Before Total Recall, Predator, and even The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger broke out on the big screen as a leading man in 1982 with a movie that was destined to become a cult classic. Now, over 40 years later, he’s returning to that role in a film that’s been in limbo for decades. He’s making it with the help of Mission: Impossible impresario Christopher McQuarrie, who’s set to write and direct.

According to reports, after decades of Development Hell, Schwarzenegger is set to return as Conan the Barbarian in King Conan, a film about the last days of the legendary warrior. He likens the film to Unforgiven, the elegiac movie that served as Clint Eastwood‘s farewell to the Western genre. Schwarzenegger seems to have found the right creative partner for the film; he praised McQuarrie’s understanding of both Robert E. Howard, the troubled Texan writer who created Conan and his world before his tragic death, and Frank Frazetta, the legendary fantasy artist whose evocative paintings helped shape Conan in the popular consciousness. Schwarzenegger also mooted bringing on John Milius, who co-wrote and directed the original Conan film, as a producer on the film, which is slated to begin production next year.

What Is ‘Conan the Barbarian’ About?

Conan the Barbarian is set in the Hyborian Age, an ancient (and fictional) time period before “the oceans drank Atlantis.” Schwarzenegger stars as Conan, a native of the land of Cimmeria; his tribe was massacred when he was a boy, and he became a slave, then a gladiator, then a warrior, eventually winning his freedom. Befriending the archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez) and the warrior Valeria (Sandahl Bergman), he and his allies are hired by King Osric (Max von Sydow) to rescue his daughter from the deadly serpent cult of Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). Learning that Doom was the leader of the raiders who killed his family, Conan eagerly accepts…but will pay a terrible price for his vengeance. The film was a massive success, and led to a 1984 sequel, Conan the Destroyer, which greatly toned down the original movie’s sex and violence. There have been numerous subsequent attempts to make a third Conan film; one script was repurposed as the Kevin Sorbo vehicle Kull the Conqueror.

Schwarzenegger and McQuarrie’s paths have briefly crossed before. Back when McQuarrie was an unknown and uncredited script doctor, he made revisions to Akiva Goldsman‘s script for 1997’s Batman and Robin, in which Schwarzenegger played the villainous Mr. Freeze.

King Conan is slated to begin production in 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

May 14, 1982

Runtime

129 minutes

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Director

John Milius

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Writers

Oliver Stone, John Milius, Robert E. Howard, Edward Summer

Producers

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Buzz Feitshans, Raffaella De Laurentiis, Dino De Laurentiis

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By Sckylar Gibby-Brown
| Updated 1 hour ago

Morgan Freeman has appeared in just about every kind of movie imaginable throughout his legendary career, from acclaimed dramas to blockbuster action films. One of his lesser-known projects is 2023’s The Ritual Killer, a crime thriller that pairs the Academy Award winner with Yellowstone star Cole Hauser for a dark story involving ritualistic murders, an aging detective, and a killer who leaves a trail of bodies across Mississippi.

Directed by George Gallo, The Ritual Killer stars Morgan Freeman as Dr. Mackles, an anthropologist who teaches at a local college. Hauser co-stars as a detective on the brink of retirement who is struggling to cope with the death of his daughter. Working together, the pair set out to track down a vicious killer on a murder spree throughout Carlton, Mississippi.

An Independent Effort With Casting Clout

The Ritual Killer first went into production in 2021 and it was announced that Gallo would direct a film called Muti, named after the dark magic that the serial killer practices in the film. Later, the film was renamed The Ritual Killer to draw emphasis on the terrible rituals that the killer performs before taking his victims’ lives. Soon after Gallo was signed on to the project, Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Peter Stormare, and Vernon Davis joined the cast.

