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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms defended the honor of HBO’s biggest fantasy franchise this year, and much like Ser Duncan the Tall, it inspired some people along the way. The latest Game of Thrones spinoff was a breath of fresh air for fans following the lackluster second season of House of the Dragon, as well as the public feud between that series’ showrunner Ryan Condal and author George R.R. Martin.
As many critics predicted, the antidote to franchise fatigue turned out to be this simple, earnest story of a true knight trying to live up to his vows. While nothing can completely eliminate negativity online, it’s clear that this show has led to a shift in the discourse, and even restored some fans’ hope that Martin will finish The Winds of Winter and the rest of A Song of Ice and Fire one day.
Fans of Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire are used to disappointment by now — from the main TV series’ infamous ending to the excruciating wait for the next book, The Winds of Winter, which is now in its 15th year. Fan forums and social media commentary have seen a marked dip in morale in recent years, which should come as no surprise. Many hoped that Martin’s writer’s block would break when the main series ended, while some hoped the spinoff shows would help redeem the franchise. Neither is entirely true, with some commenters even complaining that the spinoffs are distracting Martin from his work as a novelist, exacerbating the delay. As for Martin, he has vowed to stop trying to predict when he might finish after missing several self-imposed deadlines.
Through it all, Martin himself has doggedly insisted that he will finish A Song of Ice and Fire, and that he is still actively working on it. At times, this is a comfort to fans, but at other times it only compounds the heartbreak. Dedicants of Martin walk a fine line between optimism and delusion, but many saw their hopes reflected perfectly in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 6, “The Morrow,” in the flashback scene where Dunk finally asks a dying Arlan why he never knighted him while he had the chance.
“A true knight always finishes a story,” the old hedge knight says with a smile. The line has a few layers of meaning within the scene itself — it refers to the story Arlan was in the middle of telling Dunk despite knowing he had heard it before, but it may also be an indirect answer to Dunk’s question about knighthood. At the same time, it seems to be a dry joke about Arlan’s impending death. It could even be a nod to Tyrion Lannister’s final monologue on Game of Thrones, where he declares that Bran Stark should be king because he symbolizes the best story for the Seven Kingdoms.
This cryptic quote may have more layers of meaning outside of Westeros as well. It clearly applies to Martin’s unfinished fantasy epic, but we can only speculate about how. Showrunner Ira Parker and the writers may have included this wink-and-nod moment as a bit of encouragement for Martin to finish his books, or as a bit of solidarity with impatient fans. On the other hand, Martin spent time with the writing staff himself, so it’s plausible that he suggested this line or approved of it while looking over the script. If so, it reads as a subtle promise to fans, in the absence of more concrete updates.
George R.R. Martin finally gets the faithful adaptation of his dreams, but that’s not a good thing.
Whatever the case, fans definitely needed a ray of hope for the future of the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Back in 2023, many were devastated when HBO abruptly cut House of the Dragon from 10 episodes per season down to eight, which left Season 2 feeling haphazard and unfinished. On top of that, fans were shocked when Martin himself criticized the season harshly on his blog in a now-deleted post, heaping much of the blame on showrunner Condal. In interviews since then, Martin has been frank about his ongoing dislike of the direction the series is taking.
Martin’s issue seems to be primarily with House of the Dragon‘s changes to the story from his book, Fire & Blood, but he may be upset about ripple effects in the narrative which fans won’t see until Season 3 or even Season 4. Still, whether he’s right about these problems or not, it’s clear that they weren’t the real weakness of Season 2. The season had two episodes cut from its run-time and its budget late in the pre-production process, and the 2023 Writers’ Guild of America strike left little or no time to re-structure the story.
It’s odd to see Martin call out Condal so publicly when he has remained relatively positive on the ending of Game of Thrones itself. That, along with repeated delays to The Winds of Winter, has been eroding the optimism in the A Song of Ice and Fire fandom for the last few years. These days, even fans who still carry the torch for this book tend to acknowledge the absurdity of the long wait. Some have given up hope altogether, or lowered their expectations to hope for The Winds of Winter, but not the subsequent book that would finish the series.
As for Martin, his last direct progress report on the book was in a January interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he said that he has about 1,100 finished manuscript pages, and hundreds more to go. This is the same estimate Martin has been giving for several years now, which is disheartening. This year also saw a decrease in Martin’s blog activity — despite the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is unusual for the author. Fans continue to spin out theories and speculation as always, but even some of the most die-hard have decided they can’t wait forever.
Despite it all, Martin continues to insist it is his ambition to finish his series, and fans must take him at his word. If Martin weren’t such a perfectionist, there might not be so many readers clamoring for this book in the first place. In the meantime, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the underdog champion the Game of Thrones franchise needs right now, and it’s clearly up to the task of keeping honor alive in Westeros. The series is streaming now on HBO Max. House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, June 21.
