If there’s anything that history proves, it’s that nothing is permanent—not even nations. There have been several countries throughout the years that have disappeared, dissolved, or transformed into something entirely different. That certainly includes a few throughout cinema’s existence in the 20th century, which means that there are many movies out there whose home has vanished since their release.

Many such movies have either been forgotten by time or disappeared altogether, but there are a few masterpieces from countries that no longer exist that are widely counted among the greatest films ever made. From Yugoslav gems like pretty much Emir Kusturica‘s entire filmography to legendary Soviet movies like I Am Cuba, these are cornerstones of movie history that cinephiles should never allow themselves to forget.

‘I Was Nineteen’ (1968) From East Germany

Image via DEFA

Right before the end of World War II, the Allied powers agreed on the division of defeated Nazi Germany into occupation zones. The Soviet occupation zone turned into East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, a communist state whose economy soon became the most successful in the Eastern European Bloc. East Germany’s state-owned film studio was called DEFA, and the best movie that it ever produced is undoubtedly Konrad Wolf‘s I Was Nineteen. It’s a fictionalization of Wolf’s experiences, where a young boy who fled Germany with his parents returns as a lieutenant in the Red Army.

Due to its emphasis on subjective experience rather than propagandistic clarity, the DEFA disliked I Was Nineteen and tried to get Wolf to revise the screenplay in several ways. Yet, despite their interference, it is easily the best-made and most thought-provoking East German masterpiece. Though episodic, the film feels like a deeply intimate recollection of a man’s recollection of his tumultuous youth. It’s a stunning cinematic autobiography.

‘The Nightingale’s Prayer’ (1959) From the United Arab Republic

Image via Arab Film Distribution

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In 1958, a political union between Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic. Just three years later, Syria seceded from the union following a coup d’état, but Egypt continued to be known officially as the United Arab Republic until it was formally dissolved in 1971. During these (roughly) 13 years, the United Arab Republic produced several of what have gone down in history as the greatest African movies of all time. The most noteworthy of these is Henry Barakat‘s The Nightingale’s Prayer, a romance drama that follows a woman’s revenge plot against the engineer who destroyed her family’s honor.

It’s an immensely powerful social melodrama that’s surprisingly bleak and anti-patriarchy for its era. The Nightingale’s Prayer, which looks and feels delectably similar to the best of noirs being produced in Hollywood at the time, hasn’t aged perfectly in every department, but it still feels as well-performed, well-written, and well-directed today as it surely must have been back in the 1959 United Arab Republic.

‘Time of the Gypsies’ (1988) From Yugoslavia

Image via Ljubavny Film

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Yugoslavia came into existence following World War I, being the first union of South Slavic peoples as a sovereign state in history. Due to a wide variety of factors and after a violent multi-stage process, the country broke up between 1991 and 1992. But during its existence, it was the source of some of the greatest European films and filmmakers of its time, chief among which is the great Emir Kusturica. One of Kusturica’s best movies is the Yugoslav-Italian co-production Time of the Gypsies, a coming-of-age fantasy crime drama about a young Roma boy with telekinetic powers who is seduced by the world of petty crime.

It’s one of those ’80s movie masterpieces that most people have forgotten about, which won Kusturica the Best Director Award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Tragicomical, deeply moving, and unexpectedly dense (with a runtime of nearly two and a half hours), Time of the Gypsies is a beautifully chaotic epic that’s definitely a must-watch for history buffs and cinephiles alike.

‘Marketa Lazarová’ (1967) From Czechoslovakia

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In 1918, Czechoslovakia was created after declaring its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1992, it split peacefully into Czechia and Slovakia. Throughout those 74 years, Czechoslovakia was the home of some of the greatest and most groundbreaking European films of the 20th century. During the ’60s in particular, filmmakers like František Vláčil led theCzechoslovak New Wave, one of the most notorious European film movements of the era.This movement birthed the country’s greatest cinematic masterpiece: Marketa Lazarová, an epic period drama about a young girl promised to God who is kidnapped and raped by a marauder.

It’s an unsettling and absolutely brutal masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless. Clocking in at nearly three hours long and sprinkling surreal moments into the mix to enhance its psychologically intense atmosphere, it’s a dreamlike, poetic, and utterly mesmerizing work of art. Its score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is well deserved, since this is one of the most unforgettable period pieces in the history of cinema.

‘The Cranes Are Flying’ (1957) From the Soviet Union

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From 1922 until its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union was the world’s flagship communist state. The nation’s film industry was fully regulated by the central government in Moscow and, thus, often prone to censorship. Still, such a tremendously large number of cinematic masterpieces came out of that system that one can point to innumerable Soviet movies which could be counted among the greatest of the 20th century. One such movie is The Cranes Are Flying, a war drama about two lovers planning a rendezvous at the bank of a river, only for the man to be drafted into WWII shortly after.

Plenty of war films out there depict the horror and devastation of armed conflict in all manner of thought-provoking ways, as well as somewhat problematic war films that make war seem like an exciting prospect. But movies about the tedium of war, about how slow, boring, and existentially dreadful it can be? There aren’t nearly enough of those in existence, but Georgian-Soviet filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov made this one, which is great enough to make up for the scarcity of such movies. It’s a timeless cinematic miracle; poetic, visually splendid, and deeply human.

‘I Am Cuba’ (1964) From the Soviet Union

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A co-production between the Soviet Union and Cuba, I Am Cuba is proof that propaganda cinema isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it is widely recognized by cinephiles and film historians as one of the greatest films of the 1960s,an anthology film and political drama with some of the most revolutionary cinematography in the history of the art form. Also directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, it follows four vignettes about the lives of the Cuban people during the pre-revolutionary era.