It took a collective of imaginations to draw together the script for The Ritual Killer, with Robert T. Bowersox, Jennifer Lemmon, Francesco Cinquemani, Giorgia Iannone, Luca Giliberto, and Ferdinando Dell’Omo all coming together to write the script, with story help from Joe Lemmon. Morgan Freeman and the rest of the cast filmed in late summer 2021 in Jackson, Mississippi, with additional footage captured in Rome, Italy.

While The Ritual Killer managed to snag some major Hollywood clout by hiring blockbuster names like Morgan Freeman, the film remained a low-budget independent feature produced by Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment.

The film was made with an estimated budget of somewhere between $7 and $17 million and was given a limited release in theaters. While the film was also released on demand, the main mode of distribution for this action-thriller was through Redbox locations on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Unfortunately, despite Morgan Freeman and Cole Hauser being attached to the project, the film was barely marketed and it ended up scoring only $281,150 after release, with the majority of the audience coming from Russia.

However, while this resulted in a major loss for the studios in charge of The Ritual Killer, its streaming comeback on Hulu might be able to repair some of the financial damage, though turning a profit for the film seems unlikely.

Morgan Freeman at 89

Despite being 89 years old, Morgan Freeman is not looking to retire any time soon. The Ritual Killer was one of five projects the actor had released in 2023 alone. He also starred next to Florence Pugh in A Good Person, a drama by Zach Braff that was released in March 2023 about a woman whose life falls apart after being involved in a lethal accident.

Even in his late 80s, Morgan Freeman continues to work, and The Ritual Killer was never going to be among his final projects, adding to a filmography that already stretches well past the 100-credit mark. More than 60 years into his career, Freeman remains one of Hollywood’s most prolific performers, and there is little reason to think he’ll be stepping away anytime soon.

While Freeman has been in some incredible movies that are now deemed classics (looking at you, Shawshank Redemption), he’s also been in quite a few duds. In fact, The Ritual Killer is considered by critics to be one of these duds, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie only an 11 percent approval rating. 

Still, people on Hulu (and in Russia) seem to like it. So, if you’re down to watch something new and are a fan of Morgan Freeman’s acting prowess, consider adding The Ritual Killer to your movie list.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 second ago

Have you ever seen a movie that’s so absolutely off-the-wall bonkers that you need to check your watch history the next day to make sure you didn’t dream it up? That’s how I feel about 2019’s Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, an absurdist sci-fi spy comedy thriller with a neo-noir bent, and probably about 20 other genres that I’m not aware exist outside of this singular piece of media. We have villains wearing masks of historical figures in a VR world, mysterious mind-altering substances, James Bond plots, kung fu, a villain who’s a cross between Batman and Dolemite, and one man’s dream of one day opening a pizza restaurant and martial arts studio with his kickboxing wife.

Does any of that make sense? Because here’s what’s absolutely insane about this movie: it successfully tells a shockingly coherent story even though it’s all cosmic gumbo simmering impatiently in its own warped little cinematic Crock Pot.

If you’re looking for a covert-op adventure that barely clings to the fabric of reality and consciousness, yet somehow manages to pull itself back together, then Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway should be the next thing you watch on Tubi, where all the best movies you’ve never heard of live.

Psychobook, Soviets, And A Very Strange Batman

Oh boy, where do I begin? Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway centers on CIA Special Agent Gagano (Daniel Tadesse), a man who takes his work seriously, but not nearly as seriously as his love for pizza or his kickboxing wife, Malin (Gerda-Annette Allikas). Working alongside Agent Palmer Eldritch (Augustin Mateo), the two complete all of their missions, mostly against the Soviets, through VR devices that allow their avatars to get down to business without putting their physical bodies in harm’s way.

Problems arise when Gagano, who wants nothing more than to retire, open his own pizza place, and bankroll Malin’s dream of opening a kickboxing studio, gets trapped inside Psychobook, the cyber world in which they operate, after the system is hacked and compromised. Stuck between a virtual plane of existence and the real world, Gagano faces adversaries like the all-knowing Mr. Sophistication (Carlo Pironti), a multitude of kung fu hustlers, and, of course, the most menacing antagonist of all, Batfro (Solomon Tashe), who carries himself like Rudy Ray Moore’s Dolemite but, for reasons never fully explained, has his hero insignia blurred out whenever he appears on screen.

