun, the whole thing eventually collapses under its own weight, especially near the end. Finding a final page and getting through it feels like a mercy kill; like The Tommyknockers finally being Old Yeller’d. Takes a while to get there, but better late than never, right?

6

‘Holly’ (2023)

Holly - 2023 - book cover Image via Charles Scribner’s Sons
Advertisement

If you read everything Stephen King has ever written, you’re going to run into the character of Holly Gibney a fair few times. She was introduced in Mr. Mercedes, then played a supporting role in the following two books centered around Bill Hodges, all before having another supporting role in The Outsider, and then going on to be at the center of one of the novellas featured in If It Bleeds.

Holly is a fairly weak novel, and pretty half-hearted, with an ultimately laughable pair of antagonists who are brought down in a boring and predictable fashion.

Advertisement

All these stories ended up better than Holly, which is, unfortunately, the character’s first protagonist role in a full-blown novel, and the novel itself is a bit of a mess. After If It Bleeds, which explicitly takes place at the end of 2020, Holly is all about COVID and the main character dealing with it, while taking on a case, which wouldn’t feel jarring if If It Bleeds had mentioned it. But it couldn’t, since King wrote it before COVID, and then he decided that Holly’s world would have COVID anyway, just not the sort that anyone worried about in 2020, anyway. Even beyond that, Holly is a fairly weak novel, and pretty half-hearted, with an ultimately laughable pair of antagonists who are brought down in a boring and predictable fashion, by the book’s (eventual and merciful) end.

5

‘Lisey’s Story’ (2006)

Lisey's Story - 2006 - book cover Image via Charles Scribner’s Sons

Of all the dozens upon dozens of novels King has written, the man himself considers Lisey’s Story as his best, and he’s welcome to feel that way, even if it’s a little strange he does. Okay, okay, Lisey’s Story is an undeniably personal novel, and for better or worse, you do really feel that while reading it, since it’s about mortality, grief, and writing, all centered around a recently widowed woman dealing with the loss of her husband, who was a writer.

Advertisement

She grapples with memories of him while uncovering things he’d written, and then there’s also some stuff involving a different realm or something, and everything kind of merging and getting messy and, look, it’s a really annoying read. The way the characters talk to each other, and the way it just goes on and on… it’s infuriating, and beyond self-indulgent. If someone who wasn’t King tried to get Lisey’s Story published, it would almost certainly not have been accepted without radical edits. That it ends badly isn’t massively disappointing, in all honesty, since it also starts and progresses throughout (all before the ending) badly, too.

4

‘Desperation’ (1996)

Desperation - book cover - 1996 Image via Viking Press

There’s a sister novel to Desperation called The Regulators, and that’s probably the worse book overall, but Desperation ends up being a little more disappointing when it comes to its ending. The Regulators (one of King’s Richard Bachman books) is a mess throughout, but Desperation does have a pretty great start that’s heavy on mystery, involving various people who are all abducted and held captive in a small town by a potentially possessed – or perhaps just deranged – police officer.

Advertisement

Once the truth of what’s happening starts to get revealed, things suddenly become less interesting. Without going into too much detail, Desperation is kind of just another rather fantastical/supernatural battle of good vs. evil, in the end, and one that King had done better before, and with more interesting characters, too. If you read the first half of Desperation and make peace with a lack of conclusion, you’ll probably come away more satisfied than if you stick it out and actually finish the dang thing.

3

‘Elevation’ (2018)

Stephen King - Elevation - book cover - 2018 Image via Charles Scribner’s Sons

One of two novels about rapid weight loss that Stephen King has written, Elevation is a good deal more optimistic than Thinner, which is the other one, and also, Elevation is a bit of a fantasy (or magical realism) novel compared to the horror focus of Thinner. In Thinner, a man is cursed to lose weight, while in Elevation, a man gradually gets lighter and lighter, all to the point where it seems like he might just float off into the atmosphere, at a point.

Advertisement

And… uh… that’s what happens. This is barely a novel, and sometimes gets called a novella, which feels more accurate. Elevation has been spoiled here, but you’re better off knowing about how silly the ending is (and also, the ending happens so soon after the beginning of the story, so it’s all very slight, in any event). But hey, it’s got that Castle Rock setting. That’s always a somewhat fun town to go back to, right?

