Custom image of Faye Romano (Odessa Young) embracing Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White). Image by Jefferson Chacon
After a handful of music biopics emerged as box office hits, it seemed like the genre was among the few that could survive the recent shift in audience viewing patterns. Romantic comedies certainly couldn’t, nor could some horror subgenres. Encouraged by the success of movies such as Bob Marley: One Love, Elvis, and even Rocketman, studios began green-lighting a slew of music biopics. Not all of them survived at the box office. While the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, was both a critical and commercial hit, the Amy Winehouse movie Back to Black underperformed because of its poor quality. The Robbie Williams biopic Better Man emerged as an even bigger disappointment because of its subject’s perceived unpopularity in the United States. However, there was another music biopic whose underwhelming performance at the box office is more difficult to explain.
The movie in question has since been released on the PVOD and streaming markets, where it hasn’t done much better. There’s a case to be made that A Complete Unknown benefited from the presence of star Timothée Chalamet, who put his entire back into not only his performance but also the film’s marketing. The movie we’re talking about, however, lacked a star with that level of popularity. It also didn’t earn the sort of positive reviews that a would-be awards contender should. More recently, however, it has been suggested that the movie didn’t turn out well simply because its subject insisted on having creative control and was present on set daily.
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The Music Biopic That’s Struggling on Streaming
The movie we’re talking about is Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong. It earned just $45 million worldwide against a reported budget of $55 million, roughly $100 million less than A Complete Unknown, which was distributed by the same studio and produced at a similar budget level. According to FlixPatrol, Deliver Me from Nowhere has slipped out of domestic viewership charts on all PVOD platforms, and no longer has a spot on the Disney+ leaderboard either. Its performance will certainly make Lionsgate and Sony nervous; the studios have major biopics of Michael Jackson and The Beatles in various stages of production. Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, will be released this year, while the four-part Beatles series will be released theatrically in 2028.
You can watch Deliver Me from Nowhere at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
October 24, 2025
Runtime
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120 minutes
Director
Scott Cooper
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Producers
Scott Stuber, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson, Scott Cooper
Starfleet Academy is the latest Star Trek show, and one of its big hallmarks is diversity. This includes showcasing characters from very different backgrounds (a human thief, a childlike hologram, an empathic princess, a pacifist Klingon, etc), complete with a wide range of sexualities (gay, straight, and bi? Oh my!). There is even diversity in age: the show focuses on both young characters and their older instructors, and Chancellor Ake alone has a few centuries on her young students.
However, calling itself diverse is a lie. Starfleet Academy is secretly the least diverse Star Trek series ever made. That’s because it has one flaw that effectively cancels out all of the diversity of its character backgrounds and sexualities. Namely, that every single alien character is written like a boring old human being.
The Oldest Trope In Star Trek
Since the days of The Original Series, Star Trek has had an unofficial rule: each show must include an outsider alien character who helps the audience learn more about their own humanity. Spock’s emotionless Vulcan ways contrasted with McCoy’s fiery passion, for example, and Spock ultimately sacrificed his life after learning the value of Kirk’s relentless drive (there’s no such thing as a no-win scenario). After Spock died foiling the ultimate no-win scenario, Kirk declared, “Of all the souls I’ve encountered, his was the most human.”
This wasn’t literally true, of course: not only did Spock remain fully green-blooded, but his decision to save the ship was rooted in his flawless Vulcan logic (the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one). But his death helped Kirk to find joy in life and rededicate himself to new beginnings. In this way, Spock began the oldest trope in Star Trek: the outsider alien helping others learn more about their own humanity.
Trek Trope: The Next Generation
Later Star Trek shows embraced this trope to great effect: on The Next Generation, the android Data dreamed of becoming more human, and his quest helped everyone learn more about the power and promise of their own human journey. On Deep Space Nine, Odo was a Changeling who could never master looking like a solid, but his efforts to understand everyone else helped everyone gain new perspectives on what they took for granted. Neelix helped Voyager’s human crew discover joy in the small things, while T’Pol helped the humans of the Enterprise crew learn from their species’ mistakes as they began exploring strange, new worlds for the first time.