Complicating matters further is Malin’s affair with Palmer. While Agent Gagano’s love for Malin is intense and unbreakable, Malin, despite her unwavering reciprocation up this point, has seen what she needs to see to conclude that her husband is never returning from Psychobook, and this seems like the path of least resistance that will allow her to move on. Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin is hellbent on world domination, and a man who believes he’s Jesus Christ himself tries to enlighten Gagano with candy and a life-altering revelation that may change everything for the world-weary secret agent. In other words, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway is total insanity, but in the best possible way.

Seriously, Give This One A Chance

In Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, it’s not entirely clear whether the poor overdubbing was born out of necessity or a deliberate creative choice. I’m inclined to believe the latter because everything about this movie, from the set design and Stalin masks to the copyright workaround of having a man who’s clearly dressed as Batman with his insignia obscured just enough to keep the lawyers at bay, feels intentional. It may not seem that way while you’re working through the first two acts, but as more information is revealed, it all starts to make sense in context.

If you have the patience for this movie, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and it’s beyond satisfying that a film released as recently as 2019 is taking so many wild creative swings. The whole thing feels like an alternate reality because it is an alternate reality, constantly making you question what belongs to this virtually constructed world and what belongs to the one Gagano so desperately wants to return to.

More importantly, as absurd as Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway may appear at a surface-level glance, everybody plays it as straight as possible. This isn’t to say that the production isn’t raw and clearly operating on a shoestring budget, but you rarely feel those limitations. Writer-director Miguel Llansó’s vision is so unhinged that it all feels like part of the packaging rather than a byproduct of limited resources.

JESUS SHOWS YOU THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY SCORE

While it may not be for everybody, I’m glad movies like Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway exist because they demonstrate how much filmmakers can still innovate when they allow themselves to think outside the box (and this one is way out there). If you think you’re ready, you can stream this absurdist masterpiece for free on Tubi as of this writing. Whether you regret hitting ‘play’ is entirely up to you.

The internet hasn’t stopped talking about Karmelo Anthony’s guilty verdict and his 35-year prison sentence. Now, social media users are sounding off after authorities arrested Jerome Parker Winston, a supporter of the 19-year-old, following a protest encounter that recently went viral.

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony’s New Mugshot Surfaces As His Uncle Speaks Out Amid 35-Year Prison Sentence (PHOTOS + VIDEOS) 

Details On Jerome Parker Winston’s Arrest

According to reports, authorities arrested Jerome Parker Winston outside the courthouse where Karmelo Anthony’s trial took place in Texas. Officers reportedly placed Winston in handcuffs for allegedly carrying a weapon unlawfully. Jerome’s mugshot initially made rounds in a Facebook post that included his arrest details. His arrest reportedly marked one of two that authorities made during the protest following the reading of Anthony’s verdict.

Before his arrest, a video of Jerome went viral on social media. The footage showed him in a heated confrontation with a white man wearing an American flag shirt. Based on the clip, Jerome appeared to defend a Black female supporter while accusing the man of allegedly attempting to do something to her. However, the footage does not clearly show what sparked the confrontation.

“Ain’t nothing but air and opportunity. Do something! The same thing you were going to do to her. We both have our hands behind our backs. You approached a Black woman,” Jerome says in the video as he continues to yell, “That is a woman!” And later follows up with, “That is a mother! A sister!”

Social Media Sounds OFF About Jerome’s Arrest

After The Shade Room shared the viral of Jerome along with details about his arrest, the Roommates quickly flooded the comment section with reactions. Some commenters asked for more information about the weapon authorities allegedly found in Jerome’s possession, while others called for his release.