2

‘Gwendy’s Final Task’ (2022)

Gwendy's Final Task - 2022 Image via Cemetery Dance Publications

Like Elevation, Gwendy’s Final Task makes for a pretty short read, and it’s also one of several books King has co-written, with the other author here being Richard Chizmar. It would be nice to feel sincere appreciation for the Gwendy trilogy and highlight it as being underrated, but nah, it’s kind of messy. The first book is a nice (but slight) coming-of-age/fantasy/horror book, and then the second, which was written solely by Chizmar… okay, that one’s not great.

Advertisement

But King came back for the third book, Gwendy’s Final Task, and his return did very little. This book concludes the whole trilogy in an admirably baffling fashion, so that makes it more memorable than book #2, albeit maybe not for the reasons you want a book to be memorable. The titular character goes to space, and also, she has Alzheimer’s. In the first book, she was a child, and in the second book, she was a young politician. This is skimming over a lot of stuff, but even in context, reading the whole bleeding thing, it doesn’t really make all that much more sense. Wild ending to a wild and messy trilogy, really.

1

‘The Colorado Kid’ (2005)

The Colorado Kid - book cover - 2005 Image via Hard Case Crime

If you’re willing to go with The Colorado Kid being an anti-mystery book, in effect, then maybe the ending is defensible. Just that one sentence might already be a spoiler, but also, The Colorado Kid is so very short, so there’s not a great deal to spoil. Also, it’s obscure, and you’re probably only going to feel compelled to read it if you’ve already dedicated yourself to reading everything King ever wrote. If you’re okay with sitting out a few books of his (life is finite and all), then The Colorado Kid is one of the skippable ones.

Advertisement

The narrative here largely concerns the discovery of a dead body, and a large number of questions that come about while trying to identify the person whose body it was, and figure out why he might have died. But then also, so much is not known, and The Colorado Kid intentionally ends with whatever the literary equivalent of a shrug is. It’s pretty lackluster, for a crime/mystery novel, even a short one (thankfully, King’s later works within the genre – including Mr. Mercedes, Joyland, and Later – are all better and more satisfying).

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Entertainment

Matthew Perry's stepdad said 'I don't hate you' to 'Ketamine Queen' at sentencing

Published

on


Jasveen Sangha, also known as the ‘Ketamine Queen,’ was sentenced to 15 years in prison on April 8.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Chris Brown and Usher announce surprise tour 3 years after alleged altercation in Las Vegas

Published

on


The two singers have a long history of collaboration but reportedly got into a heated argument at a roller rink in 2023.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos cheer on son Joaquin in his Broadway debut

Published

on


The “Live” hosts’ 23-year-old son is appearing in “Death of a Salesman.”

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Noah Wyle was 'concerned' when HBO requested edits to “The Pitt”’s ICE episode

Published

on


“When I saw what we had done, I actually think we arrived at something more elegant and a little bit more restrained,” Wyle admitted of the final product.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Donald Trump Didn’t ‘Recommend’ Melania’s Epstein Statement

Published

on

President Donald Trump clarified that he did not suggest to wife Melania Trump to make a statement about Jeffrey Epstein — but approved of her making one.

“I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but … I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it,” Donald, 79, said in an interview with the New York Times on Friday, April 10.

The president also clarified that Melania “didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein.”

“I could understand her feelings,” he said. “But I said, ‘If you want to do it, do it.’”

Advertisement
President Donald Trump Says He Didnt Know Melania Was Making a Statement About Jeffrey Epstein


Related: President Donald Trump Was Surprised by Melania’s Jeffrey Epstein Statement

First lady Melania Trump surprised many when she released a statement denying any connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — including her husband, President Donald Trump. Following Melania’s Thursday, April 9, statement to the press, MS NOW reported that they had a “brief phone call” with the president, 79, where he allegedly told the […]

Donald shared that he and his wife’s conversation about making the statement “wasn’t a big discussion.”

Advertisement

“I’d say it lasted for about two minutes,” he explained. “I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job.”

Melania made headlines on Thursday, April 9, when she addressed speculation about her and her husband’s connection to Epstein. (The disgraced billionaire was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Prior to his 2019 death by suicide, Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors.)

“[The rumors] with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania said during a Thursday, April 9, press conference at the White House. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

Melania claimed that she had “never been friends” with Epstein.