NuTrek has dabbled in this trope: on Discovery, Saru teaches the crew how to adapt to any situation, and Michael Burnham’s Vulcan upbringing helped her discover (for better or for worse) the importance of her emotions. Picard also dabbled in different alien outsiders, ranging from the android Soji to her positronic papa, Data. The return of Data hailed the return of TNG’s beloved alien outsider, and Strange New Worlds brought things full circle by putting Spock front and center.
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Starfleet Academy Is Too Human For Its Own Good
Starfleet Academy is often praised for its diversity, and the cast of characters is truly unlike anything we have previously seen in other Star Trek series. Fully eight of the show’s 12 main characters are aliens, and over half of them are women. The show also puts men and women of color front and center: holographic SAM is the show’s biggest link between both Voyager and Deep Space Nine, and Jay-Den Kraag is showing us a strange new world of Klingon culture. Caleb, meanwhile, is the show’s de facto main character, and he often bridges the gap between the more dramatic and comedic elements of the show.
However, once you get past the diverse character archetypes and occasional forehead loaf, a surprising truth emerges: pretty much all the alien characters are written to be human. Darem is meant to be an exotic alien (he’s Khionian, b*tch!), but he is simply written as a cocky human, which is why he and would-be Alpha Caleb are constantly butting heads. SAM is an emissary from a holographic race who knows nothing about humanity, but she is constantly and inexplicably written as a teenage human.
The same goes for Genesis, an alien who is so human that she likes to chew bubblegum and wax philosophic about Daddy issues. Chancellor Ake is a Lanthanite who is nearly half a millennium old, but she is virtually indistinguishable from a quirky wine mom. On paper, the Klingon Jay-Den would be the most alien of them all because he hails from a warrior race, but in making him a softspoken, quippy pacifist making moony eyes at his crush, Starfleet Academy has made him the most human Klingon we’ve ever seen (yes, even more than Alexander).
They’re Only Human
Making all these aliens effectively human is by design, of course: Starfleet Academy is designed to appeal to young audiences, so this is a way of ensuring that these young characters are relatable despite their alien heritage. No matter what exotic planet they hail from, all of these 32nd-century cadets utilize slang and references very familiar to 21st-century youngsters. In this way, Paramount hopes to retain the old guard of Star Trek fans while appealing to Zoomers and even Generation Alpha.
Time will tell if Starfleet Academy manages to secure the (ahem) “next generation” of Star Trek fans, but they are already alienating older fans through (ironically enough) the lack of truly alien characters. There is no alien outsider to help characters and viewers appreciate their own humanity; instead, every alien is written as a human with a chip on their shoulder and a mouth like a sailor. Sure, this makes the latest Star Trek series feel like other popular drama series, but it also dilutes the new show by removing one of the franchise’s most distinctive sci-fi elements.
When Is A Star Trek Show Not Actually A Star Trek Show?
That leads to some downright philosophical questions, like “When is a Star Trek show not actually a Star Trek show?” Paramount is gambling that stripping the franchise of everything familiar in the name of mass appeal is the only way forward, but it’s an approach that has been driving away legacy fans in droves. Now, the studio is about learn the answer to “when is a Star Trek fan no longer a Star Trek fan?”
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Simple: when they unsubscribe from Paramount+, the worst streaming platform the galaxy has ever known.
During an episode of her podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” Kylie, the 33-year-old wife of NFL alum Jason Kelce, revealed the surprising reason for her issue with Wade.
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Kylie Kelce Explains Why She Has ‘Beef’ With NBA Champion Dwayne Wade
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Kylie has a history of revealing personal stories on her popular podcast, and in a recent episode, she recalled her “long-standing beef with Dwayne Wade” to her listeners. However, her story is a bit peculiar, given that the former Miami Heat star knows nothing about it.
