Brian Austin Green is reflecting on the lessons he learned from his marriage to Megan Fox years after their split.

During a recent podcast appearance, the actor admitted that “physical attraction” was the foundation of their relationship and revealed how their divorce prompted a period of self-reflection.

Through therapy, Brian Austin Green said he gained a new perspective on love and compatibility, lessons that have since shaped his relationship with his fiancée and his approach to co-parenting with Megan Fox.

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During a recent appearance on the “I Do, Part 2” podcast, Brian Austin Green reflected on his nearly 15-year relationship with Megan Fox, admitting that physical attraction played a major role in how their romance began.

“We were married for almost 10 years, and I led with physical attraction,” Green told hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach.

“The Beverly Hills, 90210” alum explained that for much of his life, he approached relationships by following chemistry first and allowing emotional bonds to develop later. Looking back, he now believes that mindset may have contributed to some of the challenges in his marriage.

Green and Fox, who married in 2010, ended their relationship in 2020 after welcoming three children together: Noah, 13, Bodhi, 12, and Journey, 9.

“I was divorced, which I didn’t expect,” he recalled, per Page Six. “I had three kids. I was a single parent.”

The Actor Says Therapy Changed The Way He Approaches Relationships

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The unexpected end of his marriage prompted a period of self-reflection. Determined not to repeat old patterns, Green said he sought therapy to better understand his role in past relationship struggles.

“I really figure out what it was that [he] brought into a relationship that was just toxic and wasn’t good and wasn’t helping the relationship at all,” he shared.

Through that process, the 52-year-old came to a significant realization: friendship and genuine compatibility should come before romance.

Green said he learned that building a strong friendship first creates a healthier foundation for a relationship, making it easier for both partners to communicate openly and honestly.

“I think when you started from a place of a genuine connection with someone, then you’re not so concerned about whether they are truly into you or not,” he explained, adding that it allowed two people to communicate “in a very transparent way.”

Brian Austin Green Says Honest Conversations Strengthened His New Relationship After Split From Megan Fox

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That perspective ultimately shaped how Green approached his relationship with fiancée Sharna Burgess. Before becoming serious, the couple made a point of discussing both their strengths and flaws, putting everything on the table from the beginning.

“Sharna and I talked about our best qualities and our worst qualities together,” the “Knots Landing” alum said. “We sort of put it all out on the table.”

According to the actor, relationships built solely on physical attraction can struggle to stand the test of time. While chemistry may spark a connection, he believes a deeper emotional bond is what ultimately sustains it.

“Your approach to a relationship is the best way to know if it’s just a purely physical connection,” he said. “That’s only going to last for so long that you’re going to get to a point where you go, ‘I can’t stand that other person. So they’re not hot to me anymore.’”

Green and Burgess began dating in late 2020. The couple welcomed their son, Zane, in 2022 and later became engaged.

The Actor Hoped He And Megan Fox Could Work On Their Relationship

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While Green has found happiness in a new chapter of his life, he and Fox have remained committed to co-parenting their children despite the end of their marriage.

The transition, however, was not without its challenges. The actor has previously admitted that he was blindsided when Fox first raised the possibility of ending their relationship after their separation in 2019.

Even after nearly 15 years together, he believed they would be able to work through their difficulties.

“I honestly felt at that point like, ‘We got this,’” he recalled during a May 2025 appearance on the “Oldish” podcast, per E! News. “We had already been through almost 15 years of a relationship together, so I believed it, and I think she believed it at the time also.”

Brian Austin Green Claims Co-Parenting With Megan Fox Became The Priority After Their Split

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Despite the heartbreak, Green said becoming effective co-parents quickly became more important than dwelling on the end of their relationship.

Speaking to E! News in 2024, Green explained that successful co-parenting requires setting aside personal differences and focusing on what is best for the children.

You’ve got to “pick your battles,” he said, noting that any lingering issues between former partners should never take priority over their role as parents.

“The only choice you have is how it affects the kids,” he explained. “So, you have to decide, ‘OK, it’s not about us getting along anymore. It’s about us co-parenting, which is a totally different situation.’”

Taylor Frankie Paul is moving on from her MomTok episode with some admissions!

The reality star got vulnerable in a lengthy social media post about her recent public spat with her “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” co-stars and how everything has left her feeling, both positively and negatively.

Taylor Frankie Paul recently reunited with her fellow “SLOMW” cast members to roll the tapes on the fifth season of the successful reality show after a few weeks of pausing filming.

The mother of three took to Instagram on Sunday, July 12, with some deeply reflective truths about the root cause of her MomTok drama. Taylor blamed the outbursts on dealing with so many things at once and pouring out her frustration on her co-star’s video of them having fun without her in sight.