The film was almost completely forgotten until it was rediscovered by American filmmakers in the ’90s, and Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were actually instrumental in its restoration and re-release in 1995. Politically radical, full of jaw-dropping visuals, and so ideologically profound that film scholars will probably continue to study it deeply for the rest of history, I Am Cuba is a must-see for all those who would say they love cinema.

‘Stalker’ (1979) From the Soviet Union

Andrei Tarkovsky was perhaps the greatest of all Soviet filmmakers, a poet with a camera who loved to work on his own terms. So much so, in fact, that he exiled himself from the Soviet Union in the early ’80s due to the unrelenting censorship and artistic interference from the government. The last film he made in the USSR was Stalker, one of the best and most beautiful arthouse sci-fi masterpieces of all time, full of the same kind of poetic pacing and philosophical depth that makes Tarkovsky timeless.Aside from being one of the sci-fi films with the strongest acting ever, the most gorgeous visuals ever, and the best dialogue ever, Stalker is a thought-provoking exploration of themes of faith, societal decay, and spiritual redemption. Its production was notoriously difficult (and led to Tarkovsky’s untimely death from cancer at 54 years old, since they shot in highly toxic locations), but the result is one of the most transcendental works of art in film history.

‘Underground’ (1995) From Yugoslavia

Image via Ciby 2000

The biggest masterpiece that Emir Kusturica ever directed was the satirical epic war film Underground, about two underground black marketeers who sell weapons to the Communist resistance in wartime Belgrade. Admirably genre-bending and enthralling throughout its nearly three hours of runtime, the film earned Kusturica his second Cannes Palme d’Or victory (after 1985’s When Father Was Away on Business), making him one of only ten directors in history to have won the award more than once.

It was a well-deserved victory, too, since Underground is an exhilarating masterpiece that offers an insightful look at life in Communist Eastern Europe. Hugely ambitious, disorienting, energetic, and carnivalesque, it’s movie magic in its purest form. Funny though it may be, Underground is also epically operatic and emotionally enthralling, making it one of history’s greatest cinematic masterpieces.

‘Come and See’ (1985) From the Soviet Union

Image via Sovexportfilm

Yet another Soviet masterpiece, the anti-war thriller coming-of-age Come and See is not only the highest-rated European film on Letterboxd, but the 4th-highest-rated movie on the platform in general. It’s a horrific, absolutely harrowing epic where, after finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against German forces during WWII. Plenty of movies make war seem like hell, but none nearly as effectively and potently as this one.

Directed by Elem Klimov and starring Aleksei Kravchenko, who delivers the most transformative and emotionally devastating child acting performance in film history, Come and See is not for the faint of heart. But daunting though it may be, it’s obligatory viewing for movie fans. It’s an unforgiving waking nightmare that you simply can’t forget, visually striking and full of hard-hitting scenes. Soviet cinema was rarely ever this good.

‘Andrei Rublev’ (1966) From the Soviet Union

Image via Janus Films

Actually, Soviet cinema was only ever slightly better than Klimov’s Come and See once, and that was when Andrei Tarkovsky made his magnum opus, Andrei Rublev, arguably the greatest movie of the last 100 years. It’s a three-hour-long arthouse biopic about the life, times, and afflictions of the titular Medieval Russian icon painter, though the movie is far more focused on Medieval Russian history than on Rublev’s life in terms of historical accuracy. However, Tarkovsky is even more interested in the thematic depth of this thought-provoking film about art, religion, spirituality, and where those things intersect.

Andrei Rublev will be an obnoxious bore for those who hate slow-burning cinema, but for people who love arthouse films that take their time and aren’t afraid to slow down and let the narrative breathe, it will be an unforgettable experience. The acting is phenomenal, Tarkovsky’s direction is so transcendentally powerful that it almost doesn’t feel human, and the long runtime doesn’t have a single second where it’s not absolutely fascinating. The Soviet Union may not exist anymore, but Tarkovsky’s work will prove eternal.

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Andrei Rublev

Release Date

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December 16, 1966

Runtime

183 minutes

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Director

Andrei Tarkovsky

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General Hospital early weekly spoilers for March 30th through April 3rd stun as Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) is going to be absolutely devastated and Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) terrified.

As we always do on early edition day, we start with what is coming the rest of this week and then talk about what is ahead for next week.

General Hospital Spoilers Wednesday, March 25th: Something’s Not Right in Surgery

So, on Wednesday, March 25th, we have in surgery Dr. Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson) telling Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) that something is not right. So, this does not sound good for Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) at all because the two of them are working on him. But I honestly expect him to pull through. I hope he does. Fingers crossed. We should find out on Wednesday, Thursday at the latest.

And Elizabeth has to break bad news on Wednesday. And again, nurses don’t tell people that patients died. That’s a doctor’s job. But that’s kind of part of why I feel like Marco survives. And this may be Elizabeth telling Lucas once he’s out of Ross Cullum’s (Andrew Hawkes) surgery that his boyfriend Marco is in the hospital, just got out of surgery and has been stabbed. And Lucas is having his own little crisis in surgery saying, “Come on, Cullum.”

So, it looks like they might be losing him. I mean, good riddance to bad rubbish. But honestly, he’s so awful. I don’t think he’s going to die either. Even though I’d be cheering for it, you know, when GH brings on somebody that fans hate, they just don’t up and get rid of them like we would like them to. You know, Peter August (Wes Ramsey) lived way too long. Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) lived way too long. So, I don’t know if Cullum’s going to be pushing up daisies quite yet.