Kylie’s issue with the father of five stems from the moment she saw Wade moments before she walked down the aisle to marry her husband, Jason. According to Kylie, she and a few of her bridesmaids actually ran into Wade on an elevator, and during the ride, Wade allegedly said nothing to them.
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The Moment With Dwayne Wade That ‘Blew’ Kylie Kelce’s Mind
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“We were going down for the wedding. Right? I am in a wedding dress with a veil on the back of my head,” Kylie said. “We have all four bridesmaids and the wedding planner, Sarah, in the elevator with us. And we just so happen to get on the elevator with Dwyane Wade.”
“Here’s the problem that I have with that. He didn’t say a godd-mn word, which is crazy,” Kylie added. “There is a bride and her bridesmaids in the f-cking elevator with you. You are in an enclosed space. And then he didn’t say a word.”
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Kylie’s podcast guest jumped into the conversation, adding that Wade might’ve felt a bit uncomfortable during the ride. “He was probably sitting there like, ‘Why didn’t I just let the door close?’” the guest joked.
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Kylie, however, refused to grant the 13x NBA All-Star any grace, stating, “That sh-t blew my mind.”
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Kylie Kelce Reveals One Thing About Husband Jason That Makes Her Mad
Kylie Kelce’s interaction with Dwyane Wade is just one of the stories the media personality has recounted on her podcast.
During a November 2025 episode of “Not Gonna Lie,” Kylie sought to prank her husband by asking the Super Bowl champion whether he ever wished he were more athletic. The question stemmed from a TikTok trend in which girlfriends ask their (clearly athletic) husbands whether they ever dreamt of having even more ability.
“Oh, gosh, not really,” Jason replied. “I feel like I’m pretty athletic.”
“Why? What happened?” he asked, to which Kylie responded, “Nothing happened. I just wanted to ask you that question.”
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“I don’t know. I feel like sometimes I’m so athletic it’s a burden to carry,” he said. “I wish that the expectation was lower, you know what I mean?”
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Jason’s answer wasn’t what Kylie was hoping to hear, given that she told her listeners his being exceptional at everything often bugs her.
“And he’s not lying — that’s the part that makes me mad. We’ve got to figure out how we’re going to knock him down a few notches. And I mean that in a loving way. Because that’s part of my job,” she said.
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Kylie Talks About Jason’s Stripping Into A Speedo
In another episode, Kylie discussed a viral clip of Jason stripping into an American-flag Speedo during a previous NFL season, noting that his steamy gesture caused her discomfort.
“I did not like that you just [were like], ‘Hey world, here’s my t-int,’” Kylie told Jason, to which he replied, “Here’s my Japanese Maple,” referencing a small tree that only reaches three to five feet in height.
Kylie joked about the moment in a separate episode, admitting she was shocked to see her husband’s moves.
“By the time I was coming back, I had received a text message of the behind angle and proceeding to Magic Mike his shorts off,” she said. “I have not seen this move before. I don’t know if he practiced. If he did, it was [with doors] closed.”
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Kylie Gets Real About Wanting To Upgrade Her Body After Having Children
Also on her podcast, according to The Blast, Kylie shared that she intends to undergo breast surgery in the future. She explained that she came to that conclusion after bearing four children, and breastfeeding had taken a toll on her body.
“To be clear, there is a rough plan that eventually I will put my boobs back where they belong because, four kids. That’s all I have to say about that!”
The most recent episode of Starfleet Academy (“Come, Let’s Away”) was a glorious return to form for the franchise, giving us a cool plot that revolved around our cadets managing to restart an old Starfleet vessel, the USS Myazaki. The vessel is now derelict because it was using an experimental new form of propulsion known as a singularity drive, which caused a series of cascading malfunctions. However, the episode didn’t really address how this technology was different from the traditional warp drive, and this reignited a classic question within the fandom: why were the Romulans affected by the events of the Burn?
