Taylor Sheridan is currently enjoying the fruits of his labor. After building up his career brick by brick, the prolific multihyphenate now has one of the biggest resumes. His TV shows are key pillars in the Paramount+ library, and he has continued to deliver new ones over the past several years. Sheridan is also successful in the film business with hits like Hell or High Water and Sicario. Still, Sheridan has not been the recognizable name he is despite being nominated for an Oscar at the 2017 Academy Awards. All that changed in the late 2010s when one of his most celebrated works exploded in popularity.

The TV show that made him a household name was not a smash hit right out of the gate, but it slowly built its audience until it became the most-watched cable TV show. The gritty neo-Western was praised by viewers for its writing and slow-burn approach that usually culminated in an epic season finale. It concluded in December 2024 partly because the story had neared its natural conclusion, and the behind-the-scenes drama had become hard to contain. However, a good show is a good show, and the passage of time doesn’t negate that fact.

The series in question is Yellowstone, the Kevin Costner-led drama that has opened major doors to Sheridan. After Yellowstone, he went on to write and create close to a dozen shows for Paramount+, shows that have been successful in their own right. The latest, Dutton Ranch, completed its freshman season a few weeks ago. Now, viewers are still craving that original Yellowstone feel, as shown by FlixPatrol’s ranking for last week, which reveals that Yellowstone has become the number one show on Paramount+ globally, over a year after it aired its series finale. It’s rare for completed stories to achieve this, but Yellowstone‘s endlessly rewatchable storyline and the availability of numerous episodes make it a perfect outlier.

The ‘Yellowstone’ Universe Continues

The show came to an end in 2024 when Costner left, and his character was killed off, so the writers had no option but to end this chapter of the story. However, the remaining characters got their continuation when CBS and Paramount+ ordered new shows focusing on different Dutton siblings. In Marshals, Kayce (Luke Grimes) remains in Montana but shifts gears by joining law enforcement instead of ranching. Meanwhile, in Dutton Ranch, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and her husband Rip (Cole Hauser) move to Texas to start a new life away from the Dutton family mess. Both shows will return for Season 2.

Stream all 53 episodes of Yellowstone on Paramount+ in the U.S. and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

2018 – 2024

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Paramount Network

Directors

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Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan, Christina Alexandra Voros, Guy Ferland, John Dahl

Writers

John Coveny, Ian McCulloch

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In an unconformable on-stage moment, Usher asked a fan to leave after she visibly rejected getting into his seductive dance moves.

During the Friday, July 24, R&B Tour show in Nashville, the “U Got It Bad” hitmaker, 47, performed alongside a female fan from the audience, per fan footage shared via Instagram in the show’s aftermath.

In the video, the shirtless musician, who is currently co-headlining The R&B Tour with Chris Brown, is seen serenading the fan before he begins to lean into her while sitting on a bed. As Usher then attempts to nuzzle the neck of the fan, the pair bend backwards onto the bed as the fan maintains a rigid position.

The singer, real name Usher Raymond IV, is then seen shifting his face towards the fan’s face to engage more intimately with her, however the fan remains tight-lipped throughout the pair’s interaction. As Usher then lifts his head to look into the woman’s eyes, he flashes her a brief glance before slowly turning his head towards the crowd with a puzzled expression plastered to his face.

Related: Usher and Chris Brown Argue Hours Before Las Vegas Performances

Is there a new feud brewing? Usher and Chris Brown were spotted arguing during a Las Vegas party early on Saturday, May 6. Usher, 44, and Brown had gotten into a heated exchange at the “Go Crazy” rapper’s 34th birthday party at Skate Rock City roller rink in Las Vegas, according to a video obtained […]

“I don’t think she wants to be on the stage,” the singer then says before walking away from the bed, removing his two ear pieces and shaking his hand at the bed in a gesture for her to leave the stage altogether.

The awkward moment drew mixed responses from fans who took to the post’s comments section to offer their takes. “Why would she go up there then?” posed one fan, while another wrote, “I respect her.”

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Another social media user commented on Usher’s reaction during the moment, summing it up as, “She killed his ego a little bit, bro ain’t used to that.”

Related: Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Threatened to Fight Usher If He Serenaded His Wife

Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Mookie Betts is known for his quick hands on the baseball field, but the Los Angeles Dodgers star was almost forced to utilize them during a potential throwdown with Usher.  Betts, 31, was mic’d up in the outfield during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the Dodgers’ game in Atlanta against the […]

Usher and Brown, 37, announced their tour in April, sharing a joint Instagram post that declared it was “time.” The announcement attracted backlash due to Brown’s legal issues over the years, which included allegations of abuse against women. (Brown pleaded guilty to the felony assault of his 2009 girlfriend Rihanna, serving five years of probation.)

Brown addressed the backlash in an Instagram Story shared on April 26. “The funniest and the weirdest s*** ever to me is the fact that poeple [sic] have the option to come to my tour and the option not to,” he wrote at the time. “I know everyone who is a fan of me and USHER will definitely be in the building and it will be PACKED just like last year.”

An Ohio man was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to suffocating his baby. Marcellaus Nekie Malone was sentenced on Friday, July 17, after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

RELATED: Oklahoma Woman Convicted After Allegedly Forcing 11-Year-Old Daughter To Have Stepfather’s Baby With No Medical Care

Malone Pleaded Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter

Malone pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after he allegedly suffocated his baby daughter in December of last year in Batavia, Ohio.

The 30-year-old also pleaded guilty to child endangerment through corporal punishment or physical restraint, according to WKRC. Malone and the baby’s mother called 911 on Dec. 11, 2025, to say the 4-month-old wasn’t breathing.

The baby was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and an investigation uncovered that Malone allegedly punched his baby in the face at least once. Furthermore, a neighbor reported hearing Malone threatening to fling the baby into a wall, per Local12.

Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Jason E. Nagel sentenced him to seven to 13.5 years for involuntary manslaughter. In addition, Malone was also sentenced to three years for the child endangerment offense, and the sentences will be served consecutively, per US Weekly.

