Entertainment
All 13 2026 Netflix Movies, Ranked
For the longest time, Netflix was the go-to place for the boldest and riskiest series beyond network television. They grew so large that they began to get involved in the feature-film game. Over the years, Netflix has brought viewers everything from the epic The Irishman to the groundbreaking KPop Demon Hunters. With such a history of success, filmmakers have flocked to the streamer, and in 2026 alone, subscribers have been given a plethora of exciting movies to watch.
From old-school-style romcoms to a remarkable cinematic button to an iconic series, the original selections have provided something for everyone. But not to mince words, not every title was good. In fact, you might wish you could travel back in time and unwatch. Nevertheless, we are here to rank the English-language films on Netflix so far this year. How many have you seen? Or, as the app asks, “Are you still watching?”
13
‘Joe’s College Road Trip”
There most certainly is a demographic of Tyler Perry fans who will always watch whatever he puts out, even if it’s not great. Unfortunately, Joe’s College Road Trip falls to the bottom of the ranking because it’s, well, cringeworthy. Sadly, the road trip comedy was a complete misfire. The first film in the Madea franchise to center on Joe Simmons (Perry), Joe’s College Road Trip follows the foul-mouthed, unfiltered brother who takes his sheltered, college-bound grandson, B.J. (Jermaine Harris), on a raucous cross-country road trip to teach him about the “real world.” The epic road trip descends into chaos as they take detours, including at a brothel where they meet a sex worker named Destiny (Amber Reign Smith). Joe’s Family Roadtrip is a tone-swapping comedy that shifts from explicit, heavy profanity humor to deeper themes of family, generational divides, and social awareness, as if the overtly raucous didn’t happen.
Joe’s College Road Trip became quite a divisive film. Many believed it was a derivative concept, using only the character and legacy to catapult it to the top of the streaming list. The best part of the film is the genuine lessons about Black history, heritage, and the importance of family reconciliation, but the journey to get there is a bumpy ride. The clash between crude, old-school Joe and his sheltered, progressive, virtue-addicted grandson provides some great comedic juxtaposition, but at what cost? Joe is a great side character; a lead he is not. Because of the character’s nature, the film ends up being unnecessarily vulgar, explicit, and inappropriate for the sake of a potential laugh. There’s comedic substance in a trip to a Confederate biker bar, but it just came off as jarring and uncouth. If you’re looking for Joe to change and become a role model, you won’t find it here. The glorification of toxic behavior is full steam ahead.
12
‘Ladies First’
This is what happens when bad projects happen to good people. Thea Sharrock‘s Ladies First was a well-meaning comedy, but the truth is, as progressive as it believed itself to be, the film was still antiquated in execution. Inspired by the 2018 French film I Am Not an Easy Man by Éléonore Pourriat, Ladies First is intended to be a satirical comedy that follows Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen), an arrogant, misogynistic, womanizing advertising executive poised to become CEO. He treats female coworkers as nothing more than progressive optics and treats women in general poorly, including his underappreciated employee, Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike). Following a head injury, Damien wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women. The same women he patronized in his real world. He must navigate reverse sexism and battle a fearless female counterpart to win back his career, forcing him to experience the exact double standards — sexual discrimination, harassment, and the extreme aesthetic pressures — women face in the workplace. Clunky and outdated, Ladies First‘s star-studded ensemble was forced into a comedy that feels like it should have been released decades ago.
Ladies First is, sadly, a lazy attempt to present something profound. The topics and themes Ladies First tackles are inherently important, but nothing new was learned when presenting them. It’s not that we didn’t know about the vile nature of gender discrepancy in the workplace, but did Damien actually learn anything from his experience? He changed, but in reality, he likely reverted to his past, like individuals in the real world tend to do. Ladies First is exhausting as it tries to flip the script through a 2026 lens. One of the underreported indiscretions the film makes is that, in attempts to portray the gender parallels of masculinity, it presents stereotypes that tend to be damaging to the LGBTQ+ community. So what if a man orders a salad? The gender norms have evolved, and thus, the film comes across as a relic from a cut-for-time ‘90s Saturday Night Live sketch. The film boasted a strong cast, which also included Fiona Shaw, Emily Mortimer, Charles Dance, Kathryn Hunter, and Richard E. Grant, who were forced to push through the slop. I’d say Ladies First could have benefited from more time to ruminate and evolve in series form, but that might be too kind.
11
‘Thrash’
It’s an easy one, but Thrash is trash. Let’s discuss. In the Tommy Wirkola-written and directed survival thriller, stranded residents in a coastal South Carolina town must survive a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane that floods their city with bloodthirsty bull sharks. The film tackles three different groups of survivors whose stories converge at times. Dakota (Whitney Peak), an agoraphobic young woman trapped in her recently deceased mother’s house, becomes the sole hope for another stranded resident, Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor), a heavily pregnant woman. Then there are three siblings, Dee, Ron, and Will (Alyla Brown, Stacy Clausen, and Dante Ubaldi), who are abandoned in a flooded house by their abusive, greedy foster parents, Billy and Rachel Olsen (Matt Nable and Amy Matthews). And finally, Dr. Dale Edwards (Djimon Hounsou), Dakota’s uncle and a marine biologist who studies great whites and bull sharks, races against the clock and the flooded streets to rescue his niece. Thrash blends survival-thriller elements with disaster spectacle as the town’s seawall breaks, bringing the ocean’s apex predators directly into the flooded neighborhoods.
Strong in premise, Thrash is dumb fun as long as you don’t take it too seriously. The struggle is the execution, namely, in the abysmal script and confusing CGI. It’s not a coincidence that a shark flick takes place in a town called “Annieville.” The script tosses out logic in favor of thrills. The script is sadly bogged down by bizarre decisions, inconsistent physics, and highly questionable accents. She gave birth as the house was collapsing! What?! Thrash struggles in its desire to be what it wants to be — a terrifying eco-thriller or an over-the-top B-movie. Both can be true at once, but their intentions must be made clear. It’s a jarring mismatch that somehow makes Sharknado look like it knows what it was doing. With questionable visuals that felt rough around the edges, Thrash needed help in the end.
10
‘Roommates’
Perhaps the most underappreciated film on Netflix this year is the black comedy Roommates. Directed by Chandler Levack and written by Jimmy Fowlie and Ceara O’Sullivan, the coming-of-age comedy follows Devon Weisz (Sadie Sandler), a naive, shy college freshman who rooms with Celeste Durand (Chloe East), an outgoing, cool girl she meets at orientation. At first, they are an inseparable duo, but their promising friendship slowly spirals into a toxic, escalating war of passive-aggressive manipulation and chaos. Revealing the dark side of toxic female friendships, Roommates leans into the awkward, cringeworthy, and universally stressful experience of boundary-crossing.
Produced by Happy Madison, Roommates has the same charm and allure as the production’s films. Sander shines as the anxious, naive college freshman, while East delivers a breakthrough performance as the manipulative, narcissistic roommate. Now, if you’re looking for pitch-perfect casting, having Natasha Lyonne and Carol Kane play mother and daughter deserves an award. Roommates works as a relatable story about the fears of going away to college and making friends. The drawback is how off the rails the film goes by the climax. There is nuance built into the first half of the film, only for the unrealistic messiness to overshadow it. Listen, it’s an explosive conclusion, but the ramifications were simply impractical. Roommates is not a film where you empathize with the characters; instead, you watch to see how far they go for the sake of the bit. And if you’re looking for a Gen Z voice in the writing, it’s far from present.