GH Spoilers: Lulu Begs Rocco to Keep Quiet

And Lulu gives Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) a warning. And Lulu’s telling Rocco, “Promise me you won’t tell anybody.” So, at this point, I think she’s going to have found out that he shot Cullum, who may die. And Lulu doesn’t want him to go down for it. And I think this is going to leapfrog her and Nathan West’s (Ryan Paevey) relationship forward while he’s protecting her son.

Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn) tells Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) and Charlotte Cassadine (Blusey Burke) that his dad Jason Morgan‘s (Steve Burton) in danger and Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) is the only one who can help. So obviously, you know, they’re over at Carly’s house and somehow thinking that he can work a miracle.

But Charlotte is let down according to spoilers for Wednesday and I suspect if Valentin does talk to them, he just says there’s nothing he can do. He doesn’t have any power to help. Danny, of course, will be upset. Charlotte may be upset too because she’s the one who suggested this. So the residual question is would Danny rat out Valentin? If he goes to talk to Jason, he’ll probably tell him just zip it. Don’t tell anybody that he’s there or Carly’s going to go to prison.

General Hospital Spoilers: Jason & Nathan Scheme to Protect Rocco

Nathan is telling Jason while Dante Falconeri’s (Dominic Zamprogna) there in the interrogation room that Jason needs to make his next decision carefully, but wink wink nudge nudge. Nathan and Jason are conspiring behind Dante’s back. Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) is in a race against time and she wants to see Jason before he’s sent to Steinmauer or wherever.

And we’ll see if the warrant at the WSB takes precedence over the PCPD arrest for shooting Cullum and if he survives, of course not. And Britt is frantically saying one way or another she is going to see Jason. She’s at the hospital getting checked out this week, but may force them to let her leave.

And Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) walks in on a close moment. There’s a couple of things he could see. He could walk in on Nathan and Jason conspiring over Rocco. He could walk in on Jason kissing Britt in the interrogation room bc Jason’s obvi gonna be gone for a while.

And over at Wyndemere, by the way, with their faces only inches apart on Wednesday, we’re going to see on Ava Jerome (Maura West) telling Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) she enjoys a challenge. And he says, “So does he.” So this could be Chase coming in to interrupt them to notify Sidwell about Marco’s attack.

GH Spoilers Thursday, March 26th: Nathan Makes a Promise

Then on Thursday, March 26th, Nathan makes a promise. And it may be to Jason to protect Rocco. I mean, Britt was conked out. So, she doesn’t know about Rocco, but Jason, you know, was saying say that I shot him, and that’s pretty easy to figure out. And Rocco may even talk to her about it.

Meanwhile, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) tells Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) that he needs help. So, Sonny may be questioned in Marco’s stabbing, whether he lives or dies. And Carly gives somebody advice they didn’t ask for. So it could be Charlotte or Danny who showed up at her house or it could be Valentin.

And Sidwell opens up to Ava. So, if they’re together when he gets the news about Marco, I’m sure Ava’s going to come to General Hospital with Sidwell. And of course, he’s very concerned about his beloved son. Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) makes a connection and with both Cullum and Marco injured, she may do the math on that. We’ll see.

Friday, March 27th on General Hospital: Sonny Demands Answers

Friday, March 27th, we’re going to end this week with Sonny getting a visit from DA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor). He and his little doggy, Fizz, are happy to see her. Things may heat up again, but she may also be prodding Sonny to see if he was somehow involved in the attack on Marco, which he didn’t have a role in that.

Michael Corinthos (Rory  Gibson) is cautious and it could be about Jacinda Bracken (Paige Herschell) because of Tracy Quartermaine’s (Jane Elliot) comments that Michael was disrespecting her or it could be something to do with this latest attack. Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza) pays Dante a visit

And Gio may be looking for some father-son bonding time and we know Dante would love that. Joss has an offer for somebody and it could be Lucas or it could be Valentin about Carly. Also, Lulu is investigating, so she may start digging into Cullum based on what Rocco tells her about the things he overheard Britt and Cullum saying.

And Lulu already hated the guy for showing up at her house and wanting to see her kids. Plus, Sonny demands answers on Friday. And it could be about Jason. And we’ll see if Sonny’s going to get to see Jason before he is shipped off.

Week of March 30th-April 3rd GH Spoilers

The week of March 30th through April 3rd, we’re going to have massive fallout from Jason’s arrest and his exit. And we’ll see if he is sent straight to Steinmauer or maybe they’re going to send him to Pentonville and he goes missing along the way.

Plus, Sidwell is going to want to avenge the attack on Marco. He may suspect Sonny since Sidwell was leveraging him. And if Marco is in a coma or he’s dead or he’s scared to tell his dad the truth that it was Cullum, you know, then Sonny would continue to be the top suspect.

And Marco honestly would probably be okay with that if he’s too scared to tattle on Cullum. Like if Cullum is dead, which I don’t think he will be, but I hope so. Then I think he would tell his dad the truth. But if Cullum survives, Marco may be terrified and may be fine with Sonny going down for this.

General Hospital Spoilers: Britt Terrified & Joss Determined

Plus, Josslyn tries to protect Carly from Valentin. Britt is terrified because Cullum broke her medicine vials. And you know, we’ve got Marco stabbed, maybe dead, hope not, which means that takes away her hope to get hold of more meds to reverse engineer.

