You know a psychological thriller when you see one, even if the term “psychological thriller” isn’t the easiest to define. Most thrillers get at least a little psychological, but also, you’d call the Mission: Impossible movies thrillers, but they’re not really psychological thrillers, you know? The focus might be more on action, or the thrills might come from something that’s more universal rather than personal, and so with those sorts of thrillers, they may not really be psychological.

But also, some psychological thrillers do also function as action movies, and really, if something has a focus on a person’s internal struggles with some kind of high-stakes or otherwise stressful situation, then it can qualify as a psychological thriller, for present purposes. The more important distinction to make here might be the notion that something released in the year 2000 technically isn’t eligible to be counted among the best 21st-century psychological thrillers, just because that year was technically the final one of the 20th century (sorry, Memento, American Psycho, and Unbreakable).

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‘Split’ (2016)

Image via Universal Pictures

That intro you either just read or scrolled past mentioned Unbreakable, which was a unique superhero movie of sorts that was probably more of a psychological thriller, albeit one that, you know, had people with superpowers at its center. It was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and then he also did Split, which was a pretty twist-heavy and unusual movie, with the big twist being that, like, it was actually something of a sequel to Unbreakable.

Sorry if that’s a spoiler, but it’s also hard to avoid nowadays, since Split is known for being ultimately the middle chapter of a trilogy that began with Unbreakable and concluded with the flawed (but still interesting) Glass. Split might well be the best of the three, in any event, focusing on a man with dissociative identity disorder, and a handful of young women who have to survive after being kidnapped by him. It does a lot with a little (the premise is simple and all), and also boasts a knockout central performance from James McAvoy.

24

‘Caché’ (2005)

Image via ©Canal+/Wega Film

Caché is more thrilling than most Michael Haneke movies, since he’s a director who more often operates within the realm of psychological dramas than psychological thrillers. There are enough by way of thrills here, though, once you get past the very patient pacing, with Caché being about a married couple who find themselves the target of an unknown adversary who keeps sending them unsettling videotapes.

It’s a film all about surveillance, and the sense of discomfort that comes with being watched, scratching the same unsettling itch as something like 1997’s Lost Highway, all the while also standing out for being quite Hitchcockian with the kind of suspense it ultimately delivers. Caché is well-executed, and it does succeed at lingering in one’s mind long after it’s over, even if parts of it might not technically be super thrilling while the whole thing’s actually playing out.

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‘Shutter Island’ (2010)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Shutter Island is almost a case of Martin Scorsese doing a crowd-pleaser, because there is a bit more that’s conventionally appealing here than some of the other films he’s done recently (and a more digestible runtime, too). It’s still dark, though, and not really a crowd-pleaser in the traditional sense, being about a pair of detectives who go to an island, investigating the disappearance of a patient from a criminal psychiatric facility on said island.

Where it goes beyond that can be spoiled quite easily, with Shutter Island being the sort of movie that’s most memorable because of the sudden turns in the narrative it has. Good twist, though… or twists? What are you in for? Wouldn’t you like to know? No, don’t know. If you’ve somehow not had a movie like this ruined for you, and are still yet to see it, it’s worth prioritizing, because therein lies something appealing about psychological thrillers: the sense of surprises (or series of surprises) they often contain.

22

‘Buried’ (2010)

Image via Lionsgate

The premise of Buried couldn’t be simpler, and it’s always easy to summarize by saying, “Imagine that one scene from Kill Bill where the Bride is trapped underground in a coffin, but stretched out for a whole movie.” That’s the film. And, to make it sound even more ambitious, Ryan Reynolds plays not just the main character, but really, the film’s only character (at least the only one you see on-screen), and he might not ordinarily sound like the kind of person who could carry a movie like this.

In this more serious role, though, he’s surprisingly good, and then, unsurprisingly, Buried is also extremely stressful and claustrophobic for its whole runtime. The commitment to having the camera stay inside the coffin pretty much the whole time is bold, and it pays off. In the right hands, a movie about a guy who can’t move while getting stressed and calling people for about 90 minutes really can turn out very compelling.

