Ex Machina is without a doubt one of the best sci-movies of the 2010s, as not only was it a critical success upon its 2014 premiere, but it also received major awards recognition, including for its director, Alex Garland. You may recognize Garland from his work on Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later and its 2025 sequel, 28 Years Later, both of which he received praise for writing. Meanwhile, the screenwriter made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and winning three British Independent Film Awards.

Since then, the notable filmmaker has directed several more gripping works, some of which couldn’t beat the success of his first sci-fi thriller. Among these is his most divisive movie, which is about to be easier to stream, four years after its release. Starring Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley, Men has been added to HBO Max’s March 1, 2026, lineup, joining a boatload of addictive titles of all genres. The surrealist movie was released in the U.S. on May 20, 2022, by A24 and later in the U.K. on June 1 of that year by Entertainment Film Distributors.

How Well Do You Know Alex Garland’s Most Divisive Movie?

Buckley portrays a terrorized widow, Harper Marlowe, in Men, who, in the aftermath of her husband’s suicide, retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. However, someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her, and soon what begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears. Also starring in the film are Rory Kinnear, who portrays every strange man in the village, and Paapa Essiedu as James Marlowe, Harper’s late husband.

Upon Men’s release, it received generally positive reviews, but its narrative approach was heavily criticized. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 69% critics’ rating, while the audience has given it a disappointing 40%. As for its financial status, the folk horror movie, released alongside Downton Abbey: A New Era, made $3.3 million in its opening weekend, finishing fifth at the box office. Ultimately, it grossed $7.6 million in North America and $3.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $11.2 million.

Men will be available to watch on HBO Max in March. Follow Collider for further streaming news.

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Release Date

May 20, 2022

Runtime

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100 minutes

Director

Alex Garland

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Writers

Alex Garland

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It’s been over a decade since one of the most expensive fantasy sequels made its way to theaters and flopped hard. Also labeled a comedy, the film was made on a $175 million budget with production involving the use of several visual effects companies to provide CGI. Not only is it one of the most expensive fantasy sequels, but it also became the most expensive comedy film ever at the end of production, to be later overtaken by Men in Black 3.

Starring Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman, this fantasy comedy is about to find new audiences as it is now available on a major streaming home. Evan Almighty is that expensive sequel that just landed on HBO Max on March 1, 2026, 19 years after it was released by Universal Pictures on June 22, 2007. The movie is a spin-off and sequel of the 2003 box office hit Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey. Similar to the first installment, Evan Almighty was directed by Tom Shadyac, while Steve Oedekerk, who co-wrote the original, returned as screenwriter.

‘Evan Almighty’ Is an Expensive Fantasy Sequel!

Image via Universal Pictures

Despite being an expensive production with double the budget of its predecessor, Evan Almighty was a box office failure, grossing only $174.4 million worldwide. This is a huge gap from Bruce Almighty, which earned $86.4 million in its opening weekend and had an overall gross of $484 million worldwide, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2003. Still, both fantasy films were critical flops, with Evan Almighty earning 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, half of Bruce Almighty’s 48%.

Carell and Freeman reprise their roles as Evan Baxter and God, respectively, in the 2007 spin-off, which is a modern-day retelling of Noah’s Ark, that Evan reluctantly re-enacts on God’s behalf while he also pursues a new career in government. Other stars featured in Evan Almighty are Lauren Graham, John Goodman, John Michael Higgins, Wanda Sykes, Jonah Hill, Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips, Jimmy Bennett, Molly Shannon, Ed Helms, and Harve Presnell.

Evan Almighty is now streaming on HBO Max. Stick with Collider for the latest streaming updates.

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Release Date

June 9, 2007

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Runtime

96 minutes

Director

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Tom Shadyac

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Something nice is happening right now. People are remembering that Regina Hall is talented. Like, can do it all, laugh-out-loud comedy and Oscar-nominated dramatics, talented. If you’re one of those people and One Battle After Another is what finally made it click for you, that’s genuinely fine – better late than never is a real thing. But if we’re talking bandwagon acrobatics, may we direct you to one of the actor’s most underrated catalog entries, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.?

It’s got everything you could want from a sharp, religious satire dressed up as a mockumentary. A Southern Baptist megachurch. A sexual misconduct scandal. An extremely ill-advised documentary about the comeback attempt. Sterling K. Brown playing an egotistical preacher who absolutely believes his own press. Hall as Trinitie, his First Lady – put together, loyal, desperate to clean up her husband’s very large mess. It’s on Netflix. It’s been waiting patiently. Here’s your sign to hit play.