Even if Cullum dies, and we’ll know soon if he does, Sidwell will still be cracking the whip about this project. Nathan and Lulu are determined to protect Rocco and go all out to make it happen. Lulu is intently digging for answers. Sonny and Justine try to keep each other in the friend zone. And Lucas is absolutely distraught by this attack on Marco.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

2022’s Squirrel doesn’t have a single squirrel in it, but it’s about a cult full of a bunch of nuts, so maybe that’s the connection writer-director Matt Glass was going for with the title. However, the nuts depicted in Squirrel aren’t so bad, and once you get to know them, they’re basically harmless. Sure, they might try to indoctrinate you, and they’re probably more than willing to make human sacrifices for honey, a fate Nicolas Cage is all too familiar with. They’re not making anybody drink any weird Kool-Aid, though, and they actually serve what looks like real food to their guests instead of gruel.

Not quite a horror movie, and not quite a comedy, Squirrel succeeds in subverting every expectation you have going in, and makes for a great watch if you’re looking for something a little left of center.

It’s All About That Red Honey

It may seem at first like there’s not much going on in Squirrel, as it’s your typical “couple in the woods gets taken in by a cult” setup. When we meet Charlotte (Tara Perry) and Casey (Alex Hyner), they’re on a camping trip where the latter tries to prove his manliness by building the worst looking fire you’ve ever seen. After a series of strange events, culminating in Charlotte seriously injuring her leg, the couple has a run-in with Tommy (Thomas Hobson) and Anderson (Tom DeTrinis), who take them into their compound.

Casey, who wanted Charlotte to break out of her comfort zone in the first place, is immediately suspicious of Tommy and Anderson, suspecting foul play. Charlotte, who’s grateful for the food and shelter, is more open to their hospitality. It’s quickly revealed that the two men belong to a cult that harvests a special red varietal of maple syrup with healing properties, and that their compound has been in trouble for quite some time.

Even worse, it’s alluded to, but never explicitly stated, that the cult, led by the charismatic and magnanimous Wilder (Curtis Anderson), may be looking for a human sacrifice to ensure a better honey yield. Charlotte is rightfully suspicious, but can’t argue with the results. Her leg injury rendered her immobile, Tommy rubbed some red honey on the wound, and she was walking in no time.

Casey, who becomes increasingly and disproportionately angry and unpredictable as the film moves through its first and second acts, may be more closely connected to the cult than he realizes, but he’s too blinded by his own paranoia to ever make the connection. This combination of personality and miscommunication is what really sells Squirrel, because there’s no real conflict here outside of each character’s assumptions about the people they’re interacting with.

The Third Act Payoff Is Worth The Wait

While you may find yourself wondering what’s so special about Squirrel early on, your patience will be rewarded. It has the kind of twist you’ll never see coming, and I’m saying that as somebody who almost exclusively watches psychological thrillers. Everybody seems like they’re up to something, and in most cases they are, but that “something” they’re up to is never quite what you expect, making the whole thing play out like a fever dream.

Squirrel, in all of its squirrelless glory, is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

It all adds up to something wonderful.

By Nick Venable
| Updated 1 hour ago

Back in 1983, Terry Gilliam and his Monty Python cohorts took on the Meaning of Life, never quite defining it other than demonstrating that our lives are the sum of our experiences. Gilliam’s 2014 candy-colored mind-bender, The Zero Theorem, is a film about a man who is also looking for a deeper context to this thing called existence.

Narrowing his scope to one character in The Zero Theorem, more or less, Gilliam is able to tackle vastly large ideas without having to pretend that he has all the answers. There is always meaning if you look for it. And if you don’t, well, that sure is some pretty scenery, isn’t it?

In The Zero Theorem, a hairless Christoph Waltz plays Qohen Leth, a computer programmer (for lack of a better job description) whose list of phobias, ticks, and eccentricities could fill a medical text. He lives the bulk of his solitude in a converted church where rats and birds are his unofficial roommates, only traveling outside to go to work for a company called Mancom that deals in crunching entities and liquid memory and other buzzwords that aren’t the point.

Qohen’s main goals in The Zero Theorem involve working from home and staying around his telephone. He’s waiting for a magical call that will reveal all of life’s mysteries.

Qohen is good at his unintelligible career, and that’s recognized by Mancom’s head honcho, Management (Matt Damon). Damon’s character is a Big Brother-ish personification of a demigod seeking an answer to the titular Zero Theorem.

Matt Damon’s Zero Theorem Wardrobe Is One Of Film’s Greatest Achievements

Though Damon is only on screen for a few minutes, the Management character is a constant presence throughout the film, always watching and manipulating things behind the scenes. Plus, his wardrobe is one of the film’s greatest achievements.

Though Qohen would rather live his life alone in front of his computer, a string of other characters enter his personal space, all seemingly trying to help him reach one breakthrough or another. There’s his supervisor Joby (David Thewlis), a genial chap who generally wishes to keep Qohen on the path to salvation despite never bothering to remember his correct name. Mélanie Thierry is excellent as Bainsley, a semi-femme fatale who opens Qohen’s eyes to a world of emotion that he hadn’t necessarily been looking for.

Also in The Zero Theorem, Bob (Lucas Hedges) is a teen computer genius who finds potential in Qohen and attempts to crack his third-person manner of living. Finally, Tilda Swinton appears via computer screen as Dr. Shrink-Rom, Qohen’s mandated and ever-present therapist.

Other The Zero Theorem bit parts are played by an itchy Peter Stormare, Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Ben Whishaw. Pay attention to the commercials playing on the endless digital screens lining the city streets, as you’ll see Rupert Friend, Robin Williams, Gwendoline Christie, and more.