Advertisement

“Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false,” she continued. “I am not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter.”

The first lady clarified that she and Donald Sr., who wed in 2005 and share son Baron 20, were previously “invited to many of the same parties as Epstein” but she “never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice [Ghislaine] Maxwell.” (Donald Sr. is also father to Don Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany Trump.)

Breaking Down Melania Trumps Epstein Denial President Trumps Reaction


Related: Breaking Down Melania’s Epstein Denial, President Trump’s Reaction and More

Advertisement

First lady Melania Trump stunned observers on April 9, 2026, when she held an impromptu press conference at the White House to deny any connection to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — and to reject rumors that Epstein introduced her to her husband, President Donald Trump. What Melania Trump Said During Her Rare Public […]

Epstein and those who have been accused of being in his inner circle have been a hot topic in recent years due to the Department of Justice’s investigation into him. The government body has been releasing Epstein’s alleged correspondence — also known as the Epstein Files — as part of an FBI investigation into his actions.

Trump later told the Times on Friday that he doesn’t “mind anything having to do with Epstein.”

“The only thing I don’t like is, I waste a lot of time having to talk about it,” he told the outlet.

15 of Epstein’s victims spoke out against Melania’s remarks in a Thursday statement, “Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports and giving testimony. Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice. It also diverts attention from [former attorney general] Pam Bondi, who must answer for withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Where “Euphoria” left off after season 2, ahead of the season 3 premiere and big time jump

Published

on


Here’s where the HBO drama left Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and more back in 2022.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Breaking Down Melania’s Epstein Denial, Trump’s Reaction

Published

on

Breaking Down Melania Trumps Epstein Denial President Trumps Reaction

First lady Melania Trump stunned observers on April 9, 2026, when she held an impromptu press conference at the White House to deny any connection to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — and to reject rumors that Epstein introduced her to her husband, President Donald Trump.

What Melania Trump Said During Her Rare Public Address

“[The rumors] with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump said in a statement to the press on April 9, 2026. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
The first lady claimed she had “never been friends” with Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. (He was previously convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.)

She acknowledged that she and husband President Donald Trump “were invited to many of the same parties as Epstein from time to time” but insisted she “never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”

Breaking Down Melania Trumps Epstein Denial President Trumps Reaction

Jeffrey Epstein
Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Melania said she first “crossed paths” with Epstein in 2000 at an event she attended with her husband and that she “had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings” at the time. She also acknowledged replying to an email from Maxwell but dismissed it as nothing significant.

“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she stated. “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book, Melania.”

Advertisement

She added that “numerous fake images and statements” about her and Epstein have been circulating on social media and warned people to “be cautious about what you believe.”

“I am not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter,” she said.

President Trump Apparently Had No Idea Melania Was Going to Speak Out

Melania Trump’s speech appeared to catch the White House unaware. Following her remarks, MS NOW reported that the outlet had a “brief phone call” with President Donald Trump, who allegedly told them he had no prior knowledge of his wife’s plans to speak out on the topic. The publication alleged that “many” White House staffers were also “caught off guard” by Melania’s impromptu statement.

The president, however, backed his wife’s claims, telling MS NOW, “She didn’t know [him].”

Advertisement

Jeffrey Epstein’s Victims Push Back

Melania Trump’s speech drew a swift response from Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, who took particular issue with a portion where the first lady encouraged victims to give sworn testimony to Congress in a public hearing.

“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports and giving testimony. Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” a statement signed by 15 Epstein survivors read on April 9, 2026. “It also diverts attention from [former Attorney General] Pam Bondi, who must answer for withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities.” Their statement concluded, “[Bondi’s] failures continue to put lives at risk while shielding enablers. Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”

The survivors also echoed criticisms that the Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files was handled haphazardly, with identifying information left unredacted in some cases and other important documents allegedly never being published at all.

President Donald Trump confirmed on April 2 that Bondi was leaving her role as attorney general to take “a much-needed and important new job in the private sector,” though multiple media outlets reported that she was fired due to the president’s displeasure with her recent job performance.

Advertisement

Jimmy Kimmel Weighs In

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also weighed in during the April 9, 2026, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, questioning the timing of Melania Trump’s remarks.
“Why is this happening today?” Kimmel asked, making reference to President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran. “He spent the past six weeks trying to bomb this Epstein story out of the headlines. Two days after the ceasefire, she puts it right back on top.”