A Megachurch Mockumentary That’s All Kinds of Awkward

Honk for Jesus is technically a mockumentary, which means there’s a documentary crew following around a very public couple during a very public image rehab campaign. The couple in question: Trinitie and Lee-Curtis Childs, once the glamorous leaders of a Southern Baptist megachurch that has recently been rocked by scandal. Attendance has plummeted. The vibes are undoubtedly off. And yet, the closet full of designer suits stays color-coordinated.

Brown plays Lee-Curtis as a charming, slippery snake-oil salesman who’s absolutely certain this is all temporary. He’s puffed up with just the right amount of charisma and animal magnetism to make the theory that his lavish lifestyle is, in fact, funded by the donation plate plausible. (Who wouldn’t tithe it all away for those pearly whites?) While he’s hamming it up for the camera, Hall’s got a harder job. Trinitie is in a midlife crisis of her own as a woman figuring out who she is when the thing she built her identity around starts falling apart. And director Adamma Ebo indulges in the artifice of it all, making the most of his chosen format to mine every bit of cringe she can from confessionals gone sideways and hot-mic pick-ups and long-lens shots that make the audience feel like peeping toms. It’s sharp without being preachy, awkward, uncomfortable, and very, very funny.

Regina Hall: Saved, Sanctified, Slightly Spiraling

But let’s talk about Hall, because this is really her movie.

Trinitie stays dressed like the congregation might repopulate at any second. Her hair is immaculate, her tailoring aggressive. She sweeps through echoing hallways with full Sunday-morning confidence as Hall gives her a hyper-specific precision that makes you think every smile and wave has been workshopped a dozen times already. What’s so fun to watch is how Trinitie performs for the camera while clearly having an entirely separate internal monologue. She’ll deliver a gracious, holier-than-thou soundbite about forgiveness, then flick her eyes toward the documentary crew like she’s begging for a life raft to be thrown. It’s a comedy performance built on micro-expressions and Hall sells it all so effortlessly that you start paying more attention to her pauses than the bigger punchlines.

Opposite her, Brown gives Lee-Curtis the kind of glossy sheen that explains how he raised this megachurch in the first place. He is very committed to the idea that this is all just a temporary setback, enough so that he strips to his skivvies to be baptized and born again, displays his Prada suits for the camera, and compares his comeback to that of another born brawler – Rocky Balboa (but the second movie, y’all).

Related

Of ‘One Battle After Another’s Supporting Characters, This Performance Deserved More Credit

A striking performance of few words.

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The dynamic between him and Hall is where the movie really hums. They have the chemistry of two people who have spent years presenting a united front. When they argue, it’s not a dramatic showdown, but a PR meeting that’s two seconds away from going off the rails. Brown’s Lee-Curtis is delusionally confident and frustratingly dismissive of the real-world consequences of his actions, while his wife, Hall’s Trinitie, is masking sheer panic and suffocating misery behind a brittle smile that only falters when she thinks the camera’s not trained on her.

The movie is smart enough not to turn her into a saint. Trinitie has enjoyed the perks of this empire. She likes the big house. She likes the clothes. She likes being First Lady. And Hall never pretends otherwise, which makes the performance sharper and more human. You can see her weighing loyalty against self-preservation in every interaction, calculating what she can afford to lose and what she refuses to give up because of her husband’s indiscretions.

‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul’ Is a Hilarious Comedy Worth a Watching

Image via Focus Features 

If you are worried this is going to be two hours of easy megachurch jokes, it’s not. The humor is more observational than slapstick, and that’s mostly because the mockumentary format lets the awkwardness breathe. There are long pauses. There are straight-to-cameras that start confident and end slightly off-balance, and moments when you can tell a character is saying one thing and thinking another.

