Everyone loves a good monster, and in recent years, our favorite ones have come back from the dead in a slew of new adaptations like Dracula, Wolf Man, and Frankenstein. With these creatures returning to the spotlight, there is no better time to return to their folkloric origins, because, according to Prime Video’s 2017 horror series Lore, every movie monster has a tiny grain of truth behind it. Of course, in no capacity does this series claim these creatures are not fictional, but it chronicles the real historical events that first precipitated these myths. As an adaptation of a famous podcast of the same name, Lore is as undeservedly forgotten as the origins of the mythology it explores, but now is the perfect time to revisit the brilliant series.

The Darkest Spots of History Are Captured in This Diverse Horror Anthology

Each episode of Lore revolves around a different creepy historical event, some tracing back the origins of mythical creatures while others pluck a particularly nasty period of history to delve into. They are based on a podcast by Aaron Mahnke that was popularized in 2015, and he joins the show as a narrator, eerily recounting the horrors of the invention of the ice pick lobotomy or incidents involving the Irish folkloric creatures, changelings. While his drawling narration delivers these chilling facts, the screen mainly relies on live-action re-enactments, but they are mixed with spots of animation and stock footage, which works to keep us visually engaged while devouring the dark shadows of history.

While the format may take a couple of episodes to get used to, you will easily become hooked on the concept itself. There’s a morbid fascination with witnessing how these strange and often brutal incidents can ripple out into legends that are so distorted from the original event, with help from local beliefs and evolving folklore. Some episodes go straight to the source, like “They Made a Tonic”, which speculates that the term “vampires” originated in America due to a particular disease. Meanwhile, others explore how specific incidents and urban legends cross-pollinate, like “Mary Webster: The Witch of Hadley,” where a woman is accused of being a witch 10 years before the Salem witch trials, heightened by the already established mythology.

The best part of anthology shows is that you can handpick your poison from the available episodes without needing context, and Lore’s sheer variety means there is something for every horror fan. If the origins of cult classic movie monsters don’t appeal to you, then there are stories that delve into historical events that appear as supernatural incidents, like haunted houses or dolls. If you’re just looking for a creepy historical gem, Lore also delivers disturbing tales about grave robbers, a blood-bathing countess, and twisted psychiatric inventions. By being selective initially, you can ease into the show’s style before deciding to continue with other episodes, as every single one of them offers its own haunting reasons to stay.

‘Lore’ Will Leave You Haunted By These Creepy Historical Tales

Most of Lore follows an educational tone, so it is delightfully surprising and effective whenever the show dips into a truly chilling atmosphere. The nature of the stories establishes the baseline for the horror, but the re-enactments and performances accentuate each point in a way the original podcast medium couldn’t. It’s a constant visual reminder that these terrifying stories are about real people, injecting humanity into monstrous legends, an act that feels distinctly unnerving. Whether that be Holland Roden‘s expressive eyes as she plays a wife who is suspected to be a changeling, or Colm Feore‘s deeply disturbing performance as a doctor who shouldn’t have a medical license.

Aside from the human factor, Lore constructs its creepy atmosphere through visuals that will doggedly haunt you. There are traditional approaches, like the black-and-white body horror of witnessing someone’s skull be drilled into by an ice pick in the name of science, or the timeless, lingering image of a doll’s blank eyes gazing at you through the screen. On the other hand, there are creative animation scenes that are unexpectedly spine-tingling, including the shadowy opening sequence of Episode 5, which sets up a dismal, jumpy tone to its foray into werewolves. It not only hooks horror fans in with its exploratory content, but the decisive turns into a sinister tone that keeps us on our toes.

Combining reality with fantasy, Lore is a fun and easy watch for any horror fan with only 12 thoughtfully crafted episodes to binge. Each episode delivers its own unsettling case that caters to diverse tastes while retaining a fidelity to historical accuracy and a penchant to send chills down our spines at the most unexpected of times. Although it has been sorely overlooked thus far, the resurgence in these movie monsters signals that it’s about time we look back on history via Lore and appreciate how these stories garnered influence.

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Lore

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Release Date

2017 – 2018-00-00

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Showrunner

Sean Crouch

Writers

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Glen Morgan, Tyler Hisel, David Chiu, Patrick Wall, Marilyn Osborn, Jeff Eckerle, David Coggeshall

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For decades, Dolly Parton and husband Carl Dean maintained one of Hollywood’s most private and enduring love stories. While Parton built a global career as the Queen of Country, Dean largely stayed out of the spotlight, preferring quiet weekends at home over red carpets and celebrity events. Now, following Dean’s death in March 2025 at age 82, insiders claim the devastating loss has deeply impacted Dolly Parton emotionally and physically.

According to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail, Parton’s grief may have played a major role in the health struggles that recently forced her to cancel her Las Vegas residency. “The life she lives now without him is crippled in comparison,” one insider alleged. “To know that she will never be the same absolutely has affected her deeply. Emotionally, personally, physically, it all has taken a toll.”