Instagram user @theshayjohnson wrote, “What was the weapon and where did they find it?” 

Instagram user @changeiskey1989 wrote, “It’s time to cancel Texas.” 

While Instagram user @missjameekabanks wrote, “Standing up for Black women…. Mannnn free this man ✊🏾” 

Then Instagram user @kyimaranajaae wrote, “Y’all he was unlawfully carrying a weapon. But it’s still #FreeKarmelo.” 

Another Instagram user @flawednfabulous wrote, “This is* America . 🇺🇸” 

Instagram user @stephroyalty wrote, “Free him lock up the judge and jury!!!” 

Then another Instagram user @bigsimon19 wrote, “Black people don’t understand America has two justice systems.” 

While another Instagram user @manufacturedinthe90s wrote, “We can’t do anything in this country. We fight back we get killed or arrested.” 

Finally, Instagram user @cyannextdoor wrote, “Whew chile this is to much!!” 

The Latest Update On Karmelo Anthony’s Case

Social media users are continuing to share their thoughts on Karmelo Anthony’s case following his conviction and 35-year prison sentence. However, Karmelo and his legal team are not backing down. Less than 24 hours after a Texas jury convicted him of murder, his attorneys filed a notice of appeal. Karmelo’s lawyer, Mike Howard said in a statement that the defense believes the court still needs to address several issues.

“After the conclusion of the trial yesterday, we gave the court our official notice that Karmelo Anthony is filing an appeal. We believe there are several important issues for the appellate courts to consider. An appeal is the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American,” Howard said.

RELATED: UPDATE: Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty & Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For Fatal Stabbing Of Austin Metcalf (PHOTOS) 

Mimi Faust says K. Michelle is a “bully” and hasn’t grown “an ounce” since her time on ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.’

RELATED: Time Flies! Recent Footage Of Stevie J & Mimi Faust’s Daughter Eva Has Internet Users Calling Themselves “Old” (VIDEO)

Mimi Faust Says K. Michelle Is A “Bully” & Hasn’t Grown “An Ounce” Since Her Time On ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’

According to Bossip, MimI Faust recently appeared as a guest on ‘The Morning Hustle’ radio show. Additionally, during her appearance, Lore’l asked Faust how she felt about K. Michelle saying she wouldn’t be open to reconciling with her following their time on ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.’ Specifically, the pair got into it over Michelle’s comments about one of Faust’s former partners. Additionally, their conflict escalated when K. Michelle found herself at odds with Rasheeda. To note, K. Michelle recently joined the cast of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta.’

“What have I ever done to K. Michelle?” Faust asked. “One, I never heard her say that, and two, IDGAF.”

Per the outlet, Lore’l then asked Faust if she believes K. Michelle has matured since their time together on TV.

“Absolutely not. Not an ounce. She is, um, the same person, different face. You know, I think it’s cute that she keeps talking about me; it’s really cute. She tries it. She’s a bully, and then she plays the victim, that’s K,” Faust explained.

Social Media Weighs In

Social media users shared their thoughts on Mimi Faust’s comments on K. Michelle in TSR’s comment section.

K. Michelle Addresses A Critic Amid Mimi Faust Says She’s A “Bully” & Hasn’t Grown Since ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’

On Tuesday, June 9, K. Michelle took to X, formerly known as Twitter, initially replying to a user who was sharing their thoughts on the recent comments about the singer.

But you sure can make good fucking TV 😮‍💨
They locked in!

— Smoke (@SmokesSoul) June 9, 2026

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Ultimately, K. Michelle explained to another user that she’s just being herself.

RELATED: Social Media Is Sharing Mixed Opinions After Eva Showed Off The Dress Mimi Faust Made Her Wear To Her 8th-Grade Dance

Sean Penn is facing major backlash after making controversial comments about selfies that unexpectedly invoked both Holocaust survivors and a child with a disability. The Oscar-winning actor sparked outrage following an appearance at the Tribeca Festival in New York, where he launched into an anti-selfie rant that many critics quickly branded insensitive and bizarre. Social media users soon flooded X, formerly Twitter, with criticism, with one person even labeling Penn the “biggest dirtbag in Hollywood.”

