After six months, a House Committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein finally got former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify last week. Then, on Monday (March 2), the House Oversight Committee released videos of Bill and Hillary’s depositions. One particular clip shows the former president smiling at old photos, and later snatching them back from his lawyer when she pulled them away. In response, social media is sounding off with theories about why Bill Clinton was so enthusiastic! Additional videos from the deposition have also gone viral.

RELATED: Bill Gates Addresses Ties To Jeffrey Epstein And Admits To Cheating On Melinda Gates During Their Marriage (PHOTOS)

Video Of Bill Clinton Looking At Old Photos Sparks Reactions

About 55 minutes into Bill Clinton’s deposition, a video captured him closely examining a document featuring a photo. The circulating clip on X (formerly Twitter) is only about 38 seconds long, and in the first five seconds, Clinton is seen staring at the paper with his mouth slightly open. One of his lawyers pulls the paper away and Bill immediately attempts to reach for it again, saying, “Let me see it.” Once the paper is back in his hand, he looks at the picture again, seemingly saying, “Hmmm” and “Okay.”  Again, his lawyer pulls the document away and sets it down in front of her, while Bill Clinton looks up with a smile and crosses his arms. The video cuts off while a lawmaker begins introducing questions about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes.

Watch the viral video below. Also, see additional reactions from X below and HERE. 

Bill Clinton is smiling while looking back through old Epstein photos & nodding over memories🤣

His attorney snatches them out of Bill’s hands. pic.twitter.com/JlF0jFUwQm

— Star S.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@DominguezH31015) March 2, 2026

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Bill looking through his pics with Epstein at home: https://t.co/Rpn3KxsDxb pic.twitter.com/z2L5seMIuc

— Kaguya’s Top Gal (@hayasaka_aryan) March 3, 2026

This one is my favorite. Bill staring at the photo of girls in a hot tub so much that his lawyer has to take it away, then he fights her to take it back to keep looking. Great optic. https://t.co/BYFQbz5V2U

— JP Sears (@AwakenWithJP) March 3, 2026

HELP???????!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/wi9tl84blE

— Michael (@yosoymichael) March 3, 2026

nigga really smiling like he flipping thru his old high school yearbook 😭 https://t.co/7pyxw8fnbI

— Corn ✧⍣ (@cornski) March 3, 2026

Clinton Addresses Hot Tub Photo And Allegations Of Liking Women “Young”

A Democratic lawmaker asked questions about a photo that showed Bill Clinton in a pool with a woman whose face was redacted. The former president said he did not know the woman and did not engage in sexual activity with her. He said the photo was from a trip to Brunei for charitable work. Additionally, Clinton said a number of people in their travel party were swimming. He also said that he was not aware that one young woman who was ostensibly working as a masseuse and gave him a neck massage on one flight was in fact a victim of sexual abuse.

“There’s nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realize he was trafficking women,” Bill Clinton told the committee.

👀 Bill Clinton explains his viral hot tub photo during the Epstein deposition. pic.twitter.com/6LonHZ4Hpb

— TMZ (@TMZ) March 2, 2026

Bill Clinton said he had once visited Jeffrey Epstein’s townhouse in New York City. However, he said repeatedly he had never visited Epstein’s private island or other properties.

“Did you ever receive a massage from her?”

Clinton: “I got a back rub by neck work. I think Chauntae did it.”

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“Did you ever visit Epstein’s island?”

Clinton: “No.”

Virginia Giuffre testified she saw him there with two young girls.

The video is public now. pic.twitter.com/nBfCQ9iltZ

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— Epstein File Search (@epsteinsearchin) March 3, 2026

Asked by Republicans whether they had talked about young women or girls together, Clinton responded emphatically: “No.” A video of that line of questioning has also gone viral.

Bill Clinton was asked under oath why Jeffrey Epstein said he “likes them young.”

Watch his response. pic.twitter.com/lIA8tsPsMf

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— Epstein File Search (@epsteinsearchin) March 3, 2026

Also, Bill Clinton acknowledged he maintained a closer relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and confidant. But he maintained that was largely because of close mutual connections. He also said “she has to be punished” for her conviction on sex trafficking charges.

Bill Clinton, under oath, on how he knew Ghislaine Maxwell:

“She was very good friends with Evelyn Rothschild and his wife Lynn, whom I knew and was in regular touch with.”

He says he was closer to Maxwell than to Epstein.