Taylor stressed that she was ready to move on from the toxicity of the drama, noting that she will never discredit her friends’ success because she has been there to witness most of it.

The reality star clarified that she became defensive and let her ego deal with everything because she felt betrayed and abandoned by people she once rooted for.

She emphasized that her co-stars have the right to establish boundaries after her personal controversy affected the show. Taylor also understood that they had the right to speak their minds without feeling bullied. In her words:

“None of us deserve that. No matter what happened, it doesn’t justify MY responses to all of it. That’s on me. I can only control me. I recognize I’m not myself and that hurts to admit.”

The Mother-Of-Three Expressed Readiness To Dump Animosity And Embrace ‘Abundance’

Taylor continued in the lengthy caption that between dealing with her split from Dakota Mortensen, the restraining orders, the domestic violence allegations, and temporarily losing two shows rewired her brain. She agreed that it has become her responsibility to recalibrate her focus and rewire her brain to feel like the happier days.

Taylor then addressed the topic of her kids, who have been the topic of custody arrangements between her and her ex-partners. On July 8, during a custody hearing, a judge expanded Taylor’s parenting time to extend her weekends with their child, Ever, through Monday morning over a month after the previous hearing.

The reality star admitted to missing her children, expressing pain at the restricted access to them, while admitting how heartbroken she feels. “I feel at war, I’m afraid of who I can trust, and just wanted to share the reality of how I feel. I don’t want to feel animosity; I want to feel abundance,” she stressed.

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Taylor Frankie Paul Bragged About Her Other TV Offers Amid ‘SLOMW’ Return

The media personality was onboarded to film the fifth season of “SLOMW,” where she would film the intro credits, but will not be appearing in anything else for the season, including a final confessional.

As reported by The Blast, Taylor will join famous faces on television like Jessi Draper, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, and Layla Taylor to film the season.

However, the group made one move on social media that set off Taylor on a shade-throwing spree about the squad’s inability to diminish her influence or humble her.

Taylor did not hesitate to remind the group subtly that despite her previous standing with ABC and Hulu and the domestic violence accusations, she is still in high demand.

According to her, television shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “Miami Swim Week” have approached her for a gig, and she may even get a memoir contract.

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The reality star noted that the group’s show-off made an already bad day worse for her, as Draper clarified that their little dance was not intended to make her feel terrible.

Draper insisted the group all tried to make a fun video, like the good old days, and it was not meant to be a shade to Taylor, who was absent during the shenanigans.

Inside The 32-Year-Old’s Rehab Stint

Before the good news of her Hulu show getting unpaused, the reality star voluntarily enlisted to check into a rehab facility in the spirit of getting better. As noted by The Blast, everyone in Taylor’s circle consented to her getting the best support professional to improve her well-being and mental health.

The priority also extended to her three children, who are the center of her universe and need to be protected from the scourge of her actions and public standing. In the viral 2023 video of Taylor and her ex-boyfriend’s confrontation, the reality star could be seen yelling and throwing chairs at Dakota in the presence of their child.

The reality star and her ex were reportedly also involved in another domestic altercation in February, attracting attention from the Draper Police Department, who began an open domestic assault investigation the following month.

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Taylor Frankie Paul’s Ex Wanted To Keep Their Issues Out Of The Public Glare

The former couple’s viral clip left some consequences in its wake, which prompted statements from the duo and their reps. As soon as the video dropped, ABC axed the season of Taylor’s “Bachelorette” just days before it began airing, leaving the reality star feeling overwhelmed.

She confessed that it has been a heavy period for her to deal with the fallout from her actions in the video, and staying out of the public eye only meant not enjoying the rewards of her labor. In the video, one of the chairs Taylor threw at Dakota had left a mark on her minor daughter after it hit her.

While Taylor braved the flames of the controversial clip and the harsh backlash that followed, Dakota, through his representative, revealed that he had intended for their drama to have a different outcome when it comes to public interference.

His rep emphasized that Dakota put up little to no fight in letting everything happen to him during their relationship. Still, he eventually realized he cannot fold his arms anymore. The response from Dakota towards the video played out via restraining orders establishing limits in court.

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Lil Wayne shared a cryptic post on Sunday, July 12, prompting social media users to mention Jay-Z. The Roc Nation co-founder ended his three-day run in New York City on Sunday as he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt.’ Jay-Z surprised the audience by bringing out several other artists to perform at Yankee Stadium. Now, fans are wondering whether the ‘Annihilate’ artist is upset he didn’t get an invite from Jigga.