January 18, 2026
HBO
Ira Parker
Owen Harris
George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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Jennifer Garner rarely leans into polarizing styles, but her latest colorful sundress left the internet chatting. The verdict is in: With Garner’s approval, ombré is making a comeback. We found her retro look for only $30 on Amazon!
Garner wore a flowy gradient-style sundress, a simple black cardigan and a structured leather tote. The dress had a rich purple color that faded into a lighter shade, and this Amazon twin appears incredibly similar. The only difference? It costs $2,420 less than Garner’s Gabriela Hearst piece.
Get the Woldress Sleeveless Sundress for $30 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
This Woldress Sleeveless Sundress features the same gradient print as Garner’s, adjustable spaghetti straps, and a flowy maxi length that moves beautifully when you walk. The fabric is soft and breathable, which matters when you want to stay cool yet still look put together.
One five-star shopper called it “the most comfortable piece of clothing” they own and wrote, “It’s thick enough to not see through it and thin enough to feel like you’re wearing nothing. The material is similar to Cuddl Duds pajamas. It can look casual or dressy depending on your accessories.”
Throw it on with sandals and a straw hat for weekend errands, or copy Garner with an easy layer, chic sandals and a roomy bag. And if you’re not a bag person, no worries! Even more functional than Garner’s designer dress, this lookalike dress might be even more functional than Garner’s designer version, thanks to the roomy pockets.
No fussy shoes, no statement jewelry, just a colorful dress doing the heavy lifting. It’s a styling formula that works for brunches, outdoor weddings, travel days and Saturday afternoons. This dress is easy to wear and even easier to style, so go ahead . . . rock it all summer long. We sure are!
Get the Woldress Sleeveless Sundress for $30 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more summer dresses and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas introduced us to an infamous universe of heroes and villains. The epic saga of good versus evil saw those on the light and dark sides do battle in space, using a powerful Force we’d never seen before. Many of the individuals wielding those powers were known as Jedi, and in the Star Wars saga, no Jedi is more iconic than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). As the Star Wars universe has expanded with new characters, planets, and stories, Luke’s prowess as the primary Jedi has diminished, as he may no longer be the most powerful in the galaxy.
Though we have great admiration and respect for Luke, the truth is, there are other Jedi who beat him in the ultimate power rankings. We’re here to discuss five that are arguably stronger. Some are light-years ahead, while others have maybe a point or two more in their pro list. Nevertheless, this is not a “Knock Luke” list, but rather a celebration of five famous Jedi in the history of the galaxy. The list will mention the Star Wars canon, which includes the films, series, and animated shows. As a note, these are not ranked; they’re just five incredible Jedi we’d draft for battle over Luke! No offense.
Just look at her lightsaber! Need we say more? Ok, we will. A brilliant character first introduced on screen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, voiced by Ashley Eckstein, and later given her own live-action series starring Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka is a beloved character and a pivotal figure in the Rebellion against the Empire. Ahsoka was a Padawan to Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter). Though they had a rocky start, they developed a deep, sibling-like bond. A seasoned warrior, she wielded iconic white lightsabers. She ultimately left the Jedi Order after being framed for a crime she didn’t commit, prompting her to build rebel networks. Her elite training under Anakin ultimately gave her an innate experience to face off against him as Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) in Star Wars: Rebels. Though she is overpowered, it makes sense, as he was always a more powerful Jedi and Sith Lord.
Nevertheless, Ahsoka’s resume was stronger than Luke’s. Coming off the front lines of the Clone Wars, she was a formidable opponent in combat with a mystic connection and received the life-force essence of The Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson), the literal embodiment of the Light Side of the Force. Ahsoka’s ability to step away was not just a philosophical choice; it was a matter of survival—her eagerness for spirituality allowed her to survive Order 66 and actively shape the rebellion. Her combat mastery, decades of formal training, and battlefield experience appear more powerful based on this conversation. At the end of the day, the lightsaber prodigy mastered dual-wielding. Her martial arts style set her apart from every Jedi in combat, giving her the charge to outmaneuver and easily dismantle many of her opponents. Luke may have the legacy, but Ahsoka has the tangibility.
Many works of fiction seem to focus on offspring whose journeys see them become equal to, if not better than, their parents. In the Star Wars universe, that’s not necessarily the case. For those living under a rock: Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is Luke’s father. While their story is one of cinema’s best — father is defeated by son only for father to sacrifice himself for son — the truth of the matter is, when it comes to power as a Jedi, Anakin is number one overall; he is the “Chosen One” after all. Focusing on the prequel trilogy and the stories that relate to Anakin (Hayden Christensen) before his brush with the dark side, Anakin was destined to bring balance to the Force. After being discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), he was trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), becoming a legendary Jedi Knight known as the “Hero With No Fear.” But all was lost when Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) manipulated Anakin via his emotions, turning him to the dark side. But prior to that, Anakin’s saga as potentially the greatest Jedi was high.