21

‘Mother!’ (2017)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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If not for a soon-to-be-mentioned movie about burning salt (not really, but it’s fun to be ambiguous, for now), Mother! is probably the most divisive film you’re going to see mentioned here, and it is fairly understandable how/why it’s not for everyone. There’s a lot of allegorical stuff going on here, and Mother! jumps back and forth between feeling on-the-nose and kind of obscure, more or less without warning whether it’s going to be one or the other.

At its core, Mother! is about a woman trying to deal with a bunch of people who keep coming to her house, and disrupting her peace. Allegorically, it’s in line with biblical stories, and it’s interesting to engage with it in that way, sure, but the visceral nature of what Mother! offers, just as an emotional experience, is as immense as it is intense. That sheer immensity/intensity is why it’s here (sorry to you if you’re someone who has a problem with that).

20

‘The Prestige’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Christopher Nolan likes getting in the heads of his characters, and also seems fond of getting in your head (yes, you!) as the viewer, since he’s pretty good at the whole psychological thriller thing. Memento is one of his best but, as mentioned before, that did technically come out in the 20th century, as did Following, which was his first film, and does honestly remain one of his most interesting.

There’ll be one more Nolan movie mentioned later on, but for now, here’s The Prestige, which is a twist-heavy psychological drama/thriller movie with some interesting science fiction elements, too. There is also one historical figure who plays a decently important role in The Prestige, Nikola Tesla (played by David Bowie, in an inspired casting choice), but don’t expect this to be a historically accurate film in the same way Oppenheimer (for the most part) was.

19

‘Saltburn’ (2023)

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

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Saltburn is that one previously alluded to movie that might well have more detractors than Mother!, just because… who knows why, actually? If you’re a detractor, you know why. Good for you. But as someone who likes this film, it’s difficult to understand some of the vitriol. It’s about class warfare, shown from the perspective of a psychologically troubled person, and there is a very intentional flip in perspective/sympathy, at a point.

Maybe some people don’t really like who’s villainized, and who is eventually shown to be a bit more sympathetic than originally seemed. It’s the sort of film that can be disliked for more than one reason, and at least two of those reasons are incredibly different. But if you can get behind the roller-coaster ride Saltburn provides (or get onboard, maybe?), then there is a great deal to appreciate and think about here.

18

‘Burning’ (2018)

Image via CGV Arthouse

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The best thing to do, with Burning, is to just not say what it’s about. “Oh, are you being lazy and trying to get out of summarizing a plot synopsis?” you might be asking. No! Not really. It’s just that Burning only has a few main characters, and the story they’re involved with takes a very long time to play out, with the film having an almost epic-length runtime (just under 2.5 hours) while very deliberately not being an epic.

So, if you say too much, the whole thing’s ruined. You do just have to watch it, provided you have enough free time, all the while trusting that you’re in good hands. Those hands belong to director Lee Chang-dong, who turned in his best and most acclaimed movie here, and it’s also based on a story by the always interesting Haruki Murakami, in case you feel the need for another pair of good/reliable hands before jumping into this one.

17

‘Das Experiment’ (2001)

Image via Senator Film

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Taking the Stanford prison experiment of 1971 and using it as the basis of an entire psychological drama/thriller film, Das Experiment is indeed unsettling and oftentimes suspenseful. The real-life experiment involved assigning some participants the role of “prison guards,” and others the role of “prisoners,” then observing the sorts of dynamics that developed between the two groups based on the titles they’d been given.

The real-life Stanford prison experiment was somewhat divisive, but definitely not as explosive or as violent as Das Experiment is, with there not really being an attempt here to capture that whole real-life situation accurately. But what it says about human nature is interesting, and as a film that asks, “What’s the worst way that whole experiment could’ve ended up?,” Das Experiment is effective.