A Huge Movie Filled With Big Things

To describe The Zero Theorem as anything other than “a Terry Gilliam movie” would be a disservice to the passion that went into it. Whether on a technical or storytelling level, this is a huge movie, filled with high-ceiling sets, retro-technical props, brilliant color schemes, dazzling costumes, depressing existentialism, and big performances.

Stop The Zero Theorem at any point, and the image on the screen could probably stand alone as a work of art, given Gilliam’s penchant for askew angles and fish-eye lenses. Plus, the entire production is a testament to the director’s efficiency in squeezing every iota of worth from the dollar, as this flick was made for around $8.5 million despite looking like it cost 10 times that much.

Zero Theorem Isn’t Brazil

Many people have compared The Zero Theorem to Gilliam’s classic Brazil, but it felt completely different to me, as it was more about the cog’s own inner mechanics rather than the outer machine swallowing everything up.

There’s a recurring image of an all-encompassing black hole that serves as either Qohen’s dream life or his worst nightmare, and it’s as good an example as any of Gilliam’s constant balance between the macro and the micro, taking big steps in small places. It won’t, or can’t, resonate with everyone, because not everyone is equipped to obsess over their station in life in such a way.

For me, though, The Zero Theorem was a singular treat from beginning to end, largely because Gilliam isn’t playing this as a deeply heady drama. There is darkness, to be sure, but it’s all wallpapered over with comedic surreality.

Zero Theorem Will Make You Ready For The Whims Of Eternal Nothingness

Maybe we’re not supposed to find humor in Qohen having to get dressed up in a complicated virtual reality suit in order to feel a sexual connection with someone, but I can’t assume Gilliam would want it any other way. To me, the film’s tone is fully expressed in Qohen’s stance that just because he wants to be alone doesn’t mean he’s lonely. We aren’t meant to feel sorry for Qohen, despite Waltz’s sympathetic performance.

Walking away from The Zero Theorem, I don’t feel that I know any more about myself or about the commercialized world around me, but I suddenly want to run out and get to know as many people as possible. Not only because my personal beliefs about life are tethered to connectivity and friendships, but because I’m hoping to run into a Bainsley or two before I succumb to the whims of eternal nothingness.

Returning for its third season last month, The Night Agent has cemented its place as one of Netflix’s best action thrillers with yet another batch of unmissable episodes. The Gabriel Basso spy series first made a splash on the streamer in 2023 and quickly became a favorite of millions. Accumulating over 812 million hours viewed in its first few months, there was no denying the show’s franchise potential.

Season 2 also proved popular, and, although the most recent third installment faced a 39.6% drop in viewership, it is still taking its rightful place among the upper echelons of the streaming charts. “With The Night Agent Season 3, Ryan and his creative team deliver a thriller that feels both entertaining and purposeful,” wrote Jen Vestuto in her review for Collider. “By tightening its storytelling, deepening its characters, and delivering deliberate, hard-hitting action sequences, The Night Agent has officially delivered its strongest season yet,” she added.

If you’ve finished your binge of Season 3 and are looking for what to watch next, here’s a handy guide to seven spy movies that are better than The Night Agent.

7

‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ (2014)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Its subsequent prequel and sequel might not prove as successful, but the first installment in the Kingsman franchise perfectly captures an exciting era for spy stories. By using slow-motion action sequences and iconic rock songs — before this became a frustratingly overused trope — Kingsman brought the spy genre into the modern day after some in the audience had become tired.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the comic he devised with artist Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the movie follows Harry Hart (Colin Firth) who must help fashion stubborn new recruit Eggsy (Taron Egerton) into an agent to help take down the world-threatening eco-terrorist Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). Fast-paced, vibrant, and a winner of two Empire Awards, Kingsman is a perfect follow-up to The Night Agent.

6

‘Black Bag’ (2025)

Image via Focus Features

The most recent entry on this list is one of the most underrated movies of 2025. In fact, Black Bag might well be the best sleeper hit from a mixed crop of modern-day spy movies. The film stars the brilliant duo of Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as intelligence officers George Woodhouse and Kathryn St. Jean, whose relationship is put to the test when one is convinced the other is a traitor.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, this slick, compact spy thriller trims the fat of a potentially bloated narrative and delivers a lean, 94-minute gem. Gripping from start to finish and boasting a wicked sense of humor, Black Bag wouldn’t be the same without its expertly assembled cast, which includes the aforementioned Blanchett and Fassbender alongside Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

5

‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)

Image via Focus Features

As fans of the Apple TV series Slow Horses will confirm, a spy story led by Gary Oldman is sure to be a hit. In 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, based on John le Carré‘s 1974 novel, Oldman plays George Smiley, an agent of the British Intelligence Agency a.k.a The Circus. After his boss, Control (Sir John Hurt), is ousted from his position and eventually dies, Smiley is left with the task of returning from forced retirement to solve the mystery around his death.

A slow-burner that is as intelligent as it is gripping, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy features a bevy of famous British faces, from Oldman and Hurt to Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth, all working in talented tandem thanks to a smart Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan script. The movie earned a trio of Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Oldman in Best Actor, although it sadly missed out in all three categories.

4

‘The Bourne Identity’ (2002)

Image via Universal Studios

This spy story changed the game. The first entry in the Bourne series stars Matt Damon as the now-iconic Jason Bourne, a man salvaged from near-death who, despite suffering from amnesia, is extraordinarily talented in the skillset of a spy. Desperate to learn of his past, Bourne sets out on a deadly mission, chased by malevolent assassins.

During a stale period for the genre, The Bourne Identity arrived and sacrificed CGI-heavy, unbelievable action with gritty, hand-to-hand combat, accentuated by the use of so-called “shaky-cam” to illustrate authenticity. True, this itself quickly became the tired norm for spy movies, but it’s impossible not to recognize The Bourne Identity‘s innovation.

