A pair of cool-girl denim jeans can be the base for an endless amount of stylish outfits, whether you want to keep things laid-back and casual or get a little dressed up. And if you’re looking for a new pair for spring, you’re in luck – Reese Witherspoon has just helped us discover the most chic loose jeans, and they cost less than $35.

While doing some shopping in SoHo, the actress was photographed wearing a pair of perfectly fitted loose jeans – you know, the kind that have a wide leg but are snug in all the right places. We were able to find a pair that are almost the same, and even though they’re budget-friendly, they definitely look more expensive.

Get the Dokotoo Wide Leg Jeans for $33 (was $55) at Walmart! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change. 

The Dokotoo Wide Leg Jeans offer a similar loose fit with a side seam that makes them look surprisingly flattering. They hug your hips and waist in a good way, showing off your curves without feeling too restrictive. And we love the medium wash they come in as a versatile pick that can be dressed up or down, although they do come in a few other denim shades as well.

Related: Lindsay Lohan’s Relaxed Jeans Feel Cooler (and Comfier) Than Skinnies

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At a certain point, skinny jeans just stop being the easiest clothing option. They’re restrictive, hard to style and don’t quite give that effortless look most of Us are going for anymore. A pair of relaxed denim, on the other hand, does all of that without sacrificing comfort — and Lindsay Lohan just proved it. […]

One thing we love about these jeans is that they have a raw hem that gives them a distressed look. It’s not so distressed that they come off as too worn or messy, but it’s just distressed enough to give them that “I’m not trying too hard” vibe. You can pair them with flat sandals or sneakers, but they would also look great with heels.

And we’re not the only ones who are impressed with this pick – they come with tons of happy reviews from shoppers who love the fit and style. “Don’t hesitate to get these,” one shopper titled their review. “I have a very difficult time finding jeans that fit me, so I normally don’t wear jeans,” they continued. “These are soft, fit perfect and are comfortable. I’ve had tons of compliments from people who I didn’t know when I’d wear them.”

Several shoppers have also raved about how comfortable the jeans are. “The fit strikes a perfect balance – snug but not restrictive, giving a modern silhouette without sacrificing comfort,” one reviewer wrote, noting that the fabric feels “impressive.”

Don’t wait on these loose jeans – they’re the perfect wardrobe staple you can wear all year long. And because they have such a classic fit, they’ll never go out of style, so they’re a win all around.

Get the Dokotoo Wide Leg Jeans for $33 (was $55) at Walmart! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change. 

Looking for something else? Explore more jeans here and don’t forget to check out all of Walmart for more great finds!

A new comedy series has been steadily climbing Apple TV’s viewership charts, and has now overtaken the streamer’s hit sci-fi titles Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and For All Mankind. The show premiered with its first three episodes on April 15, and it marks yet another example of its creator’s versatility. It hails from David E. Kelley, who, in the last few years alone, has delivered the addictive thrillers Big Little Lies, Anatomy of a Scandal, and Presumed Innocent, as well as the crime series Love & Death and The Calling. The prolific writer broke out in the 1990s with shows such as Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Practice.

His latest series is headlined by the recent Oscar nominee Elle Fanning, who is joined by Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, and Michael Angarano. This marks Kelley’s fourth series with Kidman, after Big Little Lies, The Undoing, and Nine Perfect Strangers. This also happens to be the second show that premiered last week to include a subplot revolving around OnlyFans. The other is HBO’s Euphoria; in its third season, Sydney Sweeney‘s character expresses her interest in becoming an OnlyFans model. Kelley’s series revolves around a young woman, played by Fanning, who becomes pregnant and turns to OnlyFans to support herself.