16

‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)

Image via Showbox

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There are some thrillers where once they really kick off, they don’t stop, and then there are others like I Saw the Devil that don’t really take much time at all to “kick off,” and so they end up feeling relentless from start to finish. That I Saw the Devil can do this while also being nearly two and a half hours long makes it extra impressive.

And, further, the film’s mostly just about two characters: one of whom is a serial killer, and the other being someone who wants to track down said serial killer and, preferably, make him feel the sort of terror he’s inspired in others. I Saw the Devil manages to go to new – and alarmingly extreme – places as a cat-and-mouse sort of film, and stands as a must-watch movie for anyone with a sufficiently strong stomach (just because it is undeniably gruesome at times).

Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford’s past history is coming full circle as their respective children Homer Gere and Kaia Gerber share the screen on The Shards.

“It’s really funny. The odds are funny,” Homer, 26, quipped to USA Today at the Monday, July 27, premiere of the FX show. “We had never met, actually, before shooting. We met two weeks before at a bar with all the cast, and it was our first, kind of, ‘Let’s meet each other.’”

Homer is the son of exes Richard, 76, and Carey Lowell, while Kaia, 24, is the daughter of Crawford, 60, and her husband, Rande Gerber. The supermodel was previously married to Richard from 1991 to 1995.

As Crawford and the Pretty Woman actor moved on, their respective offspring never crossed paths prior to filming The Shards. (Crawford and Rande, 64, are also parents of son Presley, 27, while Richard shares two young sons with wife Alejandra Silva.)

“She was lovely,” Homer gushed to USA Today of his first interactions with Kaia. “Immediately, I think, me or her was like, ‘Should we address the elephant in the room?’ One of us said it, and, yeah, it was incredibly normal from the inside.”

Homer added, “She’s a lovely actress in person, [and] we’ve gotten really close. It’s been, really, a pleasure to work with [Kaia].”

Kaia also sang Homer’s praises in a separate red carpet interview on Monday.

“It was so nice, and honestly, he’s such a joy to work with and such a lovely person,” Kaia told Entertainment Tonight at the premiere. “He grew up East Coast, I grew up West Coast, but we’ve just gotten so close. I couldn’t have picked a better scene partner, honestly.”

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Homer and Kaia play Robert and Susan, respectively, in The Shards, Ryan Murphy’s upcoming adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ horror novel of the same name. Kaia leaned on mom Crawford’s advice for portraying a character in the 1980s.

Related: Kaia Gerber Admits She Doesn’t Think Mom Cindy Crawford Is ‘Cool’

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Cindy Crawford may be a supermodel and a ‘90s icon, but to daughter Kaia Gerber, she’s just mom. “When you were younger, did you think, ‘Oh my mom is so cool,’” host Kyle MacLachlan asked Gerber, 24, in Us Weekly’s exclusive teaser clip of the Thursday, September 18, debut episode of the “What Are We […]

“Susan, my character, has insane hair. It’s always set [in] big curls, side part, and I was like, ‘What high schooler’s doing this every day?’” Kaia joked to USA Today on Monday. “My mom was like, ‘I used to wake up at 4 a.m., set my hair in curlers even if I had swim [class] first period. I was like, ‘What?’ She was like, ‘Just for the walk into school.’ So, I was like, ‘I guess this is what high schoolers did in the ‘80s!’”

The Shards premieres on FX Wednesday, August 5.

And just like that, Beyoncé adds another company to her name!

The iconic singer now has sole ownership of her American whisky Brand, SirDavis, which she initially co-launched in honor of her great-grandfather. The drink is said to offer an experience deeply inspired by the singer’s Southern roots.

Besides Beyoncé’s established presence as an entertainer, she has gained ground as an entrepreneur with a number of successful businesses such as her hair care brand, Cécred, and athleisure/sportswear brand Ivy Park.