Original Charges Included Felony Murder For The Ohio Man

Originally, Malone was indicted for felony murder and involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, he was charged with domestic violence and seven endangering children charges. However, the extra charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty.

According to the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office, Malone said his daughter was “going to be a dead baby” on video.

“On December 11, 2025, the Milford Police Department was called out to the apartment occupied by Malone for an unresponsive four-month-old,” wrote Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve in a press release. “First responders rushed the infant to the hospital, but the child could not be revived. An investigation into Malone revealed a pattern of abuse going back at least two months. 

Malone Punished Baby For Crying By Swaddling

The prosecutor also claimed that Malone swaddled the baby for punishment when she cried. He also wrapped her head, which caused her to pass out.

“It was further revealed that as a punishment for crying, Malone would tightly swaddle the infant, including her head, to the point she could not breathe and would pass out,” he wrote. “He told her that if she wanted to stop getting swaddled like that, she would have to stop crying. Not only would Malone cut off the baby’s breathing as a result of her fussing, but on at least one occasion, he punched the infant in the face for crying, causing a significant bruise.”

The autopsy found the baby died from a “history of occlusion of the nose and mouth by swaddling of the body and head.”

RELATED: Prayers Up! Baby Found Dead In Porta-Potty During Michigan Electric Forest Music Festival (UPDATE)

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6.As House of the Dragon weaves the epic story of the Dance of the Dragons, the series is unafraid to take its own path. Though George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood provides an outline, the HBO series has made more than a few changes, like altering Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) dynamic and, more recently, changing the timing of Helaena’s (Phia Saban) pregnancy. And as the story unfolds, there are even more examples. Season 3’s latest dramatic twist highlights House of the Dragon‘s willingness to take risks as the series pushes Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) story in a drastically different direction.

Throughout Season 3, Corlys’ plot has been unlike Fire & Blood. His anger at Rhaenyra and absence from King’s Landing are invented for the series, but certainly make sense for the proud character. However, Episode 6 takes this even further with the cliffhanger of Corlys getting captured by Ormund Hightower’s (James Norton) man. With no comparable storyline in the source material, it’s unclear how this will turn out for the Sea Snake, placing the character in serious danger. However, whatever happens, Corlys’ Fire & Blood story can continue, as his disappearance will allow House of the Dragon to highlight Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and Baela (Bethany Antonia). While the series has taken a major risk with Corlys, the departure from the source material could make his storyline even more compelling.

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Gives Corlys a Storyline That Isn’t in ‘Fire & Blood’

While it’s not surprising for House of the Dragon to change a few things, Corlys’ story in Season 3 is unrecognizable from his Fire & Blood role, and Episode 6 takes that even further. While it starts with Alyn’s efforts to convince Corlys to return to help Rhaenyra, the ending takes a dark turn. Despite his lingering resentment for Rhaenyra, Corlys announces his intention to return to King’s Landing, allowing his men to reinforce the city, but his plan is interrupted when Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain), Ormund Hightower’s right-hand man, appears. Angered by Rhaenyra’s assassination attempt, the Hightower forces capture Corlys and attack his men in retaliation. This conflict leaves Corlys’ fate unclear, and with Ormund’s volatile nature, things don’t look good for the Sea Snake.

Not only is this a tense cliffhanger, but even those who read Fire & Blood have no idea what might happen to Corlys next. The differences in Corlys’ storyline started small, initially only extending his appeal for Alyn and Addam (Clinton Liberty) to be legitimized and creating a rift between him and Rhaenyra over the subject. But with Episode 6’s twist, House of the Dragon has moved even further from the source material. Instead of hunting the Triarchy in Westeros, the novel shows him staying in King’s Landing and advising Rhaenyra. Corlys spends much of the war trying to curb her more vicious impulses as he argues for calm, rational action, but his advice is often ignored. Their relationship eventually falls apart when Rhaenyra sends her people after the dragonseed, including Addam, despite Corlys’ protests. He warns Addam, allowing the dragonrider to flee to safety, but Corlys is named a traitor for it. Rather than taking the character down this path, House of the Dragon has interrupted the story with Corlys’ capture, placing him in the middle of the conflict with Ormund with this shocking twist.

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Can Highlight Baela and Alyn in Corlys’ Place

Corlys’ story may not follow his Fire & Blood trajectory, but this change has already provided one benefit because it allows the show to highlight another member of his family. Alyn has begun to take over Corlys’ King’s Landing storyline as he sits on the small council and advises patience and restraint. Already he is gaining her trust and earning his place as Corlys’ heir, though Rhaenyra has yet to grant it. Especially with Corlys missing, Alyn can take over his role, leading House Velaryon and advising Rhaenyra. This will give him a more significant role than in Fire & Blood, where he stays with the Velaryon fleet that has already played its part.

Yet, Alyn isn’t the only one able to step up in Corlys’ absence. Baela remains an important part of Rhaenyra’s forces, being one of her dragonriders. Though Fire & Blood gives her little to do at this point in the story, House of the Dragon‘s twist allows her a new challenge. Not only does Corlys’ disappearance leave a void, but it is a reason for both Alyn and Baela to fight. They both care for Corlys, with Alyn finally getting to know his father and Baela having lost most of her family already, potentially making rescuing him a priority. Already, House of the Dragon has begun exploring a romance between them, and now Baela and Alyn will be thrown together even more as they fear for Corlys and lead the Velaryon House in his absence. While whatever happens to Corlys while Ormund has him is sure to be terrible (this is Westeros, after all), at least he has two capable descendants to continue his work in King’s Landing.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming on HBO Max with new episodes on Sundays.

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August 21, 2022

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HBO

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Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

Writers

Gabe Fonseca

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  Fabien Frankel

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If there is one decade that redefined the Hollywood blockbuster, it was the 1990s. The movies of the decade mixed profoundly poignant and artistic films with popcorn flicks that got butts in the seats, slaughtering box office numbers in unimaginable ways. Animated films were no longer just for kids, as horror movies were no longer just a niche genre. Needless to say, the ’90s were an integral era for the trajectory of cinema.