Anakin contained more raw potential than anyone before or after him. Lucas himself had said that at his full potential, Anakin was destined to be twice as powerful as Emperor Palpatine. But alas, it never reached that point, you know, because of his physical injuries on Mustafar. In combat, Anakin’s connection to the Force provided him with superhuman reflexes and unparalleled foresight, making him arguably the most lethal lightsaber duelist of his era. Add in his tactile battlefield brilliance, and Anakin was a force to be reckoned with. Luke contained many of the same attributes, but his training was never as strong. Luke was fragmented and often self-taught, finding his footing by intuition. While some might find that more powerful, Anakin’s hands-on experience built him into the Jedi he was destined to be.
A key player in the prequel trilogy, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) served on the Jedi High Council. Why? He was extraordinary, notorious for his trademark purple lightsaber, blunt, no-nonsense leadership style, and for creating the aggressive Vaapad lightsaber combat form. That alone has made him a profound Jedi. A formidable warrior and one of the respected leaders of the Old Jedi Order, Mace Windu represented the past as the future was being crafted. Though he was wary of training Anakin, believing him to be too unpredictable and dangerous, hindsight is 20/20. Mace Windu famously denied him the rank of Master, so that gut feeling was right all along. Or was he one of the catalysts of Anakin’s descent? You decide.
While some of his contemporaries may have been wiser, Mace Windu’s skill set was specifically designed to counter dark-side users. That purple lightsaber is unique and iconic, but its power is what made him stand out. Vaapad allowed Windu to channel his inner darkness and tap into the dark energy of his opponents, turning their aggression against them without falling to the dark side himself. Mace Windu’s combat prowess remains one of his greatest assets. His unique combat skills and mastery of the Force made him a nearly unmatched warrior who successfully disarmed and defeated Darth Sidious in single lightsaber combat. One thing that made him stand out among the rest was his rare and powerful Force ability called Shatterpoint, which allowed him to perceive the weak spots in a person, situation, or even a battle’s outcome. More formidable and disciplined than Luke, Mace Windu had a lifetime of dedication to evolving and creating a Jedi who was nearly invincible.
When a sequel is created, it’s often executed in a way that is reminiscent of its original. So, when Star Wars: Episode VII— The Force Awakens arrived, and we met a young child who lived on a dusty planet, skilled as a scavenger, highly proficient in piloting and mechanics, the comparisons to Luke Skywalker were obvious. For the longest time, many viewers assumed Rey (Daisy Ridley) was a descendant of Luke. Boy, were we wrong! As the primary protagonist of the sequel trilogy, Rey represented the new generation of Jedis in more ways than one. Her life changed when she met the droid BB-8 and the former stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), soon learning her immense natural Force sensitivity when Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber called out to her. Trained by the man himself, Rey’s unique attribute was the Force Dyad she shared with the villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), also known as Ben Solo.
More than just incredible girl power, Rey’s arc was resounding, giving her the wherewithal to become stronger than her mentor. Like Luke, Rey was filled with raw power, inheriting an extraordinary connection to the dark side of the Force due to her lineage. Of course, having a biological connection to the greatest and most powerful Sith Lord gives her immense strength and a natural capacity to manipulate the Force that vastly exceeds that of a typical Jedi. The Force Dyad gave both Rey and Ben unprecedented powers; through that bridge, she could perform complex Force techniques almost instantaneously simply by interacting with him. In a stunning storytelling device and movie moment, during her final confrontation with Emperor Palpatine, Rey channels the collective spiritual energy and life force of every past Jedi, becoming a conduit for generations of light-side users. Between bloodline, cosmic connection, and the accumulated wisdom of the Order, Rey’s ceiling for Jedi power is nearly limitless.
Of the many incredible creatures and aliens introduced in the original Star Wars series, one little green guy had the biggest impact: Yoda (Frank Oz), the definitive Jedi of any species. Yoda is a legendary and immensely powerful Jedi Master, recognized for his small stature, green skin, and unique inverted speech pattern. As the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda became one of the most skilled practitioners of the Force in galactic history. To many, he was the greatest Jedi of all time because of the legacy of who he trained— some of whom are included in this story. Further, unlike many others, Yoda trained for nearly 900 years, studying, mastering, and deeply connecting with the Force. No one will ever be as wise as Yoda.
With many Jedi powers, perhaps Yoda’s greatest was his ability to sense disturbances across the entire galaxy. From there, we watched Yoda throughout the Skywalker Saga engage in other integral skills, including manipulating massive objects and even absorbing and redirecting pure dark side energy with his bare hands. Perhaps because of his stature, Yoda just made it look cool. With that, his prowess with a lightsaber was integral to his success. He had the agility to overwhelm elite duelists like Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and spar on equal footing with Darth Sidious. Yoda achieved a level of oneness with the Force that allowed him to manifest as a Force ghost after death, a technique few Jedi ever mastered. As the one who trained Luke, Yoda gets some bonus points.
Fans who pulled up to Summer Walker’s recent concert in Atlanta got the ultimate surprise when Yung Miami popped out and shut it DOWN with a performance of her hit single, ‘Spend Dat.’ Caresha came through and did her big one while the crowd screamed, cheered, and rapped along. Videos making rounds on social media show her having a time on stage, and of course, fans who missed the show wasted no time weighing in with their opinions.