After partnering with Moët Hennessy for almost four years to create the bubbling American whisky brand, the shares are now fully in Beyoncé’s name. The pair came together in 2022 to create the brand and release the no-age-statemented expression named after the Texas native’s great-grandfather in 2024.

So far, no reason has been disclosed for Moët Hennessy’s decision to sell its undisclosed stake in the business to the singer. However, a statement released by a spokesperson for SirDavis confirmed the sole ownership status of the brand.

“SirDavis starts its new independent chapter, after a nearly four-year transformative collaboration through creation, development and launch,” the spokesperson began. “Knowles-Carter… takes full ownership and control, making SirDavis a woman-, family-, and Black-owned company.”

SirDavis Has Gone To Different Continents

The financial details of the deal between Moët Hennessy and Beyoncé marking the full transfer of ownership were not immediately available. Global Drinks Intel, however, gave some details of the brand’s financials.

The American whisky kicked off in the US and UK with an SRP of US$89 in the United States and GBP79 in the UK, which is about 102.50 US dollars. Initially, Moët Hennessy declined to reveal details about where the whisky was actually being produced.

By April 2025, Moët Hennessy had expanded SirDavis’ reach to include Asia’s global travel retail chanel. The wine and spirits division of LVMH marked its second successive revenue growth since 2023 with a 5% increase in revenue. SirDavis stands as a popular and award-winning American whisky with a unique blend and bespoke recipe.

Beyoncé Shared Her Inspiration For The Whisky Brand

Beyoncé’s brand pays homage to her Southern roots. The whisky has an unusual maturation process and distinct taste profile influenced by Scottish and Japanese styles. The name, as earlier stated, was chosen after her great-grandfather as her way of connecting with hom through a shared legacy.

“When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him,” Beyoncé said in a previous statement.

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Every detail for SirDavis was well thought out, up to the bottle design. The peculiar bottle has the logo, which features a horse symbolizing both strength and respect. As shared by Afrotech, the singer wanted a drink that empowers people to experience something new and unique while respecting tradition.

“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” the Grammy-winning artist expressed. It should be noted that her husband, popular rapper Jay-Z, became a billionaire via the whisky industry.

The ‘Cowboy Carter’ Artist Wanted To Break The Stereotype With Her Brand

Beyoncé previously explained that she was hands-on in crafting the unique recipe for SirDavis to ensure it maintains sky-high quality. In addition to this, her other mission is to introduce whiskey to people who “don’t know they love it yet” and break the stereotype that whiskey is only for “old men in smoky bars.”

The singer stands by the notion that more women would love whiskey if they gave it a try. The Destiny’s Child vocalist recalled her first time trying whiskey. As shared by The Blast, she recalled a nice, warm yet strong feeling from the drink.

With time, the mother of three learned that “whiskey isn’t something you just shoot down. It’s a commitment.”  She also loves the color, smell, and stories that come with sipping fine-quality whiskey, which seemingly influenced her in making SirDavis.

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To Beyoncé, making whisky is an art form that requires deep attention to detail every step of the way. The end product sits pretty in a glass for anyone who “appreciates depth, complexity, and a bit of mystery.”

Beyoncé’s Fans Had A Good Laugh Over Multiple Brand Launches

Last year, after the iconic singer announced her new perfume line CELUMIERE, which came shortly after SirDavis and her haircare brand Cécred, many fans began to joke about the product prices.

They poked fun at going broke trying to patronize their idol’s brands as well as purchase tickets for her tour at the time. Many supporters of the Grammy-winning artist also praised her for business etiquette.

As shared by The Blast, some even asked if Beyoncé was in debt while others hilariously declared they were poor and that the singer was breaking their wallets.

“Bey, please one thing at a time. We are poor,” a fan noted while another added, “You may not break our soul, but you broke our wallets.”

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Several followers went hard on Beyoncé, claiming that she was aggressively chasing their pockets and coming for their hard-earned money based on the prices of her London show’s tickets, which reportedly got as high as $872.

Congratulations, Beyoncé!

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is gearing up — literally — for her upcoming hysterectomy amid her battle with cervical cancer.

The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star, 38, took to TikTok on Tuesday, July 28, to share the must-have items she bought from fans’ recommendations in preparation for her surgery, which she said is happening “soon.” Included in her haul were an abdominal band for support in her midsection, constipation aids and a weighted heating pad.

In a follow-up video, Snooki shared that she also bought several loose-fitting, lightweight nightgowns, as well as oversized underwear to keep the area around her incision comfortable.

“You guys know I don’t like pain, and I want to be cozy and comfy, and I needed recommendations on how to, like, recover the best way after my hysterectomy,” she said. “If I’m missing anything, mamas, anybody who has gotten a hysterectomy with the big cut, please help. I don’t want to feel pain. If you know me, I’m a baby. I don’t like pain. I don’t like any type of uncomfortableness, and yeah, I just, I don’t like it. So obviously, I’ll have, like, some pain meds and stuff.”

Related: Snooki Details Mixed Emotions Over Hysterectomy After Cancer Diagnosis

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is “scared” to get a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. “When [my doctor] first said we have to do this or it’s gonna escalate to stage II — I know I’m done with kids, just knowing that you can’t, I don’t know, it made me feel like I’m not a […]

Snooki also explained why she must get an open abdominal hysterectomy versus laparoscopic. (The former uses a large horizontal cut, similar to a C-section, to remove the uterus, while the latter uses small cuts and a camera, leading to an easier recovery in many patients, according to WebMD. In some cases, a hysterectomy may also involve removing the cervix, ovaries or fallopian tubes.)

“If [the surgeon] does it [laparoscopically], there’s a nine percent chance that he doesn’t get all the cancer, so he’s got to do the C-section cut to get everything out,” she explained. “So that’s what we’re dealing with, and that’s what it’s got to be. And I know the recovery is, like, way worse.”

Snooki revealed her stage I cervical cancer diagnosis in February.

“Obviously not the news that I was hoping for,” the mom of three — who shares kids Lorenzo, 13, Giovanna, 11, and Angelo, 7, with husband Jionni LaValle — said in a TikTok video at the time after noting that the cancer had been discovered through a biopsy. “But also not the worst news, just because they caught it so early.”

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Related: ‘Jersey Shore’ Star Snooki’s Cancer Battle in Her Own Words

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is sharing the most personal chapter of her life — a stage I cervical cancer diagnosis and the emotional toll it has taken on her family. During an April 2026 appearance on Good Morning America, the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star revealed that her three children have been struggling with the news […]

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She added, “The oncologist said you can either do chemo, radiation or the hysterectomy. Obviously, I think the smart choice here is the hysterectomy. I’ll still keep my ovaries, which is a good sign, but the hysterectomy, got to get the cervix in, the uterus out and then possibly lymph nodes, because it can [spread there].”

In June, Snooki exclusively opened up to Us about her initial fears after she was diagnosed.

“I called my mom, crying, like, ‘Schedule my funeral, this is what I want,’ like, being so dramatic,” she shared. “I was hysterical for, like, three days, and then I was like, ‘You’re a bad bitch, you’re going to be fine, you tackle everything.’ And then I went to Short Hills and spent, like, thousands of dollars. Then, after that mental breakdown, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s get this done.’”

Nolan Wells’ family has reportedly issued subpoenas to several social media companies for access to his account information and data.

RELATED: Warren Hudson Reveals Why He Chose Not To Attend Nolan Wells’ Funeral (VIDEO)

Nolan Wells’ Family Reportedly Takes New Step In Search For Answers

Nolan Wells’ family reportedly issued the subpoenas on Tuesday, July 28, seeking records from his accounts on Snapchat, WhatsApp, TikTok, Meta Platforms, and Life360. Court documents show the family requested account details, including usernames, passwords, emails, phone numbers, display names, IP addresses, and communications such as chats, posts, and stories.