Your Latest Apple TV Obsession Is Here

We’re talking about Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which premiered to excellent reviews on April 15 and will conclude its eight-episode first season on May 20. It currently holds a “Certified Fresh” 96% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Rich in character and dramatic antics, Margo’s Got Money Troubles succeeds because of its attention to emotional detail, authentic performances, and brilliant storytelling.” In her review, Collider’s Taylor Gates praised the show for having “a firm, confident handle on the idea that we are all performing all the time, yet the masks we wear are a reflection of something deep and real.” According to FlixPatrol, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is already one of the most-watched series on Apple TV, behind the second season of Your Friends & Neighbors, starring Jon Hamm. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

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2026 – 2026-00-00

Network

Apple TV

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Directors

Dearbhla Walsh

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Writers

Rufi Thorpe

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I’ve spent years staring at dresses on the rack, loving them on the hanger, then watching my fitting room dreams crumble the second I zip up. If you carry your curves below the waist as I do, you know the frustration of slipping into a cute dress that hugs in all the wrong places. It’s enough to make you swear off dresses entirely.

But here’s the thing: the right cut changes everything. A-lines, wrap silhouettes and strategic ruching can highlight a narrow waist while giving your hips room to breathe. I pulled together 13 dresses that actually flatter pear-shaped bodies, with styles polished enough for a dinner party and relaxed for a Saturday market run. Let’s find your new favorite!

Flattering Dresses for Pear-Shapes on Amazon

1. My Favorite: Shirt dresses can look boxy on pear shapes, but this tie-waist maxi cinches at your natural waist and flows to the floor. The blue and white stripe keeps it crisp and polished. Everyone will think you found it at a Hamptons boutique!

2. Strapless Stunner: I’d throw this strapless maxi on for a farmer’s market morning or a casual brunch without thinking twice. The ruched fabric keeps it interesting, and those pockets actually hold stuff.

3. Wedding-Ready: I’d wear this hunter green mini to a garden wedding with nude heels and feel completely put-together. The lace detail and V-neck are elegant, and the A-line skirt is genuinely forgiving.

4. Casual Sundress: Want to balance wider hips? This square-neck sundress draws attention upward with a structured neckline, while the flowy knit skirt glides right over your lower half.

5. Quite the Charmer: The smocked elastic waist on this tiered midi dress creates definition right where pear shapes want it most. Those flutter sleeves in rust add a playful, feminine touch I love.

Related: 17 New Amazon Pieces That Look Like Free People Bestsellers — From $10

Free People has a hold on Us, and our wallets know it. Those effortlessly cool tunics, romantic blouses and lived-in layers come with price tags that sting, especially when you want more than one piece per season. Good news: these new arrivals from Amazon look like Free People bestsellers, and they cost a fraction of […]

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6. Cocktail Attire: If you want to lean into your curves instead of hiding them, this ruched cocktail dress is your move. The bodycon fit cinches everything in, while the ruffle hem gives gorgeous flow.

7. Wallet-Friendly: At just $15, this floral maxi sundress with a milkmaid neckline is a low-risk way to try a bold yellow print. The boho silhouette skims the hips and keeps everything relaxed.

8. Something Blue: The A-line pleated skirt on this sleeveless midi dress flares from the waist, which is exactly what pear shapes need. The sky blue color works for both office days and cocktail hours.

9. Casual-Chic: Pear shapes need structure on top and flow on the bottom, and this knit-top maxi delivers exactly that. The ribbed bodice and loose skirt create a balanced silhouette with zero fuss.

10. Polka Dots, Please: I’d throw on this ruffled polka dot dress for a summer cocktail party with strappy sandals. The black and white print is classic, and the high-low hem shows just enough leg.

11. Easy Wrap Dress: Pear shapes know the struggle of finding a mini that fits the waist without strangling the hips. This tiered wrap dress solves it with a smocked waist and a ruffle hem that flows freely.

12. Under $30: The V-neck and ruffle sleeves on this tiered midi dress pull focus to your face and shoulders. At $27, the flowy tiered skirt skims past hips and thighs without looking cheap.