During a Friday conversation with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins at Spring Studios as part of the Tribeca Festival’s 25th anniversary programming, Penn shared his strong feelings about celebrity selfies.

The actor argued that taking photos with famous people is harmful for everyone involved. “People should not do selfies ever with anyone. It’s bad for you; it’s bad for everyone. It’s a soul-sucker,” Penn said.

However, the conversation quickly took an unexpected turn when Penn referenced scenarios involving a Holocaust survivor and a young child with a disability. “It’s the Holocaust grandmother and her 6-year-old paraplegic wheeling over? It’s a hard no,” he added.

The comment immediately sparked confusion and outrage online, with many questioning why Penn brought up such examples during a discussion about fan photos.

Penn’s remarks spread rapidly online, with critics accusing the actor of being unnecessarily insensitive and out of touch. “No surprise from the biggest dirtbag in Hollywood,” one X user wrote. Another critic blasted the actor, writing: “He really is an insufferable a-shole… @SouthPark needs another episode dedicated just to this.”

Someone else said, “He is one UGLY dude, inside and out…!!” while another chimed in with, “If he doesn’t want to take selfies, he could have certainly found a less disgusting way to communicate that to someone.”

Sean Penn Says Crowds Trigger His Anxiety

Penn’s comments came as he explained why he skipped the Oscars earlier this year despite earning a nomination, and ultimately winning, for “One Battle After Another.”

The actor admitted that large social settings have increasingly become difficult for him. “It’s not just [that it’s] an awards show. It would be the same if this group was going to an afterparty and one stepped into that,” Penn explained.

He added, “That always represented social discomfort for me; too many people. I’m now down, committed for life, that I won’t go anywhere to be in a designated group beyond eight people.”

According to Penn, interacting with large groups for extended periods fuels his anxiety. He said gatherings often leave him feeling overwhelmed because interactions become brief and repetitive.

Penn Says The Golden Globes Were His Breaking Point

Penn also revealed he decided to stop attending major Hollywood events after appearing at the Golden Globes in January. “The best that I could ever muster was relief. Knowing that I wasn’t going to do that anymore, I did one before that this year. I went to the Golden Globes; I’d never been to that before. And that’s where I decided, ‘I can’t do this,’” he said.

The actor claimed he was repeatedly approached for selfies while leaving the event, including a request from 16-year-old “Adolescence” actor Owen Cooper. Instead of attending the Oscars, Penn said he traveled to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and watched the ceremony from abroad. “I really got to enjoy the Academy Awards for the first time. It was great,” Penn said.

Sean Penn’s Controversial Reputation Has Followed Him For Decades

For many critics, Penn’s latest controversy only added to a long history of headline-making behavior. The actor has repeatedly sparked backlash over the years for his outspoken comments and confrontational moments both on and off screen.

Penn’s legal troubles stretch back decades and have helped shape the actor’s long-standing reputation for volatility. In 1985, while married to Madonna, Penn was involved in a confrontation with photographers attempting to capture the couple in Nashville. The incident marked the beginning of several headline-making clashes involving the actor and members of the media.

Just two years later, Penn found himself in even more serious legal trouble while filming the 1988 crime drama “Colors.” Already on probation stemming from a misdemeanor battery charge involving songwriter David Wolinski at a Los Angeles nightclub, Penn was arrested after punching film extra Jeffrey Klein on set.

