Entertainment
Inside Tom Sandoval’s Abuse Claims Against GF After Arrest
Vanderpump Rules alum Tom Sandoval filed for a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson and her father amid allegations of domestic violence, outlining a series of claims in his legal docs.
Us Weekly obtained the filing in which Sandoval accused Victoria, 33, and her dad, J. Will Robinson, of subjecting him to “verbal and physical abuse” during a heated incident on June 3. (TMZ first reported the news on June 25, 2026.)
Per Sandoval, he initially had a “verbal disagreement” over Victoria filming him without permission, allegedly inciting his father to become aggressive and forcing the reality star to hide. Sandoval said he later suffered blurred vision when Victoria allegedly attacked him at their home. (Victoria was arrested following a 911 call and later released on bond.)
A source exclusively told Us that Tom now wants Victoria and Will to move out of his home, where they’ve all lived together for the past several months.
Tom Sandoval‘s romance with Victoria Lee Robinson has not been immune to its fair share of public scandals. The couple confirmed their relationship in February 2024, nearly a year after Sandoval became infamous for cheating on now-ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix with their Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. Sandoval used the controversy to reflect on his […]
“They are broken up,” the insider revealed to Us. “Tom has endured this abuse for many months. For the most part, Tom has been supporting Victoria and her dad as Tom has been paying the rent and utilities. Victoria’s dad has been living in the house for free. He put up with far too much for too long.”
Us has reached out to representatives for both sides for comment.
Sandoval and Victoria went public as a couple in 2024, following his highly-publicized cheating scandal with Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss that ended his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix.
Keep scrolling for more about Sandoval’s accusations below:
Tom Sandoval Said He Was the Victim of Repeated Abuse By Will Robinson
In his petition for a domestic violence restraining order, Sandoval alleged that he’d been abused “several times in 2026” by Victoria’s father, Will. Victoria was a witness to this abuse, according to Sandoval.
Sandoval recalled that Will “grabbed me [and] shoved me” and subjected him to a “verbal assault” on May 14 and May 15, 2026. His petition specified that Will is allegedly in possession of multiple weapons, including a club and a knife.
The reality star specifically asked a court to block Will from further abusing him by ordering both Robinsons to stay at least 100 yards away from Sandoval’s home, workplace and car. He additionally asked a judge to force Will to move out of their shared home.
“My name is on the lease,” Sandoval insisted. “I pay for some or all of the rent or mortgage.”
He requested the court to compel Will to enter a 52-week batterer intervention program to learn about “accountability, abuse effects and gender roles.”
Tom Sandoval Submitted a Personal Impact Statement to the Court
Sandoval wrote extensively about his allegations in a declaration to the court, where he outlined why a domestic violence restraining order was necessary.
“I am seeking a restraining order against [Will] based on the verbal and physical abuse he has perpetrated against me, the most recent incident being on June 3, wherein he grabbed me and restrained me, chased me into the bedroom and punched a 12-inch hole in my spare bedroom door where I was barricading myself,” Sandoval wrote in his impact statement. “I am afraid of [Will] and his daughter and request the Court’s protection.”
He described his version of events from June 3 in tremendous detail, revealing that he noticed Will was “visibly intoxicated” when he and Victoria returned home at around 2 a.m.
“He had a beer in front of him and was pouring himself shots of whiskey. His speech was slurred and his posture was unsteady,” Sandoval wrote. “When [Will] is intoxicated – which is daily – his behavior becomes aggressive, unpredictable and volatile. I am also aware that he has access to a club and a knife, which significantly heightens my concern for my safety given his frequent intoxication and the risk that he could use these weapons against me.”
Sandoval recalled having an argument with Victoria over whether she was secretly recording him. In the midst of this discussion, Sandoval alleges that Will physically accosted him.
Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson. Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Thirst Project
“He grabbed my arms and shoulders and wrapped his arms around me. Feeling trapped and violated, I pushed him away from me in order to protect myself and create distance, which caused him to fall,” Sandoval claimed. “[Will] was the first person to put his hands on me. At no point did I pursue [Will]. After he grabbed me, I retreated into the residence and locked myself in the spare bedroom to remove myself from the confrontation. While I was barricaded inside the spare room, [Will] followed me, threatened me and punched a large hole approximately 12 x 12 inches in the spare bedroom door, where I had taken shelter.”
During this tense altercation, Will allegedly “put his face in the hole in the door and smiled telling me he will ‘f***’ me up, ