By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 26 seconds ago

There’s no denying that Jordan Peele is one of the great horror directors of the last 10 years. Get Out, Us, and Nope were all hits. That’s why fans were so excited when HIM was announced. Jordan Peele’s name was all the marketing, the name fit alongside the rest of his filmography, and the first trailer looked like the same striking horror imagery he perfected.

The horror film, now available on Netflix, was only produced by Peele. You’ll still find plenty of people today who think he wrote and directed the film, which is a shame, because if he did, it would be a better film. 

HIM Has No Time For Subtlety

HIM follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, a former college football player turned actor) as the promising young player derailed by a vicious attack from a psycho wearing a goat mask. To get back on track, he goes to the remote compound of his idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), and takes part in a series of bizarre drills. There’s obviously something wrong with White and the compound, which might as well include a large neon arrow pointing to the horned skull on the wall when the two first meet. 

The meat of HIM follows Cam training at the compound, meeting the bizarre group of hangers-on and assistants that surround Isiah, including his social-media influencer wife (Julia Fox) and doctor Marco (comedian Jim Jeffries), oh, and the star’s crazed fans, outright described as a “cult” by Isiah’s team. It’s supposed to be tense, with the horror slowly escalating, but it’s done with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Instead of going along for the ride, you’re waiting for the twist you can see coming the moment you see the team’s name, The Saviors. 

HIM Needed Streaming To Be A Hit

What makes HIM interesting isn’t its slow burn plot, it’s how it looks. Cam is centered in most of the shots, putting us inside his head as he tries to make sense of the growing insanity around him. It’s a unique way to frame a movie, and the best performance by the back of an actor’s head since The Wrestler. HIM should be better than it is, but there’s something missing. 

There are moments of bizarre silliness: Singing over a downed teammate’s body, Cam’s strange hallucinations, and the entire third act. By the time HIM pays off, the audience is checked out.

Critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes agree, with a 36 percent and 58 percent rating, respectively. During its brief theatrical run, the film barely recouped its $27 million budget, earning $28 million, yet since debuting on Netflix this month, it’s been in the streamer’s top ten. People want to give it a chance, but they just don’t want to pay movie theater prices. 

I wanted to enjoy HIM, which at least dared to try something different in an increasingly sanitized Hollywood. I’m also a sucker for gothic horror. The edges of the film that hint at something dark and disturbing boiling beneath the surface make a promise the gore-filled, bonkers finale can’t live up to. Jordan Peele’s films leave the audience with plenty of questions, but HIM’s largest question is, “What did I just watch?”

HIM is now on Netflix.

Elon Musk is once again at the center of online speculation, but this time it’s tied to long-running rumors involving Amber Heard and her children. 

The renewed frenzy erupted after users flooded Musk’s own AI chatbot with questions about paternity, pushing the issue back into public conversation. 

As interest in Heard’s quieter life grows, so too has curiosity about her past relationship with Musk, and whether there’s more to the story than either has ever confirmed.

The latest controversy erupted when Elon Musk’s own AI chatbot, Grok, was flooded with questions about whether he fathered Amber Heard’s children. 

According to a report from the Daily Mail, the chatbot repeatedly pointed users back to the same reality that speculation exists, but nothing has been confirmed. 

It explained that “rumors link it to Elon Musk from their 2016-2018 relationship and a reported old embryo dispute, but there’s zero official confirmation from her or him. That’s the full public/official story.”

The sudden spike in questions came as public interest in Heard’s life resurfaced, especially after details of her move to Spain and her decision to step away from Hollywood gained attention.

Because Heard has never publicly identified her children’s father, the mystery continues to fuel online theories.

Musk Connected To Controversial Embryo Dispute Claims

One of the biggest reasons the rumors refuse to fade is a past claim involving embryos allegedly created during Elon Musk and Amber Heard’s relationship. 

A declaration by a family acquaintance alleged that the pair were locked in a disagreement over the future use of the property. 

According to that statement, Heard had been “in a legal battle with [Musk] over embryos they had created together… He wanted to destroy them, and Amber tried to keep them to have a baby.”