3

‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Last year, in his Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise‘s Ethan Hunt rode off into the sunset, happy that every Impossible Mission had been made possible. But of these missions, which was his best? That would be Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth installment in the franchise, which saw Hunt and his team face an unknown evil and a terrorist-for-hire group known as Apostles.

Packed with some of the most breathless, exhilarating action set pieces in recent memory, Fallout is by quite some distance the most innovative and stunt-heavy entry into the franchise. Focusing on practical effects and capturing Cruise at the peak of his “I do all my own stunts” powers, Fallout delivers a cinematic spectacle difficult to replicate.

2

‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

A list of great spy movies would be incomplete without the most famous of all: James Bond. For my money, the best of Bond has happened in this century, courtesy of the suave Daniel Craig, and there is no better option from his impressive catalog than the very first, Casino Royale.

As we edge closer to the final act of Casino Royale, Bond comes face to face with poker player and private banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a game of Texas Hold ’em, with the climactic hand on the final night of the game simply some of the best spy cinema in modern movies. Add to that a cast stacked with talent and a fresh-faced Craig breathing new life into the role, and a recipe for success is born.

1

‘North by Northwest’ (1959)

Image via MGM

In the hands of the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, the spy genre is able to blossom into its full potential. This is best on display in North by Northwest, the 1959 tale of New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) as he is mistaken for a government agent by spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) and ruthlessly pursued.

From its first to its last moments, North by Northwest is a thrilling masterclass in creating tension, as a late-era Hitchcock utilized all his extensive knowledge of cinema to create. Not only is the movie a perfect example of spy storytelling, but it’s also visually iconic, with cinematographer Robert Burks at the peak of his powers. Truly, there is nothing else quite like North by Northwest, and it is the most obvious choice for films that are better than The Night Agent.

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Release Date

September 8, 1959

Runtime

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136 minutes

Writers

Ernest Lehman

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The internet is buzzing about Melania Trump walking alongside an AI robot at the White House.

According to a video shared by CSPAN via X, the first lady was accompanied by the Figure 3 robot while hosting a summit at the White House on Wednesday, March 25. The device was created by robotics company Figure and is powered by AI.

Trump wore a white suit as she walked down the hallway alongside the black-and-white humanoid robot, which matched her pace on its own two legs. Once getting to the end of the hallway, Trump stopped and let the robot proceed to the discussion area, where it addressed the audience.

“Thank you first lady Melania Trump for inviting me to the White House. It is an honor to be at Foster the Future Together’s global coalition inaugural meeting,” the bot said. “I’m Figure 3, a humanoid built in the United States of America. I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.”

The robot then waved as it greeted the crowd in multiple languages before leaving the room.

Social media users wasted no time sharing their thoughts on the introduction after the video was shared.

“We all know how this ends. But it’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine,” one user joked, including a GIF from the Terminator movies. (In the iconic franchise, a cybernetic assassin is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, whose son saves humanity from a hostile AI entity.)

Another person tweeted, “Oh it’s real, I thought it was an AI generated video 🤯.”

Others poked fun at how the robot walked, comparing its stride to actual humans.

“Which one is the robot? 👀,” one user wrote, while another retorted, “It walks just like Joe Biden.”

Melania returned to the White House alongside her husband, President Donald Trump, after he won the 2024 election, defeating former vice president Kamala Harris.

Related: Melania Trump‘s Dress at Banquet Sparks Debate: Pink or Purple Belt?

Is it pink or purple? Melania Trump’s belted dress has the internet doing a double take. The first lady, 55, attended a state banquet hosted by the British royal family at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, September 17, wearing a Carolina Herrera design that has since sparked an online debate. At first glance, her off-the-shoulder, floor-length […]

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Wednesday’s summit was held to promote the development of safe, effective educational technologies for children. According to Figure’s website, the new humanoid robot can handle “household tasks like laundry, cleaning and doing dishes, all autonomously.”

While celebrating the “distinct honor” of being joined by group leaders for the Fostering the Future Together summit, Melania poked fun at her new robot companion.

“It’s fair to state you are my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House,” she teased.

Jessi Draper is hurling serious accusations at her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, via a recent interview, indicating that the couple’s divorce will be a messy one.

“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star dropped a series of bombshells regarding her marriage to Ngatikaura, the most serious of which is alleging that he emotionally abused her.

‘Mormon Wives’ Star Jessi Draper Dropped Bombshell Claim She Was Victim Of ‘Emotional Abuse’ By Ex Jordan Ngatikaura 

During her March 25 “Call Her Daddy” appearance, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jessi Draper opened up about a variety of current issues with the show’s cast, but her most dramatic comments involve her soon-to-be ex-husband Jordan Ngatikaura.

In the interview, which comes a week after Ngatikaura filed for divorce on March 19, Draper recalled how a visit to an energy healer made her realize that during her marriage, she suffered “emotional abuse.”

“I told her everything, and it was the first time I said it out loud, and that was like, the moment also that I was like, ‘I have to leave him,’” she said. “She goes, ‘Jessi, this is emotional abuse,’ and … it didn’t click to me until in that moment.”

Draper also shared that when discussing her marital issues with those close to her, they previously determined that she was in an emotionally abusive relationship.

“They were like, ‘Jessi, this isn’t normal.’ It felt like the glass had shattered,” she recalled to podcast host Alex Cooper.

