Keanu Reeves as Reef Hawk in Outcome.Image via Apple
After dominating home-video charts for weeks with his overlooked 2025 comedy film Good Fortune, Keanu Reeves is poised to continue the momentum with his latest release. However, the ride might be a little bumpy this time around, as the movie in question has been ruthlessly panned by critics. Good Fortune was directed by Aziz Ansari, who also played the protagonist. The fantasy comedy, which featured Seth Rogen in a supporting role, received positive reviews for its heartfelt story and tender humor but failed to recoup its reported $30 million budget. Reeves’ new movie is also a comedy, albeit completely unlike Good Fortune.
For starters, it didn’t get a theatrical run at all, and was released on Apple TV this Friday. The movie marks Oscar nominee Jonah Hill‘s sophomore feature as a director after the semi-autobiographical comedy drama Mid90s, which was released domestically by A24 in 2018. A tribute to skateboarding culture in Los Angeles when Hill was growing up, Mid90s currently holds a “Certified Fresh” 81% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The coming-of-age comedy-drama grossed around $9 million in its box-office run against a reported budget of $1.7 million. More than anything else, it established Hill as a talented filmmaker.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
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🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
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Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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Jonah Hill’s New Movie Has Been Critically Panned
However, the bigger cast and (presumably) bigger budget don’t seem to have worked for him. Hill’s new film, Outcome, opened to poor reviews on Friday. But according to FlixPatrol, it jumped straight to the top of the global and domestic Apple TV viewership charts. The streamer’s leaderboard isn’t as dynamic as those of its competitors, mainly because it releases fewer titles than they do. Outcome features Reeves as a legendary movie star who, facing cancellation, embarks on a personal apology tour to make amends with everyone he’s wronged. The film also features Hill as the star’s obnoxious lawyer, Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer as his best friends and confidantes, and Martin Scorsese in a memorable cameo as his first agent. Outcome holds a 26% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Nate Richarddescribing it in his review as “a fascinating mess that rides the line between sincerity and crassness.” Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” stars and sisters Kim and Kyle Richards were involved in a dramatic legal dispute. Their relationship apparently hit a turning point in 2024 when reports surfaced about Kim’s unfortunate relapse after years of being open about her addiction struggles. A new report claims Kyle sued Kim in January 2025, seeking to have her evicted from the LA property where Kim was residing.
Kyle Richards Sued Her Sister Kim In 2025, Seeking To Have Her Evicted From Her Home
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Kyle attempted to have her sister, Kim, evicted from her 2-bedroom Encino property, where she had been residing, according to legal documents reported by TMZ.
The “Halloween” actress said Kim had been living in the property for years; however, she asked her to leave in late 2024 following a dispute. Kyle asked for possession of the house and wanted Kim to pay $140 per day, beginning in November 2024, for each day she stayed after being asked to leave.
Kim didn’t respond to the suit, according to the legal documents, and was later required to move from the property in March 2025.
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Kim Richards Reportedly Arrested In 2024 While She Was With Her Sister Kyle
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Kyle’s reported attempt to have her sister removed from her LA home occurred after TMZ reported that Kim had a dramatic and saddening interaction with LA police after acting belligerently in a Hilton hotel.
Cops reportedly asked the reality star to leave the property, and when she refused, they placed her on a 5150 psychiatric hold and took her to the hospital.
Kyle and the rest of the Richards/Hilton family had cut ties with Kim following the event, hoping their strained relationship would encourage her to change.
In March 2016, Kim spoke candidly with PEOPLE about her addiction beginning after having her “first real drink” when she was 24.
Kim explained that she found herself drinking even more following her split from her second husband in 1991. “That’s when my issue started,” she said.
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Kim went on to say that living her life in the public eye only exacerbated her personal struggles.
Kyle Outed Sister Kim As An ‘Alcoholic’ On Season 1 Of ‘Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’
Kim and Kyle have repeatedly butted heads in earlier seasons of the Bravo series. Their worst argument was in the season finale of the first season of “RHOBH,” where Kyle outed Kim for being an “alcoholic.”
The sisters later regretted the moment, according to PEOPLE, and rushed to Andy Cohen to have it scrapped from the show.
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“The sisters were begging Evolution and Bravo to take the scene out of the show,” Cohen said. “It didn’t happen.”
Former NBCUniversal Executive Vice President Shari Levine commented on the dramatic scene as well, adding that it’s one of the realities of shooting an unscripted show.
“The series really does capture life as it happens. And everyone has moments that they want to keep off the air. The great equalizer for all the franchises is that it’s all out there. If it’s shot, we will edit it in,” Levine said.
Kyle Regrets What Happened Between Her and Kim On The Show
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While the scene has been etched into the Housewives’ history book, Kyle previously revealed she wished it had never happened.
“I would say Season 1, the limo scene,” she said on an episode of “Watch What Happens Live.” “That’s a no-brainer for me.”
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That’s not all. Kyle also recalled the explosive dinner scene Kim had with former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” titan Lisa Rinna in Amsterdam.
“There’s been many since then. Like even Amsterdam, you know, running out when Rinna broke the glass and all that,” Kyle said.