RELATED: Bruh! Dame Dash Reacts To Jay-Z’s Recent Concert With Wild Clip That Has Fans Side-Eyeing (VIDEO)

Lil Wayne Shares Cryptic Post Amid Jay-Z Concerts

Amid the online chatter about Jay-Z’s concerts packed with celebrities, Lil Wayne shared a post on X. As of Monday, it had one million views. It’s unclear what it means, but the timing has folks intrigued as they wondered who Lil Wayne was talking about. The post was shared at 6:04 a.m., just a few hours after Jay-Z’s last show in New York ended due to a delay.

The post read, “What’s understood ain’t gotta be explained. I get it. U got it. Thought we had it. That’s what I get for thinking.”

Two weeks before Jay-Z’s shows in New York, Lil Wayne missed one of his own concerts. According to the Bangor Daily News, the rapper missed his own concert in Bangor, Maine on June 30. He took to his Instagram Stories on July 5 to explain his absence, per Billboard.

“I have epilepsy,” said the artist. “I have seizures, right? Thank God I haven’t had a seizure in years, but seizures have triggers. A trigger to my seizures is bad migraines. I had a f*cking migraine that night. It was recommended I don’t get in the air.”

Jay-Z Brought Out Surprise Artists During His Final NYC Show

During the final night of shows on Sunday, Jay-Z brought out several famous artists to perform, but Lil Wayne wasn’t one of them. Rihanna, Beyoncé, Young Jeezy, Teyana Taylor and Usher each performed, and clips of the performances began popping up online.

Lil Wayne and Jay-Z have a long-time relationship. The ‘Lollipop’ artist is a partner in Jay-Z’s music streaming service, TIDAL. The duo has also collaborated on several tracks, and fans think Lil Wayne may have expected an invite to the New York shows.

Fans Think Lil Wayne’s Post Is About Jay-Z Concerts

After the post was shared on TSR‘s Instagram page, roomies speculated about the post’s meaning. Several folks wondered if the recording artist was upset that he wasn’t invited to perform, and his missed concert in June was also referenced.

@ronhuncho__23 wondered, “He wanted a invite to Yankee Stadium?”

@minuteman548 added, “Must be talking bout Jay Z.”

@_nycsfinest_ replied, “Oh he didn’t get invited ? Got it..😂.”

User @safari.temple added, “Bros upset he didn’t get to perform Mr. Carter with Mr. Carter.”

However, @wayneweeziee chimed in with, “How yall even know this about jayz yall just assuming lol.”

Jay-Z also brought out Eminem, Usher, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Teyana Taylor, and more.

RELATED: Crazy In Love! Jay-Z Brings Out Beyoncé At His First Yankee Stadium Show & Fans Are Losing It (VIDEO)

In 2014, the action genre was upended with the release of John Wick. Chad Stahelski and David Leitch‘s hard-hitting thriller was a success on multiple levels: it reignited Keanu Reeves‘s career, made Stahelski and Leitch among the most sought-after filmmakers in the industry, and inspired a wealth of action movies, including Nobody and Bullet Train. There’s another major action thriller that debuted in 2014, and it not only matches but exceeds the Wick franchise in intensity. What movie is this? None other than The Equalizer. The Denzel Washington-led action thriller and its two sequels are currently available to stream on HBO Max, meaning that action fans can find out for themselves what makes The Equalizer so great.

Based on the 1985 television series of the same name, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former Marine who’s trying to live a normal life by working at a hardware store. However, when his young friend Alina (Chloë Grace Moretz) is hospitalized by the men she works for, McCall brutally slaughters them all and starts to utilize his military skills to bring justice to the guilty. What seems like a simple premise takes on surprising depth, thanks to Washington’s performance and the expert direction of Antoine Fuqua.

‘The Equalizer’ Trilogy Shifts Genres With Each Installment

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Perhaps the most interesting element of The Equalizer trilogy is how each installment feels like it belongs in a different genre. The first Equalizer feels like an elevated vigilante thriller, slowly peeling back the layers of McCall’s past and revealing his deep commitment to justice. In contrast, The Equalizer 2 is more of a revenge movie, as McCall seeks retribution against his former colleague, David York (Pedro Pascal), for killing his lifelong friend Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo). It’s with The Equalizer 3 that things take a major shift, as McCall’s dismantling of an Italian crime enterprise plays out like a horror movie, with foes dispatched with brutal, bloody efficiency. It’s a sharp contrast to that movie’s’s more peaceful ending, which Fuqua said was meant to bring McCall’s journey full circle.

“It’s a nice send-off that he’s found a place. Because the first one is about finding purpose. He was trying to find a purpose, and he found it. The second one is about dealing with the past—his wife dying, Susan getting murdered, his friends betraying him—and he had to deal with his past. This one is about finding a place in life that you feel could be home and some peace.”