Kimmel wondered whether Melania did it on purpose, joking, “She must really hate him. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

President Donald Trump Slams Megyn Kelly Candace Owens and Other Podcasters Who Criticize Him Stupid


Related: Donald Trump Slams Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and More Who Criticize Him

Advertisement

President Donald Trump is taking aim at political podcasters like Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens after they criticized him amid the conflict in Iran. “I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful […]

He also referenced reports that White House officials were blindsided. “He didn’t know she was going to do it before she did it, which shows you just how smoothly things are running over there,” Kimmel added. “For whatever reason, she didn’t ask [her husband].”

He concluded: “She didn’t give him a heads-up. She just went right out in front of the cameras and fired away.”

Donald Trump Clarifies He Didn’t ‘Recommend’ Melania’s Statement

In an April 10 interview with the New York Times, Donald Trump explained he didn’t suggest for his wife to hold a press conference about Jeffrey Epstein, but was aware it was happening.

Advertisement

“I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but … I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it,” Donald, 79, said in an interview with the Times.

He added that he thought Melania “did a good job” while also confirming that his wife did not know Epstein.

Advertisement

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Huntr/x join Katseye at Coachella for surprise performance of “KPop Demon Hunters”' hit 'Golden'

Published

on


The singers behind the fictional girl group — Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — recently won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Diddy’s Holmby Hills Neighbors Worry About His Possible Return

Published

on

Sean "Diddy" Combs

Residents in Los Angeles’ Holmby Hills neighborhood are reportedly uneasy amid speculation that Sean “Diddy” Combs could return home if his appeal succeeds.

Concerns center on potential disruptions, including loud gatherings and increased media attention associated with his property, which some locals note has previously drawn police visits.

The concerns come as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team continues its appeal against his 50-month sentence, now under review by judges.

Advertisement

Holmby Hills Neighbors Concerned As Diddy Appeal Raises Possibility Of Return Home

Sean
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

Residents in the upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles are reportedly growing anxious as speculation builds that Sean “Diddy” Combs could be released if an appeals court rules in his favor.

According to TMZ, sources familiar with the area revealed that chatter among neighbors has intensified in recent days, with concerns that a possible return home could bring renewed disruptions similar to those that allegedly contributed to his earlier legal troubles.

The unease isn’t just about media attention or increased security presence, as locals are also worried about the lifestyle activity linked to the property.

Insiders claim that past gatherings involving Diddy’s family were extremely loud at times, leading to repeated police call-outs, which unsettled parts of the community.

Separately, reports suggest that real estate agents in the area are already informing potential buyers about Combs’ nearby property, treating it as relevant disclosure information due to concerns it could affect property value or lead to future disputes if not mentioned.

Advertisement

The Rapper Appeals 50-Month Sentence, Challenges Trial Evidence As Judges Deliberate Decision

Diddy in white suit
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

On the legal front, Diddy’s attorneys questioned his conviction, arguing that his 50-month sentence is excessive compared to typical penalties for Mann Act-related convictions, which they say often average closer to 15 months.

They also note that he has already served a significant portion of his sentence while the appeal is under review.

During the appeal proceedings, Diddy’s defense team referenced allegations involving Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, including claims of drug use that they say were excluded from the original federal trial.

They also brought up an incident described as a “hotel night,” a term linked to what they characterized as consensual encounters with an individual identified as “Jane,” which they argue did not involve coercion or threats. The defense has asked the court to issue a swift ruling, though no timeline has been provided for when a decision might be reached.

More About Diddy’s Conviction Under The Mann Act

Sean
Scott Kirkland/Fox/PictureGroup / MEGA

Diddy was convicted last July on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution under the Mann Act.

The charges centered on arranging travel for escorts to engage in sexual activity with his former partners, including Cassie and another woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane.”

Advertisement

He was acquitted of the more serious allegations of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which prosecutors had argued involved coercion and abuse tied to a wider pattern of misconduct.

According to the indictment, authorities claimed Diddy pressured both women into sexual encounters with male escorts, sometimes involving drugs and extended multi-day sessions.

These encounters were referred to during the trial as “Freak Offs” and “hotel nights,” with prosecutors alleging they were at times recorded. Diddly denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty throughout the proceedings.