Clips circulating on TikTok show Yung Miami strutting onto the stage at Summer Walker’s concert while ‘Spend Dat’ blasts through State Farm Arena. She pulled up looking like money — literally! She served a look in a black latex bustier top and matching mini skirt while a neon green buss down flowed over her shoulders. Miami even stayed on theme with ‘Spend Dat’ by adding dollar bill symbols to the back of her hair.
@summerwalker.sa BRO ATL WON! #summerwalker #stillfinallyoverittour #finallyoverit #spenddat
Other angles show Miami smiling from ear to ear as fans rapped every single word. She also hit a little two-step to the beat and sprinkled in some of the moves from the viral dance to the song. Peep the vibes from the show below.
@innocencelost94 Atlanta crowds stay winning 😭🔥🔥 @Caresha Yung Miami x Spend Dat . . . . . . . . . #yungmiami #spenddat #summerwalker #finallyoverit #atlanta
Once videos of Miami’s performance made rounds on TikTok, folks didn’t hesitate to weigh in with reactions. Plenty of fans said they loved seeing Caresha have her moment, while others said ‘Spend Dat’ has been on replay ever since it dropped.
TikTok user @BigB👑 wrote, “Neva switched up on my good sis 😻”
TikTok user @🦈 wrote, “She look so good.”
While TikTok user @Naomi Marntell wrote, “I love this song real bad.”
Then TikTok user @Mari🍒 wrote, “Baby she got her a HIT!!!!”
Another TikTok user @Santi 💙 wrote, “I’m so glad to see her comeback! Bc we all loved Caresha’s personality and she didn’t deserve that hate train at all.”
TikTok user @𝑅𝓎 wrote, “she’s meant for this 😍😍😍”
Then another TikTok user @🔌🌹 wrote, “Always liked her 😍😍”
While another TikTok user @valval1 wrote, “I’m loving this for Caresha!♥️”
Finally, TikTok user @Thubelihle Mandlazi wrote, “Body tea 👌”
Amid Miami’s performance, reactions to ‘Spend Dat’ continue to take over the internet. Recently, an X user pulled up one of her old posts from when she first dropped the track and fans flooded with critiques. At the time, Miami shared a message saying, “Maybe it’ll grow on yall.” The fan ended up agreeing, writing on X, “The one time Caresha was right.” Once Caresha peeped the post, she slid in with a peeking-eye emoji.
What Do You Think Roomies?
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Bloating always comes at the worst times, but with the right blouse, it really doesn’t matter! We found 13 tummy-flattering blouses that fit the description, making you look slim, polished and anything but ‘poofy.’ They should cost hundreds, but our tailored-looking picks start at just $4!
The chic, rich mom blouses on our list are structured where it counts and loose everywhere else, including around the tummy area. So whether you’re running errands or leading a boardroom meeting, you’ll look and feel your best. See top styles like button-down shirts, babydoll ‘fits and more on Amazon. Scroll on!
1. Our Favorite: Crafted with a flattering peplum design, this slimming blouse flares where you want a little extra tummy coverage. The elongating vertical stripes do the rest, drawing the eye up and down.
2. Boutique Find: This under-$30 blouse features a dainty floral print that gives it a small-shop appeal, without the boutique markup. The relaxed cut floats over your waistline.
3. Mediterranean Style: Just $10 gets you a buttery-soft blouse with a Mediterranean print that looks straight from Greece. The fabric drapes without bunching for a slimming effect.
4. Girly Girl: Ruffles, cap sleeves and bright colors make this playful, feminine blouse anything but basic.
5. Elevated Button-Up: Designed with short puffed sleeves, this dramatic button-up shirt provides intentional volume with a feminine twist.
6. One-of-a-Kind: Throw this elegant blouse on for a gallery opening or a long dinner. It’ll earn you compliments, while the loose fit earns your loyalty.
7. Boho Babe: A pretty print draws attention exactly where you want it, i.e. away from your midsection. Grab this boho-style blouse and make suck-it-in moments a thing of the past.
8. CEO Alert: Wear this CEO-worthy blouse with tailored pants and you’re ready to run the room. If you’re experiencing bloating, it’ll be your little secret.
9. California Cool: Sometimes you just want to wear a summer top tucked in and sharp, while other days you may prefer it loose and flowy. Regardless, this on-sale number reads intentional for both.
10. Center of Attention: Yes, you can get this Amazon top for $4. The vibrant red blouse costs less than your latte and still delivers a flattering fit.
11. Elegant Embroidery: The textured fabric elevates this embroidered blouse, turning it from a basic find to a boutique-level style. The shape is generous through the torso and the stitchwork carries the elegance.
12. Simple Stunner: This barely-there blouse flows instead of clings, which makes all the difference during the summer. You’ll forget you’re even wearing it.