Where Are Kim And Kyle Today?
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Despite the drama, Kim and Kyle are back together and doing “good” as of November 2025.
Kyle opened up about where they stand today during BravoCon 2025, according to The Daily Dish, and said the former reality star has been thriving since relocating from California to Florida.
“She has the most beautiful grandchildren I’ve ever seen; they’re unbelievable, and I’m really close with them, and I love them so much,” Kyle said. “I just went to Kim’s granddaughter’s little Halloween thing at school, and it was so fun to go and see, and have that relationship with them is nice.”
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If you’re not obsessed with Quince yet, let Us put you on. The retailer makes quiet luxury affordable — to the point it almost feels too good to be true. But we can attest, it totally lives up to the hype, especially for luxe-looking spring pieces.
Quince is overflowing with classy staples, from pants and tops to bags and shoes, and these 15 channel pure rich-girl energy. In fact, you’ll find these styles across New York, Charleston and Los Angeles, worn by the most fashionable people. See the chicest spring pieces worth scooping up — from just $16!
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15 Rich-Girl Spring Staples at Quince — From $16
1. Trendy Trousers: Sleek and polished, these 100% linen pants should be much more expensive than they are. We adore the nautical stripes.
2. Everyday Outfit: Say goodbye to ‘I don’t know what to wear’ days. This laid-back mini dress transitions from errands to brunch without skipping a beat.
3. Crowd-Favorite: Swap jeans for a silky midi skirt and watch the compliments roll in. It gives simple outfits a high-end twist.
4. Elevated Tee: Your wardrobe just got a whole lot classier. This stretchy basic screams ‘yacht wife,’ thanks to the stripes and relaxed fit.
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5. Rich Mom Tote: In case you missed it, baby blue is totally ‘in’ right now, and this puffy quilted tote nails the aesthetic. It’s roomy enough for work, travel and beyond.
Everyone’s going somewhere lately. Whether you’re traveling or stuck in Milwaukee, the right spring dress can make you look like you belong in Lake Como. These 19 loose, breezy dresses do just that, delivering relaxed coastal vibes without the passport stamp. Our Italian-inspired favorites from Amazon, Nordstrom and more feature comfortable fabrics, flowy silhouettes and […]
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6. So Comfy: Soft leather, plush insoles, a metallic finish — what’s not to love? These Italian leather flats are as comfy as sneakers, but much more polished.
7. Transitional Season: It’s not cold, but it’s not warm yet, either. This cashmere-blend sweater top is lightweight enough for transitional-weather layering.
8. CEO Alert: Every corporate queen needs a nice blazer, and this single-breasted number is yours. It’s so sharp that you might not even need tailoring.
9. Coast of Italy: People will think you found this tiered maxi skirt at a shop in Positano. The breezy fit, rich blue hue and smocked waistband radiate coastal-chic vibes.
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10. Sweet Dreams: Rich girls take their beauty sleep seriously, which is why they opt for this darling striped pajama set. European linen regulates body temperature all night long.
11. Bye, Sneakers: Even Kate Middleton is wearing loafers lately. These springy pink shoes should cost hundreds, but we’re not complaining!
12. Luxe Leather: You can’t go wrong with a leather tote bag, especially this quiet luxury wonder with a classic, structured shape and intricate stitching.
13. Your Cute Jeans: With a dozen colors and four inseam lengths to choose from, Quince’s wide-leg jeans are destined to become your new custom-like favorite. They stretch and drape in all the right places.
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14. Boutique Find: Everything about this smocked midi dress reminds Us of a boutique, including the ruffle straps, smocked bodice and eyelet fabric. Pockets are a bonus.
15. Cozy Tank: Layering season never ends. This waffle-knit tank works with cardigans during the spring and solo come summer.
Legendary screenwriter and author William Goldman once wrote, pertaining to Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything.” For as much research, analysis, and money goes into the pre-production, filming, and marketing of movies, studios ultimately have no idea what’s going to hit and what’s going to flop. Some of the greatest box office triumphs came from movies that appeared to be dead on arrival, filled with grave uncertainty and doubt within their respective studios, only to win over the public and find an audience.
In the end, moviegoing is a natural phenomenon that can’t be calculated. However, in certain cases, as with these 10 movies below, we saw these bombs from miles away. From behind-the-scenes drama to poor marketing, these films were destined to become a punchline in the trade publications.
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10
‘Monkeybone’ (2001)
Brendan Fraser in ‘Monkeybone’Image via 20th Century Fox
Henry Selickis one of our most imaginative animation visionaries living today. 30 years since its release, he is still rudely ignored as the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is often erroneously credited to screenwriter Tim Burton. However, if there’s one film that the Coraline director would wish that everyone would forget about, it would be his 2001 flop, Monkeybone, a confounding cinematic experience that was seemingly made for no one.