This journey also resonates thanks to Washington’s performance as McCall. Not only does he make McCall a quiet yet steady presence throughout all three Equalizer movies, but he also came up with the backstory that McCall has a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This element leads to the most iconic element of The Equalizer trilogy, where McCall often times himself on how long it takes to dispatch his opponents. Not only does this lead to some supremely badass action sequences, but it’s also a great way of showcasing McCall’s considerable skills.

The Director of ‘The Equalizer’ and Denzel Washington Reteamed for a Remake of a Classic Western

Anyone who watches The Equalizer and loves it will be happy to know that Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua would reteam for another project: a remake of the iconic western, The Magnificent Seven. Unlike other remakes that are content to merely contrast on nostalgia, Fuqua shakes things up with the casting as the titular seven is a multiracial mix of characters, including Washington’s hardened bounty hunter Sam Chisholm, Martin Sensmeier as young Comanche warrior Red Harvest, and Lee Byung-hun as knife fighter Billy Rocks. The Magnificent Seven also serves as a reunion for Washington and Ethan Hawke, whom Fuqua directed in the crime classic Training Day.

Though John Wick might have taken the action world by storm, The Equalizer trilogy definitely deserves the same recognition. It proved that Denzel Washington can play an action star as well as any other role, and kept viewers on their toes by constantly shifting between genres.

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Release Date

September 24, 2014

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Runtime

132 minutes

Writers

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Richard Wenk, Richard Lindheim, Michael Sloan

Producers

Alex Siskin, Denzel Washington, Ezra Swerdlow, Jason Blumenthal, Mace Neufeld, Michael Sloan, Richard Wenk, Steve Tisch, Todd Black, Tony Eldridge, Ben Waisbren

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Thrillers have consistently proven themselves among the most versatile and emotionally striking genres of filmmaking, with their mixture of layered storytelling, mature themes, and high-stakes tension making the genre home to some of cinema’s greatest achievements. Even more praised and complete with impactful storytelling than thrillers themselves are psychological thrillers, whose focus on dynamic characters and painful stories often make them icons of exceptional adult filmmaking.

Many great psychological thrillers have come out over the years, yet it takes a truly special work of cinematic artistry to create an experience that delivers greatness at every second of its runtime. From beginning to end, the psychological thrillers on this list are some of cinema’s greatest achievements and the most acclaimed films of their respective eras. Many of these films often litter the varying greatest-of-all-time lists, their stature and reputation preceding them.

‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Image via Warner Bros.

While Denis Villeneuve is recognized nowadays for his work on striking sci-fi films like the Dune films and Arrival, the director also helped shape one of the greatest thrillers of the 2010s, Prisoners. The film sees a community’s painful reaction to the mysterious disappearance of two young children, with one of the fathers, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), going down a spiral of anguish and rage in search of answers. At the same time, hardened detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to keep up and stop Dover before he does something terrible.

With a seamlessly effective dual story that focuses on different protagonists as they similarly approach this central mystery, Prisoners keeps audiences engaged and on the edge of their seats throughout the entire runtime. Between the subtle hints, various red herrings, and monumental reveals, the film does a great job of keeping the mystery compelling while exploring the anguish of the characters on-screen.

‘Black Swan’ (2010)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

A work of art equal parts beautiful and haunting, Black Swan cuts to the heart of the toxicity and madness that arises from a mentality of perfection above all else, to the point of complete disassociation and losing grip on reality itself. The film follows a highly dedicated ballerina, Nina (Natalie Portman), whose mental and emotional health spirals after becoming the prima ballerina in a prestigious production of Swan Lake.

The exceptional choreography and beauty of the dance on display proves to only scratch the surface of Black Swan‘s strengths, as its highly dedicated characters go to maddening lengths in their plight of perfection in the art form of dance. With masterful performances from the likes of Portman and Mila Kunis at its center, Black Swan isn’t afraid to massively unnerve the audience with its unsettling story and filmmaking.

‘Whiplash’ (2014)

Image via Sony Pictures Classics

Yet another story of the sacrifices and pain that come from fighting towards perfection in art, Whiplash has much more rage and painful discomfort as opposed to Black Swan‘s outright horror. The film follows a dedicated young drummer (Miles Teller) with aspirations of becoming one of the very best, learning under the eye of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), one of the most ruthless and strict music instructors imaginable. It doesn’t take long before Fletcher’s teaching begins taking a physical and mental toll.

Whiplash does not hold back in its ruthless depiction of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, with exceptional performances to accompany the pain and weight of every mistake. It’s a dynamic exploration into this type of toxic mentality towards art that still feels powerful and brilliant. Time will only continue to be kind to this perfect mixture of top-notch jazz music and nail-biting thrills.

‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

Image via Paramount Pictures

A masterclass of horror and humanist themes from one of the most celebrated filmmakers of the era, Roman Polanski‘s Rosemary’s Baby has only grown more legendary and influential in the decades following its release. This masterclass of tension and dread follows a young couple moving into a notorious New York apartment building with hopes of starting a family together. However, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) begins to get increasingly paranoid when she begins to suspect that their neighbors have sinister plans for her and her baby.

The distinct mixture of dynamic characters, overwhelming tension, and powerful psychological themes made Rosemary’s Baby one of the most striking and one-of-a-kind horror experiences of the era. Its level of thrills and tension is still entirely unmatched by any other thriller of the ’60s and has made the film an icon of both the thriller and horror genres. Its feminist themes and messaging on Catholicism have further cemented it as an unmistakable pillar of the genre.

‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)

Image via Universal Pictures

No singular filmmaker comes close to David Lynch, whose distinct style has elevated numerous exceptional thrillers into classic status. However, it’s Mulholland Drive that remains his best feature-length work, seamlessly blending his classic style with a dynamic mystery and the illusive energy of Hollywood. It’s the type of wild, abstract thriller that is best experienced without knowing anything about it going in, as fresh eyes enhance its abstract elements that much more.

What can be said without directly spoiling the film is that Mulholland Drive thrives off of the personality-driven directing style that Lynch has cultivated throughout his entire career. It almost, at times, feels like a combination of everything that has made Lynch’s films so distinct and compelling, all wrapped up in a compelling puzzle box that never feels too out of reach for the audience.

‘Oldboy’ (2003)

Image via Show East

One of many masterful films from legendary South Korean director Park Chan-wook, Oldboy is a brilliant exploration of pain as it delves into the hollow, destructive aspects and consequences of revenge. The film follows a man (Choi Min-sik) who has been held prisoner and tortured for 15 years. His sudden release sends him on a revenge-fueled web of conspiracy and violence in search of answers. With powerful psychological dynamics at play and top-notch filmmaking elevating the material, Oldboy delivers a true masterpiece experience from beginning to end.

Every aspect has an allure of perfection and pristine craft that adds to the entire experience, from the powerful emotional performances to the shocking climactic twists. Oldboy even features one of the most celebrated and impactful action sequences of the 2000s despite not even being a full-on action thriller. This icon of South Korean cinema has stood as one of the region’s greatest cinematic achievements for decades, only growing more appreciated and acclaimed with each passing year.

‘Memento’ (2000)

Image via Newmarket

Christopher Nolan has made a legendary legacy for himself with his filmography of abstract concepts and dynamic filmmaking. However, arguably his greatest achievement is still his breakout film, Memento, which embellishes Nolan’s greatest strengths as a storyteller. The film has an ingenious methodology for non-linear storytelling, showing the sequence of events starting with the very end as well as the very beginning, switching back and forth and going backwards from the end and forward from the beginning until meeting in the middle.

While seeming complicated from the outset, Memento does an exceptional job of establishing information and making sure that the audience is never lost. It constantly recontextualizes scenes with newfound information, as we learn more and more with each scene. This flawless thriller is as captivating and exceptional as mystery thrillers get, being even more compelling on rewatches where audiences pick up on all the small details.

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

One of the most critically acclaimed films of all time and an absolute icon of ’90s filmmaking that completely dominated the era culturally, The Silence of the Lambs is a masterclass thriller whose reputation speaks for itself. The police procedural elevates the already exceptional story into a league of its own thanks to some brilliant central performances, pitch-perfect pacing, and shocking visuals that don’t shy away from the brutality and terror of its concepts.

The film became an overwhelming cultural phenomenon that other psychological thrillers could only hope to achieve, as it was one of the must-watch masterpieces of the ’90s that just about everyone had experienced. Anthony Hopkins‘ legendary performance as Hannibal Lecter is touted as one of the greatest villain performances of all time, while Jodie Foster became an A-List star and broke free of her legacy as a child actress.

‘Rear Window’ (1954)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The inherent mastery of Alfred Hitchcock‘s thrillers has been explored and screamed from the rooftops for generations, as his influence as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time is not without merit. Of all of his brilliant thrillers, no singular one speaks to his masterful blend of story and tension like Rear Window, often considered to be the greatest bottle movie ever made. This striking tale of a nosy photographer convinced that one of his neighbors committed a murder still stands as one of cinema’s most captivating stories.