13. Hourglass Silhouette: Shirt dresses can go frumpy fast, but this button-down mini keeps things sharp with a structured collar and clean lines. The vertical button placket naturally elongates your torso.

Related: These Amazon Spring Pieces Channel Zara‘s Boho-Luxe Vibe, But Start at $5

We get it: You love everything about Zara’s boho-luxe aesthetic, but the price tags make your wallets shudder. Luckily, you don’t need a six-figure shopping budget to get the look. Amazon is quietly stacked with chic spring pieces that capture Zara’s stylish vibe, and our top elevated options will make you do a double take […]

Alfred Hitchcock knew what you feared and how to play with those fears to deliver some of Hollywood’s most iconic films. He even created new fears, like the banality of taking a shower, instantly becoming a horrifying prospect for thousands after Psycho in 1960. But even the “Master of Suspense” had his own fears, some of which he based films around. For example, after his father arranged for a London bobby to lock him in a cell at 11, Hitchcock developed a fear of police officers, driving films like North by Northwest and The 39 Steps, where innocent men are wrongfully accused and chased by authorities.

So it would be safe to assume that we can make an educated guess about the one thing that scared Hitchcock above all others, based on the films he made. Vertigo would suggest that Hitchcock had a paralyzing fear of heights, which he did, but that’s not it. A fear of showers? No, but it sure as all hell made Janet Leigh fear them the rest of her life. And he didn’t have ornithophobia, which presumably would have sparked The Birds, but that’s much closer to the truth. See, the one thing that frightened Hitchcock the most is available at your local grocery store, in a package with eleven others like it: the lowly egg.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Unexpected Phobia: A Deep Fear of Eggs

That’s right, eggs. The man who brought you Rear Window couldn’t walk past the dairy aisle. In 1963, Hitchcock explained his ovophobia to Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci (per The Telegraph). “I’m frightened of eggs. Worse than frightened — they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes, and when you break it, inside there’s that yellow thing, round, without any holes… Brr!” To Hitchcock, an egg was all surface, or all innards. Easily cracked, yet strangely impenetrable. “Have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid?” he asked Fallaci.

Related

10 Essential Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked

These films flaunt the Master of Suspense’s versatility.

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Then he adds a little more detail, detail that is pure Hitchcock-ian: “Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting. I’ve never tasted it.” No one in the history of ever has referred to blood as being “jolly,” and fewer still would prefer to see blood instead of an egg yolk. What does that mean for Hitchcock? Using Psycho as an example, Hitchcock would have been fine seeing Norman as Mrs. Bates with blood dripping from his knife, delighted even. But if Norman is making a cake? He’s out of there.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Other Fear Had a Strange Irony

Ironically, despite his fear of eggs, he had no fear of the feathered beasts that came from them. “I can look at a corpse chopped to bits without batting an eyelid, but I can’t bear the sight of a dead bird,” he tells Fallaci, adding, “Too heartrending. I can’t even bear to see them suffer, birds, or get tired.” The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is fine, Dumb and Dumber, not so much. Furthermore, not only did he have the highest consideration for birds, Hitchcock believed that the birds of The Birds were justified, saying, “For hundreds of centuries, birds have been persecuted by men, killed, put in the pot, in the oven, on the spit, used for writing pens, feathers for hats, turned into bloodcurdling stuffed ornaments… Such infamy deserves exemplary punishment.”

But Hitchcock did have another fear that seems almost karmic: his own films. Per The Telegraph, he told Fallaci, “I never go to see them. I don’t know how people can bear to watch my movies.” As he listed his many other terrors, Fallaci retorted, “That’s rather illogical, Mr Hitchcock. Come to that, your movies are illogical, too. From the logical point of view, not one of them can stand inspection.” Having built his career on irrational fear, one can imagine the smirk Hitchcock must have had, as he said, “Agreed, but what is logic? There’s nothing more stupid than logic.” Except maybe fearing an omelet.