This all goes back to Star Trek: The Next Generation, where episodes like “Face of the Enemy” revealed that the Romulans power their starships with a quantum singularity drive. Basically, instead of a traditional warp drive, they use an artificially-made black hole to travel the galaxy at faster-than-light speeds. As cool as that is, TNG never really elaborated on how this was supposed to work, and fans generally forgot about this until the third season of Star Trek: Discovery.
When Good Tech Goes Bad
After the Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, they found that the Federation was a decimated version of its former self. The main reason for this was the Burn, an event in which dilithium throughout the galaxy went suddenly inert. Active dilithium keeps matter and antimatter from colliding in starships (among other things), so once it went inert, countless starships exploded due to instantaneous warp core breaches.
Even before the Burn, dilithium was becoming scarce, so the Federation began experimenting with other forms of propulsion. One such alternative was the Pathway drive, which eventually became a standard alternative to both warp drive and Discovery’s spore drive. The Starfleet Academy episode “Come, Let’s Away” introduced the fact that the Federation was working on its own singularity drive, which reignited a question Discovery fans have been asking for years: why were the Romulans affected by the Burn in the first place?
What Did The Romulans Know?
Discovery gave a kind of happy ending to the Romulans, showing that they finally reunified with the Vulcans (Spock’s mission is finally accomplished!) after many millennia. But the show also made it clear that the Romulans were just as affected by the Burn as the Federation and (as we found out later) the Klingon Empire. This understandably confused fans because The Next Generation established that Romulans use singularity drives rather than warp drives, which implies that they don’t use dilithium and should therefore have been safe from the Burn.
Fans continue to debate whether the Romulans rely on dilithium or not for many reasons, including the fact that TNG didn’t tell us all that much about the singularity drive. It’s entirely possible they use dilithium but in different ways; for example, it may be used to contain the singularity. Plus, we know from Star Trek: Nemesis that Romulans mine dilithium, and while they could simply be using it for other purposes (like the Klingons using it to power planets), this fact implies it is still somehow important to Romulan interstellar travel.
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Bringing Old Controversies Back Online
Now, though, the Starfleet Academy episode “Come, Let’s Away” has reignited this mystery. Previously, fans were willing to accept (more or less) that the Burn affected the Romulans because they must have somehow used dilithium in ways the Federation didn’t know about. Therefore, the singularity drive would be just as vulnerable to the Burn as a traditional warp drive.
However, the Federation working on their own singularity drive as a warp drive alternative implies that this technology would work in a post-Burn galaxy. That leads us to something of a lore paradox: if singularity drives are immune to the Burn, why were the Romulans affected in the first place? But if singularity drives are not immune to the Burn (and, therefore, still rely on dilithium), why is the Federation bothering to research this technology in the first place?
So far, it doesn’t look like we’ll get answers anytime soon, and that’s fine: in “Come, Let’s Away,” the singularity drive is more of a MacGuffin to keep the plot moving than some major new addition to Star Trek lore. Plus, it’s part of arguably the best episode of Starfleet Academy, one that balances romance, action, and tension to great effect. Given the choice between whistling past old lore or destroying old lore (like sending almost every Klingon to hell in an offscreen catastrophe), it’s fair to say that most fans will happily learn to whistle!
Few series manage to maintain their quality throughout their run, and when a show manages that, it deserves to be remembered. Fortunately, in the era of streaming, shows are readily available in their entirety for fans to judge for themselves, including Orphan Black, a 2013 sci-fi thriller that earned an incredible reputation. The sci-fi genre has provided several stellar TV series, especially recently, as Stranger Things, Severance, and Pluribushave risen to prominence. While these shows may have ignited a new interest in the genre, some of the older series are just as good, and Orphan Black is a perfect example.
Even 13 years later, the series holds up. Starring Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black centers on an intriguing mystery as a group of clones uncovers their past. Through this concept, the story explores the ideas of identity, nature versus nurture, and the morality of scientific advancement. Many such series with a fascinating premise fail to live up to their potential, yet Orphan Black doesn’t have that problem. With five seasons, the series is a perfect binge-watch that will not only keep audiences guessing but also remain consistent and offer a satisfying ending to the story. Though underrated, Orphan Black is ideal for any sci-fi fan with a Netflix account.