We are embarking on a near-impossible task of celebrating the ten best films of the 1990s. With so many movies to pick from in the ten-year span, selecting ten required intense deliberation. To make this list, the movie should have a healthy mix of artistic merit, a sense of universal adoration, iconic performances, and a lasting impact on the future, as well as pop culture. There are certainly many films that could have found their way here, but these ten are simply the best.

10

‘Fargo’ (1996)

Image via Gramercy Pictures

Crime thrillers were all the rage in the ‘90s, but what about infusing some black comedy into it? You get the simply sublime Fargo. Written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, Fargo tells the story of Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a desperate car salesman in debt. He hires two thugs, Gaear Grimsrud and Carl Showalter (Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi), to kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), to extort a large ransom from his wealthy father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell). The plan goes wrong when the criminals murder a state trooper, drawing the focus of a pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand). Brilliantly blending dark comedy, brutal crime drama, and unique Midwestern culture into a completely original story, Fargo brought a truly entertaining experience to the screen while subverting expectations.

Often in crime films, the story centers on an invincible hero and a mastermind villain. That’s not the case in Fargo. Instead of a slick, mastermind criminal villain, the plot is driven by incompetent, desperate, and pathetic men. It allows the central theme of greed to take center stage. The movie takes a tragic, botched kidnapping plot and injects absurd, pitch-black humor without making light of the genuine horror. The Coens manage to infuse the perfect tone into a serious story by ensuring the locale and its locals are genuine. They may seem silly with their accents and Midwest niceties, but that’s part of the charm that makes it a shocking series of events. Crime stories don’t need to be told in seedy underbellies of big metropolises. The Coens were cemented as defining voices in cinema thanks to Fargo. The film won two Academy Awards, for Best Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay, heightening its legacy and rewriting the true crime formula. Fargo has lived beyond its initial release, paving the way for one of the greatest anthology television series.

9

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Image via Miramax Films

The rules of cinema were shattered when Quentin Tarantino released Pulp Fiction. Impacting pop culture unlike any film of its kind, Pulp Fiction served as a touchstone of the decade. The nonlinear narrative tells a tale of crime, violence, and redemption in Los Angeles. Two hitmen, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson) working for mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) retrieve a stolen briefcase, survive a miraculous near-death shooting, and accidentally kill an informant. Vega is told to take Marsellus’s wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out for a fun evening, which turns dangerous when Mia suffers an accidental drug overdose. Meanwhile, an aging boxer, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), is paid by Marsellus to throw a fight but wins instead. He risks his life to return for his family’s treasured gold watch and ends up saving Marsellus from a dangerous situation. And then, of course, there are a pair of diner robbers, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer). Presenting the chapters out of order, the story starts and ends at a diner during an armed robbery, showing how Jules chooses a path of peace over violence. In the process, it established Tarantino as a filmmaking genius, as every element of Pulp Fiction was utilized perfectly.

Pulp Fiction isn’t a mind-bending puzzle, but its non-linear structure tasks the audience with piecing the timeline together as the film goes on. In doing so, it subverts expectations so that major characters in one segment become minor players in another, as Tarantino proves how we are all somehow connected in this very small world. The dialogue is some of the best in his entire body of work. From the rhythmic word symphony to meandering conversations about a Royale with cheese, it comes before high-stakes moments, then blurs the line between high art and lowbrow pop culture references. The film mixes elements of classic gangster films, neo-noir, westerns, and exploitation cinema as it balances shocking, absurd violence with pitch-black comedy. Pulp Fiction boasts one of the greatest movie soundtracks of the decade. Pulp Fiction redefined cool in the ‘90s as it radically altered the movie landscape, as independent projects of a small $8 million budget could achieve a $213 million global cultural phenomenon status. Pulp Fiction inspired a wave of imitators trying to capture its exact blend of stylized violence and cool detachment, but none could achieve the same acclaim.

8

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

Horror films tended to be pushed to the side when it came to the discussion of awards. And then The Silence of the Lambs changed the conversation forever. Adapted from Thomas Harris‘ 1988 novel, The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who is tasked with interviewing the imprisoned, brilliant cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The FBI hopes Lecter’s unique psychological insights can help them track down another active serial killer nicknamed “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. Lecter agrees to offer psychological clues and profile Buffalo Bill, but only if Clarice reveals painful personal details about her own childhood—specifically her trauma involving slaughtered lambs on a farm. Blending sharp psychological tension in an airtight script with pristine performances, not only was The Silence of the Lambs a brilliant horror film, it rightly walked away with the Big Five at the Academy Awards— Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. Instead of physical action spectacles, the core of the film rests on psychological deconstruction through dialogue and locked-room mental sparring.

Even if you’re weary of horror films, The Silence of the Lambs transcends genres for a truly riveting film. Director Jonathan Demme’s usage of tight close-ups and having actors look straight into the camera exudes a tension that’s inescapable. It also puts the audience in Clarice’s perspective, making viewers share her fear and isolation in a man’s world. With such detail in the script of real FBI training and consultation, the police work feels authentic. The characters, lifted from the novel, are truly remarkable. Foster does remarkable work, especially against the monsters that are Buffalo Bill and Lecter. It’s the latter who has haunted our nightmares ever since. Hopkins literally transformed into the cannibalistic character, cementing him into the villain hall of fame. The Silence of the Lamb proved that a dark, genre-based thriller could achieve the highest level of artistic and critical prestige. The doors that this film opened will never be closed again.

7

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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It had seemed that The Godfather franchise would serve as the epitome of gangster films, but then Goodfellas arrived, and it rivaled that moniker. Where The Godfather used the mafia as an almost mythological saga, Goodfellas provided ground-level authenticity that has since been unmatched. Directed by Martin Scorsese in one of his best films, Goodfellas is based on Nicholas Pileggi‘s 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy. It tells the true story of Mafia associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) from 1955 to 1980, tracking his rise in the underworld, his marriage to Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco), and his partnerships with mobsters Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) before his ultimate downfall and entry into the witness protection program. Goodfellas treats organized crime not as a distant myth, but as a living, breathing, high-velocity subculture. In turn, it treats breathless, innovative editing and iconic tracking shots with raw, grounded performances to show the seductive highs and brutal reality of the mob.