The source further claimed Dean’s death allegedly disrupted many of Parton’s normal routines and self-care habits. “She was not eating right, not doing the things she usually would do for her continued health, and she let things slip,” the insider claimed.

Another source suggested the loss marked the first time in decades that Parton truly slowed down. “When Carl died, that was the first time brakes were applied and reality set in, and she didn’t know how to handle it,” the insider alleged.

Parton Became Emotional While Thanking Fans For Their Support

Parton herself appeared emotional while recently addressing fans in a heartfelt video update after canceling her residency dates. Holding back tears, the singer thanked supporters for the outpouring of love she received following Dean’s passing. “I want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that,” she said.

She later reflected on navigating a painful year of milestones and anniversaries without him. “After going through a year of firsts. I mean the holidays, and especially on our wedding anniversary, and the day of his death March 3, you know, that was hard for me,” Parton admitted. “But I will always love him and I’ll always miss him.”

The singer also shared how deeply touched she was by fans’ support during the difficult period. “Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers,” she said.

Dolly Parton Opened Up About Ongoing Health Challenges

Alongside discussing her grief, Parton also updated fans on the medical issues she’s been battling behind the scenes. The country icon explained that while she has long struggled with kidney stones, her immune and digestive systems have also been “all out of whack” over the past several years. “The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” she said.

However, Parton admitted some of the medications have left her feeling “swimmy-headed,” making it difficult to safely perform onstage. “And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels,” she joked.

Parton Insists She’s Not Retiring Despite Ongoing Health Struggles

Still, the singer reassured fans she has no plans to walk away from performing permanently.

“Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” she previously said. “But I believe he is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.”

Dolly Parton And Carl Dean Shared Nearly Six Decades Together

Parton and Dean first met in 1964 outside a laundromat in Nashville before marrying two years later in Ringgold, Georgia. Despite Parton becoming one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, the couple fiercely protected their private life and rarely appeared publicly together.

Sources now claim adjusting to life without Dean has been one of the hardest emotional challenges Parton has ever faced. “Knowing Carl for decades and being the most important person in her life, now that he is gone, as much as she can take comfort in other family members and fans having her back, it is never the same,” one insider said.

According to reports, Parton is still trying to find her footing while balancing grief, health struggles, and her desire to continue performing for fans around the world.

Aww, Roomies! 2 Chainz had a proud dad moment as his daughter Heaven Epps graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA. The rapper shared sweet moments from the ceremony on social media and fans are getting super emotional right along with him.

RELATED: Congrats! Chris Brown Seemingly Confirms Arrival Of Baby With Jada Wallace In Sweet Message (PHOTOS) 

2 Chainz Celebrates His Daughter’s High School Graduation With Sweet Clips

Recently, 2 Chainz shared some sweet clips from his daughter Heaven Epps’ graduation. In videos he posted on his Instagram Story, he told his followers he was super hype to see his baby girl walk across the stage and get her diploma. Additionally, he said out of all the stuff he’s been through in his life and all of the goals he has accomplished Heaven’s graduation was for sure “at the top.” 2Chainz also shared a video on Instagram with his baby girl where they hopped on a viral trend, switching from regular clothes to Heaven in her cap and gown, while he stepped out looking sharp in his suit. In his caption, he wrote, “My beautiful baby Heaven graduated high school today with a 4.0 I’m so proud right now 😢🙌🏿❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Fans Get Emotional While Reacting To 2 Chainz’s Daughter’s Big Day

After The Shade Room shared 2 Chainz’s clips from Heaven’s graduation, fans flooded the comment section with reactions. Plenty of folks said his proud dad energy is unmatched, while others said nothing beats seeing your child graduate.

Instagram user @heatherloveletter wrote, “CONGRATULATIONS QUEEN 👸🏾 BLACK EXCELLENCE 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🎓🎓🎓🎓📚📚🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟” 

Instagram user @mshannahkang wrote, “daughter is so pretty 🎊🎉” 

While Instagram user @_aubreysimonew wrote, “We love a Woodward grad!! 😍” 

Then Instagram user @rnbre1128 wrote, “A true blessing to see your child walk across the stage ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️” 

Another Instagram user @rorothemodel13 wrote, “Awwww… her and Major graduated together😍🔥🔥” 

Instagram user @velvetvixen.vip wrote, “Proud dad energy is unmatched ❤️” 

Then another Instagram user @theniababy wrote, “Never played about his children ❣️👏🏽” 

Finally, Instagram user @kgood1218 wrote, “👏🏾 job well done Dad. No greater feeling than seeing your children succeed and progress. It’s beautiful to see ❤️” 

More About 2 Chainz’s Kids

2 Chainz stays taking over social media with adorable moments featuring his kids. In addition to Heaven, he also has another daughter named Harmony and a son named Halo. Halo especially keeps fans cracking UP and constantly goes viral for his funny moments with his dad on their joint podcast.

RELATED: Girl Dad Times 3? Social Media Users Think Iman Shumpert Just Shared That He Welcomed A New Baby (PHOTOS)

Meghan Trainor was showered with love on 2026 Mother’s Day by her husband, Daryl Sabara, and their three kids.