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What Is ‘Orphan Black’ About?
Orphan Black‘s story revolves around a mystery that the audience discovers alongside the characters. The series begins by introducing Sarah Manning (Maslany), a con artist who discovers a woman who looks shockingly like her on a train. But the mystery grows when that woman kills herself. With questions that she can’t answer, Sarah assumes the look-alike’s identity as she tries to uncover their connection. Ultimately, she discovers that they are both clones, and they are not the only two. Sarah finds more clones, teaming up with them to understand how and why they were created. The series’ main characters include several clones, all played by Maslany, who has the unique challenge of playing multiple identical-but-distinct clones, totaling 17 different parts. The performance earned Maslany an Emmy in 2016.
Throughout Orphan Black, the characters, including Sarah, her “sisters,” and her foster brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), discover that the clones are part of an illegal experiment by the Dyad Institute and someone is trying to eliminate them. As they search for answers, they learn that the Dyad Institute hopes to profit from this technology and, as such, closely monitors the clones, treating them as experiments rather than the human beings they are. The series allows Sarah and the other clone characters to undergo a journey of self-discovery as they learn the truth and assert their independence, but at its heart, Orphan Black is a gripping mystery about the conspiracy surrounding their creation.
‘Orphan Black’s Story Remained Consistent Throughout Its Five Seasons
Tatiana Maslany as four different clone versions sitting outside by a fire in Orphan Black.Image via BBC America
While Orphan Black is a fascinating sci-fi series, it isn’t all mystery. The show balances intrigue with personal drama and comedy, creating a well-rounded story that everyone can enjoy. And, most remarkably, in five seasons, there isn’t a sudden drop-off in quality at the end. The final two seasons have scores on Rotten Tomatoes as high as the first two, and although Season 3’s score sinks slightly, it remains at a very respectable 83%. This is a rarity, especially for mysteries that are constantly trying to outdo themselves from season to season. Orphan Black‘s consistency proves that the show deserves more recognition.
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Orphan Black avoids another common issue with its conclusion. Finales are hard, especially for mystery series, which have built so many questions that require satisfying answers, but without spoilers, Orphan Black sticks the landing. Fans widely agree that the show has a satisfying endingas it embodies the themes of humanity and found family while bringing the story full circle. Of course, there is a short-lived spin-off, Orphan Black: Echoes, but the addition is unnecessary for the story’s conclusion. Orphan Black may be a bit of a commitment, but its fascinating story and perfect ending make it well worth the time.
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Release Date
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2013 – 2017
Network
Space, BBC America
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Showrunner
Graeme Manson
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Directors
Ken Girotti, T.J. Scott, David Wellington, Grant Harvey, Helen Shaver, Aaron Morton, Brett Sullivan, Chris Grismer, Peter Stebbings
Writers
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Aubrey Nealon, Karen Walton, Tony Elliott, Peter Mohan, Sherry White, Jeremy Boxen, Kate Miles Melville, Greg Nelson, Jenn Engels, Nikolijne Troubetzkoy
Travis Kelce‘s love was the key that opened Taylor Swift‘s thighs … and he’s looking to pass that on this Valentine’s Day in the form of a virtual card!
See it for yourself — the official X account for “New Heights” — Travis and Jason Kelce‘s hit podcast — shared a photo of a grinning Kelce from the podcast on a red background.
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The card reads, “Wood you be my Valentine?” … and features a prominent redwood tree in the upper left corner.
“New Heights” also dropped another Taylor-related post … featuring her and Travis during their podcast appearance together in August — with “Be my loaf story” and a bread emoji appearing on it as well. For people who aren’t fans, she’s an avid bread baker.
As you know … Taylor’s song “Redwood” caught fans’ attention when she dropped it last year for its clear references to Travis and his you-know-what.