However, those claims never became part of official court proceedings during the Depp v. Heard trial. 

Heard’s legal team argued that the document had been improperly obtained, and her sister later dismissed the allegations as “complete fiction.” 

Despite that, the claims continue to resurface whenever questions about her children arise. Heard’s representative has also firmly denied the rumors, previously stating they were “100 percent false.” 

Musk, on the other hand, has never publicly responded to the speculation, allowing it to linger without clarification.

Elon Musk’s Expanding Family Adds Fuel To Ongoing Speculation

The speculation is also fueled by Musk’s widely discussed approach to fatherhood. The billionaire is publicly known to have at least 14 children with four different women, and reports suggest the real number could be even higher. 

His openness about wanting a large family has kept conversations about his personal life active. “I mean, you know, you’ve got to walk the talk. So, I do have a lot of kids, and I encourage others to have lots of kids,” Musk said in 2024. 

Reports have also claimed he is open to unconventional arrangements, including offering to be a sperm donor without romantic involvement. 

In one alleged message reviewed by WSJ, he wrote, “They want me to be a sperm donor. No romance or anything, just sperm.”

There have even been claims that he approached individuals online about having children, sometimes without ever meeting them in person. 

Not all proposals were accepted, but they reinforced the perception that Musk is actively expanding his family in ways that deviate from traditional expectations.

Behind the scenes, Musk is said to rely on trusted associates to manage agreements with his children’s mothers. 

Confidentiality is reportedly a key part of those arrangements, with one warning stating that failing to formalize agreements would be “absolutely insane and irresponsible.”

Musk And Heard’s Relationship Timeline Resurfaces

As the rumors gain traction again, attention has also turned back to Elon Musk and Amber Heard’s relationship. 

The two first crossed paths at the 2016 Met Gala and later began dating after Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp. 

At the time, the actress described Musk warmly, calling him “a real gentleman.” She added per PEOPLE, “he was really nice. He sat at a nearby table and we got to speaking that night and eventually became friends.”

Their relationship moved quickly but ultimately proved unstable. They split in 2017, briefly reconciled later that year, and ended things for good in early 2018. 

The billionaire publicly addressed their breakup, writing in the comments of one of Heard’s Instagram posts, “Although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another. Long distance relationships, when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds.”

Elon Musk Speculation Grows As Amber Heard Embraces Private Life

Heard has consistently chosen to keep her family life private, even as public curiosity continues to grow. 

When she announced the birth of her daughter in 2021, she made it clear that she was building her family on her own terms. 

“Four years ago, I decided I wanted to have a child. I wanted to do it on my own terms,” she said at the time.

She later reinforced that independence by sharing, “I’m just the mom and the dad. She’s the boss.” 

With the arrival of her twins, she again emphasized her personal journey, writing on Instagram, “Becoming a mother by myself and on my own terms despite my own fertility challenges has been the most humbling experience of my life.”

While the speculation surrounding Musk continues to circulate, Heard’s public statements have remained focused on her role as a parent and her desire for privacy.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 33 seconds ago

One of the things that made Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica reboot so successful is that it was basically everything that Star Trek wasn’t. While Gene Roddenberry’s classic show was all about the hopeful exploration of the cosmos, Moore’s series focused on humanity’s frantic fight for survival after a genocidal attack by the Cylons.

Despite the differences between the franchises, Battlestar Galactica was actually inspired by Star Trek to create Cloud 9, a civilian fleet vessel whose interior looks like a lush, outdoor planet.

How Star Trek Created The Cloud 9

The Battlestar Galactica reboot introduced Cloud 9 in the episode “Colonial Day,” a very political episode that called for a slight change in setting. Showrunner Moore wanted to introduce some outdoor environments to the show to keep it from feeling too claustrophobic, but he also wanted to avoid having the Galactica visit a new planet each week, a la Star Trek. The solution was to introduce Cloud 9, a civilian ship whose interior conveniently looks like the exterior of a planet.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why the Battlestar Galactica showrunner and other producers thought the series needed Coud 9 in the first place. The short answer is that if the show never takes its characters to new locations, viewers will eventually start going stir-crazy as their favorite characters do. This is one of the big reasons that Galactica, a show about characters who live in space 24/7, still found so many opportunities to visit Caprica and other planets.