Hall thrives in that gray area. She has always been good at comedy that has a little bite to it, and here she layers that skill with something more vulnerable. A joke will land, and then half a second later, you realize there is something sad underneath it. If anything, this film serves as proof that Hall has never had to choose between comedy and drama. She’s been blending them for years. She just needed a character big enough and complicated enough to show off her full range.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul may not have dominated the discourse when it first came out, but it has aged into a very satisfying watch. It is sharp about public image and private compromise without turning into a lecture. It gives Sterling K. Brown room to be charming and maddening at the same time. But most importantly, it gives Regina Hall a character who is funny, proud, anxious, controlled, and slowly fraying around the edges. If you are in the mood for something that will make you laugh and then immediately rethink why you’re laughing, this is it. And if you are newly obsessed with Hall’s ability to do absolutely everything, this will only deepen the fixation.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is now streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

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Release Date

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September 2, 2022

Runtime

103 minutes

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Director

Adamma Ebo

Writers

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Adamma Ebo

Producers

Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown, Daniel Kaluuya, Rowan Riley, Gerry Pass, Adanne Ebo, Amandla Crichlow, Kara Durrett, Jessamine Burgum, Matthew R. Cooper, Adamma Ebo

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When it comes to fantasy stories, war is a pretty prevalent concept, especially in the epic fantasy subgenre. Even though fantasy is supposed to be a form of escapism, it sometimes parallels incidents in real life, which helps it relate to the audience more, even in spite of its detachment from reality. This is the case for a lot of fantasy stories, even in the realm of television.

The small screen has seen its fair share of fantastical wars, involving magic and monsters, but also a hefty dose of reality. Many of the characters in this show have often expressed their views of conflict, allowing the viewer to sit and ponder the nature of conflict in the real world. These are the best quotes from fantasy TV shows about the nature of war, conflict, and death.

1

“Never make war in anger.”

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022–Present)

Image via Prime Video

Say what you will about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but this simple line is actually pretty good. This line is uttered by Adar (Sam Hazeldine) in the second season. Much of the Middle-Earth legendarium outlined by J. R. R. Tolkien in his original works features numerous bloody conflicts, so many of the Elves, who are immortal, have lived through a lot of wars, Adar included. As such, they generally know when war is necessary, and when it’s not.

Adar may be corrupted by Morgoth, but his words are still true. With this quote, he weighs in on the fact that if one is going to start a war, they had best have a clear head and know what the heck they’re doing. To start a war based on a whim, or out of pure emotion, is not going to end well. Who knows? Maybe once the powers in charge have cooled down, they’ll realize their mistake, but at that point it will already be too late. Even though this is a fantasy series, this line couldn’t be any truer.

2

“Nobody wins in war.”

‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)

Image via Netflix

This quote from Season 1 of Arcane is pretty simply put and far from profound, but that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s pretty spot-on in fact. The one who drops this line is Vander (Jean-Benoît Blanc), who isn’t the main character of the show, but is still a supporting and guiding figure for the series’ main protagonists. This is because he used to be a ruthless killer, and is still pretty rough around the edges, so he certainly knows a thing or two about conflict.

While he doesn’t put it very eloquently, his statement is pretty fundamental to the concept of war. While most wars do have a definitive winner and loser on paper, the destructive power of war is such that it is bound to cause immense human suffering and death, as well as decimate the resources of the different factions. One might win, but at what cost? He’s basically arguing that the only way to win the game is to not play.

3

“No longer certain that one ever does win a war, I am.”

‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (2008–2020)

Image via Cartoon Network

Yes, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is fantasy — even franchise creator George Lucas says so himself. One of the franchise’s most iconic and recognizable characters is Yoda, voiced in Clone Wars by Tom Kane. The little green master is known for his backwards way of speaking, and for his infinite wisdom. He’s about 900 years old, after all. One is bound to gain some moral wisdom with all the things he’s seen and lived through.

As the Clone Wars rage, Yoda begins to doubt whether the Republic can actually win — in fact, he starts to doubt whether anyone can actually win. In Season 6, Yoda admits that he is growing more and more unsure that a victory is possible with how many people have died. Sure, someone might win on paper, but in the end, is any victory really worth the deaths? This is basically a more elaborate version of the one from Arcane, but it’s still true, in any event.

4

“War doesn’t build, it destroys. Only peace can create.”

‘The Dragon Prince’ (2018–2024)

Image via Netflix

The Dragon Prince is generally a less mature TV show, yet this line is still an important lesson to viewers of all ages. The one saying it is Prince Ezran (Sasha Rojen), who may be young, but still knows this to be absolutely true. Maybe it’s because he understands the conflicts that have been plaguing Xadia for much of its history, even if he previously spent much of his time far from the front lines.

He doesn’t put it in a very profound or philosophical way, but his statement is brutally honest and straight to the point. Even in real life, the sole purpose of conflict is to destroy. It’s not to foster courage or inspiration, it’s to beat the enemy into submission until they can’t take it anymore. Ezran states that many of the world’s greatest achievements, whether it be art, innovation, or the human connection, can only be fostered in times or places of peace.