Grossing a meager $7 million on a $75 million budget, Monkeybone was Selick’s foray into new territory, as it blends live action filmmaking with his trademark stop-motion animation. Starring Brendan Fraser as a cartoonist who falls into a coma and is transported to another universe that threatens to supply the world with nightmares, the making of Monkeybonesoured Selick from ever making another live-action feature, as he has since condemned the final product released to the public. The bizarre tonal register, uncanny visual aesthetic, random humor, and bonkers story were immediate turnoffs for casual audiences. The audacious animation style was a costly endeavor for 20th Century Fox, and there was simply no way of selling the film’s idea on a poster or trailer. Monkeybone, lampooned by critics, represents the harsh reality of taking a big artistic swing that whiffs.
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9
‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (2019)
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) shooting a bazooka in ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’Image via Paramount Pictures
Not only is Terminator 2: Judgment Day a perfect object, its conclusion wraps the story up from 1984’s The Terminator so tightly that a sequel was never in demand. However, Hollywood has to Hollywood, and audiences were sporadically fed sequels to James Cameron‘s classics, none of which were wholly satisfying. Still, they kept performing fairly well at the box office. By the time Terminator: Dark Fatearrived in 2019, audiences were not going to be fooled again, leading to a financial failure that may have terminated the franchise altogether.
In a cruel twist of fate, the surprisingly inventive and engaging Terminator: Dark Fate, the series’ apex since Terminator 2, was the one that failed for its studio, Paramount, with its $261 million worldwide gross falling short of its whopping $185 million budget. While not the most devastating flop, Tim Miller‘s retconning of the events following T2, botched in the uninspiring Rise of the Machines, Salvation, and Genisys, immediately lacked any audience and critical enthusiasm. Even with James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger back on board as producer and star, respectively, and Linda Hamilton reprising her role as Sarah Connor, Dark Fate was a victim of the world not wanting to be fooled for a fourth time. With the scope and budget continuously ballooning, it was clear that Terminator needed a factory reset rather than chasing after the glory of its first two entries.
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8
‘Dolittle’ (2020)
Dr. Dolittle, played by Robert Downey Jr., smirks while looking at a parrot in Dolittle.Image via Universal Pictures
Say what you want about modern moviegoing tendencies, but audiences aren’t dumb. Just because the world loved Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up for anything he stars in, especially when his Avengers: Endgame follow-up looked as silly and nonsensical as Dolittle. Released during the brief window in 2020 before things went awry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the new adaptation of the animal whisperer, originally played by Rex Harrison and Eddie Murphy, carried a weighty price tag for something that was set up for failure.
On the surface, Dolittle‘s box office performance of $251 million worldwide gross is impressive, but when compared to its $175 million budget, these gaudy numbers were hardly worthy of celebration for Universal. Anyone who was following the news of its production, directed by Stephen Gaghan, knew that a stinker was in order, as the film underwent three weeks of reshoots by multiple directors after poor test screenings. Downey’s spontaneity and improvisation were great for Iron Man, but his freewheeling creative process led to a disastrous production. The chaos of the set is felt on the screen—a disorganized and rudderless mess of a movie. By giving a reheated performance, filled with his usual snarky quips, Downey proved he was desperate for Christopher Nolan to upend his screen persona in Oppenheimer.
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7
‘Lightyear’ (2022)
Buzz Lightyear poses with his hands on his waist in a locker room in ‘Lightyear’ (2022)Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on,” wrote Chris Evansin a Twitter post that lives in infamy. Emblematic of the glut of IP in cinema, Pixar stooped low for a blatant cash grab in Lightyear, the inexplicable spin-off of the Toy Story franchise centered around the fake person who spawned the fake toy, Buzz Lightyear, here voiced by Evans instead of Tim Allen. The fact that Evans needed to clarify its synopsis was a telltale sign that a bomb was set for launch in 2022.
Grossing $218 million worldwide is relatively low for Pixar sequel standards, and this number is even more egregious when pitted against its whopping $200 million budget. Lightyear‘s existence is indicative of Disney’s obsession with milking their own properties without a clever angle. The film, directed by Angus MacLane, was truly something nobody asked for. Any ardent fan of the Toy Story series will tell you that interest in how the Buzz toy was created within the universe was little to none. Expanding on the Buzz lore taints the purity and charm of the series, making Lightyear woefully disjointed within this beloved franchise. Disney and Pixar are already making a killing off Toy Story sequels, which sees its fifth installment in 2026. This head-scratching spin-off was born out of sheer greed.
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6
‘Borderlands’ (2024)
Florian Munteanu, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Cate Blanchett as Krieg, Tannis, and Lilith in Borderlands.Image via Lionsgate
Video game movies are all the rage these days. In fact, they may have even surpassed superhero movies as the most coveted IP by studios in the wake of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minecraft. Still, rights to a beloved game aren’t enough to trick audiences into thinking you have the next blockbuster—take, for example, Borderlands, a total wipeout at the box office in 2024 that everyone saw coming from a mile away.
There’s no way of spinning the film’s financial performance, as its $32 million gross on a $115 million budget is a flop of the highest order. Quick research into the making and release of Borderlands, starring an overqualified Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black, raised countless red flags. Development hell often indicates an impending bomb, and the writing was on the wall for Borderlands, which was announced in 2015, filmed in 2021, and underwent reshoots in 2023. Director Eli Roth, whose R-rated vision was sanded down for a PG-13 rating, was replaced by Tim Miller during reshoots. Even though two directors worked on it, Borderlands is bereft of any artistic direction. The film is a watered-down Guardians of the Galaxy wannabe with inert action and comedy. Borderlands feels trapped in 2015, with its smarmy dialogue and punk sensibilities being incredibly dated a decade later.