Much of that exploration came later on as Ronald Moore became more comfortable with having these characters explore strange new worlds. However, the Battlestar Galactica showrunner wanted to create Cloud 9 in Season 1 so that the writers didn’t necessarily have to take the main ship and its heroes to a new planet every week, like in Star Trek: The Original Series or The Next Generation. Thanks to Cloud 9 (a vessel whose interior looks like that of a planet), the show could provide a visual change of pace as needed without forcing the title vessel to make any detours.

If the showrunner had been anyone else, we likely wouldn’t have gotten a new ship. Our heroes would simply visit a new planet each week, a formula made popular by Kirk and Spock. However, Ronald Moore got his start in show business by writing for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and he landed that job in large part because of his great passion for The Original Series (he even became TNG’s Klingon expert because of his love of TOS). Once he began running his own show, Moore seemingly wanted to do something different, so Battlestar Galactica introduced Cloud 9 so he wouldn’t have to bite Trek’s style. 

As hardcore Battlestar Galactica fans know, Cloud 9 didn’t make it to the end of the series. Instead, this unusual ship was destroyed by a nuclear device at the hands of a version of Six whose breakup with Dr. Baltar led to some very literal fallout for our heroes. But we would never have had this ship in the show at all if not for Star Trek and its “planet of the week” trope that Ron Moore desperately wanted to avoid. He was ultimately successful (so say we all!) in creating a standalone sci-fi series that boldly went where no Trek had gone before.

Cassidy Clarke is raising questions as she steps forward to address her past connection with D4vd. The actress, who once appeared in his ‘Here With Me’ music video, is now speaking out as online discussions intensify around comparisons involving Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her comments revisit a brief professional interaction that has recently resurfaced across social media.

RELATED: Social Media Is Reacting To Apparent Resurfaced Clip Of D4vd Being Told On Livestream He’s Assaulting Kids (VIDEO)

Cassidy Clarke Addresses Past With D4vd

Actress Cassidy Clarke, who played D4vd’s girlfriend in his ‘Here With Me’ music video, took to TikTok to address the growing speculation. She revealed she met the singer — whose real name is David Anthony Burke — when he was 17 and spent time around his family during filming. While the two followed each other on social media after working together, Cassidy emphasized their connection never went beyond that project.

Cassidy Clarke Cuts Ties, Calls D4vd “A Monster”

She stated she plans to remove him from her socials entirely and is cutting ties, while also responding to the flood of messages linking her to current controversy. According to Cassidy, “I have nothing to do with it. I don’t associate with D4vd by any means,” adding she only took the role “for a check.” She also opened up about their on-set dynamic, claiming they didn’t get along and often clashed, describing their interactions as “bickering.” Cassidy didn’t hold back in her remarks, saying he deserves “even more than what’s happening to him right now” and going as far as calling him “a monster.”

@funfilipinogirl

I do not associate with David Burke. Justice for Celeste Rivas Hernandez and her family

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♬ original sound – Cassidy Clarke

Resurfaced Clip Of D4vd Fuels Backlash

Meanwhile, D4vd’s past is continuing to resurface in ways that are intensifying the backlash. A recently circulated clip from an old livestream shows the singer sitting in what appears to be a kitchen beside another individual as comments pour in. During the exchange, he can be heard saying, “I media-trained you,” before the person pushes back and replies, “No, you didn’t.” He then responds, “That’s controversial,” prompting a shocking comment from the other person referencing “r*ping kids.” The resurfaced moment has sparked strong reactions online, with many viewers revisiting the clip and questioning the context, further fueling ongoing scrutiny surrounding the singer.

RELATED: D4vd Accused Of Having “Significant” Amount Of Child Sex Abuse Images On Phone

Young and the Restless spoilers for next week reveal Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) overdosing while Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) watches and laughs like the twisted maniac that he is.