Scorsese takes Pileggi’s story and elevates it to the next level. Through his direction, the film has an electric, restless pace that mirrors the addictive nature of the lifestyle. With one of the film’s most iconic moments, Scorsese puts the audience in Henry’s shoes through a continuous tracking shot that takes viewers through the kitchens and back alleys into the club. It made the film visceral in a way other mobster movies had not. The pacing of the film is kinetic thanks to Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing. The legendary editor used sharp, rhythmic cuts that matched the diegetic music and quick dialogue. By the time the story reached its final act, it simulated a cocaine-fueled paranoia breakdown with absolute precision. Though it does make way for the appeal of the life, it deconstructs it. Goodfellas ends up showing the mafia as a hollow, paranoid, and destructive trap. Goodfellas has remained a rewatchable crime epic that revolutionized the genre.

6

‘The Lion King’ (1994)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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If you’re a millennial, then you most certainly identify the ‘90s as the Disney Animated Renaissance. On the brink of near extinction, Disney sought a resurgence in their animated features, and they found it with a string of instant classics. Though this slot could be offered to another film, the very best of the era was none other than The Lion King. The iconic film tells the story of Simba (Matthew Broderick/Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a young lion cub destined to be king of the Pride Lands. After his treacherous uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) murders his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), Simba is manipulated into exile. He grows up carefree with new friends before returning home to face his past, defeat Scar, and reclaim his rightful throne. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King blends a timeless epic narrative with breathtaking hand-drawn animation, legendary musical numbers from Elton John and Tim Rice, and deep, universal themes about life, death, and responsibility that resonate across generations. It bravely addressed heavy, complex themes in a way that resonated deeply with both children and adults while still allowing moments of joy and levity.

Though Disney is notorious for offering parents in their films, never had there been an explanation for the power of loss like in The Lion King. It addressed the circle of life, teaching that existence requires balance and acceptance of our place in the natural world. The Lion King may be a coming-of-age story of a lion cub, but it was more universal than that. It taught children to see themselves in young Simba, while adults deeply connect with the duties and heartbreaks of Mufasa. Hans Zimmer infused an emotional, sweeping African-influenced orchestral score, but the film will forever be connected to the Broadway-style production numbers. From “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Hakuna Matata,” there’s not a weak song on the narrative-pushing soundtrack. The Lion King arrived at a time when hand-drawn animation was being married with 3D computer animation. But it was the hand-drawn backgrounds and innovative multi-plane shots that captured the majesty of the African savanna. The Lion King became a crucial cultural milestone whose legacy still rules today. From a Broadway musical that has gone global to a live-action remake, The Lion King remains proudly in our hearts.

5

‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Stories about the Holocaust are never going to be an easy pill to swallow. The result of the event will forever be tied to horrid individuals, but in the complete darkness was momentary light. That’s the story of Schindler’s List. Based on the historical novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, the Steven Spielberg film tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman and Nazi party member who, with the help of a Jewish accountant named Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), saved over 1,100 Jewish people from death in concentration camps during World War II by employing them in his factories. Combining documentary-style realism with profound moral storytelling, Spielberg’s film transformed a vast historical tragedy into an intimate human experience about the capacity for both absolute evil and profound goodness. Shot in black-and-white, the movie exudes the stark, haunting look of 1940s newsreels. But when a pop of red comes in, it’s a recognition of something extraordinarily powerful.

The film features some of the best acting of the decade. Neeson takes on a selfish, money-hungry factory owner who slowly transforms into a selfless protector. It’s an evolution that is earned and deeply human. Opposing Schindler is Ralph Fiennes as Nazi officer Amon Göth. He delivers a chilling unpredictability that avoids playing evil as an over-the-top cartoonish monster, instead presenting it with casual ease. Schindler’s List is more than just a profound historical drama; it’s a pristinely directed masterpiece. Spielberg refused to look away from brutal acts, using hand-held cameras to place the viewer directly inside the terrifying reality of the Holocaust. With stark black-and-white imagery, the rare, single flash of color of the girl in the red dress (Oliwia Dabrowska) serves as a powerful symbol. It draws the eye and breaks the gray monotony to show that every single life holds unique, irreplaceable value. That striking imagery cements the film’s legacy. Before this film, major Hollywood studios largely avoided dramatizing the Holocaust. Spielberg brought the horrors of the camps to a massive global audience. Schindler’s List won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Spielberg’s first Best Director trophy, cementing him as a cinematic auteur. ​​​​​​​

4

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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The cinematic legacy had nearly been set moving into the new millennium, but the Wachowskis said not so fast with the release of their 1999 megahit The Matrix. Not only did it set the tone for the future of movie-making, but it also revolutionized science fiction action thrillers forever. The Matrix follows a computer hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) who discovers that everyday human life is a fake digital simulation created by evil machines to use human bodies as batteries. Recruited by rebel leaders Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo learns to bend the simulation’s rules to fight the system. As powerful security programs called Agents hunt the rebels inside the simulation, Neo takes on Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) as he realizes his true power as The One to destroy the system. Through mind-bending revolutionary visual storytelling and deep philosophical questions about reality, identity, and technology, The Matrix emerged as a groundbreaking blockbuster action thriller.