Draper Called Out Ngatikaura’s Motive For Filing For Divorce First Despite Her Previously Ending Their Relationship

The JZ Styles founder said that she and Ngatikaura discussed telling their children privately together, but he “blindsided” her by filing for divorce first, which she finds suspicious.

“He was definitely trying to get ahead of something, which is ironic ’cause I’m the one who ended it,” Draper revealed. “I told him on Friday the 13th, so not that long ago, and I just said I want a divorce. He definitely didn’t want it, and now he’s the one rushing to do it, which is a little strange.”

She also accused Ngatikaura of blackmail due to threatening to release information about her emotional affair with “Vanderpump Villa” star Marciano Brunette. The details of the affair were heavily documented in the third season of “Mormon Wives.”

“It got to a point where he was blackmailing me with Marciano texts, and he had them on a draft on his phone on TikTok, and anytime he was mad at me, he was like, ‘I’m going to post them. I’m going to ruin your life,’” Draper alleged.

Elsewhere in the sit-down interview, Draper said Ngatikaura was involved in his own cheating situations. 

“Do you want to talk about the escorts? Do you want to talk about the orgies? I’m ready to tell the whole story because I have nothing to hide,” she said.

Jessi Draper Also Spoke About The Domestic Violence Allegations Against Taylor Frankie Paul

“I don’t like to judge someone in their darkest moment. I don’t want to judge the person, I’ll judge the mistake,” Draper told Cooper. “Taylor really has made a lot of changes, and that’s what’s so hard for me. This is my real friend, and she does have a really good heart, and I love her so much.”

Draper noted that Paul has been dealing with a lot of pain behind the scenes, which she said is not necessarily indicative of who she is.

“Seeing that video is so hard, because there’s so much pain underneath the surface for Taylor,” she said during the interview, visibly holding back tears. “It’s not who Taylor is. She got caught in a really bad cycle.”

Jordan Ngatikaura Recently Filed A Restraining Order Against Jessi Draper, Which She Immediately Disputed

On March 20, one day after he filed for divorce, court documents show that Jordan Ngatikauara filed a temporary restraining order in connection with the divorce proceedings.

However, Jessi Draper immediately opposed it mere hours after it was submitted.

Per Page Six, on Wednesday, March 25, Ngatikaura’s temporary restraining order request was denied by a judge.

The Former Couple’s Marriage Was A Major Focus On The Current Season Of ‘Mormon Wives’

The timing of the divorce comes just after the release of Season 4 of “Mormon Wives,” which was released on March 12. 

In the latest season, viewers watched Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura trying to work through their marital issues, but it was clear that things were not going well.

The couple had several heated arguments on camera throughout the season, giving fans a front-row seat to the strain in their marriage. 

In one tense exchange, Draper Jessi told Ngatikaura that she decided to use her maiden name, a move Ngatikaura labeled as “selfish.” 

Members of #MomTok also shared their concern when they discovered Draper was repeatedly spending nights away from home, staying at a hotel when she and Ngatikaura would argue.

Towards the end of the season, Draper tearfully reveals her discovery that her prenuptial agreement may not hold up legally, after realizing it was never signed by a witness. She told #MomTok that because of the oversight, divorcing Ngatikaura could cost her “millions.”

There are a few strange James Franco movies out there, but this may be the strangest.

By Rick Gonzales
| Published 11 seconds ago

For most of her career, Zooey Deschanel built a brand on quirky, offbeat charm, not anything remotely edgy. That’s exactly why Your Highness stands out. It isn’t a sweet indie or a rom-com detour; it’s a deliberately crude, R-rated stoner fantasy packed with crude jokes, skin, and lowbrow humor. In the middle of all that, Deschanel ends up in what’s easily the most overtly raunchy role of her career, not because the movie is subtle about it, but because it isn’t.

Two Brothers Try To Stop The Birth Of A Dragon

Your Highness follows two royal brothers who couldn’t be more different. Fabious (James Franco) is the classic heroic prince, brave, noble, and next in line for the throne. Thadeous (Danny McBride) is the opposite: lazy, stoned, and completely uninterested in responsibility, content to drift through life with his equally useless companion Courtney.

After defeating the sorcerer Leezar (Justin Theroux), Fabious returns home with Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), a rescued maiden he plans to marry. The wedding doesn’t last long. Leezar crashes it, kidnaps her again, and reveals a plan so absurd it fits the movie perfectly: use her to create a dragon that will help him conquer the kingdom.

Forced into action, Thadeous is ordered by his father to join Fabious on a rescue mission or face exile. Along the way, the brothers uncover betrayal within their own ranks, survive a series of increasingly ridiculous threats, and are saved by Isabel (Natalie Portman), a warrior hunting Leezar for revenge.

When Fabious is captured, Thadeous is finally pushed into doing something heroic. The mission turns into a last-ditch assault on Leezar’s stronghold, with the fate of the kingdom resting on the one person least qualified to save it.

Your Highness Failed To Perform On Release

Your Highness was one of the last vestiges of the stoner comedy era, and in a sense, maybe its failure ended it. Released by Universal Pictures in April 2011, the R-rated comedy opened weakly and never recovered, finishing with about $21.6 million domestically and roughly $28 million worldwide against a reported $49 million budget. It was a clear financial miss, with limited audience turnout and poor word of mouth cutting off any chance of a rebound.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago-Sun Times summed up the movie’s problems by saying it’s a “juvenile excrescence that feels like the work of 11-year-old boys in love with dungeons, dragons, warrior women, pot, boobs, and four-letter words.”