Prince Harry has reportedly tried to reconnect with his brother, Prince William, but has been met with silence, as tensions between the two persist.

Royal experts say the future king is “ruthless,” noting that his firm stance reflects lingering mistrust following years of public fallout, including the duke’s memoir, “Spare.”

Despite King Charles III’s reported hopes for reconciliation, insiders suggest the divide has grown wider between Prince Harry and Prince William.

Prince William’s Hard Line Exposed As He Views Brother Prince Harry As ‘Untrustworthy’

Harry has reportedly made attempts to get through to his brother, William, but those efforts have been met with a “wall of silence.”

According to royal commentators, William has adopted a strict, no-nonsense stance, shaped by a sharp memory when it comes to both loyalty and betrayal.

Several experts speaking to Fox News Digital claim that communication between the brothers has effectively broken down, with the divide remaining since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The barrier between them, one source suggested, remains firmly in place.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard described William as deliberately “ignoring the circus.”

In her view, the future king has chosen to step away from ongoing tensions, using his silence not for avoidance but as a “permanent royal reset.” She characterized the situation as a lasting shift within the royal family dynamic.

Another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, echoed this sentiment, claiming William “regards his brother as totally untrustworthy.”

Reports also suggest that the Prince of Wales has a tougher edge, particularly toward those he feels have opposed him or aligned themselves with Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.

Prince William Is ‘Fearless And Has A Strong Moral Character’

Roya Nikkhah, royal editor at The Sunday Times, has also noted that William tends to remember where people stand, especially in moments of division. According to her, “If someone picks the other side, he remembers that.”

Observers say this approach reflects William’s focus on duty and the preservation of the monarchy. As Helen Chard put it, “Loyalty cuts both ways, and as they say, ‘Betrayal has a long shelf life.’”

She added that William is often willing to take a harder line, describing his approach as less about ruthlessness and more about accountability.

“He’s fearless and has a strong moral character,” she said, emphasizing that he is shaping his vision for the monarchy’s future.

The Brothers’ Fallout Deepened After Prince Harry’s Exit From Royal Life

The rift between the brothers dates back several years, intensifying after Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties in 2020.

They cited relentless media scrutiny and insufficient support from the institution as key reasons for their departure.

After relocating to California, the couple publicly shared their experiences through interviews, documentaries, and Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” which included personal revelations about royal life and his relationship with William.

This further created a wider rift between William and Harry, with the future king reportedly now opting to ignore his estranged brother’s calls for reconciliation.

Expert Explains How Kate Middleton Tried To Save Prince William And Prince Harry’s Relationship

Royal editor Russell Myers explained that tensions may have deeper roots, tied to the different roles the brothers were born into.

“There’s the issue of the heir and the spare,” he explained, referring to William’s clear path as future king, compared to Harry’s less defined position, which may have contributed to long-standing friction.

Their relationship reportedly began to cool further during Harry’s early relationship with Meghan. William is said to have advised caution, encouraging his brother to take time before making major commitments.

However, Harry allegedly interpreted this as doubt or disapproval, which added strain to their bond.

Despite efforts by Kate Middleton to mediate and maintain harmony, the situation continued to deteriorate. Following the couple’s widely viewed 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the palace issued its now-famous response, “recollections may vary,” a message insiders say Kate helped shape.

“Catherine did not want the brothers to finish their relationship,” Myers said. “She was always trying to bring them together, always trying to be that mediator for William when they’re very hot, two hotheaded young men, falling out. Catherine was always saying to William and Harry at certain junctures, ‘Think about what you want for the future.’”

While there was reportedly significant sadness within the royal family over Harry and Meghan’s departure, some experts believe reconciliation may still be a distant possibility. Others argue that William’s current stance reflects “strong, admirable leadership” rather than hostility.

Prince William Reportedly Blocks Reunion Plans As King Charles III Pushes To Reunite With Prince Harry And His Children

Tensions may rise again this summer, with reports suggesting William is unwilling to support any plans for Harry and Meghan to spend time in the U.K., potentially leading to a clash at Sandringham.