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5
‘The Flash’ (2023)
By the time The Flashwas released in theaters in 2023, the term “superhero fatigue” had reached the lexicon. This phenomenon was the only thing that could account for the string of underachieving comic book adaptations dating back to the year prior. In hindsight, we may have been overthinking it all, as sometimes, a movie is just an outright stinker, like Warner Bros’ failed attempt at orchestrating a colossal event for the disjointed DC saga.
Despite WB’s efforts to sell The Flash as the cinematic event of the year, its $271 million worldwide gross fell short of its hefty $200 million price tag. The last thing audiences wanted amid our collective superhero fatigue was a bloated film like The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Ezra Miller in the titular role, which required casual viewers to be caught up with a handful of previous DC installments. The movie was radioactive from the start due to the behind-the-scenes drama involving Miller’s legal issues and personal scandals. Two particular vices of the superhero genre, third acts riddled with cheap CGI and forced character cameos, reached their nadir in The Flash, leaving theaters in pin-drop silence at the reveal of Nicolas Cage and George Clooney as an alternate Superman and Batman, respectively. This cinematic folly signaled that audiences had evolved, as forcing superhero properties without a fresh take wasn’t enough to create a blockbuster anymore.
4
‘Gigli’ (2003)
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in ‘Gigli’Image via Columbia Pictures
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They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but tell that to the team behind Gigli, and they’d quickly refute that adage. A movie now synonymous with “flop,” Gigli was such a disaster that it put Martin Brest seemingly in permanent director jail and turned Ben Affleck, who subsequently married his co-star, Jennifer Lopez, into a punchline for the tabloids. This is a quintessential “so bad it’s good” movie, yet even irony couldn’t draw people to theaters in 2003.
While we’re prone to reclaim movies once viewed as disappointments, there is no redeeming Gigli, a shapeless
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Grossing a lowly $7 million on a $54 million budget, Gigli, a romantic-comedy set in the criminal underworld featuring two marquee movie stars, should’ve been a slam dunk, but people know a bomb when they see one. The film dropped a staggering 82% percent in gross in its second weekend of release, indicating that word of its creative ineptitude spread quickly. While we’re prone to reclaim movies once viewed as disappointments, there is no redeeming Gigli, a shapeless, poorly acted (notably an unforgivable Justin Bartha performance that was already insensitive in 2003), and lethargic film lacking humor and romance. Brest fell asleep behind the director’s chair, as his flair for high-octane action and comedy, seen in Midnight Run, is nowhere to be found. Gigli even fails as a cult “bad” movie like The Room, as there is little joy or energy in the film’s meandering conversations between the two lead stars-turned-couple.
3
‘Battlefield Earth’ (2000)
John Travolta in Battlefield EarthImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
John Travolta‘s career arc is quite the adventure. After his breakthrough in the 1970s, he soon lost his reverence and viability in the public eye by the early ’90s, only to have Quentin Tarantino revive him with Pulp Fiction. His unexpected comeback restored his A-list credibility, but his self-destructive nature came back to haunt him with the sci-fi disasterpiece, Battlefield Earth, one of the most ridiculed and loathed films in recent history.
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General audience curiosity in this strange-looking mess wasn’t enough to make up for costs, as the 2000 film directed by Roger Christian grossed $29 million on a $73 million budget. A movie practically designed to dominate the Golden Raspberries,Battlefield Earth wants us to take this story of alien invasion and enslaved human uprising seriously, but everything about it, from the obnoxiously flashy visual language to the garish makeup and costume design, is a laughingstock. Of course, everyone had their guns out for this film due to Travolta’s ties to Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote the film’s source material. The trailers alone made viewers long for Tarantino to give this gifted actor a worthy part. You could do a lot worse than spend a night mocking Battlefield Earth‘s ridiculous script and story logic, but the people were unwilling to pay the price of admission in theaters.
2
‘Madame Web’ (2024)
Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) surrounded by three girls in Madame Web.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Not everyone can be the Marvel Cinematic Universe—just ask Sony’s extended Spider-Man universe. They may have the rights to certain Marvel Comics characters, but they don’t have the vision and standard of quality shepherded by Kevin Feige. Following the lackluster whiffs in Venom and Morbius, Sony’s attempts at retaining control of Spider-Man while Tom Holland thrived in the MCU reached their nadir with Madame Web, this generation’s signature bad movie that is still worthy of dissection.
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Superhero fatigue or not, Madame Web, which only grossed $100 million on an $80 million budget, was a flop the moment its first trailer dropped, featuring the notorious line “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.” Dakota Johnson is captivating in romantic comedies or indie dramas, but as a superhero, she’s completely out of her league. A peak example of “gas-leak cinema,” something is just off throughout all of Madame Web, from the stilted acting and choppy ADR to the lackadaisical pace and frictionless stakes. S.J. Clarkson‘s film is begging Spider-Man to swing in and save the day, as, without the marquee character’s presence, this origin story is completely aimless. Sony pushed their luck with Madame Web, who learned the hard way that audiences in 2024 were not automatically lulled by the Marvel Comics logo.