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Maxwell is a convicted sex trafficker. pic.twitter.com/BBj9VxydXT

— Epstein File Search (@epsteinsearchin) March 3, 2026

What Else Did Clinton Say About His Ties To Jeffrey?

The viral video of Bill Clinton smiling at throwback photos stems from Republicans and Democrats questioning him about said pictures, which the government released with the Jeffrey Epstein files. Clinton said he first remembered meeting Epstein when he flew aboard his private jet in 2002. At the time, they were traveling for his and Hillary Clintons’ humanitarian work.

Overall, Bill Clinton described his relationship with Epstein as a little more than “cordial.” He stuck by that answer even when the subject was the note he wrote for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Also, regarding their travel, Bill Clinton described an arrangement with Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons got use of his private jet for humanitarian trips in exchange for Bill Clinton discussing politics and economics with him.

Clinton testified that Larry Summers, who had worked as treasury secretary in Clinton’s administration, helped make that connection. But Clinton said they went separate ways in 2003 after he sensed that Epstein was not deeply interested in the humanitarian work.

“We were friendly, but I didn’t know him well enough to say we were friends,” he said.

Epstein visited the White House numerous times during Clinton’s presidency. There are photos of them shaking hands. Still, Clinton told lawmakers he did not recall those interactions.

Bill Clinton Speaks On Donald Trump 

One line of questioning stirred up curiosity from lawmakers. That was what Clinton had to say about President Donald Trump. He made clear he believed it was important for anyone, including presidents, to come forward and testify to their knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton also shared how he and Trump had briefly discussed Epstein at a charity golf tournament more than 20 years ago. He said Trump had never “said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything improper with regard to Epstein.” However, he also remarked that those two men had a falling-out over a real estate deal.

Bill Clinton, under oath, quoting Donald Trump:

“We had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal. I’m sorry it happened.”

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Trump said this to Clinton on a golf course. About Epstein. pic.twitter.com/h8oBJl6Eq8

— Epstein File Search (@epsteinsearchin) March 3, 2026

RELATED: Former Prince Andrew Arrested On Suspicion Of Misconduct In Public Office Over Ties To Jeffrey Epstein

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report via AP Newsroom. 

Former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone has died at age 42, his family confirmed on Monday, March 2. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

“Well my young brother and best friend is gone,” his older brother, Nick Pistone, wrote via Facebook on Monday. “I’m broken hearted and don’t know if I’ll ever get over this. I miss you Chase already and I hope you are in a better place. I love you and I miss you so much already!!!!!!!”

In addition to NASCAR, Chase was also involved in legends car building and racing as well as late model stock car racing.

“Chase was not only a wheelman in Legends and Late Models, but his Chase Pistone Inc. Legends team was a force to be reckoned with every time they showed up at a track, and they usually walked away with the winner’s trophy,” legend car news outlet Legends Nation recalled of the late driver in a tribute shared via X.

Related: Greg Biffle’s Former NASCAR Opponent Breaks Silence After Tragic Accident

Greg Biffle’s former NASCAR rival, Kasey Kahne, has broken his silence regarding the racing legend’s untimely death. “The impact of [losing] Greg has been immense,” Kahne posted via X on Thursday, December 25. “From all the heartfelt posts I have read to our waiter tonight at dinner; everyone that knew him has lasting impressions. Greg […]

“I was his biggest fan and I loved him so much,” Nick told the outlet.

Nick and the siblings’ other brother, Tom, also asked Legends Nation to post the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The brothers are the grandsons of legendary former NASCAR Cup Series winner “Tiger” Tom Pistone. Chase began racing at age 6, growing up to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series from 2005 to 2014.

As news of Chase’s death began to spread, tributes came pouring in from the racing community, including from NASCAR Cup Series icon Bubba Wallace.

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Related: 1 Person Dead After Fire at Home Belonging to NASCAR Star Denny Hamlin

UPDATE — 12/29/25, 3:15 p.m. ET: One person has died, while another remains hospitalized, after a fire broke out at a North Carolina house belonging to NASCAR star Denny Hamlin. The residence was home to Hamlin’s parents, officials said on Monday, December 29.  The identities of the two individuals have not been released. According to […]

“Been in the feels..,” Wallace, 32 wrote via X on Monday. “Woke up Sunday morning at 2am wide awake.. stumbled across an old tune that shook me. Only to realize later on at 2am was when the shooting happened in Austin.”

He continued, “A guy I raced with in legends cars took his life today..Just a lot of damn sadness man.”