9
‘Apex’
Written by Jeremy Robbins, Apex was voted onto the 2021 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays for the year. Netflix secured the rights, and then Baltasar Kormákur brought his vision to the screen. The result was a wildly twisted film. Come for the breathtaking scenery, stay for the cannibal? Apex follows Sasha (Charlize Theron), a grieving rock climber who travels to the Australian wilderness to process the accidental death of her partner. Her solo trip turns deadly when a deceptive local, Ben (Taron Egerton), offers her a secret camping spot, only to turn her trip into a twisted, ritualistic hunt. A grueling, unnerving survival thriller performed by two of Hollywood’s strongest actors, Apex thrives on its intense premise, which will make you question every stranger you encounter on your solo adventures.
Apex’s greatest asset is its cinematography. Filmed on location in the Australian wilderness and with climbing sequences, the film looks stunning and provides a great sense of scale and tension. Even the inciting scene between Sasha and Tommy (Eric Bana) is breathtaking yet excruciatingly terrifying. Even with the majestic landscape, Apex forces its characters to endure the terrain to survive each other. Theron and Egerton give extraordinary physical performances that are full-body experiences. Theron is an obvious protagonist, but it’s Egerton, out of his archetypal box, that dominates as the menacing antagonist. Apex showcased two stars doing a lot of grunt work for a paycheck, but one has to wonder if it would have hit harder with two unknowns who could have fully embodied these characters, rather than seeing two icons in a derivative narrative. Apex is a fine film that needs a palate cleanser after the demanding 90-minute run.
8
‘The Rip’
When you cast Ben Affleck and Matt Damon together in a film, all eyes will be on it. You’ll turn it on and expect an Oscar-level product. Add in an ensemble of stars like Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Kyle Chandler, and it’s destined to be an everlasting hit. The Rip was not that. Inspired by true events, the film, directed by Joe Carnahan, tells the story of a tactical Miami narcotics squad that discovers $20 million in cartel cash during a raid. The team’s loyalty shatters as they suspect each other of wanting to steal the money. After one of their own is murdered in cold blood, the volatile, paranoid night watches the officers, led by Lt. Dane Dumars (Damon) and Det. J.D. Byrne (Affleck), trapped by protocol and forced to guard the cash, while cartel members and internal distrust threaten to tear the unit apart. A gritty, high-tension thriller, come for Damon and Affleck yelling at each other. If you stay, it’s because you just want to know the convoluted outcome.
The Rip is a solid watch if the gritty, corrupt cop genre is your thing. There is undeniable chemistry between Affleck and Damon that transcends the screen. But with the focus on if, when, and why they might turn on one another, the other characters are forced to the side. Taylor’s Detective Numa Baptiste and Catalina Sandino Moreno’s Detective Lolo Salazar are literally relegated to the garage to count the cash. Playing out like a throwback film, The Rip is trapped in its own clichés. It’s a formulaic script that truly loses the plot by the third act. If you’re someone who likes to watch a film back to figure out what you missed when it comes to the outcome, The Rip denies you that chance, as they literally spell it out for you. The Rip is a dark, murky wasteland of top-tier talent.
7
‘180’
Coming straight out of South Africa is the underseen crime thriller 180. Written and directed by Alex Yazbek, 180 follows Zak (Prince Grootboom), a restaurant owner who spirals down a dark path of grief and vengeance after a minor traffic altercation with a taxi driven by individuals associated with a local crime syndicate escalates, leaving his young son, Mandla (Mpiloenhle Sithebe), in critical condition. When an enraged Zak confronts them, the situation escalates, a scuffle ensues, and a stray bullet strikes his son, ultimately leading to his death. Zak delves into total moral disintegration in an environment filled with ruthless gang violence, slow police procedures, unhelpful bureaucracy, and an escalating sense of powerlessness. As the title suggests, Zak pulls a complete 180, shifting his moral trajectory as he takes matters into his own hands. 180 is a devastating character study in which the gray areas of morality lead to a shocking conclusion.
The masterful film explores masculinity, profound grief, and systemic corruption. Zak is presented as an everyman-type protagonist whose actions are driven by trauma. For those who believe violence is the answer, they will be extraordinarily displeased by 180. Zak’s erratic decisions and hesitation to use violence have left some feeling that the payoff is weak. Those who admire his path prefer the morality of the plot’s conclusion, in which he chooses to exercise restraint and mercy. It’s a subversion of typical climaxes in action thrillers, but it serves as a strong warning that, even through rightly bitter rage, forgiveness is always the most powerful path. 180 is not a slow-burning story about grief; it’s an action-heavy revenge film that warns viewers that the system is not always there to help.
6
‘Office Romance’
A great Hollywood romcom requires impeccable and believable chemistry. Just because attractive actors are cast doesn’t mean they are going to find said chemistry. Jennifer Lopez has played the romantic lead opposite many charming men. Unfortunately, the man who plays Roy Kent on Ted Lasso was simply out of her league. Or maybe she was out of his league. The moral of the story is that in Office Romance, they were mismatched beyond imagination, which is quite shocking, as Brett Goldstein co-wrote the vehicle for himself. Directed by Ol Parker, the cutesy comedy follows Jackie Cruz (Lopez), the iron-willed CEO of Air Cruz, and her newly hired, reserved British lawyer, Daniel Blanchflower (Goldstein), who strike up a forbidden affair — an office romance, if you will. A spicy step up from the romcoms of yore, Office Romance is a sweet, low-stakes film that delivers laughs and groans simultaneously.
Office Romance is not destined to change the world; it’s a comfort film that works effortlessly for a 90-minute escape. Though Lopez and Goldstein are at the center, like a good romcom should, it’s the supporting players who steal the scene. Office Romance brings out strong showings from Roger Bart, Bradley Whitford, Mary Wiseman, Amy Sedaris, and Tony Hale. It’s Betty Gilpin as Jackie’s very pregnant right-hand woman, Sydney Bloom, and Jodie Whittaker as Daniel’s foul-mouthed sister who steal the film. If you yearn for the romcoms of the early ‘90s, you’ll eat up every minute of Office Romance. It’s a perfectly executed guilty-pleasure chick-flick.
5
‘War Machine’
Sometimes, you watch a film on a streamer and wish you could experience it on the big screen. That’s exactly the feeling you get while watching War Machine due to the scale and scope Patrick Hughes brings. The film begins as a straightforward war drama. Then, with sprinkles of meteors, signal interference, and the arrival of an otherworldly killing machine, War Machine moves into the sci-fi realm as the 21st-century answer to Predator. After a traumatic loss in Afghanistan, a grizzled soldier simply known as “81” (Alan Ritchson) enlists in elite Army Ranger training, only for his unit to encounter a massive alien robot that is relentless, violent, and destructive. Now, the soldiers are trapped in the wilderness, hunted by a superior, unknown technological foe. In a high-stakes fight to survive, War Machine is an explosive and gory ’80s-infused throwback thriller that is the epitome of a dad movie.