The Rapper’s 50-Month Jail Release Date Has Slightly Changed

Sean P.Diddy Combs is seen at the Met Gala in 2017
Eric Kowalsky / MEGA

In sentencing submissions, prosecutors sought a prison term of more than 11 years alongside the maximum $500,000 fine, while the defense requested a much lighter sentence of around 14 months.

Ultimately, in October, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Diddy to 50 months in prison, which is about four years and two months, along with a fine and five years of supervised release.

Advertisement

Separately, the Bureau of Prisons has updated its projected release date. According to People Magazine, he is now scheduled for release on April 15, 2028, a slight change from earlier projections of April 25, 2028, and prior estimates of June 2028.

Where Is Diddy Serving Out His Prison Sentence?

Diddy posing on the red carpet.
MEGA

Diddy is currently held at FCI Fort Dix, a federal correctional institution located on a military base near Philadelphia.

The rapper’s legal team had requested placement due to access to rehabilitation programs and proximity to family.

Since his arrest, several photos and videos of Diddy from inside Fort Dix have been shared online, revealing the music mogul interacting with other inmates and carrying out his prison duties, a huge contrast from his once glamorous lifestyle.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Forget ‘Marshals,’ Taylor Sheridan’s 102-Minute Western Is a Must-Watch Before It Leaves Netflix

Published

on

01162518_poster_w780.jpg

There’s no shortage of Taylor Sheridan titles in the world now, and that’s part of what makes going back to Hell or High Water such a good reminder of where so much of this really started. Long before sprawling TV universes, ranch wars, and sheriffs trying to hold the line in a collapsing world, Sheridan delivered a lean, bruised, and deeply human crime story set against the dusty backdrop of West Texas. It doesn’t need big mythology or franchise sprawl to land. It just works. And for Netflix subscribers, the clock is now ticking.

Hell or High Water is leaving Netflix on May 1, which means there’s only a short window left to catch one of the best films Sheridan has ever written. Released in 2016 and directed by David Mackenzie, the neo-Western thriller earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Jeff Bridges, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Nearly a decade later, it still holds up as one of the sharpest and most emotionally grounded modern Westerns of its era.

Chris Pine stars as Toby Howard, with Ben Foster as his volatile brother Tanner, while Jeff Bridges plays Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton and Gil Birmingham stars as his partner Alberto Parker. The film was Sheridan’s first foray into the world of neo-Westerns, and you can see the Yellowstone DNA running through it.

Advertisement





















































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

Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown

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

Advertisement

⚖️Mayor of Kingstown

Advertisement

01

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




Advertisement

02

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




Advertisement

03

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




Advertisement

04

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




Advertisement

05

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.




Advertisement

06

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




Advertisement

07

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




Advertisement

08

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.




Advertisement

09

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




Advertisement

10

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.




Advertisement
Sheridan Has Spoken
You Belong In…

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.

Advertisement

🤠
Yellowstone

🛢️
Landman

👑
Tulsa King

⚖️
Mayor of Kingstown

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

How Good Is ‘Hell or High Water’?

When it first hit theaters,Hell or High Water became both a critical darling and a modest box office success, grossing over $37 million worldwide. It earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Bridges, Best Original Screenplay for Sheridan, and Best Editing. On Rotten Tomatoes, it remains Certified Fresh with near-unanimous praise (97%) from critics and audiences alike.Collider’s review of the moviehailed the leads in Pine and Foster:

“This film lives and dies by the performances of the brothers. And they do not disappoint. Tanner could’ve been played as an over-the-top firecracker with an itchy trigger finger, but Foster smartly winds the violent coil down until its most absolutely necessary. Instead, Foster chooses to lay on a good-for-nothin’ charm that’s all mumbled confidence and acidic humor. And instead of simply having a short fuse, Foster adds the beats of frustration that both ignite that fuse, but also drive home the idea of brotherly love. As the other brother, Pine, who usually plays heroes, plays neither hero nor anti-hero. He is a man with a plan. He is measured.”

Hell or High Water leaves Netflix on May 1.


Advertisement
01162518_poster_w780.jpg

Advertisement


Release Date

August 11, 2016

Runtime
Advertisement

102 minutes

Director

David Mackenzie

Advertisement

Producers

Carla Hacken, Julie Yorn, Peter Berg, Sidney Kimmel

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025