“Happy Mother’s Day @meghantrainor,” Sabara, 33, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, May 10. “You somehow manage to do EVERYTHING and still make it look easy.”

He continued, “You are the heart of this family, the absolute magic in our home, and the strongest person I know. Watching you love our babies is the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed 😍.”

Trainor, 32, and Sabara share sons Riley, 5, and Barry, 2, as well as daughter Mikey, who was born via surrogate in March.

Related: Meghan Trainor Discussed ‘Chaos’ of Touring With Family Before Cancellation

Meghan Trainor was gearing up for the “beautiful chaos” of taking her family on the road days before cancelling her Get In Girl Tour. “I can’t wait,” Trainor, 32, told Us Weekly exclusively in her recent cover story. “I’m also very nervous.” Trainor explained that her husband, Daryl Sabara, and their three kids — sons […]

“Our kids are so lucky to have you … and I’m the luckiest of all,” the Spy Kids actor gushed on Sunday. “You are my superwoman forever [and] always, and I’m nothing without you.”

Trainor recently canceled the entirety of her Get in Girl Tour to spend more time with her family.

“After a lot of reflection and some really tough conversations, I’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the Get in Girl Tour,” she wrote in a social media statement last month. “Balancing the release of a new album, preparing for a nationwide tour and welcoming our new baby girl to our growing family of five has just been more than I can take on right now.”

While Trainor acknowledged that canceling her concerts might disappoint fans, it was “the right decision” for her brood.

“I know this will come as a disappointment to my fans, and I am so sorry to let you down,” she concluded at the time. “But I know this is the right decision for my family and me right now. I promise I’ll be back soon, and I can’t wait for you to hear this new record. I’m so proud of it and I’m endlessly grateful for your love and support always.”

Sabara, Riley and Barry have joined Trainor on the road during previous tours.

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Related: Meghan Trainor’s Best Quotes About Motherhood, Parenting With Daryl Sabara

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Meghan Trainor has opened up about her and husband Daryl Sabara‘s journey to become parents — and she’s offered sweet glimpses at their special moments. The singer and Sabara, who tied the knot in 2018, welcomed son Riley in February 2021.  The couple later welcomed their second child, son Barry, in July 2023. Thank You! […]

“I can’t wait, [but] I’m also very nervous,” Trainor exclusively told Us Weekly in her April cover story of bringing her family along for the ride again. “I know the shows will be fun and great and exhausting, but the fans keep me going. It’s spooky going out with a 6-month-old because we don’t even know what [Mikey is] going to be like at 6 months.”

To help manage the chaos, Trainor planned to have her mom babysit Riley, Barry and Mikey during the shows.

“[When] the kids are all in bed, and I’m done with the show, I need you to help me get in the shower and pull my hair down and feed me medicine and make sure I’m good,” Trainor recalled of a conversation with her mom, Kelli. “I need my mommy still. That’s nonnegotiable.”

Jason Statham has a very specific superpower as an action star: he can make absolute nonsense feel physically committed. That is the difference. Plenty of actors can look tough in a trailer. Statham looks like he has already accepted the stupidest mission in the world, judged it for half a second, decided everybody around him is an idiot, and then gone ahead with total professional conviction anyway. He does not play chaos like a man surprised by it. He plays it like a mechanic being asked to fix a burning jet ski with his bare hands and mild contempt.

And with Statham, extreme does not only mean bigger explosions. It means movies built around one deranged central idea and a lead actor stubborn enough to treat that idea like tradecraft. Poison that requires constant adrenaline. A prison death-race as televised barbarism. A beekeeper revenge conspiracy that escalates into national absurdity. A driver whose car becomes an extension of his nervous system. These six Statham films, therefore, do not just go big. They keep going past the point where a reasonable movie would stop, and Statham’s whole value is that he never blinks first.

6

‘Safe’ (2012)

Image via Lionsgate

What makes Safe extreme is not that it is the loudest Statham movie. It is the opposite. It is the kind of film where the city already feels corrupt before the first punch lands. Luke Wright (Statham) is moving through a New York where gangs, dirty cops, Russian mobsters, Chinese Triads, and every opportunistic parasite in sight are all circling one child because she holds a numerical code too valuable to leave alive. That is such a vicious little setup, one small girl carrying a secret while every predator in town closes in, and Statham gives it the right kind of grim velocity.

The movie gets more extreme the longer it goes because Luke stops feeling like a random protector and starts feeling like a human battering ram against an entire urban ecosystem of filth. He is not just fighting bad guys but walking into a city where every institution has already sold its soul, and the only clean instinct left in the film is his decision to keep Mei (Catherine Chan) alive. That matters. The violence feels harder because the movie’s moral world is so stripped down. No glamour. No romance. Just a brutal man deciding one innocent person will not get fed into the machine if he can still move his hands.