Nolan’s phone remains a key focus in the investigation into his death, which gained national attention earlier this month. His mother, Christine Wonsley, previously said the family became concerned after they received his phone and found no photos or videos on his Snapchat accounts, raising fears that the content might have been deleted, per The Shade Room.

Warren Hudson Previously Addressed Claims Of Deleted Content From Wells’ Phone

As TSR previously reported, Officer Tatum shared part four of his podcast interview with Warren Hudson. Hudson, a reported friend of Wells, explained that many people spent the Fourth of July on Horn Island, and some left their phones behind on the boat. He added that several phones remained with the group after they returned to the house later that night. He said no one had a reason to go through Nolan’s phone or delete any content.

“And the boat was having issues. Why would our concern be getting on Nolan’s phone or something? I mean, I don’t even know Nolan’s password. None of our friends do… I didn’t even touch Nolan’s phone. None of us touched Nolan’s phone […] until we handed it to mom that was at my buddy’s house,” Warren explained.

Nolan’s Friends Reportedly Receive Notices Ahead Of Potential Legal Action

Before Nolan Wells’ family reportedly issued subpoenas to social media companies, Magnolia Tribune reported that several of Nolan’s friends and their parents received spoliation letters from Carroll Bufkin, PLLC, on July 20. Attorneys use spoliation letters to notify individuals that they must preserve potential evidence connected to a legal matter. The letters typically warn recipients against deleting, altering, or destroying information that could become important in a future lawsuit. Sending a spoliation letter often marks an early step before someone pursues legal action.

The same law firm is reportedly handling the subpoenas sent to the social media companies.

RELATED: Cajun Navy President Says He’s Willing To Turn Over Photos From The Day Nolan Wells Was Found (VIDEO) 

Peter Gabriel‘s career has been one of the most prolific and groundbreaking in music history. From his beginnings in Genesis, where his progressive rock compositions and shocking and disruptive stage performances stunned audiences, to his incredible solo career, where he experimented with rhythms and sounds from around the world, he never stopped reinventing himself. He now has an album coming up at the end of 2026, and the singles he has released so far prove that he’s not slowing down.

Most of his biggest hits came out during the ’80s and ’90s, and they range from funk and dance rock tracks like “Sledgehammer” to beautiful, moving ballads. On his 1992 album, Us, he recruited Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor and recorded a few duets with her. One of them is his hit ballad, “Come Talk to Me.” Most likely, when fans first listened to this song, they assumed it was a classic love song about estranged lovers. But the true meaning behind it is more heartbreaking. Gabriel wrote it about his daughter, and it was a desperate attempt at connection.

Why Peter Gabriel Wrote His Most Personal Song for His Daughter

“Come Talk to Me” opens Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album, Us, the album that he described as his most vulnerable one. And with good reason. Right away, the song reveals the many different influences he wanted to include from around the world. It starts with distorted guitars, African drums, synthesizers, and bagpipes, creating a dissonant but hypnotic sound. According to Peter Gabriel, it grew out of a Senegalese groove he’d recorded years before. “I tried to introduce quite a lot of textures, so it’s more of a journey than some of the other tracks,” he explained. “Starting off with these bagpipes, there’s something gutsy and primal about the sound of pipes.”

Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?

But while the rich melody is beautiful, the lyrics are the most moving part. Especially considering the real meaning behind it. “Darkness creeps in like a thief / And offers no relief / Why are you shaking like a leaf? / Come on, come talk to me,” Gabriel sings earnestly, before going into a chorus that is basically a plea. “Oh please talk to me / Won’t you please talk to me / We can unlock this misery / Come on, come talk to me / I did not come to steal / This all is so unreal / Can’t you show me how you feel? / Now come on, come talk to me.”

Around the time he was writing this album, he was divorcing his first wife, and his family was struggling as a result. “In ‘Come Talk To Me’ there’s a block in communicating,” Gabriel shared, and added that it was with one of his daughters. “I saw that she was angry and was unable to externalize her feelings, so it was a real cry from the heart.”