When Apple TV’s phenomenal track record with the sci-fi genre is discussed, one show is invariably overlooked. Everybody correctly praises Severance and Silo, and even Invasion and Foundation. The list grew recently, with the release and reception of Pluribus. Created by Vince Gilligan, best known for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Pluribus holds a 98% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and has already been hailed as an instant classic by many. However, there is a rather large missing element on this list: a sci-fi show that debuted to excellent reviews a couple of years ago, but has perhaps not been given the respect it deserves because it’s part of a larger franchise, and not strictly original. That said, the show in question has passed a major streaming milestone, proving how popular it remains.
The show premiered in 2023 with a 10-episode season set across three different timelines. It was about as ambitious as Apple TV’s own Pachinko in this regard. Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, the show featured Anna Sawai in the lead role, before she appeared in Hulu’s breakout hit Shōgun. She was joined by Kiersey Clemons, Anders Holm, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, and father-son duo Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell. Matt Shakman, who directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps last year, helmed the first two episodes of the first season.
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Apple TV’s Sci-Fi Show Is Silently Slaying Competition on Streaming
We’re talking, of course, about Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The mega-budget show is set to return with its second season on February 27, and has already begun generating interest. According to FlixPatrol, the show has now spent more than 200 days on the domestic Apple TV chart, currently topped by Shrinking. The first season holds a “Certified Fresh” 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “With performances by father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell that work like a charm, Monarch adds a welcome wrinkle to the Godzilla legacy by honing its monstrous scope to a very human level.” Monarch is an extension of the MonsterVerse film franchise that has grossed over $2.5 billion in theaters. Along with the second season of Monarch, the franchise will continue with Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, which is set to be released theatrically next year.
You can watch Monarch at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
November 16, 2023
Network
Apple TV
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Showrunner
Chris Black, Matt Fraction
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Directors
Julian Holmes, Matt Shakman, Mairzee Almas, Andy Goddard, Hiromi Kamata
Writers
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Al Letson, Karl Taro Greenfeld, Chris Black, Mariko Tamaki, Amanda Overton, Andrew Colville, Matt Fraction, Milla Bell-Hart
Bunnie Xo offered unfiltered insight into how her sex life with husband Jelly Roll improved after his weight loss journey.
“We always had a sex life, but there were mountains and valleys that we had to go through — especially when he was so big,” Bunnie Xo, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly about her memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, which is out Tuesday, February 17.
Bunnie Xo noted that she loves Jelly Roll’s “excitement and his new zest for life,” adding, “It’s so childlike and just giddy — just seeing him get to be the man that I always saw that he was.”
She continued: “Even when he was 500 pounds, this dude was an agile, big guy. I’m like, ‘You are athletic under that meat suit.’ Now that he has the weight off of him, he just gets to be who I always knew that he was, and I think it’s brought a new sense of happiness to him. Any time he’s happy, I’m happy.”
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Jelly Roll, 41, who has been married to Bunnie Xo since 2016, recently explained why he didn’t use GLP-1s before losing nearly 300 pounds.
“I just remember everyone telling me GLP-1s, or taking the Ozempic or the Mounjaro, ‘Listen, it’s gonna hurt your stomach a little bit,’” he told Men’s Health last month. “I’ve treated my body so bad, I can’t believe God’s gave me this voice for this long. I didn’t deserve it. I literally didn’t do it out of fear.”
Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The country singer revealed he went from 540 pounds down to 265 pounds. Since then, Jelly Roll has thrived as his mental health has improved with the change.
“I was so fat that there came a moment in life that my wife and I had to put two queen beds beside each other because we couldn’t fit in a king bed anymore, I was just all over,” he recalled about how his weight loss “dramatically” changed his marriage. “Now it’s a totally different thing. I’m chasing her around the house. I’m like a teenage kid again! I’m like the Pink Panther — I bust out of every corner. And she opens the cabinet and I go, ‘Hi!’”