War Machine is a unique blend of genres, offering a strong presence of military survival and sci-fi tropes within the character-driven story. That said, 81’s backstory could have been beefed up, but War Machine actually makes a strong case for franchise-building. The plot may be predictable, but its execution is phenomenal. War Machine knows exactly what it is and never deviates. Unlike Predator, War Machine doesn’t hide its titular antagonist, giving viewers a full view of its menacing presence. Also, unlike the ’80s classic, the big budget makes it look incredibly impressive. War Machine knows its target audience and caters to them. The film does its job as the perfect boom-smash hit.
4
‘Swapped’
Timing is everything, truly. Had Swapped not been released nearly simultaneously with Disney and Pixar’s Hoopers, we might be celebrating the delightfully pleasant animated body-swap fantasy flick. Directed by Nathan Greno, Swapped tells the story of the tiny but brave Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), a Pookoo, and Ivy (Juno Temple), a regal Javan, who are accidentally transformed into each other’s species after crashing into a magical plant. To regain their proper form, Ollie and Ivy, formally sworn enemies, must team up and survive. Set in the fantastical land known as The Valley, Swapped is an endearing, magical story that celebrates empathy as they learn to walk, or fly, in somebody else’s body.
Swapped may be an incredibly done-to-death story, but where it thrives is the breathtaking spectacle that is the animation. Vibrant and beautiful, you’ll finish the film searching the Web for where you can get your own Ollie plush. Swapped is a delightful family-friendly film whose heartwarming message is bound to resonate. Unfortunately, its lack of originality in storytelling curtails its full potential. Nevertheless, the world-building is ripe for celebration. The voice acting is not as strong as its animated rivals, but the full roster of stars does an admirable job, with Tracy Morgan as Boogle serving as a delightful surprise. The buddy comedy likely won’t launch a franchise, but it’s a cute film your kids will ask to watch again and again.
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Taylor Hicks is clarifying the seemingly flirty message he had for Kelly Clarkson.
“I think that’s manifested, not by Page Six or by us, but by somebody else,” the American Idol season 5 winner said in a Wednesday, July 1, interview with SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio.
Earlier this year, Hicks, 49, raised eyebrows when he flirtatiously responded to Clarkson’s revelation that she did not receive a car after winning the inaugural season of American Idol.
“I am a big fan of Kelly Clarkson and consider her one of the most incredible voices to emerge from American Idol,” Hicks told Page Six in March. “I would be more than happy to help her find a new Mustang.”
American Idol paved the way for reality competition shows to help everyday people achieve their dreams of music stardom. The series premiered in 2002 on Fox with a star-studded judging panel consisting of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. American Idol‘s freshman season introduced Kelly Clarkson, who would become the show’s first breakout star. […]
Hicks explained on Wednesday that he genuinely meant he wanted to pay it forward to Clarkson, 44, as she helped catapult the success of American Idol, paving the way for Hicks and other winners.
“As the show got bigger, Kelly, she was the first [winner]. She was the pioneer. So there [weren’t] that many sponsors. But when they got to my season, Carrie [Underwood]’s season … It was huge. It was such a big juggernaut. So there were a lot of sponsors,” the singer said. “We got a car, we got a Ford Mustang and Kelly didn’t. So I was like, ‘Let’s take Kelly shopping’ and they took it from there. But she’s a doll.”
During a March episode of Clarkson’s eponymous talk show, the “Since U Been Gone” singer revealed that the prize she got for winning American Idol was different from what she expected.
“I literally was on the show, and they were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars’ or whatever. No, you didn’t. It was, like, a million dollars worth of investment in you,” she said. “And then they said you get a car, and I needed it cause my car was bashed in, and I couldn’t afford the deductible. I did not get a car. And then Clay Aiken, who didn’t win the second season, got a car and his mom [also got a car]!”
While Clarkson did not get the American Idol prize she envisioned, her career has since flourished. Clarkson has earned three Grammys and 12 Daytime Emmys for her talk show, which will be coming to an end this fall.
Winning American Idol has been a dream come true for many singers, but the prizes have changed a lot over the years. Kelly Clarkson was crowned the singing competition’s inaugural winner in 2002. She reportedly walked away with a $1 million prize and a record deal with RCA Records, per Parade. In addition to the […]
As Clarkson has balanced a successful career, she is also the loving mother to daughter River Rose, 12, and son Remington, 10, whom she welcomed with late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. (Blackstock died in August 2025 following a private battle with cancer. He was 48.)
Hicks applauded Clarkson for her “really great work ethic” as she has balanced everything that has been thrown at her.
“It’s not easy filming television, having two kids and then being able to mother without her ex-husband. Which is tough,” he said on Wednesday. “It’s a tough gig all around. But what a great run she had.”
Ashley Tisdale is reportedly hoping to turn her experience with a toxic mom group into a smash hit. The Disney Channel star is said to be partnering with Netflix to develop and executive produce a new half-hour comedy, “Toxic Moms,” loosely inspired by her real-life friendship breakup with a group of celebrity mothers, including Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore. Tisdale, known for her roles in “High School Musical” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” made headlines earlier this year when she opened up about leaving her group of moms after feeling excluded from their outings.
According to Deadline, Tisdale, in partnership with Sabrina Jalees and Ali Wong, will help create a new dark comedy series called “Toxic Moms” for Netflix.
It’s said to follow a “sleep-deprived” mother who’s recruited by a group of “cool, wealthy mothers.” Throughout the series, the lead character is said to discover her new clique’s “darker side,” prompting her to ask, “How far would you go to taste community?”
While the series hasn’t been greenlit just yet, if Netflix does pick it up, it would become the next production in the streamer’s lineup of series featuring female leads, including “Running Point,” “Nobody Wants This,” “The Survival of the Thickest,” and “North of North.”
This Could Be Ashley Tisdale’s Newest Project
Tisdale has been in the spotlight since the early 2000s after starring in several Disney productions. In addition to the aforementioned works, Tisdale also snagged a role as Candace in “Phineas & Ferb.”
Over the years, Tisdale starred in “Hellcats,” “Merry Happy Whatever,” and “Carol’s Second Act.” The mother of two also appeared in ABC Family’s “Young & Hungry” and, as of February 2026, secured a role in CBS’ new sitcom “You’re Only Young Twice.”
The latter is in early development and focuses on Emily (Tisdale) and Alex, a young couple who got pregnant and married in high school, and, at 35, have a child starting college.
“That means they can get divorced and start life all over again while they’re still young enough to enjoy it. Newly divorced empty-nesters, they stumble through dating, co-parenting, and maybe a second chance at love,” the show’s description reads, per Deadline.
More About Ashley Tisdale’s ‘Toxic’ Mom Group
Tisdale’s latest collaboration with Netflix comes after the actress and singer penned a personal essay for “The Cut,” detailing her decision to leave her “toxic” group of mom friends in the dust.
According to a previous report from The Blast, Tisdale wrote about being excited to initially connect with a group of high-profile moms. However, her joy quickly faded as she said she felt they began acting differently toward her over time.
She claimed that she noticed they were hanging out together on social media without her, adding, “Another time, at one of the mom’s dinner parties, I realized where I sat with her — which was at the end of the table, far from the rest of the women. I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.”