5

‘The Beekeeper’ (2024)

Image via Prime Video

The Beekeeper is insane in the most satisfying old-school way because it starts with a grief-and-scam-revenge setup and then just keeps peeling back one level of lunacy after another until the title stops sounding like a joke and starts sounding like doctrine. Adam Clay (Statham), a retired operative, is a Beekeeper, which the film treats with such absurd gravity that resistance becomes pointless. The moment the movie realizes how funny that is and how deadly it can still be, it starts cooking. That is the sweet spot. It knows the mythology is ridiculous, but it also knows Statham can carry ridiculous mythology if you let him play it like sacred trade procedure.

And the extremity comes from escalation discipline. This is not random chaos. One phishing scam destroys a good woman, and the film lets Statham respond as if the moral order of the republic itself has been violated. Then the conspiracy widens, and suddenly private grief turns into state-level rot, security-state nonsense, hidden command structures, and one furious bald instrument of retribution punching through each layer like paperwork set on fire. There is something beautiful about how seriously the movie treats his anger. Statham never winks. That refusal to wink is why the whole thing works. He acts like civic extermination under beekeeping symbolism is a legitimate professional lane, and by the end you just go with it.

4

‘Transporter 2’ (2005)

Image via 20th Century Studios

We all know this is where Statham’s extremity became pure elegance. Transporter 2 is one of those movies where every problem should be too dumb to survive five minutes, and instead it turns into this sleek, glorious chain of vehicular arrogance. Frank Martin (Statham) is already a funny concept if you think about him for two seconds, a professional driver with rules so rigid they sound like something invented by a man trying to impose etiquette on chaos. That is why the sequel gets such a kick out of destroying his order. The kid he is driving gets abducted, bioweapon nonsense starts spreading through the plot, and suddenly Frank is doing car combat.

The movie keeps topping its own absurdity with grace. Not just bigger, grace. The action is so tightly tied to Statham’s bodily precision that the nonsense begins feeling almost classy. Frank is always outnumbered, always outgunned, always one step away from the plot going completely off the rails, and he responds by becoming even more exact in his skills and deceptions. That contrast is the pleasure. The world gets stupider, he gets cleaner. The stunts get sillier, he gets more composed. There is something deeply satisfying about watching a man treat total mayhem like a logistical irritation.

3

‘Death Race’ (2008)

Image via Universal

This is Statham at his most iron-and-gasoline primal. No polished suits. No amused detachment. No civilized edge protecting the violence. Death Race follows Just Jensen Ames (Statham), a man dropped into one of the meanest studio-action premises of the 2000s and told to survive by becoming a symbol inside a machine built for bloodlust. The movie’s whole world is already extreme before he even gets moving. The economy has collapsed, prison has turned into televised gladiator content, and death itself has become monetized spectacle. It is ugly in a satisfying way, like the film was built from scrap metal and public appetite.

The track action is heavy, dirty, weaponized, and almost joyless in the best way. As opposed to Transporter, Death Race isn’t about graceful car chases. These are mechanized assaults built for cheering crowds and cynical wardens. Ames has to wear another man’s iconography, drive under another identity, and keep enough humanity alive inside him to still care about getting home. That makes the movie more than just vehicular carnage. It becomes about a man being processed into entertainment and deciding, one collision at a time, that he is still going to turn the arena against the people who designed it. This movie is like The Hunger Games and Gladiator had a baby who had to race-fight his way out.

2

‘Crank’ (2006)

Image via Lionsgate

Crank has one of the stupidest premises in modern cinema and understands immediately that it should not apologize for it. Chev Chelios (Statham) is poisoned and must keep his adrenaline up or die. That is the whole machine. It is so clean, so filthy, so perfect. The movie does not build around “what would a real man do?” It builds around “what if a human body became a collapsing action engine that had to keep feeding itself speed, rage, electricity, violence, humiliation, and public insanity just to remain upright?” That is art, honestly.

And what makes it feel so alive is how completely Statham commits to Chev. Chev does not philosophically process any of this. He is just moving. He becomes pure retaliatory momentum. Every scene is the movie asking what fresh indignity or danger can be turned into life support, and Statham meets that challenge with the exact right energy: furious, competent, vaguely disgusted, and still somehow funnier the more desperate he gets. The film’s whole style is wired to his pulse. The camera, the editing, the public breakdowns, the grotesque comedy, it all works because he gives the nonsense a body hard enough to survive it. Crank does not escalate. It is escalation.

1

‘Crank: High Voltage’ (2009)

Image via Lionsgate

This is the peak because it no longer even pretends to belong to ordinary action-movie reality. Crank: High Voltage was extreme. Crank: High Voltage is what happens when a movie hears the word “too much” and decides that is an inspiring personal insult. Chev Chelios (Statham) survives the fall, loses his heart, gets an artificial replacement, and has to keep recharging himself through whatever current, friction, violence, or public chaos the city can provide. That is weird. But also a psychotic dare. And the movie meets it with the deranged confidence of something that knows it has already crossed every line that matters.