The Matrix is a visual stunner. The Wachowskis used bullet-time, a 360-degree array of still cameras to freeze time mid-action, creating a brand-new visual language for blockbuster. It was such a shockingly cool effect, we all tried to do it in real time. Spoiler: it doesn’t work. Rather than typical action choreography, The Matrix employed wire-fu with traditional kung fu, earning its own fight vocabulary in the process. Through its cinematography, the green digital tint inside the simulation versus the stark, cold tones of the real world defined a distinct cyberpunk style. Once you’re enthralled by the visuals and actions, The Matrix opens up the conversation about elements of Eastern philosophy, cyberpunk literature, computer gaming, and world mythologies to build a cohesive universe in which to play. Amid the digital code and flying bullets, the film’s driving force is human connection and belief. The Matrix arrived at the exact right cultural moment, capturing late-90s anxieties about the rise of the internet, virtual reality, and encroaching technology. Creating a lexicon, including everyday phrases like “taking the red pill” or asking if we are “living in the Matrix,” the film launched a franchise while establishing itself as an important film in the genre. ​​​​​​​

3

‘Toy Story’ (1995)

Image via Pixar Animation Studios

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We always imagined what might happen to our toys when we left them alone. In 1995, Pixar answered the question. Toy Story tells of a secret world where toys come to life when humans leave. The plot follows Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks), a cowboy doll who gets jealous when a flashy new action figure named Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) replaces him as their owner Andy’s (John Morris) favorite toy. After a scuffle, both toys get trapped by a destructive neighbor and must work together to escape. Defining the timeless phrase “you’ve got a friend in me” through song and plot, Toy Story became a wonderfully whimsical and emotionally resonant buddy comedy about jealousy, identity, and companionship. Toy Story became the first entirely computer-animated feature film; it was so beautifully crafted and well-received that it officially ushered in a new era of animation.

Pixar made history with their animation style. By selecting plastic toys and smooth surfaces, it matched the limits of 1995 software, making the animation look tangible and real. Because of that, Toy Story looked groundbreaking. And now, three decades later, the same style is used, proving that Pixar’s art will always feel timeless. Toy Story was rich in its characters. They may be toys, but they were certainly filled with relatable human emotion. Woody is initially driven by bitter ego and jealousy, making him complex rather than purely good. Buzz Lightyear goes through a hilarious and heartbreaking existential crisis when he realizes he is a mass-produced toy, not a space ranger. The film perfectly captures the fear of replacement and the pure value of friendship. Toy Story also reflected the changing of the guard in animation from traditional animation to computer graphics. At the end of the day, the cross-generational appeal has made it one of the most beloved films of all time. Children connected with the magic of toys coming to life, while adults deeply resonated with themes of growing up, change, and the fear of being replaced. Now, five films deep in the flagship franchise, watching the films today evokes a new set of emotions. No matter what, they will require a tissue or two. Best to have a box handy. ​​​​​​​

2

‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Growing up, we all had a fascination with dinosaurs. Before 1993, it was likely through going to the movies. After that year, it was squarely thanks to Steven Spielberg and Jurassic Park. Taken from Michael Crichton’s novel, the story follows a billionaire, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), who builds a secret island theme park populated by cloned dinosaurs. When a disgruntled worker Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) shuts down the power to steal embryos, the cages fail. Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) must then fight to survive as fierce predators roam free. A genuine cinematic masterpiece that paired revolutionary visuals with a genius script about the dangers of trying to play God with nature, Jurassic Park brought the same wonderment Spielberg introduced in his space films, making it instantly timeless. This film may be single-handedly responsible for the rise of the popcorn movie blockbuster.

Jurassic Park made our wildest imaginations come true with the exceptional dinosaurs. The full-scale dinosaur puppets built by Stan Winston gave actors a real physical presence to react to. And in turn, it all felt incredibly real. The tangibility was simply unmatched at the time. The scope and scale are made grander as the camera angles emphasize the terrifying scale of the creatures and the helplessness of the humans. What made the dinosaurs’ arrival such an incredible moment was that Spielberg delayed the grand reveal, eliciting genuine reactions. This proved to be a masterclass in tension building. By having a sweeping, sunny locale give way to dark, claustrophobic survival moments. When you see the title of a film, an image might pop up. But when John Williams scores your piece, you can hear it when you see the title. Williams provided a legendary musical landscape that moves effortlessly from majestic wonder to mysterious dread. The movie popularized chaos theory and forced pop culture to view dinosaurs as fast, agile animals rather than slow, clumsy monsters. Though the franchise has yet to deliver a sequel or reboot as brilliant as the original, we will always admire where it all started. ​​​​​​​

1

‘Titanic’ (1997)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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At first, the premise of making a big-budget epic inspired by one of the greatest tragedies sounds outlandish. But then we all watched what James Cameron did, and we were simply proven wrong. Titanic is simply the best and most iconic film of the decade. In the modern day, treasure hunters search the ocean floor for a rare blue diamond necklace called the “Heart of the Ocean.” A 100-year-old woman named Rose (Gloria Stuart) sees a drawing of herself on TV and tells the team her life story. Her tale tells of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), an unhappy young socialite, engaged to the arrogant and snobbish Cal Hockley (Billy Zahn). Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a free-spirited artist who wins his ticket in a card game. Despite their social classes, the pair begin to fall in love, engaging in the most romantic love story ever told, only for it to be tragically ended by the sinking of the “Ship of Dreams.” Titanic did the unimaginable: the film combined intimate, high-stakes romance with a massive historical disaster told through ground-breaking special effects, meticulous historical detail, and an unforgettable musical score by James Horner featuring the iconic anthem that just so happens to be one of the greatest movie song of all time.

Titanic utilized a common story of forbidden love to serve as an easy hook into the grandeur of the story. Rather than examine multiple individuals on the ship, focusing on Jack and Rose provided an entry point and a pair you simply had to champion. The forbidden love between the free-spirited artist Jack and the constrained upper-class Rose dynamic connects with every generation. The film sharply contrasts the suffocating, rigid expectations of the Edwardian elite with the lively, communal joy of third-class passengers. There was reason to truly emote at the tragedy because you felt for those who weren’t on board for pleasure but saw the journey as a chance for freedom and hope. That pain pivoted into a haunting metaphor for human arrogance, showing nature swiftly dismantling society’s most confident technological achievement. The script is sensational: its first half builds rich character dynamics and dramatic irony, before shifting seamlessly into an unrelenting, terrifying survival thriller. And yes, if you’re as old as I am, you know them based on tape 1 and tape 2 on the VHS set.

Cameron did not skimp on recreating the Titanic. He demanded a massive $200 million budget, built a nearly full-scale replica of the ship in a giant water tank, and pushed digital visual effects forward to honor real historical tragedy with visceral realism. The cultural impact the film made is still felt today. It won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and became the first film to cross the $1 billion mark globally, proving its enduring cinematic power. It helped Celine Dion earn another iconic track in “My Heart Will Go On.” Together, we now have the stage musical Titanique on Broadway and beyond. A technical marvel. An everlasting romance. Titanic remains a theatrical phenomenon.