1
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ (2024)
Arthur Fleck, in Joker makeup, and Lee waltz down a set of stairs in Joker: Folie à Deux.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Just because a movie performed well, even one billion dollars well, doesn’t mean we demand a sequel. Joker was always designed to be a one-off, stand-alone film starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips. Five years after dominating the box office and winning multiple Academy Awards, Warner Bros. egregiously overstayed their welcome with Joker: Folie à Deux, a towering box office bomb and source of sheer audience outrage that will be nearly impossible to top.
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Warner Bros’ 2025 triumph was a needed comeback after the calamitous performance of their 2024 Joker sequel, which grossed $207 million on a $190 million budget, a seismic drop-off from its previous installment. On paper, Phillips using his cachet to turn a Joker sequel into a dark musical crossed with a prison and courtroom drama is intriguing, and it’s a brilliant counter to the formulaic nature of comic book movies. However, ideas only get you so far, as Joker: Folie à Deux, also starring a wasted Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, is woefully executed. Every scene is punishingly dour without the sophistication of a weighty drama, and the musical numbers play as distractions rather than artistic statements. For such a major blockbuster, the film is inexplicably condensed in scope, merely serving as a recap of what happened in the 2019 movie. Laboriously paced and insultingly one-note, Folie à Deux let everyone know ahead of time that this would be a folly with its title. After the exhausting discourse and controversy surrounding Joker, people were ready to move on from Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) and his anarchic ways.
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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
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☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
🪙No Country for Old Men
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01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
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02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
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03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
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04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
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05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
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06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
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07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
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08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
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09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
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10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
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The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
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Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
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Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
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Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
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No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
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Release Date
October 4, 2024
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Runtime
138 minutes
Writers
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Scott Silver, Todd Phillips, Paul Dini, Jerry Robinson, Bruce Timm, Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight is considered a masterpiece of the comic book movie genre, taking Batman and placing him in a world that felt tangible and gripping. The film’s opening statement was the devastatingly choreographed heist at the beginning of the film, which introduced Heath Ledger‘s unforgettable Joker.
Nolan is a student of film, and many (including the film’s creatives) have pointed to 1995 crime classic Heat as a big inspiration for the sequence, and the film in general. Michael Mann‘stense, methodical filmmaking made Nolan realize he could make a superhero movie his way, and the results were electrifying.
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Christopher Nolan Introduces Us to Heath Ledger’s Joker in the Most Perfect Way
Set to the anxious strings of Hans Zimmer‘s opening theme, titled simply “Bank Robbery,” a balletic chain of events unfolds as a gang of masked criminals rob a mafia-owned bank in Gotham. In each step of the robbery, the criminals are instructed to betray each other, unwittingly wiping themselves out until only the orchestrator remains. When questioned by a bank manager (William Fichtner) about what he believes in, the leader removes his mask, revealing the Joker. “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you makes you… stranger,” he replies, before laughing and escaping with the bank’s money.
In just over six minutes, the robbery sets the tone for the film, a comic book movie viewed through the lens of a crime thriller. A villain who is vicious enough to commit such crimes, but also treats chaos as an ethos, meticulously planning an event that is meant to throw Gotham’s criminal underworld into disarray. Nolan’s approach doesn’t copy Heat‘s homework, but it speaks the same cinematic language. The military organization of the Gotham Bank robbery echoes that of Neil McCauley’s (Robert De Niro) crew as they rob over a million dollars from an armored car. Both crews wear masks, both time their plans (and the response to them), and both use urban geography as a canvas. Disrupting the regular hum of a city, only to use it as the perfect getaway disguised as everyday transport (in Heat it’s an ambulance, while the Joker uses an empty school bus).
Christopher Nolan Proudly Claimed ‘Heat’ as an Influence on ‘The Dark Knight’
Part of why we know The Dark Knight was inspired by Heatis that the filmmakers themselves are so open about it.Jonathan Nolan, who wrote the script for the film, told Josh Horowitz about its impact during an interview in 2024. “That movie made such an impression on me,” he said, citing the film’s grounded tone as a major influence from the beginning. “Could you bring that feeling into the Batman universe? Could you tell a story like Heat? To me, that early draft was a bit of: ‘this is what I think a Batman movie should be!’”
It would seem his brother agreed, as in 2023, Christopher Nolan appeared on the YouTube interview channel, Kombini, with regular collaborator Cillian Murphy, and the subject of the film came up. “Heat! Absolute classic,” Nolan exclaimed while picking up a DVD of the movie. “I’ve been talking about this film for years, because I kept ripping it off,” he joked, before adding: “Big influence on The Dark Knight!” Alluding to the similarities, Murphy replied: “That shootout sequence?” “Incredible shootout,” Nolan confirmed.
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‘Heat’s Impact Stretches Beyond the Bank Robbery Scene in ‘The Dark Knight’
Joker (Heath Ledger) sits on a floor in an interrogation room with his back against a wall in The Dark Knight.Image via Warner Bros.