James Franco, before his cancellation, joked, via Entertainment Weekly, about the movie during the Comedy Central James Franco Roast. “I agreed to do this roast because I wanted to do something I’ve never done before, something that has zero artistic value, something that nobody will remember three months from now, something that’s offensive, homophobic and stars horrifically untalented people and something that’s only a big deal to a handful of teenage stoners on Twitter. You might say, ‘James, didn’t you just describe Your Highness? I wouldn’t know, I didn’t see Your Highness.”

60 years ago, the BBC routinely erased and reused its 16mm reels to save money and space. This short-term solution has now created a chasm in early British television history and culture, as hundreds of hours of pioneering programming have been lost to time. One of the most significant casualties was Doctor Who, whose first six years produced 253 episodes spanning William Hartnell‘s tenure as the First Doctor, and Patrick Troughton, as the Second. With the original reels wiped, generations of fans and TV historians only have partial access to the earliest adventures of the Time Lord.

Over the decades, many of the 253 lost Doctor Who episodes have been recovered through campaigns and archival work by fans and organizations. Now, in the largest Doctor Who discovery since 2013, when nine lost episodes were found in Nigeria, BBC Archives and the Leicester-based charity Film Is Fabulous! have announced the recovery of two episodes long considered gone. These episodes are critical to understanding the foundation of Doctor Who and his now iconic antagonists, the Daleks. Their discovery provides an underexplored avenue for future archival efforts, reigniting the hunt for the remaining 95 lost episodes to complete the 26 unfinished stories.

What Happens in Doctor Who’s “The Daleks’ Masterplan”?

Image via BBC

The two newly-found episodes of Doctor Who, which have not been viewed publicly since their original airing in the 1960s, feature the first incarnation of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, tackling a Dalek plan to take over the Earth. They are from the 12-part 1965 serial “The Daleks’ Masterplan” and are the episodes “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet,” which join the previously recovered “Day of Armageddon” to complete the first three installments of the Daleks’ first major story. Written by Dalek creator, Terry Nation and Dennis Spooner, the serial also starred Peter Purves as Stephen Taylor, who has criticized the BBC, including in Doctor Who Magazine, for their destructive policy: “I’m furious the BBC was so profligate and unthinking. They didn’t even archive the telecine copies. How stupid is that?”

The first newly recovered episode, “The Nightmare Begins,” originally broadcast in November 1965 as part of Season 3, sees the Doctor and Steven land on the jungle planet Kemble while searching for help for an injured companion. They unexpectedly discover a secret Dalek assembly, where they have allied with Mavic Chen, played by Kevin Stoney, the Guardian of the Solar System, to take over Earth. The Doctor and Steven secretly observe the gathering before being detected, ending the episode on a tense cliffhanger. The second episode, “Devil’s Planet,” aired two weeks later, follows the Doctor after he has stolen a critical component needed for the Daleks’ plan. He lands on the planet Desperus and he and his companions must navigate the chaos as the Daleks arrive in pursuit.

“The Daleks’ Masterplan” is a dark and gritty 12-part arc with more than half of its episodes still missing. Other key cast members include Nicholas Courtney in an early appearance as Brett Vyon, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom and Adrienne Hill as Katarina. Courtney would later become known for his recurring role as the Brigadier. The serial marks the fourth appearance of the Daleks and is notable for the first brutal deaths of female companions in the series.

Related

‘Doctor Who’ Fans Should Watch This Forgotten 4-Season Sci-Fi Thriller That Still Feels Unsettling

This British series treated the future as administratively hostile.

Why Are There So Many Missing Doctor Who Episodes?

Broadcasts of Doctor Who were wiped under a BBC-wide policy in the 1960s and 70s due to the high cost of reels and lack of archiving priority and strategy. Even technical review copies, which were created from the original negatives to check quality and determine whether edits were required for overseas sales, were discarded. Unlike previous Doctor Who episodes which have been recovered from foreign broadcasters, “The Daleks’ Masterplan” had not been sold abroad because Australian and New Zealand censors deemed it too violent. So, combined with the shift to color, the black-and-white serial was considered commercially worthless.

Film is Fabulous! recovered the episodes from a ramshackle private collection. Justin Smith, chair of FIF, said to the BBC that, “A debt of gratitude was owed to the anonymous late collector, whose films largely focused on his love of trains and canals, including hundreds of home videos, which were donated to FIF after he died.”

Missing episodes of Doctor Who have been previously recovered in several waves, beginning in 1983 when 16mm prints of episodes 5 and 10 of “The Daleks’ Masterplan” were discovered at a church in Wandsworth, London. In 2004, the episode “Day of Armageddon” was returned by a former BBC engineer, having survived as another technical copy used for quality checks. A wider public effort followed in 2006 through a Blue Peter appeal encouraging fans to search private collections, contributing to further additions such as the 2011 recovery of episodes from “Galaxy 4” and “The Underwater Menace.” The most significant modern discovery came in 2013 in Jos, Nigeria, where nine missing episodes from Second Doctor stories were uncovered, marking the largest single recovery in decades. BBC Archives have now restored the two latest episodes to broadcast quality, and they will be released on BBC iPlayer at Easter 2026, with a special screening in London on the same day, April 4.

“The Daleks’ Masterplan” is pivotal for understanding the series’ original tone, scale, and characters — many of which have informed how the series has continued in its original run and current iteration from Russell T. Davies. With this new recovery, the first quarter of the largest Dalek story ever attempted is now available to fans, renewing hope that further missing episodes may be unexpectedly found in the UK rather than abroad. The complete history of Doctor Who may finally be preserved, and the BBC will be finally redeemed for their biggest archival mistake.

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Release Date

2005 – 2022-00-00

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Network

BBC

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Directors

Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy

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