Because he violated probation, the actor was sentenced to 60 days in jail for assault, ultimately serving 33 days of the sentence.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 23 seconds ago

Filmmakers need to bring back the warehouse showdown, and I’m tired of letting them get away with over-the-top action sequences that cost tens of millions of dollars to produce. These days, every action sequence has to be elevated. The Gray Man (2022) gets off on leveling entire city blocks, and the John Wick films, which are some of my favorite modern action movies, go for intense choreography and enough changes in scenery to make me slip into an overstimulation-induced coma. The list goes on. Look at any superhero movie where entire cities get razed to the ground, with 2013’s Man of Steel being perhaps the most egregious example.

All of the above titles have a disappointing lack of warehouse showdowns, and I often wonder why. Well, the real reason is that all of these productions had massive bankrolls behind them, whereas warehouse showdowns are typically found in action movies with much smaller budgets.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though, because we’ve seen iterations of the warehouse showdown in Michael Bay films like The Rock (1996) and forgotten low-budget action thrillers like Army of One (1993) alike.

Personally, I’ve become so desensitized to action sequences that I think I need to be intravenously injected with a good old warehouse showdown at least once a month as part of my longevity treatment.

Why The Warehouse Showdown Is Iconic

These days, all action has to be elevated, but it wasn’t always like that. In the 80s and 90s, the warehouse showdown didn’t discriminate, and you can see varying levels of awesomeness across low-budget films like Raw Deal (1986), Stone Cold (1991), Hard Boiled (1992), and Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991). The setup is always simple. The good guys take out what they think are all the henchmen, then finally make it to the boss level, where the primary antagonist is surrounded by even more henchmen and apparently lives in a warehouse that manufactures nothing but sparks and noise.

All you have to do while watching a classic warehouse showdown is sit back, relax, listen to the glorious music of shell casings scattering across the floor, and brace yourself for plenty of well-timed explosions that light the entire place up as our heroes run from the coming, all-consuming fireball and dive into the conveniently placed marina right next door.

You don’t need $50 million to have a solid warehouse showdown. All you need is grit, squibs, decent lighting, and a revolving door of villains who can be thrown into a pile of highly flammable barrels that are also conveniently placed throughout the field of play.

It’s Not Just A Matter Of Budget

While it certainly sounds like I’m only into low-budget schlock (I am, but that’s beside the point), the warehouse showdown isn’t just for filmmakers with limited resources. Sometimes you get the best of both worlds, which is exactly what we see in 1996’s The Rock, directed by none other than Michael Bay. I say the best of both worlds because there’s a high-speed chase through the streets of San Francisco involving a bright yellow Ferrari F355 Spider, which obviously wasn’t cheap to pull off. Streets had to be shut down, and I imagine a sequence like this required dozens of technicians on the payroll.

But here’s why The Rock is one of the greatest action movies of all time. What is Alcatraz? That’s a rhetorical question. I know Alcatraz is an out-of-service prison where you can throw a couple of quarters into a crank machine and get a crappy souvenir in the form of a flattened penny with the Golden Gate Bridge stamped on it or whatever. Still, the point stands that Alcatraz is basically just a giant warehouse, and you better believe there’s going to be a showdown.

The same can be said for RoboCop (1987) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which both use steel mills as de facto warehouses for their showdowns. It’s a simple, self-contained setup that requires no worldbuilding and no constant changes in scenery. It’s the setting for the final showdown, where you can get close-ups and maybe even a great one-liner from our heroes while they focus on what’s most important: blowing sh*t up and taking out dozens of enemies in a very short amount of time. 

As modern filmmaking continues to push the envelope, with the Space Pontiac in F9 coming to mind, sometimes we just need to go back to basics and blow the roof off a warehouse for the love of the game. 

By Robert Scucci
| Published 18 seconds ago

There’s nothing quite like a solid neo-noir sci-fi mind-bender, and 1990’s Megaville is the most Inception thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And I’ve seen Inception! Megaville wins some extra points, though, because it’s Billy Zane’s first lead role. That’s right, before he blew up with The Phantom and Titanic, he was all about that Blade Runner-style dystopian sci-fi grit, taking on an increasingly complicated mission that requires him to live between two worlds: the Hemisphere and the titular Megaville.