The Pain Behind ‘Us’ Shaped Peter Gabriel’s Greatest Songs

His estrangement from his daughter and the end of his marriage were weighing on Gabriel, and this album, Us, is very vulnerable as a result. But vulnerability doesn’t mean it’s grim; it just means it’s honest. And Gabriel was proud of that. “I don’t think the tone of the album is dark,” Gabriel argued. “It feels quite alive for the fact that it is letting stuff out, and relationships are more directly addressed than before… I feel that by looking in the darkness and by plunging into it, diving into it, that there is some light at the other end of it, which otherwise you bury, it gets suppressed. It feels quite hopeful to me, quite positive.”

“I have never been more sincere in my life. Whether that’s sincere enough, I don’t know. But I do know that I have taken a lot of trouble to give the listener an unadulterated glimpse of my inner life. Therapy taught me that it’s always essential to be open about one’s feelings and emotions, in order to get a grip on them,” he went on. For him, working on the album was the best way to do that. He explained that, while his life was falling apart around him, he felt that music was something he could control. The theme of the album, at its core, is connection and communication. Everything he felt he couldn’t say to his family, and especially to his daughter, he was saying through music. It makes the name Us take on a whole different meaning. And it’s clearly perfectly fitting.

The first look at Outer Banks‘ final season hinted at more potential deaths after Rudy Pankow‘s controversial exit as JJ.

Netflix released the official trailer on Wednesday, July 28, which showed John B. (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) mourning the loss of JJ. They ultimately decide on a revenge plan that seems to led to some potentially fatal moments including someone on a motorcycle falling off a cliff, deadly explosives and more.

Outer Banks, which debuted in 2020, follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in a coastal North Carolina town. The social divide is introduced with the wealthy residents (a.k.a. the Kooks) and the working class (the Pogues).

Season 5, which premieres August 20, will follow the aftermath of JJ’s shocking death. The show originally received backlash when Pankow’s departure was confirmed despite the writing team claiming it was always the plan to kill off the fan-favorite character.

“It’s been kind of lurking in his DNA from the beginning. He’s really a tragic figure, and the idea of mortality, and you only have a finite window — it’s also a theme of the show,” executive producer Jonas Pate told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024. “It’s something John B. has talked about from the first season. So believe it or not, this is something that was always sort of baked in the cake, and we just wanted to tell the story as elegantly and interestingly as possible.”

After JJ’s onscreen death, the show’s creators explained their decision to kill off a Pogue.

“The overarching plan was to begin with just some kids who wanted to have a good time all the time, and take them on a whole journey,” Shannon Burke told Deadline in November 2024. “One of them was going to end up dying, and pretty early on, we knew that was going to be JJ, he’s the most reckless. He is also the most beloved and, in one way, the most sacrificing and the most risk-taking. And this was going to be JJ’s year.”

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Related: Rudy Pankow Unfollows Madison Bailey After Shocking ‘Outer Banks’ Exit

JJ’s shocking death on Outer Banks inspired fan speculation about what led to the controversial decision — including cast feud rumors and more. During the second part of season 4, which premiered in November 2024, viewers were in for a surprise when a trip to track down treasure in Morocco led to one of the […]

He continued: “The kids, they’re getting older. We wanted to begin in a place of innocence and then go to a place that at least one point to go is really dark for them, and then have them come out of it. That’s the overarching plan for the show. It was always JJ that was going to be, we just weren’t sure how we were going to play it.”

Viewers subsequently started to question whether Pankow’s exit came as a result of a rumored rift between him and the cast, which includes characters John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, JJ and Cleo (Carlacia Grant).

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Pankow, 28, for his part, has said that he thinks JJ’s death was meant to move the story along.

“When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher,” he explained to Netflix’s Tudum that same month. “His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question, what is worth it? And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”

Outer Banks is currently streaming on Netflix.