Ashley Tisdale Wrote Her Personal Essay To Offer Support
Tisdale said that she tried not to take the alleged snubs to heart, but revealed it was challenging not to. Eventually, the 41-year-old sent a text message to her group of friends, revealing she was leaving them behind.
Regarding her essay, Tisdale said she wrote it to offer support to other mothers facing similar drama.
“Motherhood has enough challenges without having to wonder if the people around you are on your side,” she wrote. “You deserve to go through motherhood with people who actually, you know, like you. And if you have to wonder if they do, here’s the hard-earned lesson I hope you’ll take to heart: It’s not the right group for you. Even if it looks like they’re having the best time on Instagram.”
Who Was Reportedly Part Of Tisdale’s Toxic Mom Group?
While she didn’t mention names, the internet deduced that Tisdale was speaking about celebs Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff.
While speaking with Andy Cohen, Moore responded to Tisdale’s essay, expressing disappointment that the Disney star made their issues public.
“It’s wild to have anybody talk about your life, and I know Hilary [Duff] has sort of mentioned this too,” Moore said. “It’s like we both have grown up in this business and had people dissect who we are and the choices we make and all of that, but this was something altogether different and decidedly way more upsetting.”
As excitement continues to build for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sadie Sink has opened up about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what it was like stepping onto the set alongside Tom Holland.
Speaking in a recent interview, Sink admitted that entering one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises was both exciting and intimidating. While she understood the massive popularity of Spider-Man before signing on, she quickly realized just how enormous the production truly was.
“I knew that Marvel was a big deal and had a big brand, especially Spider-Man,” she said. “I know there’s a huge fan base, but it feels really big. I think these blockbuster movies are a whole different beast.”
Joining a cast that had already spent years working together also left Sink feeling like an outsider at first, but she said Holland and the rest of the production made the transition incredibly easy.
“It was interesting stepping into that space and being a little bit of an outsider in that way, but he could not have been more welcoming, and just the whole crew in general.”
She went on to praise Holland’s personality, saying:
“He was just so relaxed and open, and I felt very at ease.”
While Marvel Studios continues to keep Sink’s role under wraps, the actress admitted that watching fans speculate about her mystery character has been an interesting experience. Many fans continue to believe she could be portraying Jean Grey, though neither Marvel nor Sink has confirmed those rumors.
Tom Holland [credit: Sony Pictures]
The actress also revealed that Marvel handled her casting with its trademark secrecy. Rather than auditioning for the role, Sink was reportedly offered the part directly following her previous collaboration with director Destin Daniel Cretton. She also wasn’t given the full script until she arrived in London to begin filming.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter Parker navigating a world where no one remembers his identity. The film stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Sadie Sink, with the next chapter of Spider-Man’s story set to arrive in theaters on July 31.
With Sink praising Holland’s welcoming attitude and offering a glimpse into the scale and secrecy surrounding Marvel productions, anticipation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues to build as fans eagerly await the reveal of her mysterious role.
India Arie shared her opinion about Yung Miami‘s song ‘Spend Dat,’ and now the song’s producer is weighing in on the viral comments with a new video.
Controversy about the song erupted due to the track’s lyrics about scamming folks. It also advocates for spending money in abundance. After a fan called for a boycott of the song, ‘The Truth’ artist shared her opinion, and it sparked a debate after going viral.
RELATED: India Arie Clarifies Her Stance On Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ After Going Viral For Speaking On The Song’s Influence (UPDATE)
‘Spend Dat’ Producer J. White Did It Mixes Track With India Arie Record
India Arie responded to a fan on Threads saying the song should be boycotted. The artist advised folks to make wise choices while choosing what music to listen to.
“Everything you listen to see or eat is going to influence you,” replied Arie. “So make wise choices y’all. The mass acceptance of this song itself is a CRYSTAL CLEAR sign of the bigger problem.”
The singer sparked an online debate about the track’s influence on the culture, and she later clarified that she was not calling for a boycott. The song’s producer also weighed in on the drama.
On the evening of July 1, ‘Spend Dat’ producer J. White Did It shared a video on his Instagram page. The footage featured him dancing in a music studio to a blend of two of the artists’ songs.
White mixed Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ with Arie’s jam ‘Video,’ the it captures him singing along as he exclaimed, “Hey, heeeeey.”
Fans Spoke Out About The Video As Celebs Spoke Out About ‘Spend Dat’
Fans responded to White’s video, and the reactions were mixed.User @kmlstyling wrote, “Provoking and trolling ppl over an opinion is actually weird, to me.”@rahjawilliamss replied, “I’m still just intrigued at how ‘Spend Dat’ is where y’all draw the line…. But do yall thing I guess.”
user @tushay_ wrote, “This kinda proves her point .. idk though.”
@dijouncruz replied, “this was kinda corny, especially at his old age.. not the response J white was looking for 👎🏼.”
Over on Threads, @dreamstreamtelevision noted, “We so behind as a group of ppl it’s not even funny anymore… I call this genre of music bubblegum rap carry on.”
@carl_edouard_ replied, “Trash 🗑️.”
‘Lovin’ me’ singer Nicci Gilbert also spoke out about the song’s affect on the culture and noted that “fame is vapor.” She also shared a video explaining her stance.
Singer Keri Hilson shared her opinion on the matter as well, allegedly. The ‘Knock You Down’ artist wrote a message on X on July 1, but she didn’t name names.
“If music can heal, music can harm too…”
White Was Unbothered While Responding To Folks After Catching Heat Online
“Y’all taking this way too serious 😂,” he wrote. “I love both songs. India is a legend, and she’s entitled to her opinion. It’s all love over here. Two things can be true at the same time. There are way more important things in life to be serious about. Peace, love, and happiness. ❤️✌🏾SPEND DAT.”
Yung Miami also reacted to the the producer’s video on Instagram and wrote, “J white turn me up 😤😤😤.”
RELATED: Whew! Social Media Users Are Goin IN On Yung Miami’s Look At 2026 BET Awards (PHOTOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Lil Wayne has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his missed performance after leaving thousands of concertgoers waiting without an explanation.
Fans were disappointed when the rapper didn’t appear at a much-anticipated performance, prompting many questions after the show. In his absence, rumors started to circulate regarding the incident.
Lil Wayne is now attempting to clear the air after publicly apologizing to disappointed fans. At the same time, fresh reports continue to shed light on what happened before and after the canceled appearance.
Lil Wayne broke his silence by apologizing directly to fans in Maine after failing to appear at his scheduled concert. In a message shared on his Instagram Story, the rapper told fans he was “so sorry” and confirmed that the performance had been rescheduled for July 28.
He advised ticket holders not to lose their tickets, as they will be valid for the new date. Lil Wayne also stated that more info would be sent directly to attendees via email as organizers ironed out the new plans.
The rapper concluded by expressing gratitude to the fans for their patience and assuring them that they would receive the justice they deserved. “I ain’t sh-t without you,” he wrote, adding that he looks forward to coming back to give Maine fans “the show you deserve.”
Fans Lashed Out After The No-Show
Lil Wayne was supposed to do the headliner act at the Bangor Waterfront, but fans were surprised at the rapper’s absence. The rapper was supposed to follow 2 Chainz on the night, but instead the fans were told the show had been canceled after waiting much longer than the start time, as reported by The Blast.