13. Picnic Party: Gingham looks crisp, even when you’re feeling puffy. This summery number features a relaxed, effortlessly flattering silhouette.
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See where “Disclosure Day” ranks among the legendary filmmaker’s other works.
Steven Spielberg’s latest science-fiction epic, Disclosure Day, is proving that a Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score doesn’t always mean unanimous praise. While the film currently holds a strong 80% critics score and a respectable 74% audience score, reactions to Spielberg’s newest blockbuster have been notably mixed, creating one of the year’s most interesting critical debates.
Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo, Disclosure Day follows a world-changing extraterrestrial mystery that forces humanity to confront its place in the universe. As Spielberg’s latest original sci-fi project, comparisons to classics such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Minority Report were inevitable.
For many critics, the legendary filmmaker has delivered another thrilling reminder of why he remains one of Hollywood’s most celebrated directors.
One of the film’s strongest reviews came from Matt Maytum of Total Film, who praised Spielberg’s return to blockbuster science fiction, writing:
“Spielberg’s best blockbuster since Minority Report.”
The review reflects a common sentiment among supporters of the film, who have praised its ambitious scope, emotional storytelling, impressive visual effects, and Spielberg’s signature sense of wonder. Many positive reviews have also highlighted the performances of the ensemble cast, particularly Emily Blunt, while applauding the latest collaboration between Spielberg and legendary composer John Williams.
However, not every critic was won over by the filmmaker’s latest adventure.
Offering a much harsher perspective, Nicholas Barber of the BBC wrote:
“A flimsy, outdated car-chase thriller with no ideas about aliens that we haven’t heard before.”
The review stands in sharp contrast to many of the film’s positive notices and highlights one of the primary criticisms surrounding Disclosure Day. While even some detractors praised Spielberg’s craftsmanship and technical execution, several critics felt the film’s central mystery and conspiracy-driven narrative lacked the originality and emotional impact found in the director’s most beloved works.
Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo in ‘Disclosure Day’. {credit: Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment]
That divide among critics helps explain why Disclosure Day has become such a heavily discussed release. An 80% score is typically considered a strong result on Rotten Tomatoes, but the gap between the film’s most enthusiastic supporters and harshest detractors reveals a movie that is generating genuine debate rather than universal acclaim.
Audience reactions have mirrored that split, though generally leaning positive. The film’s 74% audience score suggests most moviegoers are enjoying the experience, particularly its spectacle, suspense, and large-scale storytelling. Others, however, have criticized the pacing and felt the film’s ambitious ideas don’t always receive the payoff they deserve.
Despite the mixed reactions, Disclosure Day remains one of the year’s most successful original science-fiction releases from a critical standpoint. The film’s Fresh rating demonstrates that the majority of reviewers enjoyed Spielberg’s latest effort, even if opinions vary significantly on where it ranks among his legendary filmography.
Whether audiences see it as a modern sci-fi classic or a flawed but fascinating blockbuster, Disclosure Day has achieved something few films manage to accomplish: it has people talking. And nearly five decades after changing cinema with films like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg continues to prove that his work can still spark passionate discussion among critics and moviegoers alike.
Nothing beats a good heist movie. You get a plan, a crew, a vault, a double-cross, and the specific dopamine hit of watching people pull off something they shouldn’t be able to. The good ones run on pure mechanics. The great ones make you sweat over whether everybody is about to get caught. And the last ten years have been a low-key golden age for the form.
We got full-volume Bayhem, a Steven Soderbergh comeback set at a NASCAR race, Miranda July making us feel weird about families, Sandra Bullock raiding the Met Gala and Jeff Bridges earning an Oscar nomination by chasing two bank-robbing brothers across West Texas. The form is in better shape than it has any right to be. Below, these films are the best of the last ten years. (The top spot is non-negotiable. The rest, we can argue about.)
Miranda July’s con-artist family drama is the kind of movie you watch and then immediately have questions about. Like, is the protagonist really named Old Dolio Dyne? And, is Debra Winger actually wearing a wig that looks like a sentient pile of yarn? The answer to both is, yes. Evan Rachel Wood plays Old Dolio like some kind of feral animal trying to pass as a real girl. Richard Jenkins and Winger are her parents, who have raised her to scam strangers and split everything three ways. Then Gina Rodriguez crashes their operation as chatty stranger Melanie, and the whole house of cards starts noticing just how flimsy it is.
Kajillionaire is a heist movie the way Paper Moon is a heist movie. The actual robbing is almost incidental to what’s going on emotionally, but the schemes do stack up. If you’ve ever been to a Miranda July reading and watched the room split between people on the verge of tears and people checking their phones, that’s the response curve here too. A heist movie about wanting to be loved is still a heist movie.
The premise: Josh O’Connor, playing an unemployed architect named JB Mooney, steals four paintings from a suburban museum in 1970 while Vietnam War coverage plays in the background. Kelly Reichardt directs at her usual unhurried clip, with O’Connor bumbling through Massachusetts, Alana Haim playing his wife, and Bill Camp filling out the orbit.