“Heartbroken to hear about the passing of our friend Chase Pistone,” RFK Racing’s Brian Murphy added via X. “He was not only a talented racer but a true mentor who poured his time, knowledge, and passion into the next generation.”

Chase’s sister-in-law, Phaedra Pistone, also asked Hickory Motor Speedway, located near Chase’s home of Charlotte, North Carolina, to honor him during the venue’s races this weekend.

Related: Greg Biffle Plane Crash: Identities of 3 Additional Fatalities Revealed

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Seven people have been confirmed dead in the plane crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle on Thursday, December 18. Biffle, who was 55, his wife, Cristina, and two kids, daughter Emma and son Ryder, have all been confirmed dead. Family friend and NASCAR motorhome driver Craig Wadsworth died as well, along with pilot […]

“Chase had a deep connection to Hickory Motor Speedway, and the racing community meant so much to him,” Phaedra wrote, according to NBC News. “The track was not just a place to him — it was part of his life, his passion, and a place filled with meaningful memories for our entire family.”

In a statement to NBC, Hickory Motor Speedway general manager Kevin Piercy wrote that the facility would do its “best to respect the family’s wishes and honor his memory before the race this Saturday night.”

“Chase was always in a great mood and a joy to be around. I appreciate the support and love that we both share for Hickory Motor Speedway,” Piercy said. “He will be missed.”

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 21 seconds ago

In the NuTrek era of shows like Discovery and Starfleet Academy, there has been a frequent criticism from certain elements of the fandom: the shows have gotten “too political.” This is often juxtaposed with the Golden Age of Star Trek of the ‘80s and ‘90s, which some fans are convinced never focused on politics. However, that’s not entirely true. Shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation often dabbled in politics, and when they did, it made almost everyone mad.

A perfect example of this can be found in “Up the Long Ladder,” a relatively obscure episode of TNG’s second season. It was a story explicitly written as a commentary on both immigration and abortion, with a focus on women’s right to choose what does and does not happen to their own bodies. Unfortunately, the execution of this storyline angered pro-life fans all around the world, while the execution of the immigration plot pissed off an entirely different group of people: Irish Americans, including Star Trek legend Colm Meaney.

Send In The Clones

The plot of “Up the Long Ladder” is that the Enterprise encounters two space colonies: one is filled with Irish colonists who have forsaken modern technology and mostly want to party like it’s still 1999. The other one is an advanced civilization of clones on the hunt for some new genetic material. The plot regarding this second colony was intended as commentary on women’s rights, though episode writer Melinda Snodgrass (who penned “The Measure of a Man,” generally considered the best Data episode ever written) tried to hide that commentary in the middle of a very sci-fi plot point.

After their ship crashes on the second colony, there are only five survivors, which isn’t enough to kickstart a civilization. They decide to solve this problem through cloning, and clones have been running the colony for the better part of two centuries. Due to replicative fading, they need new DNA for future clones. After the Enterprise crew refuses the colony’s request for new genetic material, the colonists kidnap Riker and Pulaski and begin making clones of them.

Riker Sets His Phaser To “Pro-Choice”

When Riker beams down to the clone labs and sees what’s cooking, he destroys everything, effectively killing the clones before they are born. According to episode scribe Melinda Snodgrass (as reported in Captains’ Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages), she “got enormous flak from the right to life coalition because they destroyed the clones. They thought I was condoning abortion.”

Continuing her thoughts, she revealed why the pro-lifers likely hated this episode: because she “put a line in Riker’s mouth that was very pro-choice … He says, ‘I told you that you can’t clone me and you did it against my will, and I have the right to have control over my own body.’” She clarified that this is exactly how she felt, stating, “and it was my soapbox, and it was one I got to get on,” with full support from then-showrunner Maurice Hurley.

An Entire Shipload Of Irish Stereotypes

If that’s not bad enough, her episode also angered Irish-Americans for its offensive stereotypes of Irish people. You see, the second colony is explicitly Irish (this was Hurley’s suggestion), and its characters are portrayed as ignorant farmers who want to spend all of their time making babies and getting drunk.

Adding insult to injury, all of these characters speak with the most exaggerated accents television has ever known. It was an episode that Irish actor Colm Meaney hated, and after he became a full cast member on Deep Space Nine, he convinced the showrunner to avoid channeling stereotypes and putting a leprechaun into the episode “If Wishes Were Horses.”

“Up the Long Ladder” regularly ranks as one of the worst TNG episodes of all time. However, the offensive Irish stereotype characters in this episode do offer a tried and true solution to the many problems Trekkies have with NuTrek shows like Discovery and Starfleet Academy: just drink until you finally like what you see.