Some of the attendees resorted to social media to vent their frustration over the organizers’ failure to let them know that the performance would not take place.
While some said the DJ was still hyping up Wayne’s arrival at the venue, others said the rapper didn’t make it to Maine and had even skipped rehearsals before the event.
A number of fans called the incident “unprofessional and disrespectful” and said the concert should have been canceled earlier on. This quickly made the rounds on the internet, and many asked, “Has the rapper let his fans down yet again?”
Lil Wayne Has A History Of Missed Shows
The latest cancellation also reignited discussion about Lil Wayne’s past concert no-shows. It was also noted that the rapper previously postponed a Toronto performance in 2025 due to illness and walked off stage during a Los Angeles show after becoming frustrated with the crowd.
Wayne had a history of missing events longer than that. Over the years, fans had been reminded of several canceled shows in Minneapolis, including one in the past due to security fears, and another that was said to have been axed because of mechanical problems with his plane.
While Wayne has apologized after a few earlier cancellations, many concert-going fans have expressed that the repeated interruptions have undermined respect for the rapper, making the Maine incident even more difficult to swallow.
White Party Sighting Deepens The Rapper’s Backlash
Fans were further outraged after TMZ reported that the rapper went to Michael Rubin’s annual White Party in the Hamptons just hours after they learned he hadn’t made it to his planned appearance in Maine. Wayne was part of the cast of celebrities that graced the lineup, which included DJ Khaled, Kevin Durant, Jake Paul, and Alicia Keys.
Although it was noted there is no confirmation that the exclusive gathering was the reason behind the canceled concert, the timing sparked fresh criticism online. Many fans questioned how Wayne could skip a scheduled show without explanation, only to be seen celebrating at one of the summer’s biggest celebrity parties.
The report also pointed out that the missed Maine concert was not an isolated incident. With previous no-shows in Toronto, California, and Los Angeles still fresh in fans’ minds, many are now hoping Wayne follows through on his remaining tour dates after rescheduling the Maine performance for July 28.
Lil Wayne And Denise Bidot’s Relationship Ended In Public Allegations
Wayne’s personal life also made the news much longer than his current concert controversy. In May 2025, model Denise Bidot publicly accused the rapper of breaking up with her via a text message on Mother’s Day while she was still recovering from surgery.
According to The Blast, Bidot alleged that Wayne forced her and her daughter out of the home they shared and claimed he had been physically and emotionally abusive during their relationship. She also suggested other women had experienced similar treatment, though those allegations have not been publicly substantiated.
The couple’s relationship since going public in 2020 had been tumultuous, with some heartbreaks and reconciliations. The rapper didn’t publicly respond to Bidot’s accusations, but they brought a new level of controversy to his public persona.
Netflix just announced a scripted show about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey that might sound familiar after the series was originally meant to premiere at Paramount.
In July 2026, Netflix announced the new limited series The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey would be released later that year.
“The series centers on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, and the devastating personal and public reckoning that followed the death of JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in 1996,” read the official synopsis.
True crime fans, however, remember that the series was previously referred to as Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey when it was set for a release at Paramount+. According to Deadline, David C. Glasser’s 101 Studios had been in turnaround with the show since its original platform opted not to proceed with it late last year.
Getty Images (3); MEGA From the murder of JonBenét Ramsey to convicted killer Ed Gein, there’s several scripted true crime shows coming our way soon. Paramount+ recently announced a limited series that will cover the Ramsey family before and after JonBenet’s murder in 1996. The unnamed JonBenét Ramsey series specifically centers around parents John and […]
The show was commissioned by Paramount and got greenlit in March 2024. After casting commenced, the series was officially picked up by Paramount+ in September 2024 as production kicked off.
Filming wrapped in January 2025 — months before Paramount Global was acquired by Skydance Global. As a result, new leadership reviewed The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey and there were concerns after a version of the show was screened.
Deadline reported that a defamation lawsuit previously filed against CBS by Ramsey’s brother, Burke, could have played a role. (The lawsuit was previously settled.)
Amid the evaluation, 101 Studios closed a deal in late October 2025 to move from Paramount to NBCUniversal at the start of 2026. The production company then took their limited series and started shopping it, which is how it was acquired by Netflix.
Burke Ramsey was thrown into the public eye after his sister, JonBenét Ramsey, was murdered in 1996 — but where is he now? Ahead of Netflix’s Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, which premieres on Monday, November 25, a Ramsey family member exclusively told Us Weekly about Burke’s whereabouts these days. “Burke had a very […]
Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey was previously teased to be centered around parents John and Patsy dealing with the loss of their child as an investigation questions their involvement in her death.
“At the heart of the series, it is the story of Patsy and John Ramsey,” read a September 2024 press release. “Exploring the unbreakable partnership of these two complex people — as husband and wife, as mother and father — who had committed themselves and their children to building the narrative of a perfect, privileged life only to have it destroyed one Christmas night in 1996.”
Patsy and John are set to be played by Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen, respectively. The series also stars Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, Owen Teague, Shea Whigham and Will Patton. The role of Burke has yet to be announced.
Entertainment
R-Rated 90s Heist Flick From Master Director Is A Criminally Overlooked Comedy Of Errors
By Robert Scucci
| Published
If there’s one thing I love more than a reluctant hero who’s clearly a master of their craft, it’s the exact opposite: a bunch of willing participants in a heist who are absolutely terrible at what they do. Both character archetypes scratch the same itch because the situational humor pretty much writes itself. Killing Mary Sue (2025) is beautiful because its hero is actually a sleeper agent, but all she wants to do is play video games, party, and pass out. 1996’s Bottle Rocket, on the other hand, features some of the dumbest criminals you’ve ever seen, and they sincerely believe their 75-year plan involving small-time, poorly planned robberies will be enough to sustain them until retirement.
Kicking off Wes Anderson’s career two years before Rushmore started making its rounds, Bottle Rocket is a tight comedy thriller in which its protagonists constantly have to adjust their plans. It greatly benefits from Owen and Luke Wilson playing best friends because their familiarity as brothers makes for natural, seemingly effortless chemistry as they continually shoot themselves in the foot for the love of the game.
From The Loony Bin To Planning Heists
It doesn’t take long for Bottle Rocket to establish its bumbling protagonists. Dignan (Owen Wilson) shows up at the mental institution where his best friend Anthony (Luke Wilson) is staying. Anthony isn’t committed, but is there voluntarily because of his ongoing “exhaustion.” Against medical advice, Dignan has Anthony released into his custody and immediately makes his intentions clear.
The two of them, with the help of Dignan’s friend Bob Mapplethorpe (Robert Musgrave), plan a practice heist at Anthony’s house, stealing a list of predetermined items and assessing their efficiency when it comes to breaking and entering. Even this operation, while not sloppy enough to get the law involved, goes terribly wrong because Dignan is already skimming off the top, revealing just how weak their dream team really is.
Heck, the only reason Bob’s involved in the first place isn’t even a matter of trust. He just happens to be the only person they know with a working car.
Dignan’s main goal in Bottle Rocket is to reconnect with his former accomplice, Mr. Henry (James Caan), who he hopes will help him build his criminal enterprise. Along the way, after robbing a bookstore of all places and laying low at a motel, Dignan and Anthony are stranded when Bob, who I need to remind you is the only person with a car, bails to help his brother after the authorities discover their marijuana crop; something he should have probably let them know about before associating with him.