Critics turned out for it, with the consensus calling Reichardt’s pace “laconic,” which is the polite critic word for “slow on purpose.” It won’t be everyone’s idea of a heist movie. The loot gets hauled around in a station wagon and the climax is mostly a man looking at a phone booth. People who want their heist films to feature parkour or banter will hate it. People who already think every great heist is secretly a movie about masculinity in crisis will feel vindicated. Mooney isn’t stealing for money. He’s stealing because his life is small, and he thought theft might make it bigger. Reader, it does not.
Bear with me. Yes, this is the Netflix prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Yes, it stars and is directed by Matthias Schweighöfer, who plays a German bank teller named Ludwig Dieter and approaches every scene like a Muppet who has just discovered espresso. And yes, it is a surprisingly charming heist movie, provided you can clear the conceptual hurdle of “this exists in the same cinematic universe as a casino zombie tiger.” Nathalie Emmanuel rounds Ludwig up alongside a crew of safe crackers to break into a legendary set of vaults across Europe before the zombie apocalypse hits the news cycle.
The Europe-trotting is fun and Schweighöfer turns Ludwig into the kind of nervous, sweaty hero you actually want to win. As a piece of heist filmmaking, it’s modest. As franchise salvage operations go, it’s borderline miraculous.
Michael Bay made a movie where Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II rob a bank, hijack an ambulance, and speed through Los Angeles for two hours while Eiza González performs emergency surgery in the back. Watching Ambulance is like watching someone solve a Rubik’s cube during a car crash. Bay’s instincts have never been subtle, and this is him fully off the leash, gleefully inflicting his style on a 130-minute single-day plot.
Most heists spend the first hour planning and the last twenty minutes running. Ambulance does roughly the inverse. Will (Abdul-Mateen) is a Marine vet who needs major money for his wife’s experimental surgery since his insurance won’t cover it; and the only person who picks up the phone is his career-criminal adoptive brother Danny (Gyllenhaal), who happens to be staging a downtown bank job.
Of course. Will signs on. The job collapses inside a minute — a cop gets shot, the brothers commandeer the ambulance dispatched to save him, and they hit the freeway with the wounded cop and EMT Cam (González) trapped in the back. What makes it work is that the chase is the heist. The vault is mobile, and the clock is real. The brotherhood stuff is the actual engine. Will spends the movie trying to keep Cam and the wounded cop alive while Danny unravels into someone more honest and more dangerous than he meant to be.
The cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter. That cast was the pitch, the marketing, and most of the movie. Gary Ross directs this all-women spin-off of the Soderbergh trilogy, in which Bullock’s Debbie Ocean assembles a crew to lift a $150 million Cartier necklace off Hathaway’s neck at the Met Gala.
The plot is the kind of breezy contraption where everyone has exactly the skill they need at the exact moment they need it. The heist mechanics are flimsy, but the climactic Met Gala montage (plus Hathaway playing a deluded, vain version of herself) is so worth it. Ocean’s 8 understood that the appeal of a heist movie is spending time with the kind of characters you’d want to commit a crime with, and it delivered on that.
A bunch of ex-special-forces operators — Ben Affleck, looking like he hasn’t slept since 2002; a salted-and-peppered Oscar Isaac; Charlie Hunnam; Garrett Hedlund; and Pedro Pascal — decide to rip off a South American drug lord because the American military pension system is a scam and Affleck’s character is one bad mortgage away from collapse. J. C. Chandor, who made Margin Call and A Most Violent Year, directs with his usual seriousness, which is a strange and welcome tone for a Netflix action movie. The job goes wrong almost immediately, so while the actual robbery is methodically planned, the getaway is corrupted by greed.
Triple Frontier sneaks up on you because it’s pretending to be a guys-on-a-mission flick and is actually a slow disaster movie about American hubris — how a man who has been trained his whole life to extract value from a foreign country might, given the right financial pressure, just go ahead and do it for himself.
Steve McQueen, fresh off 12 Years a Slave, decided his next project would be a Chicago crime thriller co-written with Gillian Flynn, based on a 1983 British miniseries. And, because he refused to half-ass things, he cast a who’s-who of female powerhouses: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo. They play the widows of a crew of dead robbers who have to finish the job their husbands started or get killed by Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya (who is terrifying in this, by the way). Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, and Robert Duvall fill out a deep bench of unsettling men who are each useless in their own specific ways.
It’s the rare heist film that takes the politics of who-gets-to-be-a-criminal seriously. Race, class, gender, Chicago aldermanic corruption, all of it’s threaded through gun choreography and sandwiched between long shots of Erivo sprinting at break-neck speed. Stick around for the reveal in the third act recontextualizes the entire first hour and earns this movie such a high spot on this list.