Meanwhile, King Charles III is said to be eager to repair the fractured relationship and reunite with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at the royal estate in Norfolk, whom he has reportedly not seen in years.

Insiders suggest the king is “at the point where he wants to forgive Harry and find a path forward, but William simply won’t hear of it, no matter what his father says.”

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According to a report, the Prince of Wales “carries enormous influence behind the scenes. And the truth is, many within the Firm still believe Harry and Meghan are toxic — so Charles doesn’t have much support when it comes to welcoming them back.”

Although Harry and Charles are said to have reestablished communication, the same cannot be said for William. Reports indicate he continues to hold onto past grievances, particularly in response to public interviews, media appearances, and the claims made about him and Kate in Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”

Madonna is once again proving she knows how to steal the spotlight, even in the crowd. The 67-year-old pop icon went viral after being spotted dancing at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, letting loose among festivalgoers in a moment that quickly took over social media. In the now-circulating clip, Madonna can be seen energetically moving to the music, dressed in a cozy oversized jacket paired with black boots, fully immersed in the high-energy atmosphere of the desert event.

Madonna’s Coachella Dance Sparks Brutal Fan Debate

As expected, the moment sparked a wave of reactions online, and not all of them were kind. One viral post questioned, “Why is 67-year-old Madonna acting like a 17-year-old?” while others piled on with mixed takes about the singer’s carefree moves.

“I know for what she has achieved in the industry there’s just no need for the childish shenanigans, but hey each to their own and live and let live,” one user wrote. Another added, “She a lil too aggressive with the 6 7 dance,” while someone else joked, “she is in competition with Britney!!! crazy dance…who’s gonna win?”

Fans Go Off The Rails

The comment section quickly turned into a battleground, with some critics taking things even further. “She always has to be the center of attention,” one user wrote, while another quipped, “Can you imagine how much Geritol it takes to make something like that possible?”

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Still, not everyone was piling on. Some fans defended Madonna’s carefree energy, with one writing, “I know for what she has achieved… live and let live,” while others leaned into humor, with comments like, “The robot from ‘Lost in Space’?”

Someone else wrote, “It looks absolutely ridiculous, and judging by her face, she doesn’t even seem to have fun.”

Madonna’s Surprise Coachella Cameo Sparks Lip-Sync Backlash

The 67-year-old pop icon didn’t just go viral in the crowd; she also found herself at the center of controversy on stage. The pop icon made a surprise appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s second weekend set at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, but instead of universal praise, the moment quickly drew criticism online.

Fans took to social media, accusing Madonna of lip-syncing, with some labeling the performance “cringeworthy” as the backlash began to build.

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Sabrina Carpenter Calls Collab A ‘Dream’

Sabrina Carpenter is making it clear she had a very different reaction to sharing the stage with Madonna, calling the moment nothing short of surreal.

After their surprise collaboration at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Carpenter took to Instagram to reflect on the experience, thanking the pop icon for what she described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Madonna… I’ve got something I wanna talk about,” Carpenter wrote, calling the performance a “privilege” and a “dream.”

She also shouted out Geena Davis, Terry Crews, and Corey Fogelmanis, all of whom also made surprise appearances, “for sharing your infinite talent with us!!!” The former Disney Channel star concluded, “This show and everyone involved is so beyond special to me. Sabrinawood forever!”

Madonna Brings ‘Vogue’ And ‘Like A Prayer’ To Coachella

During the set, the duo performed a mix of Madonna’s iconic hits, including “Vogue” and “Like A Prayer,” along with a new track believed to be from her upcoming album “Confessions II.”

Madonna also took a moment to reflect on her own Coachella history, telling the crowd, “Twenty years ago today, I performed at Coachella – I was in the dance tent and it was the first time I performed ‘Confessions On A Dance Floor: Part I in America,’ and that was such a thrill for me. So you can imagine what a thrill it is for me to be back 20 years later, so it’s a like a full circle moment, you know, very meaningful for me.”