Jelly Roll might consider himself the son of a sinner, but he’s found an angel in wife Bunnie XO. Following two stints in jail — Jelly Roll (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) was arrested for aggravated robbery at 16 and served one year before being incarcerated for drug dealing at the age of 23 — […]
Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll’s marriage ups and downs are addressed in her upcoming memoir.
“I am very vocal online and I have [my ‘Dumb Blonde’ podcast] where I have people tell their stories. But the crazy thing is that nobody really knows my life story. They know bits and pieces that I’ve allowed them to know, but nobody knows the full story,” she told Us. “It was very cathartic looking back and seeing all that I had overcome. But I never stopped to really think about it. It was really awesome to be able to look back and be like, ‘Man, I made it through this.’ It was definitely therapeutic and cathartic.”
“He’s reading it now. As I was writing the chapters, I would tell him, ‘Do you want me to send the book to you?’ And he’s like, ‘No, I just want to read it when it comes out. Tell your truth.’ My husband has never stifled my creativity,” she gushed. “That’s one thing I love about my husband. He’s been my No. 1 supporter.”
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Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic is out Tuesday, February 17.
Alicia Vikander at a fancy dinner table in The Green KnightImage via A24
Amid the ongoing debate over the tone of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being too lighthearted compared to Game of Thrones, a fantasy film that combines the best of both worlds is heading to a new streaming home this March. HBO has been quite devoted to the idea of expanding George R.R. Martin‘s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series beyond the already completed Game of Thrones. A prequel show, House of the Dragon, has aired two seasons, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently in its debut season. Other spin-off projects previously hit roadblocks at different stages of production; one potential show starring Naomi Watts was axed after a pilot episode had been shot. While audiences remain divided on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, now is as good a time as any to check out a fantasy movie that simply didn’t get its due in theaters.
Released in 2021, before the theatrical market properly rebounded following the pandemic, the movie earned excellent reviews for its subversion of fantasy tropes and many technical achievements. But it underperformed at the box office, grossing only $20 million worldwide against a reported budget of $15 million. Interestingly, later episodes of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragoncost more than this 130-minute feature film, which now holds a “Certified Fresh” 89% score on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The website’s consensus notes that the movie “honors and deconstructs its source material in equal measure, producing an absorbing adventure that casts a fantastical spell.”
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Here’s Where You Can Watch the Breathtaking Fantasy Film
The film we’re talking about is The Green Knight, which featured Dev Patel in the lead role of a knight who embarks on an epic quest driven mainly by the pressures of masculinity. Directed by David Lowery, the movie featured Joel Edgerton as King Arthur, alongside an eclectic supporting cast including Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, and Alicia Vikander. Since its release, The Green Knight has been hailed as a modern classic, with Collider naming it one of the best fantasy movies of the 2020s. Lowery went on to make the big-budget Disney fantasy film Peter Pan & Wendy, which was released directly on the Disney+ streaming service. His next film, the psychological thriller Mother Mary, is slated for an April release.
You can watch The Green Knight on Netflix from March 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
If I ever won a $156 million lottery jackpot, I wouldn’t tell anyone, but there would be signs. First, I’d fake my own death, only to resurface a couple weeks later wearing a fake mustache and going about my business as usual.
When approached by people who say, “Hey, didn’t you just die?” my answer would be simple: “That wasn’t me, that was the impostor.” When they inevitably respond with “What?”, I’d say “Huh?” throw a smoke bomb on the ground, and run away because I’d have enough disposable income for a limitless supply of smoke bombs. Then I’d fake my death again, this time resurfacing a couple weeks later with a goatee.
I’d repeat this process a dozen or so times until the novelty wears off. Then I’d fake my death for real and retire to my underground bunker. My intended elusive methods may seem insane, but this rock solid plan is nothing compared to what happens in 2023’s Your Lucky Day. Here, a guy wins the jackpot at a convenience store, brags about it loudly, and immediately gets compromised by another patron who just so happens to be hard up for cash and willing to do whatever it takes to claim the ticket.