NASCAR. Pneumatic cash tubes. Daniel Craig bleached blonde with a Southern-fried twang and shouting about hard-boiled eggs. Steven Soderbergh came out of his brief retirement to make a Coca-Cola-soaked heist movie set at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Channing Tatum and Adam Driver as West Virginia brothers, Craig as incarcerated demolitions expert Joe Bang (who they have to break out of and back into prison to pull the job off), Riley Keough as their sister, and Seth MacFarlane attempting a British accent. Everyone is having the time of their lives.
This is Soderbergh stretching back into his Ocean’s pocket but with a poverty-tourism guilt that the original trilogy never bothered with, and the result is the rare working-class heist movie that’s actually about more than its characters’ bank accounts. The film’s own characters refer to it as “Ocean’s 7-Eleven,” and the joke works because it’s just so damn good.
Edgar Wright‘s getaway-driver musical experiment turns the soundtrack into a fifth wheel. Ansel Elgort‘s Baby (yes, that’s his name) drives for Kevin Spacey‘s mob boss while tinnitus blares classic rock through his head, and the entire movie syncs its violence, footwork, and gear shifts to whatever’s playing. Lily James is the waitress he falls for. Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Eiza González are the unhinged crew. The bank robberies are choreographed like dance numbers because they basically are dance numbers.
The “Spacey of it all” has soured the rewatch for plenty of people, fairly. But as a pure piece of heist film-making, the opening Atlanta chase scored to “Bellbottoms” alone justifies the whole exercise. Baby Driver is still one of the most kinetic action movies of the decade and the heist form has rarely been this much fun.
Two brothers — Chris Pine, all weathered regret; Ben Foster, electric and savage — rob a series of small West Texas branches of the bank that’s foreclosing on their dead mother’s ranch, while a near-retirement Texas Ranger named Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) follows the trail. Taylor Sheridan wrote it before he became Taylor Sheridan. David Mackenzie directs it like a grittier Coen Brothers movie.
The reason it tops this list is that it’s a heist movie that understands that every great heist is also an indictment. The brothers aren’t stealing from the bank. They’re stealing their own money back, and the movie isn’t shy about who the real thieves are here. Ten years on, Hell or High Water still feels like the rare modern heist film with something to say and the patience to say it slowly.
The Pitt‘s Sepideh Moafi revealed if she’s coming back for season 3 after cast exits — and those feud rumors.
Moafi, 40, who plays Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, told Gold Derby on Thursday, June 11, that her character will have one of several “staggered entrances,” adding, “I don’t know anything yet.”
The actress was excited to see what comes next.
“I have no doubt that like a phoenix in the fire, she’ll rise,” Moafi said about how “proud” she is of playing the character.
Moafi noted that she has received messages from “not just the healthcare community, but so many people with disabilities or so many people who carry mixed identities or from marginalized communities who feel like they’ve been underrepresented.”
She continued: “I think this character has given visibility to a lot of different types of people. I’m so grateful that she exists. I’m so proud that I got to live inside of her and bring her to life. I think the thing that struck me most is the number of people with health conditions, whether it’s chronic illness or disease or disability who have reached out and said how much seeing her experience and seeing not just her condition, but also the way in which she manages it and has struggled with it and the vulnerability that she’s expressed through it has made them feel very seen.”
Moafi joined the hit HBO Max series in season 2 as Dr. Al-Hashimi. After her character had a rift with Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby in the finale, some fans took to social media to question if the show took inspiration from real-life tension.
“We’re really great colleagues,” Moafi told Variety in May. “Noah and I have always had a great working relationship, which is why it actually felt safe to do the darker, dirtier work in episode 15, particularly because, between setups, we were shooting the s*** and laughing.”
Moafi shut down any insinuation she was at odds with Wyle, 54.
“So that’s completely false that there’s a personal sort of beef or rivalry between us, at least not that I’m aware of,” she added. “You can check with Noah, but I don’t know about this.”
Moafi’s addition to The Pitt cast came after Tracy Ifeachor‘s shocking exit. Following Ifeachor’s absence as Heather Collins in season 2, a source told Us Weekly in July 2025 that it was always the plan for her character — who was a fourth-year resident — to leave and become a doctor in future installments of the show.
The same reasoning was used when news broke that Supriya Ganesh wouldn’t reprise her role as Dr. Samira Mohan in season 3.
“It’s sort of the nature of the show. Unfortunately, the way the medical profession works, you come in, you learn, you move on, and we want to try and be as truthful to that process as possible,” executive producer R. Scott Gemmill recently explained to Us Weekly. “So we’re going to turn over our cast. But I think it’s a great launching pad for people, and that’s the best we can do.”
2026 has already been an up and down year for Guy Ritchie, who returned to the crime thriller genre for one of his best projects in years, Young Sherlock. Prime Video dropped all episodes of Young Sherlock as a binge a few months ago, and the show did more than overstay its welcome at the top of streaming charts on its way to earning a Season 2 renewal — Ritchie is expected to return for the follow-up. Ritchie has since faced a setback with the premiere of his long-gestating action movie with Henry Cavill, In the Grey, which bombed hard at the box office. The film, which also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, has since scurried to VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV, where it’s seeking redemption for its box office misfire as one of the most-watched titles of the week.