This is Statham’s most extreme movie because it pushes his whole screen identity into mythic filth-comedy overdrive and somehow he still anchors it. That is the miracle. Around him, the film becomes live-action cartoon pornography of movement: gang war madness, hospital lunacy, grotesque sexual panic, electrical self-resurrection, giant-monster hallucination, every possible form of urban overstimulation being fed directly into Chev’s bloodstream. But Statham never plays it like a joke from the inside. He plays Chev like a man too furious to die and too practical to be embarrassed. That is why the movie works as more than a stunt reel. It becomes the ultimate Jason Statham fantasy: the body as weapon, battery, punchline, and refusal. Nothing else could top it. This movie is gloriously, terminally unhinged.

It’s been nearly three weeks since Project Hail Mary was released in theaters, and it has broken another box-office milestone. This Ryan Gosling-led science fiction was highly praised by fans and critics alike, and throughout its theatrical run, it surpassed many major films, including James Gunn‘s Superman. As Project Hail Mary continues its theatrical run, achieving this major milestone was inevitable, given its current trajectory.

Project Hail Mary is a science fiction feature based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name. It stars Gosling as Ryland Grace, a teacher-turned-astronaut tasked with saving Earth as the sun dims due to astrophage activity. Along the way, he meets Rocky, a rock-shaped alien with a similar mission, and the two team up to save their planets. Since its release, Project Hail Mary has become a massive success, and fans are speculating whether the film could land some award nominations. But before that happened, Project Hail Mary had one more mission to prove it was a hit — surpassing its spiritual predecessor.

Project Hail Mary is the second Andy Weir novel to be adapted for the big screen. The first was the 2015 film The Martian, starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott, which grossed over $630 million worldwide during its release, making it Scott’s highest-grossing film to date. Recently, it was reported that Project Hail Mary surpassed its previous film adaptation, making over $641 million worldwide. As of this writing, Project Hail Mary is the 3rd-highest-grossing film of 2026, sitting between Pegasus 3 and Michael.

Is ‘Project Hail Mary’ Worth Watching?

Since its release, Project Hail Mary earned a 94% critics’ score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, on Letterboxd, the film earned a high 4.3 stars and an “A” rating on CinemaScore. According to critics, ScreenRant described Project Hail Mary as a film “destined for the all-time great sci-fi movie pantheon” and claimed it could be Gosling’s best performance to date. Meanwhile, CBR praised James Ortiz‘s performance as Rocky and how this character’s charm is reminiscent of Groot (Vin Diesel) in Guardians of the Galaxy. It also claimed that it’s “the perfect sci-fi movie for people who don’t like sci-fi movies.”

Collider’s Ross Bonamie gave Project Hail Mary a 9/10 in his review. According to him, he praised Christopher Miller and Phil Lord‘s “ambitious filmmaking” and their ability to bring it to a live-action setting. He also noted that Gosling was the perfect lead and his character’s relationship with Rocky could go down as “one of the great human-alien friendships in movies.”

Project Hail Mary is now playing in theaters. Follow Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

March 15, 2026

Runtime

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157 minutes

Director

Christopher Miller, Phil Lord

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Writers

Drew Goddard, Andy Weir

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Producers

Aditya Sood, Amy Pascal, Andy Weir, Christopher Miller, Phil Lord, Rachel O’Connor, Ryan Gosling

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Action perfection is a very particular thing. It’s a movie where nothing feels ornamental. The geography is clear. The momentum is alive. The star body matters. The camera knows what the movement means. The plot gives the action shape instead of interrupting it. The action gives the plot emotion instead of merely decorating it. And when it is really at the highest level, the movie starts feeling like it could not have been made any other way.

That is why these eight are different. They are not merely beloved action films. They are action films where craft becomes its own kind of ecstasy. You can feel the confidence in them. The calm. The absence of panic. They know exactly where the audience is, exactly what the body in motion can do, exactly when to speed up and exactly when to hold. Some are funny. Some are brutal. Some are practically religious in their commitment to pursuit. All of them feel complete.

8

‘Speed’ (1994)

Image via 20th Century Studios

The thing that makes Speed so perfect is how ruthlessly it understands premise as structure. There is a bomb on a bus and it cannot go below fifty, is a brilliant hook. And then it is a complete action grammar. Every choice, every lane change, every bit of traffic, every passenger panic, every patch of open road or city congestion becomes dramatically legible instantly. The movie does not have to keep inventing fake urgency, because urgency is baked into the design at the molecular level. That is such a hard thing to pull off this cleanly, and Speed makes it feel easy.

And then there is the human side of its precision. Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) is not cool in a distant, invincible way. Reeves makes him physical, reactive, fast-thinking, sometimes improvisational to the point of recklessness. Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) gets pulled into the machine and Bullock does the exact right thing with the role: she does not become dead weight, comic side garnish, or forced action heroine. She becomes part of the pressure system. Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), meanwhile, understands villainy as gleeful theatrical engineering. But the deeper reason the movie feels perfect is that the action never loses contact with bodies. A bus should feel huge, unstable, overcommitted, and full of panicking human beings. In Speed, it always does.