Eva Mendes is making it clear that a viral image appearing to show Ryan Gosling and Johnny Depp together at San Diego Comic-Con never happened. The actress called out an Instagram account after it shared an AI-generated picture depicting her longtime partner walking alongside Depp at the convention. Although both actors attended the event, their appearances occurred on separate days, and there is no evidence they spent time together. Eva Mendes’ response prompted the account to apologize and change its caption to identify the image as artificial intelligence.

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The fabricated picture was shared by the Instagram account @opavisions and showed Gosling walking through the Comic-Con crowds alongside Depp, who was dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge. A character named Slopaxo also appeared partially in the image and was tagged in the post. The original caption presented the scene as if it were a genuine candid moment from the convention.

“Some of our favorite moments from Comic-Con weren’t on stage; they were watching Ryan Gosling, Johnny Depp, and @slopaxo moving through the crowds like the unlikeliest best-friend trio,” the caption read. “Between candid walks, conversations with fans, and spontaneous stops, they quietly became one of the weekend’s most memorable sights.”

Mendes quickly entered the comment section to correct the claim. “FAKE. Please let People know when you’re putting out AI,” she wrote.

Instagram Account Apologizes After Being Called Out

Following Mendes’ response, the account acknowledged that the image was not authentic and promised to be more transparent. “@evamendes DISCLAIMER: THIS WAS AI***,” the account wrote.

“Thank you for saying something. You’re right, and I’ll be more clear going forward,” the message continued before praising Mendes and Gosling’s respective careers.

The account reportedly issued an additional apology with, “Ok we will sorry,” and later added, “Wow. I’m a big fan. I love your movies.” Comments have since been disabled on the post, while its lengthy original caption has been replaced with one word: “AI.”

Although the post has now been labeled, the initial presentation gave viewers no clear indication that the scene had been artificially created.

Johnny Depp Appeared At Comic-Con As Ebenezer Scrooge

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Part of what made the fabricated image appear believable was Depp’s elaborate Ebenezer Scrooge costume, which he genuinely wore during Comic-Con. The actor made a surprise appearance in San Diego to promote “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,” scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 13.

Organizers constructed a mock storefront in the Gaslamp Quarter and covered the surrounding area in artificial snow. A crowd gathered as Christmas carolers performed before Depp emerged in character from the building. Despite fans cheering and calling out to him, Depp maintained Scrooge’s famously irritable demeanor as he moved through the activation.

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He later appeared in costume during Collider’s Directors on Directing panel, giving convention attendees a closer look at his transformation for the forthcoming film.

Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Casting Was Revealed Days Later

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Gosling made his own surprise Comic-Con appearance on Saturday, when Marvel announced that he will portray Ghost Rider in an upcoming standalone film. Shawn Levy will direct the project, which is slated for release in 2028. The filmmaker recently worked with Gosling on “Star Wars: Starfighter,” scheduled to premiere on May 28, 2027.

“Gosling is the absolute sh-t. I say that with tremendous respect,” Levy told the Comic-Con audience. “We spent a lot of time last year making Starfighter, and the opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, “Bro, let’s ride.” We’ll see you in 2028!”

The project will mark Gosling’s entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reunite him with Levy behind the camera.

Eva Mendes Has Her Own Connection To ‘Ghost Rider’

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Gosling’s casting creates an unexpected full-circle moment for Mendes, who previously appeared in the 2007 “Ghost Rider” movie starring Nicolas Cage. Mendes portrayed Roxanne Simpson, the former girlfriend and love interest of Cage’s Johnny Blaze. The film earned approximately $229 million worldwide against a reported production budget of about $110 million.

The actress has publicly supported Gosling’s casting in the new adaptation, making her connection to the franchise even more personal. However, Mendes was considerably less enthusiastic about seeing her partner placed into a fictional Comic-Con encounter without an upfront disclosure.

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