Young and the Restless spoilers confirm Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) is kidnapped this week. Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) immediately takes credit for snatching him, but there may be more to this. It could be a terrifying blast from Jack Abbott’s past, and that is Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk).

Young and the Restless: Jack Abbott Kidnapped – Is Patty Williams Involved?

It was recently revealed that Stacy Haiduk is returning as Patty Williams this March, the month we are in, so literally anytime now. Stacy Haiduk started filming at the beginning of February, so literally anytime she could be on screen.

This comes after a decade-long absence for Patty. Paul Williams’ (Doug Davidson) little sister was last seen in 2015. At that point, she had gotten tangled up with Ian Ward and eventually landed back in a high-security psychiatric institution.

Stacy Haiduk Returns: Patty Williams Back in Genoa City

That was kind of when she just fell off the radar because she was off-screen. The actress has been under contract on Days of Our Lives for quite a while now.

So now Patty’s coming back to Young and the Restless. Head writer Josh Griffith recently said about her return that he couldn’t be more excited to welcome back Stacy for this exciting storyline where trouble once again finds Patty Williams.

By trouble, I think they mean Victor Newman. I suspect she is back for this new kidnapping that’s going to be revealed this week on Young and the Restless.

Initially, I thought she was going to be part of another storyline, but once I saw the Jack Abbott kidnap stuff, I was like, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

Billy Abbott, Diane Jenkins, and Kyle Abbott React to Jack’s Disappearance on Y&R

Thursday this week, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) comes over to tell Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) that Victor Newman said if Billy doesn’t hand Chancellor back by the end of the day, they’ll never see Jack Abbott again.

Of course, Kyle and Diane are going to spring into action. I’m betting Kyle is going to talk to Claire, and Diane Jenkins might try to appeal to Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott).

Also, that same day, spoilers say that Jack Abbott gets a rude awakening. I think that might mean literally, like Jack Abbott wakes up and maybe finds crazy Patty Williams staring at him.

Jack Abbott & Patty Williams: A Twisted Young & Restless History

If you’re a longtime Young and the Restless watcher, you know that Jack Abbott and Patty Williams have a very long and really twisted past. Victor Newman has used Patty Williams against Jack Abbott before, a couple of times.

Plus, this feels like a complete redux of a plot years ago. Maybe you remember when Victor Newman brought Marco Annicelli to Genoa City to take Jack Abbott’s place because they look just like him. They’re doppelgangers.

Then, Victor Newman kidnapped Jack Abbott and left him in a remote tropical scene. It was crazy Kelly Andrews who had him then. She was played by Cady McClain, and she was totally unhinged.

Kelly Andrews raped, starved, and assaulted Jack Abbott. Ultimately, Kelly Andrews tried to kill him because he didn’t love her and wasn’t ever going to love her. Kelly Andrews also drugged and tried to brainwash Jack Abbott.

Victor Newman’s Ruthless Past Schemes with Jack on Young and Restless

Meanwhile, Victor had drug lord Marco marry Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), who thought he legitimately was Jack Abbott. That incident of putting a stranger in her bed, basically raping her for months, is exactly why Phyllis hates Victor so much.

He has never paid so much as a lick for what he did to Phyllis. In the end, Jack woke up to find Kelly dead next to him. He took off, and it was never clear if Jack stabbed her while on all these drugs she gave him or if Victor or a henchman did it to further terrorize Jack.

I don’t think he did it. And let’s be real, Victor is just as ruthless, if not more ruthless now, than he was before. He just lost everything he built. He lost all his power, and he can’t stand it.

So Victor may be redoing the same despicable move he made against Jack a decade ago with the Kelly kidnapping. But since she’s dead, Victor can’t give Jack to her again. However, Patty is just as obsessed with Jack as Kelly was.

Patty Williams Through the Years: Stacy Haiduk’s Iconic Portrayal

Just to be clear, Stacy Haiduk was the fourth actress to play Patty, but I’m only going to show you pictures of Stacy Haiduk in the role just for clarity because she is the most well-known one in the role and she is the one who’s coming back to Young and the Restless very soon, possibly as soon as this week.

Now, we don’t know for sure that she’s back for Jack, but given his kidnapping, it looks plausible. Back in the early ’80s, Patty Williams was innocent. She was very young and she fell in love with Jack Abbott, who was a total playboy cad at the time.