Hitchcock goes all out to amplify the intrigue and excitement of this premise, seamlessly placing audiences in the main character’s perspective, learning things at the same time as him and inviting the audience to make sense of what is being witnessed. It’s been an icon of psychological mystery filmmaking ever since its release, one of the greatest achievements of the genre that feels just as powerful over 70 years after its release.

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Image via NEON

Arguably the most acclaimed and massively celebrated movie of the last 10 years. It may seem presumptuous to have Parasite at the top of the list above so many icons of the psychological thriller genre, yet its overwhelming quality is undeniable. Bong Joon Ho‘s masterpiece of comedic thrills and class divide is rife with flourishes and charm that make it deeply compelling, all without taking away from the exceptional storytelling and thematic depth at its center.

Parasite exemplifies and expands upon the greatest strengths of the psychological thriller genre while simultaneously breaking new ground with its execution and style. It’s the definitive psychological thriller masterpiece of the modern era that will assuredly attain a dominating legacy in the genre, as the only thing holding its legacy back is time.

Until last weekend, only one movie released in 2026 had hit the coveted $1 billion mark. The video game adaptation sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which features the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black, just edged past the milestone as its theatrical run came to an end, becoming the latest recent animated sequel to do so, following the likes of China’s Ne Zha 2, Inside Out 2, and Zootopia 2. Many had expected the next film to hit this milestone to be Toy Story 5, but the King of Pop has officially gotten there first.

Although an uncanny lead performance from Jaafar Jackson (Michael’s real nephew) earned widespread praise, Antoine Fuqua’s musical biopic, Michael, faced enormous backlash from critics upon arrival. However, the shiny musical experience proved enticing enough to earn praise from fans and calls for a sequel. Lionsgate film chief, Adam Fogelson, previously confirmed that a sequel was in development, saying, “We are really excited about the progress we’re making with respect to a second ‘Michael’ film. All the conversations that we’ve been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well.” A sequel would inevitably have to tackle some of the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s life, which the first film almost entirely ignored.

‘Michael’ Makes Box Office History

Thanks to its run in overseas markets after an impressive display in domestic theaters earlier this year, Michael has now surpassed the $1 billion mark, split between $629.8 million overseas and $371.8 million domestically. This milestone is particularly significant, as it marks the first biopic to achieve such a feat, as well as being Lionsgate’s first billion-dollar movie. Recently, Michael also became the biggest film based on a real person in cinema history, surpassing Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer just before the director debuts his most ambitious film yet in The Odyssey.

“Audiences have embraced the film from the beginning, turning it into a unique cultural phenomenon in theaters around the world,” said the aforementioned Fogelson. “Their passion speaks to the enduring appeal of one of the greatest recording artists of all time, and it underscores the continued strength and vitality of the theatrical moviegoing experience.”

For the biggest movie news, including box office updates, stay tuned to Collider.

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Release Date

April 24, 2026

Runtime

130 minutes

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Writers

John Logan

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Producers

Graham King, John Branca, John McClain

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Sunscreen’s main purpose may be to protect your skin, but it’s much more than that — any product you apply to your face should make you feel good. What’s the point if it doesn’t bring you joy? That’s how Julianne Hough feels about her favorite sunscreen.

The multihyphenate has waxed poetic about the EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 40 for years. Hough has always believed in the importance of taking care of her skin and putting it “first.” But beyond effective ingredients, it’s all about how a product improves her mood. “I love how this sunscreen makes me feel fresh and beautiful,” she once shared in an interview with E!.

Get the EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 40 for $43 on Eltamd.com!

I’m gonna take a wild guess that the reason this sunscreen makes Hough feel “fresh and beautiful” is its tint. The sheer color works to even out skin tone so you can go about your day without any additional coverage — yep, that means no foundation — and fully embrace your skin throughout summer.

Essentially, the multi-tasking formula acts as a moisturizer, face base and sunscreen to simplify your routine so you can spend more time doing the things that you love. Hyaluronic acid keeps skin plump and hydrated, while SPF ingredients protect against the sun’s harsh rays, which contribute to signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines.

It’s understandable why Hough — and many other celebrities, including Khloe Kardashian, Emma Stone and Sydney Sweeney — are fans of EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 40. What’s not to love about a solid skincare product that not only improves your skin but also your life? You’ll understand the hype once you slather some on your skin.

Put your best face forward this summer by adding it to your cart today!

Get the EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 40 for $43 on Eltamd.com!

Britney Spears has found an unlikely voice coming to her defense following the freeway stunt that sparked days of intense online debate.

Just as criticism surrounding the pop star’s recent behavior reached another fever pitch, someone with one of the most complicated histories in her life urged the public to respond with compassion instead of judgment.