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Titanic

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Release Date

December 18, 1997

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Runtime

194 minutes

Director

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James Cameron

Writers

James Cameron

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Influencer Jen Hamilton has shared alleged details into her split from estranged husband, Brian Hamilton.

“While I was at the hospital, taking care of people, he found the time to have a whole other life. As someone who’s never even passionately kissed anyone else in my entire life, this has broken me beyond comprehension,” the social media star, 37, alleged in an Instagram video shared late on Sunday, July 26. “I’m done being people’s PR manager. My kids know, everybody in my orbit knows, so I’m just going to give you the nitty gritty details so it can give you enough information to be, like, ‘OK, I get it.’”

The clip, self-filmed within Jen’s bedroom, also featured the caption, “I don’t care anymore.”

Jen, who confirmed via a TikTok statement on June 15 that she was splitting from Brian after a nearly 15-year marriage, continued, “If you don’t want me to talk about this stuff … maybe don’t do it, or don’t do it while you’re married to, like, a super public person who talks about their pubes on the internet.”

Related: Who Is Jen Hamilton? Influencer Hints at Split From Husband in Viral Video

Influencer Jen Hamilton raised eyebrows when she posted a cryptic message suggesting that she and her husband, Brian Hamilton, are heading toward a split. “Day 1: absolutely devastated. Please don’t try to reach out to anybody on my behalf. That would make everything so much worse for me,” she wrote alongside a June 2026 TikTok […]

Brian has not publicly commented on the details of his marriage breakdown apart from confirming the split through the joint June 15 announcement.

The labor nurse and author went on to offer further “need to know” details behind the split, including more about the “double life” Brian allegedly led and the couple’s lack of intimacy on his part. “He didn’t ever really have much interest in me in that way. So I repressed my own natural human desires down to nothing,” Jen told fans before sharing intel into an alleged lover of Brian’s.

“A direct quote I got was, ‘I knew about you. He talked about you all the time. But I didn’t know you had so many followers,’” Jen, who shares two sons, Ellis and Luke, with Brian, claimed. “I’ve never ever in my life told this man a lie. Even when I was getting next-to-no physical affection whatsoever, I would not in a million years look at another guy like that.”

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Related: Influencer Jen Hamilton Steps Back From Nursing Amid Split

Influencer Jen Hamilton confirmed that she is stepping away from her nursing job amid her separation from estranged husband, Brian Hamilton. “I’m taking some time off of work, which is something that I never, ever wanted,” Jen, 37, announced in a vlog on Monday, June 29. “My patients do not deserve the mental state that […]

Fans were quick to share their support for Jen, taking to the comments section with support. “Honey, it makes sense. I completely get it. We didn’t deserve this information but I hope sharing helps heal you,” wrote one follower, while another wrote, “I can’t wait for you to passionately kiss someone and to feel loved and truly appreciated in your life.”

Jen also noted that sharing details of her split from Brian is helping her to heal. “Secrets and hiding are what I believe made all this possible so the way I’m dealing with it is by not having any secrets,” she explained.

Jen’s candid footage comes after she recently revealed that she has joined a support group to help her move through recent trauma. “I literally joined a support group that I’m going to be joining tonight,” she said in a Tuesday, July 21, Instagram clip. “Just for what I’m specifically going through. Because I know that I’m not alone.”

Fantasy movies are in one way the best genre there is because there is a promise most other genres don’t even try to keep. Things will turn out okay in the end. Magic will fix what’s broken. The person who deserves to win will win. That promise is why people still tear up at a fairy tale ending even when they already know exactly how it goes. That happy ending is a real comfort in a story that keeps its word.

These ten movies take that comfort and pull it out from under you, right when you’re leaning on it hardest. Each one plays by fantasy’s rules long enough to earn your trust, real magic, real curses, real quests, and then breaks the one promise the genre is supposed to keep, on purpose. That’s the part that stays with you longer than a happy ending ever could.

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‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Most fairy tales about outsiders end with the outsider learning to fit in, whether that means a wedding or some kind of big change that finally lets them belong. Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) never gets that kind of ending, mostly because the inventor who built him died before finishing the job, which is why he still has scissors instead of hands. Kim (Winona Ryder) and her mother, Peg (Dianne Wiest), bring him down from his empty castle into their quiet, pastel neighborhood, where everyone treats him like an exciting new toy at first.

That excitement doesn’t last. Once Edward kills Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) in self-defense near the end, the same neighbors who welcomed him turn on him just as fast, chasing him back up the hill to the castle he came from. He stays there alone for the rest of his life, while Kim grows old without him and only tells the story to her granddaughter decades later, as a memory. Tim Burton takes the usual Beauty and the Beast formula, where the beast eventually gets the girl and a place in the world, and simply never lets Edward have either one.

9

‘Beetlejuice’ (1988)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) is the title character, yet he barely shows up in his own movie, adding up to less than twenty minutes of screen time total, and he isn’t even the one the story wants you rooting for. That role belongs to Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), a married couple who just died and now find themselves haunting the house they used to live in, trying and failing to scare off the wealthy, rude family that’s moved in and started redecorating.

Most haunted house movies want the audience afraid of the ghosts, but this one flips that completely, since the Maitlands are the gentle, awkward ones who can barely manage a decent scare, while the humans, aside from Lydia (Winona Ryder), the one person who can actually see them, are the real nuisance. Betelgeuse only enters the story because the Maitlands get desperate enough to hire him, and once he’s loose, he nearly wrecks everything for the characters we’ve spent the whole film rooting for.

8

‘The Green Knight’ (2021)

Image via A24

The medieval poem this is based on ends with Gawain surviving his ordeal essentially unscathed, having proven his honor to everyone’s satisfaction. David Lowery’s version doesn’t let him off that easily. Gawain (Dev Patel) spends the whole film wearing a magic girdle that guarantees he can’t be killed, a cheat he never tells anyone about, right up until the moment he’s supposed to keep his promise to the Green Knight and let himself be beheaded.