But Patty really loved him. Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) and Diane Jenkins, who was a model for Jabot back then, both caused a lot of problems for Patty in this romance. Jack Abbott wound up marrying Patty Williams to prove something to his father, John Abbott.

Y&R Flashback: Jack and Patty’s Turbulent Marriage and Breakdown

On Jack and Patty’s wedding day, he nearly missed the wedding because he was in bed with Diane Jenkins. But he crawled out of the sheets, walked down the aisle thanks to Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), and Jack Abbott married Patty Williams.

He kept right on sleeping with Diane. Then Patty Williams got pregnant with Jack Abbott’s child. And Jill made sure that Patty saw Jack having sex with Diane at the office. Patty was horrified and heartbroken.

She ran off, tripped over a plant, and she fell and miscarried her and Jack’s baby. But still, Patty still stayed with Jack. After she recovered, Patty wanted to try again for a baby. Then she overheard Jack telling Jill that he only married Patty so his dad John would make him president of Jabot.

So, Patty threatened to kill herself, but Jack Abbott begged Patty to shoot him instead. So she did. In fact, she shot Jack Abbott three times and he was temporarily paralyzed.

Patty Williams Shoots Jack Abbott and the Aftermath

Shooting Jack drove Patty off the deep end, although to be fair, she was always mentally kind of fragile. But Jack really did break her. Years down the road, Patty returned. Victor had gotten her plastic surgery to have a new face.

That was when they did the actress change to Stacy Haiduk. She got a job at Jabot calling herself Mary Jane Benson, and she seduced Jack. He fell in love with her, no idea who she was.

Then her mental health started to crumble because Patty has never been stable. She was revealed then to be Patty and not this Mary Jane person she was pretending to be. Victor realized that Patty was legit psycho and he tried to pay her to leave town without implicating him.

Paul found out and he was furious that Victor used his fragile sister this way, especially since Paul thought he and Victor were friends. Of course, Victor lied and denied.

Jack, Emily Peterson, and More Patty Williams Drama on Young and the Restless

In the end, Patty shot Victor three times for what he did to Jack. Victor ended up needing a heart transplant and survived it. If you don’t recall, it was Traci Abbott’s daughter’s heart that saved him.

But Victor still wants to ruin all the Abbotts because, you know, no appreciation. Then we had Dr. Emily Peterson come on, and she looked just like Patty. Jack met her. That freaked him out, but then he overlooked it and fell for Emily and proposed.

Then crazy Patty Williams came to town and took Emily’s place since they look just alike. Jack actually married Patty thinking it was Emily, and was horrified when the truth came out.

Patty did a lot more crazy things. She’s still obsessed with Jack and has been for decades. And she worked with Victor before.

Patty Williams’ Return: What’s Next for Jack and Diane on Y&R?

With Patty coming back in March, I think it may be for Jack. Last we saw, she was in a psych hospital. Victor might snatch Jack, drug him, and drop him in the same mental ward where Patty is.

Or Victor might set Patty up in some remote cabin or something and drop Jack there as her prisoner. That way, he’s got nowhere to run like he did with Kelly Andrews. Victor can use Jack against Billy to force him to give Chancellor back.

Of course, Victor might also punish Diane. If Patty ends up getting Jack in her bed, in Patty’s mind, she might see this as her opportunity to get another chance with Jack. Plus, Pattyhates Diane for sleeping with Jack when they were married. So Patty might enjoy some revenge on Diane as well.

Could Patty Williams be the next Y&R villain? We’ll see how it all goes down. Patty’s return is going to be wild. I’m here for it, and I really hope she’s the one who has Jack rather than, say, somebody murderous like Matt Clark.

Savannah Chrisley
Federal Warning Over GLP-1 Website

Published
March 3, 2026
5:32 PM PST

Farrah Abraham
Freak Out Over My Sexy Egypt Pics All You Want …
I’ll Wear What I Want!!!

Published
March 3, 2026
5:12 PM PST

By Robert Scucci
| Published 17 seconds ago

After watching 2022’s The Bubble and then taking a peek at the reviews for the Netflix Original over at Rotten Tomatoes, I’m thoroughly convinced that people don’t know how to have fun. Having been absolutely punished with a 20 percent critical score and a 30 percent audience approval rating, you’d think that The Bubble is a complete failure on every level. My takeaway is that, while disjointed at times, it’s meant to be when you consider the film’s subject matter.