5

“Sometimes, the best way to prevent a war is to be ready to fight one.”

‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (1995–2001)

Image via Universal Television

This quote from Xena: Warrior Princess is said by Xena (Lucy Lawless) herself. She’s not just a great warrior, but she’s a great leader and tactician, too, who knows exactly how to defeat her enemies. This series is based on Greek myth, so it does parallel history a little bit, which is why this quote is particularly memorable. Namely in the fact that, like many of the others on this list, it’s pretty factual.

Xena basically says that preventing war isn’t always a matter of pushing for peace or finding a compromise. Sometimes, the enemy is out for blood and isn’t planning on backing down. In this instance, the best solution is to prepare oneself for an attack and build up strength, so that when the enemy does make their move, the defenders will be ready to crush the resistance and end the conflict as quickly as possible. It’s a commentary on how it’s best to be on the defensive rather than on the offensive, especially in a situation where diplomacy isn’t an option.

6

“I know what’s worth the fight, and what is not. Honor and courage are matters of the bone, and what a man will kill for, he will sometimes die for, too.”

‘Outlander’ (2014–Present)

Image via Starz

Outlander opens up in World War II, but features the supernatural ability to time travel, leaving two lovers jumping back and forth between various eras, many of which are still pretty war-torn. This is a low fantasy series, so most of the eras explored are actual pieces of human history. As such, many of the characters are pretty familiar with the brutality people frequently inflict on each other, which has been a constant throughout time.

Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) is the primary love interest for the protagonist of the series, who embarks with her on her journey through time. In this quote, he states that he has seen a lot of conflict, and has come to understand what drives people to fight and kill. He knows what is worth starting a war over, and when it’s better to walk away. He implies here that love is more than worth it, especially love as strong as he feels. Indeed, quite a few wars throughout human history have been started in the name of love, and love can drive people to go to any lengths necessary, so he’s not wrong.

7

“The best victories are won before swords are crossed.”

‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

Image via HBO

Lady Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg), also known as the Queen of Thorns, is known for her abrasive, yet clever insults and comebacks. She has lived a long time, which means she’s got a lot of wisdom underneath that headdress she’s always wearing. She generally disapproves of Westerosi politics, but isn’t afraid to make her move whenever she sees an opening. However, she would much prefer her move be discreet, so as not to cause major fallout.

In fact, in one of the later seasons of Game of Thrones, she drops this line, which is not only true to life, but also a perfect reflection of her character. What she’s basically saying is that the greatest victories are the ones that avoid conflict. If compromise is an option, it should be pursued. If not, it is best to assure your victory before the real fighting starts via a series of political maneuvers. It’s a line that more world leaders should really take to heart.

8

“We were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history, and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world.”

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)

Image via Nickelodeon

This is one of the truest things ever said in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The line is said by Prince Zuko (Dante Basco), a troubled and complex character throughout the series. He belongs to the Fire Nation, who largely serve as the antagonists of the series. It’s an authoritarian state that uses their superior technology to conquer the other three nations, ruling over them with an iron fist.

Here, Zuko reflects on his childhood, talking about how the Fire Nation brainwashed him into thinking the war was a good thing. It wasn’t until he got older that he realized how wrong that excuse was. This is actually pretty reflective of colonialism, with many colonial wars being fought in the name of “civilizing” or manifest destiny, yet they actually wrought unspeakable horrors. It’s a concept that’s true to life, and to the world of Avatar.

9

“Humanity will never stop fighting until there’s only one person left.”

‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)

Image via Crunchyroll

Commander Erwin Smith (Daisuke Ono) is known for being one of the most experienced and level-headed military officials in Attack on Titan. In humanity’s last remaining refuge, corruption reigns. Many military officials are cowardly, hedonistic, and perfectly content in letting others do their dirty work for them. But not Erwin. Erwin likes to be where the action is. As the leader of the Scout Regiment, his role is to go beyond the wall on excursions. Here, he witnesses the worst of human capability.

If there’s one thing Erwin knows, it’s that one constant piece of human history, even in a fantastical world, is conflict. It’s one thing to want peace, but it’s pretty unattainable since there will always be someone to muck it up. What Erwin is saying here is that the only way to achieve true peace is for there to be only one person left on Earth, because as long as there are two, someone is going to want someone dead. It’s pretty cynical, but it is a harsh truth about human nature.