During their brief stay, Anthony falls in love with a motel maid named Inez, who doesn’t speak a lick of English. Before leaving the motel and stealing a car that immediately breaks down, Anthony gives all the money from their previous robberies to Inez as a parting gift, which naturally causes tension between him and Dignan.
It goes on like this …
The Ultimate Comedy Of Errors
In some ways, Bottle Rocket reminds me of 2013’s Blue Ruin for one specific reason. In that film, a man seeks revenge for the death of his parents, but he’s just an average guy, not some jacked up John Wick type. He’s not dumb, and the film isn’t a comedy; he’s simply never lived a vigilante lifestyle and never stopped to think through every possible consequence before kicking off his violent odyssey. “What could go wrong when you slash a tire but the car it’s attached to becomes your only getaway vehicle?” or “I just punched through a window and now my hand is really messed up,” are exactly the kinds of problems Macon Blair’s Dwight Evans runs into in Blue Ruin.
Bottle Rocket operates on that same internal logic, except it’s played for laughs. These guys are so shortsighted that it’s tragic, but they’re also such a walking, talking embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger effect that it makes for inherently fantastic comedy. It all culminates in an elaborate cold storage facility heist that goes exactly how you’d expect, but you’ll still be surprised by just how badly they screw everything up in every conceivable way.
It’s almost poetic just how bad the criminals in Bottle Rocket are at crime, and it’s a must-see, especially if you’re a fan of Anderson’s work but don’t often revisit his earlier films.
As of this writing, you can stream Bottle Rocket for free on Tubi.
If the reports are indeed correct, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce won’t be the first couple to get married inside New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August 2025, subsequently playing coy about plans for their big day.
“I think the wedding is what happens after [my Life of a Showgirl promotional tour] in the scheme of the planning, but I’m so excited about it,” Swift said on the Graham Norton Show in October 2025. “I know it’s gonna be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount and people are on the bubble.”
In the months that followed, speculation swirled that Swift planned to walk down the aisle inside MSG over the 4th of July weekend in 2026. The rumors reached a fever pitch days before the would-be nuptials when dozens of supply trucks were spotted dropping off decor and food at the arena.
The countdown is seemingly on for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding — and fans believe the big day will indeed take place at Madison Square Garden. Swift and Kelce, both 36, have been together since 2023, getting engaged two years later. The couple, however, never publicly divulged any details of their wedding plans. “I […]
Even so, Swift and Kelce’s “whimsical” wedding is hardly the first time that couples have exchanged vows at MSG. Keep scrolling to look back at the venue’s history of marriage ceremonies:
Sly Stone and Kathy Silva
The “Everyday People” singer married model-actress Silva inside Madison Square Garden in June 1974 during Stone’s concert in front of a crowd of 23,000.
“When you are as much in love as Sly and I are, you just go to extremes and get married,” Silva gushed to Vogue at the time.
As for Stone, he told the outlet that they decided to get married during his show because of son Sylvester Jr.
“I have a little boy now, and I don’t want him to be a liar when he says ‘dada,’” he quipped.
Stone and Silva, who had initially postponed their nuptials amid her pregnancy with their son, each wore custom Halston for the ceremony.
The Unification Church’s Mass Wedding
The Unification Church hosted a group wedding in July 1982, where 4,000 followers were matched and married by Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
The New York Times reported at the time that the arena floor had been carpeted in white and all 2,000 couples donned identical outfits. The grooms wore blue suits, with the brides donning matching lace-and-satin gowns made by the church.
“It was wonderful. The marriage vows were very impressive,” groom Bruce Burris told The Times, noting he planned to move in with his new bride, Sanae Tsuchida, following the church’s 40-day waiting period. “I think so, yeah, I’m pretty sure.”
Burris was matched with Tsuchida by the church leaders, only meeting a “few hours” before the ceremony.
The couples marked their 40th wedding anniversary in 2022.
“The men and women gathered here for this wedding have dedicated themselves to the highest standards of love and service to God, to each other, and all mankind,” Moon said in a press release, noting some of the couples’ kids were recently “blessed” in marriages of their own this year.
For eight seasons, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley played one of the hottest couples on television in the 2010s in The Vampire Diaries. The complicated romantic entanglement between the former’s Elena Gilbert and the latter’s good-hearted, over-a-century-old vampire Stefan Salvatore was the beating heart of The CW’s hit teen drama, even though the duo ultimately didn’t end up together. Yet, even after Stefan’s death and the death of TVD itself, the duo recently found their way back to each other when Dobrev and Wesley were cast in another book adaptation, You Deserve to Know, at Hulu. According to Dobrev, this wasn’t just happenstance, either.
The star recently sat down for an interview with Collider’s Maggie Lovitt for her new film, The Get Out, where the topic of her recently announced new role was brought up. She revealed that the mystery series came about for the duo because of the real relationship they built working together on The Vampire Diaries and their desire to collaborate again ever since the finale in 2017. “We have been plotting this behind the scenes for many years now, to be completely honest with you,” she said. “Paul and I have been wanting to… We’re really close, and we spend a lot of time together, and we have since the show ended, and we’ve talked about wanting to find the right thing.”
You Deserve to Know is based on Aggie Blum Thompson‘s 2025 novel of the same name, following three suburban couples whose tight-knit friendship with each other is upended when one of their husbands is murdered. With the idyllic peace of their cul-de-sac shattered, the cracks in the wives’ friendship become visible, and their dirty secrets and long-simmering tensions bubble to the surface. Dobrev plays Gwen, the member of the trio who lost her spouse and now has to weigh whether she can rely on her friends or face the harsh reality that their bond isn’t as airtight as it seemed. She’s bound to collide with Wesley’s character, Scott, another neighbor who’s on the opposite side of the murder investigation.
The choice to tackle such a story wasn’t made lightly, as Dobrev said her and Wesley’s goal was to find something that genuinely excited them that wasn’t an excuse to hang out, but instead something that honors their growth since TVD.
“Originally, we wanted to do a movie together, but we kept finding material or having things sent to us, because once we put it out there that we wanted to find something to do together again, a lot of things were sent to us, and we kept passing on everything. Nothing felt like the right thing. And we didn’t want to reunite just for the sake of reuniting for nostalgia’s sake. We really wanted it to be something that we both were really excited about that was elevated and different than the show, but also pays tribute in some way to the show as well, but with a fresh take and reflects who we are as people, as artists now 10 years later.”
Brian Tanen, who has previously written for Ugly Betty, Devious Maids, and Desperate Housewives, was tapped to adapt Smith’s book into a series, with a pair of production giants in Alex Cooper‘s Unwell and Aaron Kaplan‘s Kapital Entertainment backing the project. Ultimately, what got the pair involved and thinking this was the long-awaited idea they’d been searching for was Wesley actually cracking open the book himself. “I was slower to get to reading,” Dobrev continued. “It was sent to both of us, but he read it first, and he called me, and he was like, ‘You need to read this. I think this is it.’ And he kept on me — it was so annoying, to be honest with you — to read it. And then I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll get to it.’” Once she finally dug in, she instantly understood what her old on-screen boyfriend was so enamored by, and it quickly spurred them both to start gathering the right team to make their on-screen reunion finally happen.