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As anticipation continues to build, Madonna’s next chapter is already on the horizon. Her highly anticipated album “Confessions II” is set to drop on July 3 via Warner Records, serving as a follow-up to her iconic “Confessions on a Dance Floor” era.

The release will be available across multiple formats, including vinyl, CD, and cassette, giving fans plenty of ways to experience the pop legend’s latest evolution.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Martin Scorsese doesn’t usually seem too concerned with making traditionally entertaining films, or at least that’s not often the priority. Movies like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are essential and masterful, not to mention compelling as dramas, but crowd-pleasers they’re not. You probably wouldn’t stick them on at any point, or recommend them to absolutely everyone, and the same goes for later (and also excellent) films Scorsese directed, like The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon.

These movies are dark and oftentimes emotionally/psychologically intense, but still, Scorsese has made some genuinely entertaining movies. A few of those entertaining movies have also been dark, to some extent, yet they have qualities that make them a bit easier to recommend, since they’re not exclusively downbeat and/or harrowing affairs. If you’ve somehow never seen a Martin Scorsese film, then these generally entertaining and approachable ones would make for good places to start.

8

‘The Color of Money’ (1986)

Image via Touchstone Pictures

The Color of Money sometimes gets looked down upon a little unfairly, being reduced to “that movie that let the Oscars give Paul Newman his sympathy Academy Award.” Sure, he probably should’ve won earlier than 1986, but Newman is still great here, and The Color of Money works surprisingly well as a sequel to The Hustler, even if that film might not have seemed like one that really needed a follow-up.

Tom Cruise also gives one of his best early-career performances here, and his dynamic with Newman’s character makes The Color of Money work well as a sports-centered buddy movie of sorts. There are beats hit that you’d expect to be hit, so it’s not really unpredictable or all that surprising, but Scorsese going through the motions is still incredibly engaging to watch (the same can be said about Francis Ford Coppola doing something like The Outsiders, which has maybe come to this writer’s mind because a young Tom Cruise was also in that one).

7

‘Cape Fear’ (1990)

Image via Universal Pictures

Cape Fear is the closest Scorsese has come to making a horror movie, though it’s more definable as a thriller, and an overall approachable one, at least by Scorsese’s standards. There is an intensity here alongside sometimes grisly violence, but it’s also broad and not that complicated, really. There’s a recently freed criminal who blames his lawyer for the time he spent in prison, and said criminal sets about making life hell for his old lawyer.

That’s all there is, and things escalate in ways that become increasingly intense and, eventually, horrific. Cape Fear works well in large part thanks to Robert De Niro hamming it up as the villain, Max Cady, but Scorsese’s direction also goes a long way to making Cape Fear feel lively and overall worthwhile as a remake of the 1962 film of the same name (which, it should be added, still holds up pretty well).

6

‘Gangs of New York’ (2002)

Image via Miramax Films

While it isn’t Martin Scorsese’s longest gangster film, Gangs of New York is perhaps his most ambitious, since it’s a film done on a massive scale as far as the technical and production side of things is concerned. It takes place largely in the 1860s, and brings to life a very different-looking New York City than the one Scorsese has more often depicted in his movies (it is his favorite city, after all, and few filmmakers seem to like it as much as he does).

So, there’s more than just a revenge story to Gangs of New York, but that’s what drives it for the most part, with various other threads going on at the same time, sometimes in the background. It’s huge, and almost too big, but the core of it’s more compelling than some give it credit for, and since it’s maximalist, you never really run out of things to look at or be impressed by, so all that goes a long way toward keeping Gangs of New York very entertaining throughout.