It’s about a bunch of entitled actors, most of whom are past their prime (except for the TikTok girl), locked up in a mansion during the COVID-19 pandemic while trying to make an epic CGI dinosaur movie in the vein of Jurassic World Dominion, with exceedingly disastrous results. While I admittedly haven’t seen a ton of pandemic-era movies that operate on this level of meta commentary, the framework works perfectly as a way to trap all of this talent in one place.

That talent, including Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Fred Armisen, Iris Apatow, Leslie Mann, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kate McKinnon, clearly has a blast with the premise because most of them have been in movies like this before. Their on-set interactions feel like they’re coming from a genuine place of frustration, which makes the satire land even harder.

Quiet On The Set!

The Bubble primarily focuses on Carol Cobb’s (Karen Gillan) struggles as she signs onto the latest installment in the Cliff Beasts franchise, Cliff Beasts 6: Battle for Everest – Memories of a Requiem. Having committed career suicide after starring in the profoundly anti-semitic Jerusalem Rising 2, Carol reluctantly returns to Cliff Beasts as a way to repair her reputation.

Here’s the kicker. The world is still operating under strict COVID-19 lockdown protocol, so production is riddled with problems from the start. Every cast member has to self-quarantine for two weeks in the luxury hotel where filming takes place. Once quarantine is lifted and production can finally begin, we’re introduced to the rest of the cast and crew under the supervision of Darren Eigan (Fred Armisen), an indie filmmaker who has never worked on a big-budget blockbuster before.

Joining the ranks is Dustin Mulray (David Duchovny), who, functioning as a de facto producer, constantly wants to rewrite the script. He mostly wields his influence to win Lauren Van Chance’s (Leslie Mann) affection by giving her better dialogue and more screen time. Pedro Pascal’s Dieter Bravo is a sex and drug addict who clearly needs rehab, but he also needs the payday to fuel his habits, making him a true wildcard. Rounding out the group is Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key), who is quietly trying to start a wellness cult while not actively working on the film.

Functioning as the new blood in the Cliff Beasts franchise is Krystal Kris (Iris Apatow), who is so popular on TikTok that Darren is pressured into casting her at the urging of Paula (Kate McKinnon), the studio executive pumping money into the series, to guarantee a viable return for her shareholders.

A Total Disaster Flick

As days turn to weeks, which turn to months, Cliff Beasts 6 runs into one problem after another. Creative differences boil over. Vices begin to take hold. Cast and crew members get sick, though it’s just the flu so they can still work. Stunts are coordinated remotely by John Cena’s Steve, who has a weak signal on his iPad, resulting in serious injuries. Everybody slowly succumbs to cabin fever, and their attempts to escape the compound are met with disciplinary action. Lauren gets her hand shot off, and every actor is forced to wear a tracking device, for example. It’s indentured servitude wrapped in Hollywood accounting, and it’s beautiful.

The meta commentary in The Bubble is what really seals the deal. Each actor wants to complain about their work conditions, only to realize they’re living in a luxury hotel with every amenity imaginable at their disposal. While the production of Cliff Beasts 6 is clearly grueling, they still have the kind of job security most people would risk their lives for, especially during a global pandemic that put countless people out of work.

Now that I think about it, as I’m writing this review, I could see why viewing the pandemic through this lens could rub some people the wrong way. But that’s entertainment, baby. 

The “Special Effects” Are The Best Part

My favorite wink and nod in The Bubble is the Cliff Beasts 6 production itself. Shot entirely on green screen, we see the movie from an audience perspective, complete with flying, fire-spitting dinosaurs. The second Darren yells “cut,” we see the reality, which is actors dangling awkwardly from wires and crew members standing in as creatures, wearing green boxes that will be edited in post. We get action sequences that resemble Jurassic World Dominion, a film produced under similar circumstances and the clear target of The Bubble’s satire, and then immediately see how the sausage is made, along with how petty everyone involved truly is.

If I had to compare The Bubble’s energy to any somewhat recent film, I’d say This Is the End is a solid stylistic and spiritual counterpart. While that film features real actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves, The Bubble features real actors playing fictional actors who are playing characters in the movie they’re shooting. The clashing egos, holier-than-thou attitudes, and petty grudges are very much the same in every other aspect.

If you like a sharp, snarky satire that celebrates the very art form it’s actively mocking, with a cast that understands exactly how the industry works, The Bubble will not disappoint. It’s not high-brow stuff, but it’s carried by its ensemble and works far better than you’d expect if you’re judging it by reviews alone.

The Bubble is a Netflix Original and can be streamed with an active subscription.