“Then finally, once I did get to it, I finished the book in maybe a day or two, I couldn’t put it down, and I agreed with him that this was our next thing together. And so then started the long process of developing it and getting the team together and then finding the writer and creating the pitch and then pitching the studios. And so it’s been some time in the making. So it was really exciting for us to finally share it with the world that we were reuniting.”
Making the project even more exciting was the fact that they were more than just actors. Both Dobrev and Wesley are executive producing You Deserve to Know as well, getting them in on the ground floor of the adaptation process. “Not just as actors, but also that we’re executive producing it, and we’re bringing the story to life from both sides of the camera is extra exciting and special, especially after such a long journey together over the last however many years,” the actress ended.
What Is ‘The Get Out’ About?
While her new Hulu series gets to work, Dobrev is currently busy enjoying a return to theaters with The Get Out. She plays the unhinged partner in crime of Aaron Paul, coming together to rob nightclub owner Marco Kapak (Russell Crowe), who’s nearing retirement. Directed by Derrick Borte, based on Thomas Perry‘s novel Strip, the film follows Marco’s attempts to leave his dangerous past behind him, though masked robbers are the least of his issues in that process. He’s also at the mercy of ruthless cartels and is trying to sway a mysterious buyer (Luke Evans) for his business, forcing him into a web of deception that makes escaping with his girlfriend, Sunny (Teresa Palmer), nigh impossible.
While the film is a silly crime comedy with Marco and Sunny’s relationship as its beating heart, there’s more depth than initially meets the eye. That’s especially true of its ending, which Dobrev explains is tied to the symbolism of California bears introduced in Marco’s journey for freedom. This idea of characters being driven from their homes and finding new starts applies just as much to her character, though the actress believes that Carrie is more deserving of getting a clean slate and, hopefully, grows from her experiences in a new life on the straight and narrow.
“Yeah, I mean, it symbolizes… Well, bears historically, especially in California, have been driven out of California, and they’ve had to go north and escape, and quite literally the title of the movie, The Get Out, it’s what we’ve done to them, and it’s what almost every character in this film… I think more so for Russell’s character, he’s been driven out of his home to seek asylum elsewhere and safety elsewhere like the bears in bear country, which is the National Bear of California. That was the original title of the film, and it still is the title in some territories, which is a little confusing, but that’s the main symbolism. In my character’s case, I mean, she’s sort of the only one who has a chance to start over, albeit by lying her way out of trouble, hopefully, but we don’t really see exactly what happens to her in the end, if she actually gets away with it or not. But I’d like to hope that she does, and maybe she learns something and grows and tries to start fresh on a more calm path for her future if she wants to have longevity.”
When asked about when the bear idea first resonated with her, Dobrev cited the first scene of Marco explaining the history of the bear, which admittedly baffled her upon first reading. “I remember being so confused,” she added. “Why are you telling this long monologue story about this?’ And then it finally comes together at the end, which I thought was really beautiful. And it’s that reminder for Carrie, she comes face to face with the bear, and it gives her that opportunity that it could destroy her, but it lets her go. And so it gives her the chance for a fresh start, like everyone in the film is looking for that.” She appreciated that The Get Out was willing to go a bit out there with an idea and trust audiences to follow along until it pays off in the end and beautifully ties into the story being told.
Dobrev’s ‘The Get Out’ Role Is “Unlike Anything” She’s “Ever Done Before”
Carrie is practically from a whole other planet compared to Dobrev’s role as Elena. The trailer alone paints a chaotic portrait of the character, who can be a bit of a literal shoot-first, ask questions later type, down to go along with her partner Jeff’s (Paul) plan. “She really wreaks a lot of havoc in this film, which is exciting and fun for me to play as an actor,” Dobrev told Lovitt. Having so much freedom to explore with this very different part, with some brilliant screen partners like Crowe and Palmer, as well as an old friend in Paul, proved to be a refreshing change of pace. “And that’s what drew me to wanting to play this character because it’s so unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and doing it in that environment with Aaron, who’s a longtime friend, allowed for me to have that comfort and safety to go big and try things and have that freedom and safety to explore in a way that I don’t know if I would have if it was with someone else. So I’m really grateful to him for that.”
Like the ending of the film, there’s a greater depth to Carrie that Dobrev wanted to capture. Her questionable decisions are rooted in a very identifiable feeling of restlessness in a world that has become even harder to get a leg up in. Dobrev approached the role with “a lot of sympathy for somebody, that I’m sure you’ve seen in the news, that millennials nowadays were not afforded what the boomers and what their predecessors had, and the opportunities, and with the inflation and housing going up, it’s not the same golden era that they were promised. And so she’s living not the life that she wants to live, it’s very mundane, and she’s looking for excitement in any way that she can, albeit without a lot of thought or foresight, it’s all very impulsive.”
The most critical part of selling Carrie as a character with a conscience was ensuring that those moments of clarity, where the reality of her actions set in, are played with real gravity. Another boon to The Get Out was that Dobrev was able to give her input on how to best get that point across and make her less of a “caricature.”
“And I know those people. I know the people that speak before they think, that act before taking some time to really consider what the consequences will be, and you get to see that moment for Carrie where she’s impulsive, impulsive, impulsive, and then reality sets in once she goes one step too far, and she realizes what she’s done and finally has a wake-up call and a conscience. And that scene actually in the car with Aaron when she’s throwing the money out of the car, that wasn’t scripted that way. Initially, they were just celebrating that they got away with it, and I was like, ‘I don’t know, I feel like this should be a wake-up call for her, for her character arc to ground her and make her a real person instead of a caricature.’ I really felt like it was important to make sure that for her arc that she comes to her senses.”
Derrick Borte Made ‘The Get Out’ a Collaborative Experience
Getting that level of agency within a role comes with “time and experience,” Dobrev says. “When I first started, I was just happy to be there and have a job. As I get older, I’m getting much pickier, and it’s so important to me the material, the character, who I’m working with, personalities. Life’s just too short at this point to not be creatively fulfilled, but also just have fun and be around good people, and enjoy yourself.” Borte, in particular, sold her on The Get Out, as she immediately knew from their first meeting that “he was a collaborator” and not merely a director. “He was very open to letting us bring these characters to life.”
Dobrev wasn’t the only one whose role evolved thanks to Borte’s openness to suggestions. Crowe was also critical in shaping who Marco was and, in turn, how his journey unfolded to best portray him as a layered character. “I don’t know if I mentioned this already, but Russell Crowe, for example, it wasn’t scripted that he was Albanian,” she continued. “He decided he wanted to bring that layer to the role. And a lot of those decisions and little things elevated the script, and we all added our little things to each of our characters to help strengthen
it and make it what it ultimately became. And so I’m so grateful to Derrick for giving us that creative freedom and being open to collaboration and letting us improv on set.”
The Get Out‘s atmosphere of collaboration came to a head at the very end of the movie in a sequence involving Carrie that came largely off the top of Dobrev’s head. “I mean, the end credit scene where I’m sitting at the police station, that was almost entirely improv. So he just kept the camera rolling, and he was like, ‘Go for it.’” By all indications, Borte intimately understood who his cast was and what their level of comfort was when asked to take the reins of a scene. Thus, the final product that came to screens is a monument to the confidence he had in everyone to play their parts to perfection, from the Oscar-winning Crowe to Dobrev, and the rest of the cast of crooks inhabiting his world.