We also have Chelsea Lawson (Melissa Claire Egan) terrified. Noah Newman and his mom Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) are panicked, and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) is scrambling. We’re going to get into the latest Y&R spoilers for the week of April 27th.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Phyllis May Have To Give Everything Back To Victor

All right, so first of all, we got to talk about Phyllis Summers. She may have no choice but to give everything back to Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). So, at the end of this week that we’re in, Phyllis is in her office at the Newman Tower, vowing to her own portrait that she will never give up and smack talking about Victor having met his match in her.

And then while Phyllis is, you know, villain monologuing, Victor and Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) walk in and they both laugh at her. They tell Phyllis that they have a deal for her that she cannot refuse, and she reminds Victor that he screwed her over the last time she made a deal with him. That is accurate.

Y&R Spoilers: Phyllis Faces Prison Time

So, that’s when Victoria drops the bombshell that Christine Williams Romalotti (Lauralee Bell) is the district attorney again. And we know how she feels about Red. And Victor had his AI invent some fairly compelling evidence against Phyllis that they’re ready to hand over to Christine so that Phyllis can be prosecuted for criminal charges. So, Victoria shows Phyllis the evidence and she says, “Okay, it looks fake.” But Victoria thinks Christine will be happy to prosecute Phyllis and will see what she wants to see.

So, Phyllis is calling them hypocrites after them stealing the company from Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) and then kidnapping and drugging Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and just all the horrible stuff that Victor was doing with the AI. And then they showed the second part of the plan. So, Victor has bribed a bunch of managers to say that Phyllis confessed to these criminal acts.

So, they have the trumped up evidence and then some trumped up witness statements. And she tells Victor and Victoria that she’s going to call their bluff. She’ll see them in court. And Victor threatens and says, “Phyllis better drop the papers to give it all back.” They storm out. Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman) comfort Phyllis, who of course wants to fight. Michael thinks it’s not going to go well.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Phyllis Grows Desperate

So, next week’s Young and the Restless spoilers have Phyllis scrambling to keep what she stole because the last thing that she wants is to admit defeat and cave to Victor freaking Newman and give him back anything. I mean, it’s kind of a toss-up for me because they’re both villains and I’d like to see somebody else wind up with all this stuff.

So, if Phyllis doesn’t give Victor what he wants, then Phyllis could face prison time. And Christine might actually enjoy threatening to prosecute Phyllis, although I’m not sure that Cricket would actually move forward if she heard the rumor that it was AI evidence based on what’s happening. Michael could probably, you know, talk to her about it.

Matt Clark Versus The Newmans on Y&R

So, let’s talk now about the May sweeps dust-up with Matt Clark versus Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) and Nick Newman and their family and this tragic overdose. So, at the end of this week, Adam and Nick and Chelsea are trying to convince Riza Thompson (Tina Casciani) to turn on Matt and help them. So, they promise Riza millions of dollars. She’s interested, but she’s upset that Adam was using her, so she wants cash up front. And he reminds Riza of their past. That kind of bothers Chelsea. And finally, Riza tells them Matt’s going to be at this old abandoned gas station where he keeps his drug inventory.

So, Nick’s worried that Sharon and Noah are walking into a trap because Matt took their phones. And I don’t know why those people that know that didn’t call Sharon like on Chelsea’s phone or you know a hotel phone or buy a burner phone and call Sharon, call Noah, tell them. Anyway, they got Riza calling Matt and they want her to tell him that Adam and Nick have given up and just went back to Genoa City. So, Adam and Nick take off for the gas station while Riza makes the call.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Matt Snatches Sharon & Noah

Meanwhile, Matt creeped up on Sharon and Noah at the old gas station. Just slid into their car. I guess they don’t keep the doors locked. And Matt pulls a gun and he forces Noah and Sharon into the dusty old garage. And Matt promises it’s going to be a nightmare. Noah’s trying to talk them out of it, offering bribes, yada yada. Riza calls Matt. He’s pretty sure she’s lying about Nick and Adam leaving town. And then Chelsea and Riza are kind of having a tense conversation about Adam.