7

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ (2023)

Image via Lionsgate

What puts John Wick: Chapter 4 this high is that it is one of the few modern action movies that understands excess can become form. A lot of long action films feel swollen. This one feels symphonic. It keeps taking the same core idea, a man moving through systems designed to kill him, and finding new visual and rhythmic ways to restate it until repetition turns into style and style turns into destiny. By this point, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is not just an assassin but this symbol and myth wandering through architecture, and the movie fully commits to that without losing the tactile joy of bodies being thrown, slammed, shot, chased, and broken.

And the set pieces are ridiculous in the right way. The Osaka sequence. The Arc de Triomphe insanity. The overhead dragon’s-breath section, which feels like an action director briefly turning into a god with a cruel sense of play. Then the staircase, which is funny, painful, humiliating, and heroic at once. That is the trick with John Wick: Chapter 4. It knows action can be beautiful and absurd simultaneously. Reeves’ performance is part of the perfection too. He is not giving you a lot in traditional dialogue terms, but his exhaustion, persistence, and pain shape the whole movie.

6

‘Hard Boiled’ (1992)

Image via Golden Princess Film Production

There are action movies with great gunfights, and then there is Hard Boiled, which feels like John Woo deciding that bullets, loyalty, sacrifice, male grief, and pure movement can all belong to one emotional language. This is one of the most deliriously confident action films ever made. Every gunfight is filmed beautifully — choreography as moral weather. Tequila Yuen (Chow Yun-fat) is not just a cop blasting his way through rooms. He is a man moving with so much sorrowful aggression that the whole film starts feeling like balletic self-destruction.

The hospital sequence alone would secure the movie’s place in the canon. It is one of the greatest endurance-action constructions ever put on film, a set piece that just keeps mutating without losing spatial readability or emotional heat. Babies, gangsters, glass, white walls, elevators, corridors, double-crosses, it all becomes part of the same fever. But what makes Hard Boiled feel perfectly made instead of merely gloriously excessive is Woo’s control over tone. The movie can go broad, tender, savage, and tragic without snapping apart. Chow Yun-fat gives Tequila that miraculous combination of charisma and bruised nobility, and the result is action cinema at full operatic intensity.

5

‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)

Image via Paramount Pictures

This is one of the cleanest examples in modern blockbuster filmmaking of a movie understanding that action is trust. Trust in the audience’s eye. Trust in star labor. Trust in geography. Trust in the idea that if the movement is clear and the stakes are clean, the tension will build itself. Mission: Impossible – Fallout feels like a machine designed by people who respect action enough not to bury it. Every set piece is allowed to breathe. The HALO jump, the bathroom fight, the Paris chase, the helicopter finale, none of it feels chopped into submission. You can actually watch what is happening, which in this era still feels borderline radical.

And then there is Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), who by this point is not merely starring in these movies but turning his body into part of their marketing, mythology, and internal truth. Ethan Hunt’s whole deal in Fallout is that competence and emotional loyalty are inseparable. He is amazing at this work, and that very quality keeps making the work harder because he refuses to reduce people to collateral. That is why the action matters emotionally. He is trying to save everyone and pay every moral bill at full speed. The whole film is structured around that impossibly high standard, and the action becomes the physical expression of it.

4

‘The Raid’ (2011)

Image via PT Merantau Films

The Raid is what happens when an action film strips itself down until almost nothing remains except momentum, impact, and survival, and then discovers that “almost nothing” can still feel enormous if the craft is exact enough. The premise is so simple it is almost blunt: a SWAT team enters a building controlled by a crime lord, everything goes wrong, and now they have to fight floor by floor to stay alive. That is it. No wasted mythology. No false complexity. Just vertical hell and men trying to get through it with bones still functioning.

What makes it perfect is that the movie understands the building as action structure. Every hallway, doorway, room, stairwell, and choke point means something. Every fight changes the audience’s relationship to space. The bodies matter. The fatigue matters. The hits feel like they cost energy that will be needed later. Rama (Iko Uwais) moves with terrifying grace, but the movie never turns that grace into ease. The action has clarity and pain in equal measure. And because the narrative is so stripped, the film has nowhere to hide. If one fight were dull, the whole thing would wobble. It never does. It just gets meaner, tighter, and more impressive the longer it goes. That is purity.

3

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

Image via Tri-Star Pictures

There are bigger action films. There are grimmer action films. There are maybe even films with individual set pieces as iconic. But Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the rare action masterpieces where scale, emotion, concept, and physical craftsmanship all lock together so fully that the movie starts feeling inevitable. It is not just a sequel upgrade. It is one of the best demonstrations ever of how to take a premise and deepen it rather than merely enlarge it. The first film gives you terror. The second takes the same mythic machinery and builds toward something stranger and more moving: protection, chosen family, and the impossible fantasy of teaching a killing machine how to become morally legible.