“And a lot of the scenes had an element of that, which was really great. And like I said before, I think it takes a lot of time and experience to be comfortable enough when you’re given that opportunity to improv and to play, and when a director asks you what you think about something to have not just the integrity, but the confidence to express your opinion and know that it will be received positively.”
The Get Out is now in theaters and available through video on demand. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Dobrev’s new series, You Deserve to Know, as it continues development at Hulu.
- Release Date
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June 26, 2026
- Runtime
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96 minutes
- Director
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Derrick Borte
Entertainment
Beyond the Gates Early Spoilers July 6-10: Dani Confesses Cheating & Joey Plots Revenge!
Beyond the Gates early edition spoilers for July 06-10, 2026 hint Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) is talking about cheating wives, and she’s not even being ironic. Plus, Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) launches a new scheme against a family member of his precious Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli).
Beyond the Gates: Deanna’s Dilemma and Joey’s Suspicions
So, let’s start with Deanna McBride (Angela Fairley) and her fixation on Joey Armstrong. Last Friday, Deanna went to see Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad) at the hospital and the subject of Joey came up and Kat mentioned that she has a new perspective on Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) now. But Deanna doesn’t want a new perspective on Joey. And she tells Kat she will never give Joey a chance, even when Kat encourages Deanna to try.
So, outside of Uptown, we saw Deanna running into her dead dad, Doug McBride (Jason Graham) again, and he advised Deanna to stop being so aggressive towards Joey and told her she needs to be supportive of her mom, Vanessa, to get her away from Joey.
BTG Spoilers: Joey Suspicious of Deanna
So, the week of July 6th, we’ve got Joey on high alert. When Deanna was suddenly so supportive and nice to him and Vanessa on Friday, it was suspicious and Joey took notice. So, next week he asks his flunky Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) if Deanna would recognize him.
And Randy says, “Maybe, but why?” And Joey tells Randy that Deanna is his next job. The next thing you know, Randy is going to be meeting with Deanna at Caffeine Fix, the Beyond the Gates coffee shop. And she’s giving Randy a big hug. So, we’ll see what Joey’s up to, but he’s definitely suspicious of Vanessa’s daughter.
Beyond the Gates: Hospital Releases and Big Moments
Also, on Friday, we had Kat and Eva racing around trying to outdo each other on the walkers at the hospital after they’re both out of surgery. But next week, Kat is released from the hospital. So, that means Eva likely is as well.
And Kat gets a really warm reception at her grandparents house. So, Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis) and Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) host a big celebration. And Tomas Navarro (Alex Alegria) brings Kat into the door and she’s blissed out over the surprise party there.
On hand are Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) and Bradley Smitty Smith (Mike Manning) and Naomi Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) and Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) and Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) and Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) and Dani and Vernon and Anita and Kyle gets to come along and also Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman).
We may see Samantha Richardson (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell Richardson (Jaden Lucas Miller) as well. And in front of the whole family, Tomas drops down to one knee and proposes to Kat. So Tomas asks, “Will you do me the honor of my life and marry me?” And he pops open the ring box while Kat is looking stunned, but she is smiling.
Some new Beyond the Gates July spoilers say that Tomas and Kat are both stunned by the other. So Tomas’ proposal is what stuns Kat, I’m sure. But we’ll see what’s going to leave Tomas stunned. Maybe her answer. Remember Chelsea tried to discourage Tomas from proposing. She thought the timing was bad.
Beyond the Gates: Secrets and Surprises
Now, let’s talk secrets. We know Dani is keeping the huge secret that she did the dirty deed with her ex Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) in the elevator during the tornado, but Naomi is also sitting on a secret. And probably because of her own guilty conscience, Dani thinks it’s about sex.
So, Naomi tells Dani that she’s been lying to her husband Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) for months. And Dani tells Naomi if she turned to somebody else for comfort while Jacob was gone for so long, anyone would understand.
So, I wonder if Naomi is going to come clean to Dani about her BRCA gene mutation that she’s been hiding. But I do think that Naomi should tell Jacob the truth before she reveals the BRCA stuff to the Dupri side of the family.
Another July spoiler for this pair says Naomi and Jacob are making up for lost time. And of course, they had months of living apart while he was undercover, and they need to make up for all that. So, yay for Naomi and Jacob.
Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Hayley Speeds Things Up
Also, last week, we’ve got Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) feeling threatened by Dani showing up at Bill’s office, and Hayley can tell there’s trouble, so she’s trying to speed up her timeline and finish off Bill. So, she dosed his whiskey with more poison, and then Hayley was playing sexy games to distract Bill.
So, the week of July 6th, we have creepy Mike Davis back up at Bill’s office talking smack about the case against Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) that he is pursuing with that frivolous lawsuit. And Hayley tells pervert Mike that he is crazy if he thinks he can win this case. And he tells Hayley and Bill that he knows he can win it.
So, we’ll also see mean old Mike sitting down with Bill, Naomi, and Madison. Looks like it might be time for some negotiations. Maybe Mike will come in with a more reasonable settlement proposal because last time Bill laughed in his face at how much they asked for.
Beyond the Gates: Hospital Drama and Romantic Developments
We also have the new chief of staff in place at Garland Memorial. Remember Vernon had asked Shanice Johnson’s (Ernestine Johnson) aunt, Dr. Monica McCormick (Iona Morris Jackson), to be the new chief of staff. Meanwhile, Ted was trying to put Nicole up for the job, but she didn’t even want it. So Monica agreed to take the chief position, at least for a while, but not forever, and she is fierce from day one.
When Dana “Leslie” Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) is up at the hospital, Monica rolls up on Leslie and tells her, “As of today, the partnership between the hospital and Leslie’s free clinic is over.” And she is shocked and asks Monica, “Excuse me.” So, we’ll see if Leslie’s new leaf is really going to stay turned over.
So, I don’t know if Monica is cutting ties because of the scandal with the red market ring or maybe because she just doesn’t like Leslie, who’s always such a jerk to her daughter Shanice because she is dating Ted. I do wonder if Leslie will go whining to Ted about it and if he’ll help out. Hopefully, he’s not going soft on Leslie just because of the life and death crisis with Eva.
Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Ted & Shanice Get Romantic
Another spoiler says Ted and Shanice find time for romance, and I hope that Leslie doesn’t interrupt them. We’ll also see Andre and Dani trying to get on the same page, but she’s still sitting on that secret. And honestly, I don’t trust Bill not to blab it because he really seems to want Dani back. Then again, Hayley might just kill Bill before he gets the chance to spill the beans.
This past week, we saw Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) softening up on Grayson Perez (Jordie Vilasuso). And another Beyond the Gates spoiler says Ashley and Grayson update their relationship status soon. So, that sounds like Ashley and Grayson are officially back on in coming days.
And last, we’re going to see Eva renegotiating terms with Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe). We know that he is supposed to be helping take care of Eva during her recovery at home because she told her mom Leslie, “No, she cannot move back in with her.”
So, we’ll see how these negotiations go between Eva and Isaiah on Beyond the Gates. And I think that they’re going to get a lot closer during her recovery when he’s there taking care of her. And it’s all very sweet.
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