Adam Worried about Nick on Y&R Next Week

So, in the car, we’ve got Nick and Adam speeding to the old gas station to save Noah and Sharon. Adam thinks Nick is looking rough, and he’s let him get behind the wheel. And then Adam confronts his brother about lying and says he’s seen his bags of pills and he thinks Nick needs to admit that he’s messed up. But of course, he’s not going to do it. And Adam keeps at it and tells Nick that he’s putting them all in danger. Meanwhile, things get deadly in the garage as Matt tells Sharon and Noah one of them will die while the other watches. So, that’s where this week’s cliffhanger leaves off.

Matt knows from Riza’s clumsy phone call that Nick and Adam are still around, probably getting closer to him, and there’s going to be more danger before they even make it to Noah and Sharon. So, next week’s Young and the Restless spoilers have Nick finally in the passenger seat. So, clearly he’s in worse and worse shape. He’s twitchy.

He’s sweaty with withdrawals because he’s been doing cocaine and fentanyl. So, Adam’s driving, but he worries about his brother and tells Nick it’s obvious he needs his drugs. And Adam tells Nick, just go ahead, do what you got to do. So Adam is encouraging Nick to take a hit so that at least he’s functional and not in DTs while they are confronting Matt.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Nick Overdoses

So, looks like that he’s going to lure Nick and Adam into the same garage where he’s got Sharon and Noah pinned in. And it looks like Sharon and Noah are still handcuffed and chained together up against a big metal beam. Next week things turn really bad because Nick and Adam wind up locked in with Sharon and Noah and Matt takes off and leaves them there.

And Nick, of course, has taken more of the drugs he got from Matt’s dealer to take the edge off. But it goes really badly and Adam rushes to help Nick who is overdosing next week. He’s on the floor. He’s in distress. Adam’s trying to help him while Sharon and Noah desperately try to get loose of their handcuffs so they can try and help Nick.

Young and the Restless Spoilers: Does Psycho Matt Get Away with It?

Meanwhile, horrible, horrible Matt is watching all of this go down. He left surveillance cameras in there. So, he’s on the road in his car watching this go down and he’s mocking Nick’s overdose. He says little rich boy Newman finally hit on the bag with the bad batch. Remember he had tainted fentanyl so he obviously had his dealer give a tainted baggie hoping Nick would overdose. Matt already told Nick he planned on him to overdose.

So, it looks like things get sorted to some extent because next week Adam makes it back to Chelsea at the hotel. Now Adam’s looking scruffy and a little worse for wear and Chelsea’s freaking out saying thank god you’re okay but she wants to know where’s Nick and Adam looks very upset about that question. So, I’m guessing Nick is at the hospital with Sharon and Noah hovering over him. But the question is, does Matt Clark live to fight another day?

We’re well over halfway through this decade, which means that many film watchers are starting to look back at all the films that have been released to take stock. There have been plenty of great films and a few masterpieces in the 2020s, with more still likely to come. Every genre has gotten its fair share of new classics, and the action genre has been particularly potent. There have been installments in franchises new and old, bold originals and everything in between. They haven’t all been perfect, but many have been good, some great, and a select few are absolute masterpieces. Opinions are always going to vary on what films can be classified as true masterpieces, with debate still surrounding awesome action movies from this decade like Furiosa, John Wick: Chapter 4, and Tenet. While time may tell on those movies, and a handful of others, at least five action movies from the 2020s can currently be certified as masterpieces.

Every action fan has their favorite era of movies, whether it’s the bombastic blockbusters of the ’80s, their high-concept cousins of the ’90s, or the grounded and gritty efforts of the 2000s. There have already been a few apparent trends for the 2020s, but the action genre has shown a lot of diversity so far, and the five action masterpieces of the decade offer a wonderful cross-section of it. We’ve got a superhero sequel, an Indian epic, and no less than two Best Picture winners. Add to those one of the best franchise legacy sequels ever made, and there’s no doubting that these five films represent the best of the best of the action genre for the 2020s so far. When this decade has come to a close, there’s no doubt that these action movies will be counted as true masterpieces.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The decade got off to a slow start thanks to COVID. The pandemic pushed the releases of many movies and caused others to struggle at the box office when it finally opened back up. There were a number of movies credited with bringing audiences back to theaters, but the big blockbuster that truly got butts back in seats was the long-awaited legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick. While the Tony Scott-directed original is certainly a favorite for some action, it could hardly be considered one of the best of the ’80s or even in the careers of Scott or mega-star Tom Cruise. This sequel, helmed by Joseph Kosinski, rose higher and faster than its predecessor, thanks to some astonishing aerial action sequences. Those sequences, which were shot with the actors in real jets in the sky, gave audiences all the action they’d been craving, and the young cast proved proper copilots to Cruise, who was still firmly in the pilot seat.