That is why the action scenes land so hard. The T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is not just cool effects innovation, though it absolutely is that. It is a conceptual nightmare, relentless, adaptive, smooth where the old model was brutal. The truck chase, the asylum break, the canal pursuit, the steel mill finale, every set piece is doing technical work and emotional work simultaneously. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is harder now, John Connor (Edward Furlong) is still a child trying to figure out what kind of future is being written around him, and the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) becomes a paradox: a machine made more heroic by gradually acquiring something like human devotion. Heads up: the ending of this film hurts.

2

‘Die Hard’ (1988)

Image via 20th Century Studios

If Speed is the masterpiece of the perfect premise, Die Hard is the masterpiece of the perfect containment system. It takes one building, one man, one group of thieves, one holiday setting, one marriage in trouble, and turns all of it into action architecture so exact it almost feels supernatural. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is not an abstract hero or that perfect hero archetype either. He is tired, irritated, vulnerable, improvisational, increasingly battered, and emotionally invested in the situation in ways that go beyond generic heroism. McClane bleeds, limps, panics, guesses, hides, and keeps going anyway.

And every supporting piece is doing real structural work. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is elegant enough to elevate the whole movie because he does not mistake cruelty for loudness. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) gives the film its off-site human warmth. Holly Gennero McClane (Bonnie Bedelia) matters as more than hostages usually matter. Even the corporate and media irritants make the story richer by sharpening the social ecosystem around the siege. Then the action itself is a lesson in escalation. The roof. The broken glass. The vent. The elevator shaft. The unfinished floors. The movie learns the building so thoroughly that the building becomes part of the storytelling body. That is why it feels immortal. It is not just exciting. It is organized with genius.

1

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

This is number one because it is one of the very few action films that feels like pure cinema from the first frame to the last without ever drifting into abstraction or self-admiration. Mad Max: Fury Road is not a chase movie in the reductive sense. It is a complete action cosmology built out of pursuit, rhythm, war machinery, and desperate rebirth. The genius is that George Miller takes something simple, escape, chase, turn, return, and loads every second of it with visual intelligence, character information, world-building, and escalating emotional consequence. There is no slack. There is not a dead image in the movie.

And what makes it the most perfectly made action film is that for all the formal precision, it still feels feral. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron)’s mission is not just plot. It is spiritual revolt. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) is not just a helpful drifter. He is trauma on wheels, slowly turning back into a participant in human survival. Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne)’s world is grotesque and mythic and horribly functional. The War Boys are not just cannon fodder but a whole theology of weaponized desperation. The action scenes are incomprehensibly rigorous in craft terms, center framing, color clarity, motion continuity, practical weight, but the film never presents that rigor as homework. It feels like a scream with perfect grammar. That is why it sits at the top. Not just because it is great. Because it is complete.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date

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May 15, 2015

Runtime

121 minutes

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Director

George Miller

Writers

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Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris

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We get it: Your bodycon dresses don’t fit the way they did a decade ago. But tight dresses are phasing out anyway, and they’re being replaced with loose, breezy styles. For women over 40, it’s a great time to be alive!

Amazon is overflowing with chic loose dresses, but these 13 styles take the cake. Classy, versatile and mega flattering, these dresses feature slimming silhouettes that skim your shape to subtly conceal areas you’d rather not highlight. From beach vacations to July weddings, these flowy dresses deliver for whatever the warm weather brings. Browse our favorites, which start at just $13.

13 Loose Dresses to Flatter Women Over 40 — From $13

1. Our Favorite: Stretchy and luxe, this dreamy blue maxi hangs without clinging. The T-shirt style makes you appear effortlessly put together.

2. Modest Mini: Mini dresses can sometimes feel too short after 40, but this tiered mini has a modest length and sleeves that cover the upper arms.

3. Summer Staple: Wear this drapey maxi dress to outdoor weddings, beach dinners and baby showers. The fabric moves like water, and the neckline keeps it polished.

4. Mood Boost: Black dresses have their place, but this bright yellow midi radiates sunny energy. The loose fit means you’ll want to wear it on hot afternoons.

5. Wear-Everywhere Outfit: Grab this short-sleeve dress for school pickups, grocery runs and casual dinners. The fun print options make this pick look intentional, even when you got dressed in two minutes.

Related: These Lilly Pulitzer-Like Dresses Should Cost Hundreds, But Start at $8

Take one trip to the Hamptons and it becomes clear: Lilly Pulitzer dresses are part of the rich mom summer uniform. If you want the look without the triple-digit price tag, these 17 Lilly Pulitzer-style dresses deliver the same billowy silhouettes, preppy details and eye-catching color palettes, yet start at just $8. You’ll look like […]

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6. Could Be Linen: Real linen wrinkles the second you sit down. This linen-looking shirtdress channels the same airy, expensive vibe without the constant ironing (or the high price).

7. Boho Babe: Oversized styles usually look shapeless, but this boho-like maxi features a bold print and defined sleeves that add the perfect amount of structure.

8. Breezy Cotton: This airy gauze maxi dress is made with 100% breathable cotton, which matters when temperatures climb. Unlike synthetic blends, it actually lets air through.