Stylistically, the opening sequence of The Dark Knight and the heist in Heat are the most obvious comparison, but the DNA of Mann’s film exists in the very philosophy of Nolan’s story. Heat follows weary LAPD Robbery Homicide Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) on the tail of lifelong criminal McCauley, with both men seeing parts of themselves in the other. Hanna cannot leave the life of chasing criminals, just as McCauley seems tethered to a life of crime. During the infamous diner scene between the two leads, they ruminate on how they can’t walk away from who they are. “I don’t know how to do anything else,” says Hanna. “Neither do I,” replies McCauley. “I don’t much want to either,” adds the cop. “Neither do I” agrees the criminal.
That philosophy is present in Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Joker, two men committed to their own codes: Batman the law of justice, and Joker the law of chaos. Two sides of the same coin, and two men unable to walk away from their principles. “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object,” Joker claims toward the end of the film. “You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”
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It’s there that the parallels between the movies become clear — two men on separate sides of the law, unable to back down from what they need to do. With The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan set a new standard in comic book movies, by making audiences rethink what a superhero movie could be. When the lore of Batman is told in the language of classic cinema, an age-old rivalry is reinvented.
Peacock‘s movie lineup for April is very front-loaded, which means that most of the streamer’s new films for the month have already arrived.
There are some exceptions to that, including the recently arrived Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The original was a massive hit despite debuting in theaters the same day it dropped on Peacock.
Now, that film is one of Watch With Us‘ choices for the three best Peacock movies to binge-watch this weekend.
Our remaining picks include an over-the-top comedy and a very unusual animated film.
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‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ (2025)
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 kicks off in 2002, two years after the events of the original film. The children killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard) possessed his animatronic creatures and took their revenge. Or at least that’s what Mich Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) wants to believe. But he’s smart enough to refuse the requests of his younger sister, Abby Schmidt (Piper Rubio), to rebuild the creatures so she can reunite with her friends.
Mike is also increasingly wary of Officer Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), the daughter of Afton, who may not be as blameless for her father’s rampage as he previously believed. With that relationship in peril, Toy Chica (Megan Fox) and the Marionette lure Abby to one of the original sites to restart the animatronics’ rampage. And this time, there’s no guarantee that the Schmidt family will be spared.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is streaming on Peacock.
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‘Liar Liar’ (1997)
Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) is a great lawyer and an even better liar in Liar Liar. He lies so easily that it makes him very effective in court, even though Fletcher’s dishonesty led to the end of his marriage to Audrey Reede (Maura Tierney). After letting down his young son, Max (Justin Cooper), on his birthday, Fletcher is struck by Max’s birthday wish that he be unable to tell a lie for a single day.
Peacock has a fantastic selection of movies spanning genres and decades, all available at one’s fingertips in December. Watch With Us takes a look at the best movies streaming on Peacock right now, and we’re highlighting two of the newest additions this month. Our first pick is Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, a funny, touching autobiographical drama about […]
It’s not as if Fletcher believes in birthday wishes, but this one is real, and it came at an inopportune time. Fletcher has to appear in court to settle a high-profile divorce, and he has to be completely truthful while doing it. Not even physically beating himself up is enough to break the hold that this curse has on him.
Piece by Piece is both a Lego movie and a music biopic for Pharrell Williams, who voices himself in the film. It’s an interesting way to present the largely true story of Williams’ rise in the music industry as well as his occasional falls and stumbles. Even Williams’ real-life wife, Helen Lasichanh, and his parents get in on the fun of voicing themselves.
But one of the biggest attractions of this film is its musical appearances by Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z and several others, all of whom play themselves. Williams acknowledges that he owes his career and some positive outcomes to his friends in the music industry, but he’ll have to chart his own path to be fully happy with himself and his destination.
Four couples and a group of sexy singles have made it to “Temptation Island,” and the drama is already at an all-time high. Season 2 of the popular Netflix reality series premiered on April 10, and the cast wasted no time coming out of the gate swinging.
Tensions Soar In The Series Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘Temptation Island’
Netflix
For those who may be unfamiliar, “Temptation Island” takes four couples dealing with major issues in their relationships and drops them on an island with a group of attractive temptors and temptresses looking to make a connection.
According to The Blast, the four couples, Kaylee and Summit, Sydney and Mikey, Scarlett and Cole, and Shyanne and Jack, are laying it all out there, hoping their willingness to put themselves in uncomfortable situations strengthens their bonds.
However, things began to heat up 15 minutes into the first episode, when host Mark Walberg introduced the principal cast to the group of eager singles, all of whom had something daring to say.
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Things Heat Up When The Singles Lay It All Out There In The Series Premiere
Netflix
The first impressions are meant to stir up a bit of trouble, and that’s exactly what happened when the single women made their dramatic entrance.
“I’m like literally sweating right now,” Cole said. “Kinda like, ‘Oh crap, we’re finally doing this. No going back.’”
Jack said, “Seeing these girls in front of me, I’m thinking, ‘Holy sh-t, what am I doing here?’”
“They fine like wine, but you feel me?” Mikey added. “Oh my gosh!”
As the episode continued, host Walberg asked the women to introduce themselves and place a bracelet on the man they were most interested in.