Picking up decades later, the film finds Maverick (Cruise) still feeling the need for speed and pushing the buttons of his superiors with his devil-may-care attitude and reckless flaunting of safety measures. That gets him a one-way ticket back to the Top Gun flight school, now to serve as an instructor for the young blood cadets, including Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of the first film’s ill-fated Goose (Anthony Edwards), and Hangman (Glen Powell), who clearly takes after the antagonistic Iceman (Val Kilmer). Kilmer himself shows up for a surprisingly emotional cameo that sees the once-bitter rivals embrace as old friends. While the action is superlative, it’s scenes like that between Maverick and Iceman that epitomize the effectiveness of this legacy sequel, which pays homage to what came before but isn’t afraid to chart its own flight path. Top Gun: Maverick succeeds where so many belated sequels failed by bringing in a solid new cast of characters, tinging itself with nostalgia without ever basking fully in its glow, and featuring action that will pin you to your seat.

‘RRR’ (2022)

While Hollywood was patting itself on the back for remembering how to make great sequels, out of India came a film that showed everyone in America that the country was still outpacing us with original filmmaking. RRR, a Telugu-language historical epic with musical numbers and characters that rival superheroes for their athleticism, took international audiences by force with its blistering action set pieces. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, who has been making films for two decades, including the two-part action epic Baahubali, the film is a non-stop thrill ride through its period setting. It combines history with folklore and wraps it in an over-the-top action style that makes it one of the most original action masterpieces of the 2020s or any other decade.

Set in India in the early twentieth century, during the British Raj, when the country was under British colonial rule, the film follows two fictionalized versions of revolutionaries. Tribal guardian Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) is brought into the action when a young girl is taken prisoner by the callous British Governor and wife, who enlist Imperial Officer Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) to help fight him off. The two go from adversaries to allies as they join forces to take down the oppressive regime in some of the most kinetic and riveting action sequences to come out of any country. RRR put Hollywood on notice and made international stars out of its creative team, paving the way for more Telugu cinema and other Indian action masterpieces to break through to Western audiences.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Image via A24

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Maybe it was the year of COVID lockdown or the tumultuous politics that led to a flourish of creative energy, but 2022 was a banger year for action movies. Even that year’s big Oscar winner was the martial arts extravaganza Everything Everywhere All at Once. Though Top Gun: Maverick was also nominated for Best Picture, and RRR should have been, it was this wickedly entertaining multiversal action-comedy from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert that took home the gold. It’s truly one of the weirdest films to ever win Best Picture, but it richly deserved the award for its elaborate visuals, clever script, fantastic performances and wild action sequences. It made history with its award wins and proved that action movies don’t have to cater to more pretentious tastes in order to receive accolades.

Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a laundromat owner who is struggling to balance her deteriorating marriage, estranged relationship with her daughter, and an IRS audit. Things get multitudes more complicated when she discovers that many parallel universes exist, and she may be the key to saving all of them from an alternate supervillian version of her daughter. That overloaded premise is only scratching the surface of the oddities that exist in the film’s many different realities. An Oscar-winning Yeoh is as dynamic a protagonist as ever, and she’s ably supported by her supporting cast members, including fellow Oscar winners Jamie Lee Curtis as a vindictive IRS agent and Ke Huy Quan as Evelyn’s husband. Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s balls-to-the-wall, absurdist approach isn’t for everyone, but it’s got more ideas in single scenes than many blander action films have across their entire runtime.