A Terrible Plan, And Its Many Escalations
In Your Lucky Day, we’re first introduced to a low-level drug dealer named Sterling (Angus Cloud), who gets robbed during a deal gone wrong. Not knowing how to recoup his losses, Sterling pops into a convenience store to take a quick breather. Inside, the store’s owner, Amir (Mousa Hussein Kraish), and a regular customer, Mr. Laird (Spencer Garrett), are making small talk while Mr. Laird scans his Mega Ball tickets at the lottery kiosk to see if he won anything. Also in the store are Abraham (Elliot Knight), his pregnant girlfriend Ana (Jessica Garza), and a cop named Cody (Sterling Beaumon).
Here’s how it all goes down. Ana and Abraham are grabbing ice cream, Cody is in the bathroom, and Mr. Laird discovers he just won the $156 million jackpot. Sterling tapes a makeshift mask made from a Mega Ball flyer to his face and decides to rob the store to take the ticket. The scuffle that follows brings Cody out of the bathroom with his weapon drawn. In the ensuing chaos, Cody accidentally kills Mr. Laird. Sterling, who now has nothing to lose and everything to gain, shoots Cody, presumably killing him as well.
Sterling locks down the store and demands that Ana, Abraham, and Amir help him dispose of the bodies, but not before discussing how they’ll split the winnings. Everybody is understandably apprehensive, especially since the winning ticket is now tied to a fatal robbery, potentially rendering it useless. Still, they come up with a plan that, on paper, allows them to get rid of the bodies without drawing suspicion, cash in the jackpot, and go their separate ways. Or so they think. The plan sounds airtight until unexpected complications start piling up.
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Unexpected, But Welcome Lead Role Switcheroo
Kicking off from Sterling’s perspective, Your Lucky Day pivots quickly once the robbery spirals out of control. Sterling may have secured the Mega Ball ticket, but he’s still a low-level criminal thinking one step ahead at best. Ana, one of his hostages, gradually takes control of the situation, and it’s the best part of the movie.
Ana is nine months pregnant and rightfully terrified by everything that’s happened, but that doesn’t stop her from stepping up. She’s calculating, sharp, and quick to map out a contingency plan that makes you wonder what kind of crime lord she was in a past life. What she doesn’t anticipate is that Cody’s corrupt cop family is looking for him, and they’re closing in fast.
Your Lucky Day is a tight, low-budget thriller with more charm than its back-pocket production values would suggest. It tells a simple story, and that simplicity works because of how fast it escalates and how confidently it throws curveballs at the audience.
Watching how quickly everybody adjusts to the situation once they realize they could walk away from this never worrying about money again is half the fun. Loyalties shift, nerves fray, and the stakes keep climbing as the walls close in, but you’ll want to stick around to see how it all plays out.
As of this writing, Your Lucky Day is streaming on Netflix.
White House See Our Valentine’s Day Cards, Featuring Shackled Nicolás Maduro!
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Move aside, Melania — Donald Trump‘s White House is celebrating Valentine’s Day with some cheeky cards that applaud the administration’s accomplishments … while mocking the left.
Check out the V-Day cards the White House posted to ring in the holiday — the first shows handcuffed and blindfolded Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being flown out of Venezuela after the U.S. captured him in January, with the saying … “You captured my heart.”
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Next up shows the prez holding an executive order that reads “UR My Valentine” … while another has a photo of Sen. Chris Van Hollen sitting with former ICE detainee Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. The image is framed in a heart and shares 2 messages — “My love for you is as strong as Democrats love for illegal aliens” and “I’d fly 1,537 miles to have a drink with you!”
The fourth V-Day card has a photo of Greenland in a heart with the phrase “It’s time we define our situationship.” As you know … President Trump has harped on his desire to take over Greenland for months, which its residents have strongly opposed.
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There’s even more — just check out our gallery.
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The WH didn’t forget about Trump’s beloved wife, though … it eventually posted a snap of him and the First Lady on walking hand-in-hand together, captioned with a simple “Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️.”
The prez’s team is clearly all about celebrating Valentine’s Day — even saving some love for his enemies!
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