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And while it seems simple enough, the singles brought personality and boldness that the couples weren’t ready for.
For example, Jesenia said, “Good things come in small packages” before turning around, grabbing her buttocks, and adding, “But don’t worry, cause this ain’t one of them.”
Sydney shared an equally audacious message, telling the men that she’s “all about the Ds,” which consists of “dancing, dentistry, and if you’re lucky, you’re D might just make my list.”
The Temptors Size The Men Up During Their First Impressions
Netflix
Things took a turn minutes later when Walberg brought out the single men for their first impressions.
As expected, there were bulging muscles, high testosterone levels, and a lot of arrogance.
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Xzavier kicked things off, telling the women that he used to be a track star before saying he has “all the endurance you need,” while Danny said that, despite being a twin who was born first, he’ll make sure that the women “come first” during their time on the island.
Bradley, a bartender with a thick mustache, said that while he makes a stiff drink, he gives a smooth mustache ride before telling producers that women have told him his facial hair looks “like the perfect seat.”
Zach kept things going by telling the women that he doesn’t settle for average, so neither should they, before pointing to their men.
What Led The Four Couples To ‘Temptation Island’?
Netflix
According to a previous report from The Blast, the four couples starring in this season of “Temptation Island” are hoping to get over some of their biggest hurdles while spending time apart.
Kaylee and Summit were candid about their compatibility issues, while Sydney and Mikey were honest about their struggles with maturity, loyalty, and boundaries.
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Shyanne and Jack are looking to build a deeper connection after dealing with infidelity, while Scarlett and Cole are hoping to strengthen their communication skills.
What will happen by the end of the season, though? The explosive trailer shows tears, steamy hookups, and what appears to be a dramatic fallout.
Viewers Are Already Living For Season 2 Of ‘Temptation Island’
Netflix
Netflix viewers are already talking about season 2 of “Temptation Island,” and they’re already picking sides!
“Mikey, my boy! Should’ve appreciated your lady a little more,” someone wrote, while another said, “Mikey is finna come on the show and show his a** man.”
The other cast members caught some flak, too, like Jack, who was called “a f-cking loser” by one X user. “He’s been wanting to cheat and was just looking for an excuse.”
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Another user blasted Scarlett and Cole, writing, “They need to see other people. She needs to see Bradley, and he needs to see a shrink. That man is mentally unstable.”
Season 2 of “Temptation Island” is streaming on Netflix now.
Streaming success often reveals which films have lasting impact, and Alien: Romulus is proving its staying power on HBO Max. After generating more than four times its $80 million budget at the box office, the film has surged back into the spotlight, driven by sustained audience engagement rather than novelty. That continued momentum reflects a clear understanding of what has defined the Alien franchise for over four decades.
Directed by Fede Álvarez, Romulus does not attempt to overhaul the series or reshape its identity. It operates with a firm grasp of the mechanics that have always made these films effective. The tension is deliberate, the environments are controlled, and the narrative remains focused on survival within systems that treat human life as expendable. Romulus is a film that recognizes what works and commits to executing those elements with precision. Its continued success stems from that discipline, reinforcing the idea that Alien: Romulus continues to thrive because it understands and applies the franchise’s core mechanics on every level.
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‘Romulus’ Understands How to Build and Sustain Tension
The Xenomorph lurking in Alien: Romulus.Image via 20th Century Studios
Tension in Romulus is built through containment and spatial awareness, both of which are handled with careful direction. Álvarez establishes each environment with clarity before allowing it to become restrictive, ensuring that the audience has an understanding of the space before it turns hostile. This approach creates a sense of control that gradually gives way to pressure as movement becomes limited and options begin to disappear. Escalation in Romulus follows a direct chain of cause and effect. Every decision produces consequences that shape the next sequence, which allows the narrative to build without interruption. Álvarez maintains that progression without relying on resets or pauses, keeping the film locked into a steady rise in intensity. That control ensures the tension remains consistent rather than suffering from the fluctuation between peaks and lulls.
The structure places Romulus in direct alignment with Alien and Aliens, both of which rely on clear geography and deliberate escalation to sustain pressure. Álvarez draws from that foundation while maintaining a focused approach to pacing and progression, with the result being a film that feels cohesive from beginning to end. Cailee Spaeny anchors that structure with a performance rooted in survival. Her reactions remain consistently grounded in the reality of the situation, which reinforces the film’s commitment to immediacy. The performance echoes the stability associated with Sigourney Weaver in early Alien entries, giving the film a human center that supports its tension. Because of that alignment between direction and performance, the film sustains pressure without losing clarity.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
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Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
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🚀Star Wars
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01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
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02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
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03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
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04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
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05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
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06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
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07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
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08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
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Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
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The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
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The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
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Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
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Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
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A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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Why ‘Romulus’ Is Working So Well On Streaming
Romulus’ presence in HBO Max’s Top 10 indicates strong reengagement to audiences who are responding to its structure and pacing. Streaming environments reward films that maintain forward momentum, and Romulus is built to sustain that movement. Álvarez structures the narrative so that each sequence advances the story while increasing stakes, which keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. That momentum plays into exactly how audiences watch films on streaming platforms. Once Romulus begins to tighten its focus, it continues to move forward without distraction. This makes it easy to commit to the film and difficult to step away from before it reaches its conclusion. The pacing supports completion, which contributes to its visibility and continued performance.