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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Everything Everywhere All at Once was far from the first film to make use of the multiverse concept, which had already broken through to the mainstream several years earlier in the animated action masterpiece Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. That invigorating comic book movie’s sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, expanded exponentially on its predecessor’s bold visual style and universe-jumping action to become the best superhero action movie of the 2020s. Introducing hundreds of new Spider-Heroes into its universe, Across the Spider-Verse broadened the creative possibilities of what a Spider-Man movie could be. It opened up a whole host of new avenues for potential future exploration, and while a third film is on the way, along with a live-action Spider-Noir streaming series, there’s no telling where else the franchise could go from here.

The film picks back up with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), who is struggling to balance his personal life with his superhero activities, longing to be reunited with his fellow webslingers. Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) has been recruited into a league of multiverse-defending Spider-People, including clever cameos and full supporting characters like Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), who bring even more diversity into the wonderfully colorful world. The animation pushes more boundaries than before, mixing media and radically different art styles for each universe and even individual characters. Like Miles, the movie does its own thing and manages to beat its live-action counterparts with more creativity and inventive action.

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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As unusual and idiosyncratic as one would expect for an action film from arthouse director Paul Thomas Anderson, last year’s Best Picture winner One Battle After Another gives you everything you might expect and then so much more. Based on Thomas Pynchon‘s novel Vineland, the film mixes social commentary with stoner comedy and propels it all with some of the most inspired action set pieces, including a climactic car chase that does more with a low-angle camera and a long stretch of road than many other modern blockbusters can with mountains of CGI. When it doesn’t have you laughing at the insanity of its characters or incensed at the social inequalities that surround them, One Battle After Another keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Former revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) lives under an assumed identity with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) in California. He is shaken out of his weed-induced fog when a dangerous figure from his past, the hardline Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn), comes looking for Willa. So ensues a feature-length chase plot involving white supremacists, revolutionary nuns, and a super-chill karate sensei named Sergio (Benicio del Toro). While the film’s themes of social unrest, generational political movements, and authoritarian governments were developed before they became dishearteningly relevant to the current political climate, they will likely always resonate with audiences. Even if you don’t get down with the film’s messy politics, there’s no denying it’s an action masterpiece.

When Michael first hit Rotten Tomatoes with a brutal 27 percent critics score, it looked like another high profile biopic was about to crash under the weight of expectations. Then audiences showed up. And everything changed.

The film has now surged to a staggering 96 percent audience score, instantly flipping the narrative and putting Michael in rare territory as one of the highest rated musical biopics ever from a fan perspective.

So what happened?

Critics vs Audience A Familiar Divide

Early critic reactions focused on pacing, tone, and the film’s approach to controversial moments in Michael Jackson’s life. Some reviews called it uneven, others said it played things too safe. But audiences saw something completely different.

Fans praised the performance, the music, and most importantly, the emotional connection. Social reactions have been flooded with comments about how the film captures the energy, pressure, and genius of Jackson in a way that feels authentic and powerful. For many viewers, it is not about perfection. It is about feeling. And Michael delivers that in a big way.

The Power of Music and Nostalgia

Musical biopics live and die by one thing more than anything else. Connection.

From the moment the first iconic track hits, audiences are pulled into a shared experience. With a catalog as legendary as Michael Jackson’s, Michael had a built in advantage that critics may have underestimated.

The film leans heavily into that legacy. The performances, choreography, and stage recreations are being called some of the best ever put on screen in this genre. That alone is driving repeat viewings and word of mouth momentum.

Jafaar Jackson, Michael [credit: Lionsgate]

Audience Scores Are Becoming the Real Indicator

We have seen this trend before. Critics analyze. Audiences react.

And in the era of social media and instant feedback, audience scores are increasingly shaping a film’s reputation in real time. A 96 percent score is not just good. It signals strong emotional resonance and mass appeal.

That kind of response can extend box office legs, boost streaming performance, and even reshape award season conversations.

One of the Biggest Turnarounds in Recent Memory

Going from 27 percent to 96 percent is not just a rebound. It is a complete narrative reversal.

For Michael, it means the film is no longer defined by its early reviews. It is being defined by the people actually watching it. And right now, they love it.

The Bottom Line

Michael may not be a critic darling, but it is becoming a fan phenomenon.

And in today’s landscape, that might matter more than ever.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.