10

“People blame us for breaking the world, but they didn’t bother to pick up the pieces. 3,000 years later, and they’re still bashing about with swords and queens.”

‘The Wheel of Time’ (2021–2025)

Image via Prime Video

Ishamael (Fares Fares) is the chief of the 13 Forsaken in The Wheel of Time. He has lived for millennia, and has witnessed some of the most devastating conflicts on Earth. To understand this quote, one has to know a bit of the context of the story. The Forsaken are commonly blamed for tainting the male half of the One Power, the source of all magic, which drove the Dragon Reborn, Lews Therin Telamon (Alexander Karim) insane. Lews Therin then destroyed the world, with the Forsaken taking the blame for it.

Ishamael doesn’t deny his actions, but he does make a good point. Namely, he says that nobody bothered to try to build a better world after the Breaking, and that humanity was still set in its way. Wars still erupted, and they’re still going on. So maybe the world was always meant to break, and maybe it’s not entirely the fault of the Forsaken. This is pretty cynical as well, and kind of mirrors what Erwin Smith says, but it does also help the viewer understand the Dark One’s view a little bit.

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The Wheel of Time

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Release Date

2021 – 2025-00-00

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Network

Prime Video

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Showrunner

Rafe Judkins

Directors

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Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip

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Roomies…President Donald Trump is suddenly at the center of what could be the most serious showdown with Iran yet. Early Saturday, reports are coming in that the U.S. and Israel launched a massive military operation targeting multiple sites in Iran — and things are already looking chaotic.

RELATED: Trump Captures Venezuelan President & Wife, Set To Indict Them For Alleged Narco-Terror Plot On U.S. Soil (VIDEOS)

Tehran Strikes, Minab Tragedy, Donald Trump Responds

On Saturday, videos verified by media outlets show explosions and smoke rising from Tehran, with some footage hinting at areas near the presidential palace. Meanwhile, Iranian state media are claiming a tragic hit on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, allegedly killing at least 50 students. These numbers haven’t been independently confirmed, but investigations are underway.

In an 8-minute video shared in the wee hours of Saturday morning on Donald Trump’s Truth Social, he addressed the U.S. airstrikes in Iran, warning that their nuclear ambitions and missile programs threaten the U.S. He urged Iranian citizens to “take over your government.”

“For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces, and no longer use their IEDs, or roadside bombs as they are sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans. And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message,” he reportedly stated in part.

Middle East Braces After Massive Strikes

Furthermore, missiles have been flying across the region since the strikes began. The U.A.E. intercepted several Iranian missiles but reported one death in Abu Dhabi from falling debris. Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar — all locations with U.S. military bases — have also reported intercepted attacks. In Iraq, U.S. forces reportedly hit areas near Baghdad tied to Iran-affiliated militias, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, who are vowing retaliation.

U.S. Forces Mobilize, Operation Epic Fury Underway

Before all of this, the U.S. quietly moved more than a dozen naval ships and aircraft into the Middle East, signaling that tensions were about to boil over. Satellite images show smoke rising from locations linked to Iranian politician Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. And, though his death is speculated, it remains unconfirmed. The operation has already been dubbed by the Pentagon as “Operation Epic Fury,” and if things continue at this pace, the ripple effects could be massive.

Folks Share Fear, Hope Amid Crisis

Folks immediately flooded TSR’s Instagram comment section to share their reactions. Some said this wasn’t the news they wanted to wake up to, while others expressed heartbreak over the people reportedly being hurt. And, of course, plenty are sending prayers, hoping for protection amid the chaos.

One Instagram user @_trill.sky commented, “Praying for our soldiers 🙌”

This Instagram user @dresuave901 added, “😮 d*mn we in other folks business again???“

And, Instagram user @kalibabbyywontbeherelong shared, “How we wake up in we in a d*mn war… smh“

Meanwhile, Instagram user @jamilwilkerson said, “I sure hope they don’t attack the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.“

While Instagram user @glamgirl24_ wrote, “I’m just giving it to god to protect us and cover us“

Lastly Instagram user @c.anais___ commented, “This is f*cking RIDICULOUS!!!“

RELATED: Armed Man Fatally Shot & Killed Following Unauthorized Entry Into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate (VIDEO)

Neve Campbell
Good Genes or
Good Docs?!

Published
March 1, 2026
12:01 AM PST

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