The unexpected comments come after a week in which Spears also defended herself an Instagram post.

Days after Britney Spears made headlines for standing through the sunroof of a moving Mercedes SUV on Los Angeles’ 101 Freeway, her former manager, Sam Lutfi, offered an unexpected response to the controversy.

Rather than criticizing the singer, Lutfi urged people to avoid rushing to conclusions.

“I think compassion is a better response than mockery,” he told the Daily Mail.

Calling for empathy, Lutfi added, “She’s a human being before she’s a celebrity. People are very quick to judge, especially when it’s Britney.”

He also cautioned against speculation surrounding Spears’ well-being, saying, “Social media isn’t someone’s medical chart,” and stressed that he had no desire “to diagnose [or] criticize” the Grammy winner.

Acknowledging the extraordinary level of public scrutiny Spears has faced throughout her life, Lutfi concluded, “She’s already spent her life under a microscope, so why don’t we show her the same grace we’d want for ourselves, period? I wish her nothing but the best.”

Lutfi’s comments marked a striking departure from the years of legal conflict that once defined the pair’s relationship.

Britney Spears Has Already Responded To The Freeway Backlash

Lutfi’s remarks arrived after Spears had already addressed the viral freeway incident herself.

As The Blast previously reported, photographs captured the singer standing through the moonroof of a black Mercedes SUV while traveling along the 101 Freeway near Studio City. The images quickly spread online, with many questioning whether the moment had been unnecessarily dangerous.

Spears, however, dismissed the assumptions in an Instagram post.

“What people see is two seconds of insanity of me arching me to the lords !!!!!” she wrote.

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She continued, “Yet the days and hours of my reality !!!!!! Nothing is what it seems.”

Spears jokingly added, “Psss I think I need to come out of the roof quite a bit more.”

Spears Shares Her Innermost Thoughts

Only hours later, the singer returned to Instagram with another lengthy reflection, sharing thoughts about mythology, vampires, mermaids, hidden worlds beneath the ocean, and the power of fiction.

She also described feeling as though she briefly looked “6 or 7 years old” after reading a novel reminiscent of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Taken together, the posts suggested Spears wanted followers to look beyond viral snapshots and understand that her inner thoughts and daily life are far more complex than a single headline.

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Britney Spears And Sam Lutfi Share A Long And Complicated History

Lutfi’s defense has drawn attention largely because of his deeply controversial history with Spears.

He became closely involved with the singer during the turbulent period surrounding her highly publicized struggles in 2007 and early 2008, shortly after her divorce from Kevin Federline. His role in Spears’ life quickly became the subject of intense legal disputes involving her family.

In 2008, Spears’ mother, Lynne Spears, sought a restraining order against Lutfi while making numerous allegations about his conduct. Lutfi denied wrongdoing.

The legal battle ultimately became part of the wider events surrounding the conservatorship that governed much of Spears’ personal and financial life for the next 13 years.

The conflict continued over the following decade. After filing a lawsuit against Spears and her family that was eventually settled out of court, Lutfi later became the subject of another restraining order in 2019 after the singer’s legal team accused him of harassing her family and attempting to interfere with matters related to her conservatorship. Lutfi again denied the allegations.

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Against that backdrop, his latest public comments stand out because they contained no criticism, accusations, or legal threats, only a call for compassion.

Sam Lutfi Has Defended Spears More Than Once Since The Conservatorship

Although Lutfi’s relationship with Britney Spears ended in years of courtroom battles, his public comments about the singer have changed considerably in recent years.

Following the end of Spears’ conservatorship in 2021, Lutfi repeatedly voiced support for her right to make her own decisions and argued that many public assumptions about her personal life had been unfair.

More recently, he also pushed back against claims made about Spears in Kevin Federline’s new book, saying the public had never been given the complete picture of what happened during the final months before the conservatorship began.

Lutfi has maintained that he witnessed much of that period firsthand and has consistently argued that Spears has long been judged through headlines rather than context.

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Whether people agree with his account or not, his latest comments after the freeway incident follow a pattern that has emerged over the last several years: publicly urging people to resist making sweeping conclusions about the singer based on isolated moments.

Laura Dern is breaking her silence on former Jurassic Park costar Sam Neill’s death with a meaningful tribute.

“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend,” Dern, 59, said in a statement shared with Us Weekly on Monday, July 13. “He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit.”

She added, “He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”

Dern played Ellie Sattler in 1993’s Jurassic Park alongside Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant. The duo reprised their roles for 2001’s Jurassic Park III and 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion.

Neill’s family announced in a statement on Monday that he died at age 78.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” wrote via his Instagram page, using the Māori word for family. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.”