Before he does, the film shows an entire imagined future where Gawain removes the girdle, flees the challenge, and lives out decades as a hollow, cowardly king, watching everything he built collapse. Then it cuts back to the real moment, where the girdle is still on his waist, and lets him choose. A quest story built entirely around a fight ends instead on a man deciding, alone, whether he’s willing to actually be brave.

7

‘The Shape of Water’ (2017)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Beauty and the Beast stories almost always end with the beast turning human. Guillermo del Toro‘s version ends with the human choosing to become something else instead. Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute cleaner at a Cold War research facility, falls for an amphibious creature (Doug Jones) being tortured and studied by Strickland (Michael Shannon), and it is never visible that their relationship is real.

By the end, Elisa doesn’t get her voice back, and the creature doesn’t get legs. Instead, Elisa is pulled into the water and transforms into something that can breathe there alongside him, which reverses the direction every version of this story usually goes. It’s the human who changes to fit the fantasy world, not the other way around, and a genre film built on that premise went on to win Best Picture, a category it almost never gets invited into.

6

‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Guillermo del Toro has never confirmed, in any interview, whether the fantasy world in this film is real or something Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) invented to survive fascist Spain, and he’s said that ambiguity is deliberate. Her stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), is hunting resistance fighters in the forest above the labyrinth, and every fantastical creature Ofelia meets underground, including a faun (Doug Jones) who sets her three brutal tasks, exists right alongside real torture and real executions happening a few feet away.

Ofelia dies at Vidal’s hands in the last act, shot in the real world with no rescue arriving in time. The film’s final scene shows her reunited with a magical mother and father in an underworld kingdom, crowned and welcomed home. Whether that’s actually happening, or just what a dying child imagined in her last few seconds, is something the film never settles for you

5

‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999)

Image via USA Films

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There’s a door on the 7½th floor of an office building that leads directly into actor John Malkovich‘s mind for exactly fifteen minutes at a time, and the strangest thing about this movie is how fast everyone treats that as a business opportunity. Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) starts charging people two hundred dollars a ride, while his wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz), and his coworker Maxine (Catherine Keener) start using the portal to work out their own tangled feelings for each other.

John Malkovich plays an exaggerated version of himself, increasingly horrified as strangers start controlling his body from inside his own skull. The story ends with Craig trapped permanently inside the consciousness of a young girl, watching her life through her eyes with no way out, which turns the fantasy of becoming someone else into a life sentence instead of an escape.

4

‘Brazil’ (1985)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Terry Gilliam fought his own studio so hard over this film’s ending that he eventually took out a full-page ad in Variety demanding they release his cut instead of theirs, and once you see the ending, it’s obvious why he refused to budge. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) spends the film escaping a suffocating, paperwork-choked dystopia through elaborate flying daydreams, and by the final scene, he seems to actually pull it off, rescuing Jill (Kim Greist) and driving free into open countryside.

Then the camera pulls back, and it turns out none of that happened. Sam is strapped to a chair, having just been tortured into a lobotomy by the same bureaucracy he’d been dreaming his way out of, smiling blankly at nothing. The fantasy ending was real inside the film. It just wasn’t real for him.

3

‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Image via Studio Ghibli

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Chihiro’s parents get turned into pigs about fifteen minutes into this movie, punished for eating food that wasn’t theirs without asking first, and Hayao Miyazaki never really lets the story go back to being gentle after that. Chihiro (voiced by Rumi Hiiragi) has to take a job at a bathhouse run by a witch named Yubaba to survive, and the film refuses to give Yubaba a clean villain arc, letting her run the place with genuine competence rather than pure cruelty.

Chihiro and Haku (voiced by Miyu Irino), the boy who helps her, never get a romantic ending, not even a kiss goodbye. She’s told not to look back as she leaves the spirit world, and the film cuts away before showing whether she’ll remember any of it once she’s home. This is a coming-of-age fantasy that hands its hero actual growth and then takes the memory of it away. Very subversive.

2

‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)

Image via Studio Ghibli

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Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) gives lepers and former sex workers real jobs and real dignity inside the walls of Irontown, something almost nobody else in the story is willing to offer them. She’s also cutting down the forest that keeps her furnaces running, and by the film’s climax, her hunters are chasing down the Forest Spirit to take its head. Hayao Miyazaki never gives you a clean reason to hate her for either one.

San (Claire Danes), raised by wolves and ready to kill any human who threatens her home, doesn’t get positioned as the clear hero either. Ashitaka (Billy Crudup), the one character trying to hold both sides together, carries a curse on his arm that never fully goes away, not even by the last scene. The forest grows back changed, not restored, and San and Ashitaka choose to live apart instead of ending up together. Nobody wins here the way a fantasy movie usually lets somebody win.

1

‘Shrek’ (2001)

Image via DreamWorks Animation

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Shrek is based on a girl named Fiona (Cameron Diaz) who spends her whole life locked in a curse, turning into an ogre every night until true love’s kiss can supposedly fix her for good and make the change permanent. She finally gets that kiss from Shrek (Mike Myers), and it does make the change permanent, just not in the direction she or anyone in the castle was expecting.

Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) had already offered Shrek a kingdom in exchange for rescuing her, a crown and a castle and a permanent place at court, exactly the ending most fantasy movies build their whole story toward. Shrek and Fiona turn it down anyway and go home to the swamp that started this whole mess . There’s no lingering shot of the throne they’re leaving behind at all. They just leave, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) follows them there too, instead of staying behind in the fancy castle he could have had for himself.

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Shrek

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Release Date

May 18, 2001

Runtime

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90 minutes

Director

Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

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Writers

Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Roger S.H. Schulman, Ted Elliott, William Steig, J.M. Barrie, Carlo Collodi

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  Shrek / Blind Mouse (voice)

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  Eddie Murphy

  Donkey (voice)

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Trans actress Dylan Mulvaney has spoken publicly about President Donald Trump comparing her to CNN reporter Katilan Collins.