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Thematically, the film remains aligned with the core ideas of Alien, which continue to resonate and culminate into one of the most successful sci-fi franchises of all time. Corporate exploitation and disregard for human life are central to the narrative, shaping both the conflict and the stakes. Modern audiences continue to connect with these themes, arguably more so than ever, particularly within science fiction and survival horror. Álvarez integrates these ideas into the structure of the film, ensuring they are present in both the narrative and the tension it creates. That combination of momentum, thematic focus, and controlled direction positions Romulus as a strong fit for streaming.
‘Romulus’ Is A Disciplined Entry That Strengthens The Franchise
An alien snarling into the camera in ‘Alien: Romulus.’Image via 20th Century Studios
Romulus reinforces the Alien franchise by maintaining continuity with its established tone and visual language. Álvarez draws on the foundation set by Ridley Scott, particularly in the use of industrial design and controlled visual composition. These elements connect the film to the broader series while supporting its own narrative identity. The film includes recognizable elements that longtime fans will identify, but it does not depend on nostalgia alone to carry the experience. Álvarez maintains cohesion across tone, tension, theme, and structure, ensuring that each element supports the others. This level of consistency allows Romulus to function as a complete entry within the franchise while reinforcing its core identity.
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That identity remains rooted in survival, confinement, and the consequences of unchecked systems. Romulus adheres to those principles with discipline, which strengthens its position within the series. It contributes to the franchise by reinforcing what defines it at a foundational level, rather than expanding beyond those boundaries. Its durability is evident in its continued relevance beyond its theatrical release. The film continues to hold up under sustained audience attention, which positions it as a stable and effective entry to the wider Alien universe.
The ongoing success of Alien: Romulus can be traced to discipline, control, and clarity. Every aspect of the film reflects a commitment to executing the core mechanics that define the franchise. That consistency carries through from its theatrical performance to its current presence on HBO Max, and its streaming success is not incidental to simply being on a new platform. Its success is a direct result of a film that maintains focus, builds tension with precision, and engages with themes that remain relevant to modern audiences. Alien: Romulus lands because it treats the foundation of its franchise as something to execute, not reinterpret. Romulus proves the franchise never needed reinvention, just creatives who understand it.
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Release Date
August 16, 2024
Runtime
119 Minutes
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Director
Fede Alvarez
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Writers
Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Posting via his Instagram Stories on Friday, April 10, Paedon, 27, shared a throwback photo of himself with his sibling to mark what would have been Garrison’s 28th birthday.
“I miss you everyday,” he wrote over the post, which featured Josh Garrel’s song “Farther Along.”
Paedon chose to highlight some of the song’s poignant lyrics over the image.
The Sister Wives siblings are continuing to pay tribute to Garrison Brown following his death. Garrison’s sister Maddie Brown was the first to break her silence after his death. “Our hearts [are] broken and we are now swallowed with the love now left behind for this beautiful brother,” she wrote. Garrison’s parents, Janelle and Kody […]
“Farther along we’ll know all about it,” the lyrics read. “Farther along we’ll understand why. So cheer up my brothers. Live in the sunshine.”
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In a second Instagram Story post which featured another photo of Garrison, Paedon wrote, “I’m going to kick your butt when I see you. Happy birthday brother.”
Garrison’s father Kody Brown confirmed the tragic news at the time via a joint Instagram statement with his estranged wife Janelle Brown.
“Janelle and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” the statement read. “He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. Our loss will leave such a big hole in our lives, that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”
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(Photo courtesy of Padeon Brown/Instagram)
Police arrived at Garrison’s home in Flagstaff, Arizona, on the morning of March 5, 2024, after receiving a report of a death, Us Weekly confirmed at the time. The officers discovered him dead at the scene. The police said that foul play was not suspected, and the incident was being investigated as an apparent suicide.
Law enforcement also told Us at the time that Garrison’s brother, Gabriel, found Garrison’s body.
Janelle opened up about the heartbreaking moment she found out about Garrison’s death in a May 2025 episode of Sister Wives.
Courtesy of Janelle Brown/Instagram Janelle Brown is remembering her late son Garrison Brown six months after his death. “Six months ago today you went away. You come up in my photo memories almost every day. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like you’re gone,” Janelle, 55, captioned a photo of herself and Garrison via Instagram on Thursday, […]
“Gabriel had found him,” Janelle recalled in the episode. “He’s like, ‘Mom, he’s gone.’ I mean, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘He’s dead. He killed himself.’”
Janelle described how the shock of the news made it hard to recall the details of what happened next.
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“I don’t remember the next few minutes but I got in the car and drove,” she shared.
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Kody and Janelle, who split in 2022, share six children including Garrison. The pair are also the parents of Logan, 31, Maddie, 29, Hunter, 28, Gabriel, 23, and Savanah, 20.
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Paedon, meanwhile, is the only biological son of Kody and Christine Brown.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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