The statement concluded, “They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”

Related: Celebrities Mourn Sam Neill‘s ‘Sudden‘ Death at 78

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Celebrities are mourning the loss of Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders star Sam Neill. Neill’s family announced on Monday, July 13, that he died unexpectedly at age 78. They promised “more details will be shared later,” asking for privacy as they navigate the loss. “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill […]

Neill revealed in his 2023 memoir that he was diagnosed with stage III angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. He was put on an anti-cancer drug after chemotherapy failed. While he was considered to be in remission, doctors told him that the medication would eventually stop working.

“I know I’ve got it, but I’m not really interested in it,” Neill told Australian Story in October 2023. “It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it.”

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Before his death, the actor became known to a new generation of fans as Chief Inspector Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders.

“We are devastated to hear that Sam Neill has died. Sam’s portrayal of Chester Campbell is one for the ages,” the official Peaky Blinders Instagram shared in a statement on Monday. “A villain who is despicable, petty, manipulative, but also charismatic, vulnerable, funny, and supremely entertaining to watch.”

He added, “Sam was one of the key forces that got Peaky Blinders off to a running start, for which we will be forever grateful. Our love and thoughts are with his family.”

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 26 seconds ago

Fans are feeling the loss of Stargate all over again following Amazon’s cancellation of the revival series while it was still in pre-production. Joseph Mallozzi, longtime writer for the franchise who wrote Stargate SG-1’s “Window of Opportunity,” “Wormhole X-Treme,” Stargate Atlantis “Enemy at the Gate,” and Stargate Universe’s “Incursion” two-parter with his longtime writing partner Paul Mullie, among many, many other acclaimed episodes, shared on X the scrapped plans for a Stargate Atlantis movie. Called Stargate: Extinction it would have served as a wrap-up movie for the series, and Mallozzi went into great detail for the fans. 

Joseph Mallozzi Pulls Back The Curtain On Stargate: Extinction

Stargate: Extinction would pick up after the end of Season 5, with Atlantis relocated to the Milky Way Galaxy and now resting on the surface of the Moon. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) and Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) are among those who think the IOA is making a bad choice, but their pleas to keep fighting the Wraith in the Pegasus galaxy fall on deaf ears. Upon firing up the Stargate, everyone learns The Ancients put in a failsafe, and now, removed from the Pegasus Galaxy, the Stargate is rigged to explode. 

Woolsey “gets the band back together” as Mallozzi calls it, including John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), Ronon (Jason Momoa), and Todd the Wraith (Sanctuary’s Christopher Heyerdahl), as they attempt to use the wormhole drive to reach Pegasus. It falls short, burning out some 300,000 light years away, leading up to “a high-flying adventure involving a mysterious civilization tapping the limitless potential of the accretion streams between two stars, time travel, and a race against time to avert not only the destruction of Atlantis but the extinction of an entire race.” That right there sounds fantastic, but Mallozzi goes even further, and highlighted two sequences that would leave fans screaming. 

One, involves Sheppard on the enemy mothership, with nowhere to run from the hordes of soldiers after him. He winds up in a storage room that contains stolen Atlantis tech. The camera would show the aliens lined up outside the door, ready to finish him off, when we hear thumping against the door. That’s when Sheppard emerges inside an Asgard exo-suit. All of a sudden, he’s not the one who’s trapped. 

The second featured Todd the Wraith facing off a Future Version of himself. They fight, argue over their philosophy, and then, at the last moment, Todd is saved by Rodney McKay. Alongside Sheppard, they fight together for the greater good while Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) has the helm of Atlantis in a head-to-head battle against the mothership. Against the odds, they pull out a victory, and Atlantis is returned to the Pegasus Galaxy. 

The Death Of The DVD Was The End For Atlantis

That sounds incredible. Joseph Mallozzi explained that what happened was the bottom fell out of the DVD market and with it, the green light to make Stargate: Extinction. What Mallozzi and the rest of the talented crew in the writer’s room put together is the send off that the series deserved. Stargate SG-1 had a series of direct-to-DVD movies to wrap up the battle against the Goa’uld, and while the movie didn’t finish the fight against the Wraiths, it would have solved the gigantic cliffhanger from Season 5, while setting up the crew for more adventures. 

Instead, Atlantis was canceled and any plans for a follow up film or Season 6 went with it. Mallozzi and Mullie went on to create Dark Matter, one of the best SyFy original shows, while Stargate was put on the backburner following the end of Stargate Universe. Someday Amazon, the current rights holder for the franchise, will decide to bring it back, and do it right, but after the last sudden cancelation it doesn’t look good. Until then, fans have their memories, and three great shows that are all available for rewatching right now, while we dream over what could have been.