Megaville tells a story about assumed identities, a tyrannical government that has outlawed the media, and the resulting black market hanging in the balance as corrupt officials do as they please, all in the name of controlling the masses. It’s delivered through classic neo-noir beats in the context of a sci-fi film. It’s Billy Zane at his most frenetic and hungry, and he commits to the bit like a total pro.

The Hemisphere Vs Megaville

Megaville starts out in the Hemisphere, where media is outlawed and the government rules with an iron fist. Raymond Palinov (Billy Zane) is the captain of the Media Police, but here’s the problem: he’s addicted to the media he’s supposed to be confiscating, which clearly doesn’t go over well with his higher-ups who run the CKS, the Hemisphere’s governing body. To make matters worse, Raymond keeps “losing control” in the form of full-body seizures, complete with hallucinations, that only continue to escalate.

Despite his personal and professional issues, Raymond is summoned by CKS Director Mr. Duprell (Daniel J. Travanti) to handle a classified mission in Megaville involving a new consumer product known as Dream-A-Life (DAL), a virtual reality headset that allows users to live whatever kind of life they want but can’t attain in the physical world. The Hemisphere has made such devices legal, but thanks to a mysterious man named Mr. Newman (J.C. Quinn), they’re fair game over in Megaville, which is where Raymond will be put to use.

Raymond bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Newman’s only known contact in the Hemisphere, Jensen, and is put under by Dr. Vogel (Stefan Gierasch) under the guise of having his head problems fixed. Instead, Dr. Vogel implants Jensen’s memories into his skull, allowing him to navigate Megaville, find Jensen’s lover, Christine (Kristen Cloke), and piece together exactly where he needs to be to track down Mr. Newman. The implant also makes him incredibly unstable, which may have been the plan all along. 

From this point forward, it’s unclear who Raymond is supposed to trust. He’s still his own person, but sometimes finds himself thinking like Jensen, and other times finds himself spazzing out as if his brain is being remotely accessed by the folks back in the Hemisphere. Raymond gets further lost in his own mind as he tries to navigate a mission that even his mother (Grace Zabriskie) encouraged him to take on. Between the voices in his head, the increasing hallucinations, and the DAL technology starting to influence his decision-making, Raymond is caught in the middle of a grand conspiracy with no clear escape route, to the point where he doesn’t even know who he is anymore.

A Gritty, Frenetic Brain Twister

By now, we’ve all seen similar plots play out, but Megaville holds its own as one of those weird sci-fi gems you may have overlooked. If you go in as a blank slate, the film has a lot going for it, even if some of its genre conventions can be found elsewhere. I can’t say with confidence that I’d feel the same way if anybody other than Billy Zane were the lead actor in this movie, however. His physicality and, at times, complete blankness hint at what’s to come in his career as he’s just starting to cut his teeth as a lead actor here. This doesn’t seem like an easy role to convincingly play, and he fully commits to the premise.

Megaville is one of those weird films that’s inherently cerebral but still easy to digest because every character archetype is familiar enough to wrap your head around. You have the evil government scientists and the conflicted agent trying to find inner peace, and along the way we learn how these shadow-government operations are handled. Despite its familiar beats, Megaville remains enthralling from start to finish because we’re allowed to focus on what’s happening in the moment instead of constantly wondering what everybody’s motives are.

This isn’t to say there aren’t surprise twists and turns along the way, but rather to illustrate how this vehicle is primed to kick it into fifth gear without leaving viewers in the dust. It’s clearly a low-budget effort with a then up-and-coming A-lister, but if anything, it serves as a solid proving ground for Billy Zane, who leans so hard into his conflicted character’s fractured mental state that he sells it better than just about anybody else who could have been cast in the role.

As of this writing, you can stream Megaville for free on Tubi.