Young Sherlock is far from Guy Ritchie’s only popular show to emerge from the shadows in the last few years, though. Back in 2024, Ritchie turned to Netflix for The Gentlemen, the hit crime series set in the same universe as his 2019 film of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam. The Gentlemen was, to no surprise, a high-level performer for Netflix in 2024, and the show was picked up for Season 2, which wrapped filming last year. The streamer has yet to set a release date for Season 2 of the Theo James-led crime saga, but it has been confirmed that it will premiere before the end of this year. Before its return, The Gentlemen has surged back into the global top 10 on Netflix in a handful of countries.
The official synopsis for The Gentlemen, which also stars Giancarlo Esposito, reads as follows:
“When Eddie Horniman inherits his father’s sprawling English country estate, he expects land and legacy — not a thriving underground cannabis empire. With Britain’s most dangerous criminals refusing to walk away, Eddie must learn to play the game by their rules. From Guy Ritchie: sharp suits, sharper instincts, lethal consequences.”
Not only did Guy Ritchie direct five episodes of The Gentlemen on Netflix, he is also the primary writer and creator of the show. Daniel Ings, who recently starred as Lyonel Baratheon in the Games of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, also has a key role in The Gentlemen TV show on Netflix.
Check out the entire first season of The Gentlemen on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Season 2.
2024 – 2026-00-00
Netflix
Stuart Carolan, Guy Ritchie, Haleema Mirza, Matthew Read
Henry Cavill is set to star alongside Kevin Hart in an upcoming, untitled spy action-comedy for Netflix.
Both stars have built strong ties with the streaming giant after appearing in several of its major projects. However, Hart recently faced intense backlash over jokes made during “The Roast of Kevin Hart,” particularly Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial remark about George Floyd.
The comedian later defended the roast format while admitting that the joke wasn’t a particularly “tasteful” one for the Black community.

Netflix is pairing two of Hollywood’s biggest and most physically contrasting stars for its next major blockbuster. According to Variety, Cavill is officially set to star alongside Hart in an upcoming spy action-comedy for the streaming giant.
The film, based on a short story by Sean Lewis, follows two elite rival secret agents who are completely unaware of each other’s true identities. Their worlds collide when their pregnant wives become fast friends, forcing the two espionage experts to cross paths in a Lamaze breathing class.
An early synopsis states that “their double lives collide in unexpectedly hilarious and dangerous ways, forcing the two men to reluctantly become confidantes and partners on the road to fatherhood.”

Netflix has seemingly assembled a powerhouse team to bring the comedy to life. Reports suggest Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort will produce the film, while McG, known for movies like “Charlie’s Angels” and “This Means War,” is set to direct.
The script is being penned by Adam and Aaron Nee, whose credits include “Masters of the Universe” and “The Lost City,” alongside Jonathan Tropper, known for “The Adam Project” and “Banshee.”
In addition to starring in the film, Hart is also set to produce through his HartBeat banner.
Cavill and Hart are major draws for Netflix and are no strangers to the platform’s formula for viral hits. The “Man of Steel” actor previously led the fantasy hit “The Witcher” and also played Sherlock Holmes in the “Enola Holmes” franchise alongside Millie Bobby Brown.
Interestingly, Cavill recently admitted to Heat magazine that while he feels he is now “too old” to play James Bond, he would jump at the chance to play a Bond villain. This Netflix project will let him flex those spy muscles, albeit with a comedic twist instead.
Hart, meanwhile, has become a regular presence in Netflix’s feature film division. He has headlined several major streaming projects, including the action film “Lift,” “The Man From Toronto,” “Me Time,” and the drama “Fatherhood.”

Last month, Hart came under intense backlash over what many viewers saw as offensive jokes made during his Netflix special, “The Roast of Kevin Hart.”
As is customary during roasts, several celebrities and comedians, including Tom Brady, Draymond Green, Teyana Taylor, Lizzo, and others, took turns throwing digs at the actor.
However, the show drew criticism from fans after Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke referencing George Floyd, who was killed by police in 2020.
“The Black community is so proud of you,” Hinchcliffe said of Hart, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Right now, George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe.”
During an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” later that month, Hart admitted that the joke left a sour taste in the audience’s mouth, but defended himself by explaining that such moments are common in roasts.
“Yeah, the George Floyd joke, it wasn’t a tasteful joke to our culture, to our audience, but our audience that’s watching the roast, if you’re watching the roast, you get why they’re doing it. You get why the racial humor is on the table,” he said.
Hart was then asked if he thought the joke went “too far,” to which he replied, “It’s Tony Hinchcliffe. I don’t expect less. I don’t expect more.”
“Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets,” he said. “Pete [Davidson] had a great set, too. Pete had a Charlie Kirk joke in it. Like, would I tell those jokes? No. But do I get why they’re being told? Yes. I’m not looking at Pete crazy. I’m not looking at Tony… That’s what I know you’re going to do. I know your style of comedy.”
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