“To the president — thank you for reminding me that I am more powerful than I even knew. To quote my favorite recording artist, Shea Diamond, I am America,” Mulvaney, 29, said, referencing the 2020 track by fellow trans woman Diamond, 48, in a a Sunday, July 26, TikTok video before concluding her statement with “love ya” and blowing a kiss to the camera.

Trump, 80, compared Collins, 43, to Mulvaney during a speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, July 24. After Collins received an award for her coverage of his highly publicized Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president took aim at Collins: “I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney,” he told the crowd.

Mulvaney’s TikTok response began by congratulating Collins, noting that she felt “incredibly honored to be compared to her in any way, and I hope that she keeps doing all the great work.” Mulvaney then moved onto why she believed the president brought her into his speech.

Related: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Seemingly Responds to Donald Trump Insult at WHCD

CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins seemingly clapped back at President Donald Trump for attacking her at the rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner. Collins, 34, shared an empowering quote from former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt via her Instagram Story on Saturday, July 25, which read, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Her response […]

“The president also brought up a video I did over three years ago, and, mind you, I’ve been kind of flying under the radar … doing my little musicals, singing, dancing. And yet, I’m still his hot topic of conversation all these years later. It seems to me like I might be, like, the one that got away,” she told fans, adding that she has made a profound mark on critics of her transgender identity.

“I am permanently burned into their retinas, I am microchipped into their minds,” she joked.

Mulvaney then stated that she refused to let herself get upset over serving as a “diss track” subject for the president. “A few weeks ago, I would have probably been more upset about this, but luckily, I was ghosted last month by a hook up who I really liked, and what I realized was from that experience [was] I shouldn’t want to be with someone who doesn’t really want to be with me,” she explained. “So maybe, I shouldn’t want to be professionally supported by an administration that doesn’t personally support me or so many others in this country.”

Mulvaney then turned her reference within the president’s speech into a positive. “In fact, maybe being publicly mocked and criticized by this administration is actually, like, the greatest compliment of all because it puts me in the company of some of the most brilliant, empathetic people in our world today,” she said. “I do still wonder, like, why is it so important to them that I don’t find success? What is it that I have that they don’t? Oh my God, [it’s] freedom.”

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The TikTok followed Mulvaney’s more subtle support of Collins via her Instagram Stories one day prior. Sharing an inspirational quote attributed to former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, which was the same quote Collins shared via Instagram in a recap of the annual fundraiser intended to celebrate the First Amendment, Mulvaney seemingly nodded to the reporter.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” the quote read.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. https://988lifeline.org/

Tom Holland is confirming that he has previously promoted projects he privately believed audiences were better off skipping. The actor said his latest press tour has been far more enjoyable because he is genuinely proud of both “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” unlike some of his past work.

Holland did not identify the movies he regretted promoting, but several of his poorly reviewed projects have faced harsh criticism over the years.

Holland has admitted that promoting movies he wasn’t proud of was one of the most difficult parts of his job, revealing there were times he had to convince audiences to buy tickets despite privately believing they were better off skipping the film.

Speaking on the “Dish” podcast, the actor said it’s far easier to promote a movie when he genuinely believes in it.

“I’m absolutely loving it. When you’re doing press for movies you’re really proud of, it’s really easy,” Holland said. “I’ve had experiences before when people say, ‘Why should you see this movie?’ And in the back of your mind, you’re like, ‘You shouldn’t, because it’s sh-t.’”

Holland is currently promoting both “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” projects he described as a “victory lap” because he’s “super proud” of both films.

Holland Has Endured Several Critical Flops

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When talking about movies he has done fans should never watch, Holland did not name any titles specifically. However, like most other actors, the Englishman has several critically mauled projects that could fuel speculation about which movies he privately disliked.

His lowest-rated starring films include “Chaos Walking,” “Cherry,” and “Uncharted,” which hold Rotten Tomatoes scores of 21%, 37%, and 41%, respectively. “Dolittle,” in which he voiced Jip, sits even lower at 15%.

“The Crowded Room” also struggled with critics, but Holland publicly stood behind the Apple TV+ series and its message about seeking help for mental health struggles.

Still, he admitted the production took a serious personal toll. Holland said the role left him struggling to separate himself from his character and contributed to his decision to take a year-long break from acting.

Tom Holland’s Career Has Reached A New Peak

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Holland’s days of reluctantly promoting movies he disliked could now very well be far behind him, with the actor seemingly enjoying the biggest high of his career. After several years of balancing Marvel blockbusters with more divisive projects, the British star is now leading two of Hollywood’s most anticipated releases.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opened to a massive global debut and has earned widespread acclaim, while “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is already generating major buzz ahead of its release.

The momentum has also been backed by those around him. Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman reportedly described Holland’s work in “Brand New Day” as his “finest performance.”

‘The Odyssey’ Is Already An Oscar Frontrunner

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Holland’s role in “The Odyssey” has also placed him closer than ever to Hollywood’s awards conversation.

Although the actor is not currently projected as a leading Oscar contender, Christopher Nolan’s epic has emerged as one of the year’s biggest awards hopefuls, with early forecasts predicting nominations across major categories, including Best Picture and Best Director.

If the film lives up to those expectations, Holland will have played a key role in one of the most acclaimed movies of his career, further cementing his evolution from blockbuster superhero to respected dramatic leading man.

How Christopher Nolan Elevated Tom Holland’s Career

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Working with Christopher Nolan also appears to have reshaped Holland’s approach to filmmaking.

Per Variety, the actor was so determined to star in “The Odyssey” that he personally called Sony boss Tom Rothman to request a delay to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” after the two productions landed on conflicting schedules. The gamble ultimately paid off, with Holland later saying the extra development time helped Marvel make “the best version” of the film.

The London-born star has since credited Nolan’s meticulous process with influencing how he approaches future projects, telling TheWrap there was “a lot more preparation” on the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s sets than he had previously experienced.

“[With Marvel,] sometimes we come to set without scripts and stuff like that, and you’re having to improvise and try and find ways to tell the story. Whereas Chris’s script, I don’t think it really changed at all from the first time I read it to the movie that you saw yesterday,” Holland said, adding that he carried those lessons into the production of his latest “Spider-Man” movie.