5

‘The King of Comedy’ (1982)

Image via 20th Century Studios

If you count The King of Comedy as a comedy, then it’s one of the more uncomfortable ones out there, alongside another ‘80s film by Scorsese that’ll be mentioned about 120 words from now. It is about stand-up comedy, in a sense, or, more accurately, someone who isn’t very funny at all, yet being recognized as a comedian is what he wants more than anything else.

He’s also dangerously obsessed with a late-night talk-show host, and there’s a huge amount of discomfort that comes about from his attempts to get close to this established entertainer. Or, if you don’t mind dark humor, then this escalating awkwardness in The King of Comedy might be funny to you, when it’s not working surprisingly well as a psychological drama/thriller; one that’s really not a whole lot easier to watch, at times, than Taxi Driver. The two would make for an interesting double feature, that’s for sure.

4

‘After Hours’ (1985)

Image via The Geffen Company

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Martin Scorsese didn’t get the discomfort and dark comedy itch out of his system with The King of Comedy, so he made After Hours not long after. It leans into borderline-horror territory at points, owing to the dreamlike logic throughout, with the narrative centering on a man having a terrible night that sees him getting lost in New York City after an attempt at having what was supposed to be a simple first date.

That might make it sound like an anxious sort of romance film, but romance is not really on this movie’s mind once you get past the set-up. Still, After Hours is weirdly fun, even with it being kind of nightmarish and confounding at times. Somehow, the broadly comedic tone and all the messed-up things that are shown to happen to this unfortunate central character sit peacefully, side-by-side, with the chaos also, though it might sound contradictory, feeling well-controlled (could be chalked up to typically great direction, with this being a Scorsese film and all).

3

‘The Departed’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Alongside Cape Fear, The Departed shows Martin Scorsese generally knows what he’s doing when he helms a remake, since The Departed is just as good as Infernal Affairs (2002). It expands and maybe simplifies a few things, yet it retains the tension and undeniable entertainment value that Infernal Affairs had… well, entertaining as thrillers. Perhaps they’re fun to watch if you don’t mind feeling a bit on edge the whole time.

Unease and tension are unavoidable when the two main characters are trying to deceive pretty much everyone around them, all the while trying to uncover the other, since they’ve both gone undercover on different sides of the law. So, The Departed is a cat-and-mouse thriller, but about as good as such movies come, and it’s impressive how entertaining it stays across a fairly long runtime (here, 151 minutes feels more like 100, if that).

2

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)

Some people misinterpret The Wolf of Wall Street, but even if you’re not among those people, there’s still a lot here that’s entertaining, and by design. Part of this film wants you to feel swept up in the lavish lifestyle that Jordan Belfort and many of his associates live, since you have to understand the appeal, and The Wolf of Wall Street has fun for quite a lot of the time when its characters are also having fun.

It’s far from exclusively a party film, though, because there is something of a downfall, but not as directly as typical rise-and-fall crime movies. The Wolf of Wall Street very much wants you, right near the film’s end, as a viewer, to reflect on how you felt throughout the movie, even if doing so feels kind of troubling and uncomfortable. Scorsese has it both ways, making something that’s equal parts fun and thought-provoking, and doing so without those two things contradicting each other.

1

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Of course it’s going to be Goodfellas here, in the #1 spot, since this is about as iconic as gangster movies get, and it’s also one of the most thrilling films of its time, or maybe even all time. It’s about Henry Hill, who’s a low-level associate of the mob, and he goes through a bit of a rise and then something of a fall, much like many movie gangsters before him, but it’s all done in a manner that feels a bit more realistic than usual.

Okay, it’s based on a real-life person and story, so that makes sense, but even then, it’s admirable how Goodfellas sugarcoats and romanticizes basically nothing. Yet it’s not realistic in a purely soul-crushing way, since Goodfellas is also a blast and very much stylish, so it’s an honestly perfect marriage. In other words, it’s pretty much everything you could want out of a crime drama.

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Goodfellas

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Release Date

September 19, 1990

Runtime

145 minutes

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