9. Simple Stunner: Large floral blooms and a square neckline make this floral mini dress extra memorable. Short sleeves keep it appropriate for daytime events.

10. Country Club: Look like an East Coast socialite in this preppy maxi dress. With a stand collar, tiered skirt and front buttons, it never goes out of style.

11. Santorini Style: With a dreamy blue and white print, this Mediterranean-style mini evokes a Greek island vacation. It’s hard to believe it’s only $13.

12. Boutique Find: This one-of-a-kind mini looks like something from a pricey boutique. The short puff sleeves and bold color palette give it a romantic appeal.

13. Beach Day: Wet swimsuits and tight dresses are a nightmare combo. Thankfully, this billowy maxi slides right over a damp bikini and still looks polished at the beach bar.

Related: 17 Chic Two-Piece Sets That Channel ‘New York City Rich Mom‘ Vibes

Everyone’s going somewhere this spring or summer. Whether you’re jetting to Europe or your in-laws’ place in the Midwest, the right outfit makes you appear effortlessly sleek and polished. A two-piece set feels like loungewear yet reads so elevated, perfect for those who refuse to choose between comfort, class and style. Better yet, the chic pieces […]

Blake Lively is facing intense scrutiny for her haircare line after newly unsealed court documents reportedly revealed a wave of customer complaints tied to the products. The internal documents reportedly became public following Blake Lively’s legal settlement with Justin Baldoni.

According to filings obtained by the Daily Mail, users of Blake Lively’s Blake Brown Beauty line allegedly claimed the products left their hair feeling “dry,” “brittle,” tangled, and in some cases even caused hair loss. Lively launched her beauty brand in August 2024, around the same time her film “It Ends with Us” hit theaters.

Several customer reviews included in the filings described disappointing or alarming experiences after using the products. One woman reportedly claimed she experienced “extreme hair loss” after trying one of the shampoos. Another frustrated customer wrote, “WTF did you put in this?? My hair feels like a god damn NEST, that’s it, never ever getting this product again.”

Other reviews allegedly described hair becoming excessively dry, tangled, greasy, frizzy, or difficult to manage after repeated use. One customer wrote that her “hair broke off and fell out,” while another claimed the shampoo “absolutely wrecked my hair.” Others reportedly complained about itchy scalps, overpowering fragrance, and packaging issues that made the products difficult to use.

Internal Memo Reportedly Acknowledged Negative Feedback About Blake Lively’s Beauty Brand

The backlash allegedly became significant enough that an internal staff memo was sent to Lively and members of her team in September 2024. According to the reported memo, 42% of customer comments regarding the nourishing shampoo referenced “dryness, brittleness, and damage to hair.” The strengthening shampoo reportedly faced similar criticism, with 40% of feedback mentioning dryness, frizz, or hair falling out.

The documents also allegedly stated that more than half of the comments about Lively’s strengthening shampoo described the scent as too strong or unpleasant. Packaging complaints were another recurring issue, with some users reportedly saying the oversized bottles were impractical or difficult to squeeze. The memo also acknowledged concerns over the products’ pricing, with some customers allegedly feeling the formulas “didn’t justify” the cost.

Blake Brown Beauty Team Reportedly Discussed Damage Control Strategy

According to the filings, the memo included a proposed turnaround strategy for handling the growing criticism. A Blake Brown Beauty executive reportedly suggested reminding consumers that the products offered a low “price per use” despite the overall retail cost. The memo also allegedly acknowledged that the packaging style “wouldn’t be for everyone,” while defending Lively’s product scents by noting that many customers still enjoyed them.

Despite the controversy, Blake Brown Beauty products remain available through retailers including Target, with the brand now offering 18 different products and bundles priced upwards of $70. On the company’s website, Lively says, “I spent 7 years creating & personally testing every element of this collection. The concept of Blake Brown is simple: love your hair well & it will love you well.”

Blake Lively’s Legal Battle With Justin Baldoni Recently Came To An End

The resurfaced product complaints became public shortly after Lively and Justin Baldoni officially settled their highly publicized legal war tied to “It Ends with Us.” Lively had previously accused Baldoni of sexual harassment connected to the production of the film, while Baldoni strongly denied the allegations throughout the case.

Although the legal dispute finally came to an end, reports suggest the settlement did not result in a major financial victory for Lively. According to TMZ, the actress reportedly received no payout as part of the agreement despite the lengthy court battle.

Blake Lively’s Legal Team Brought In Heavy Hitters

The outlet also reported that Lively brought in powerhouse litigation firm Susman Godfrey just days before the settlement was finalized. The high-profile firm is known for securing massive courtroom victories, including a reported $425 million verdict against Google. However, despite the firm’s reputation, insiders claimed the only people who truly profited from the months-long legal fight were the attorneys involved.

According to reports, lawyers tied to both sides of the case allegedly walked away with a combined $60 million in earnings as the bitter dispute finally came to a close. Neither Blake Lively nor Justin Baldoni issued a public apology in the joint statement announcing the settlement.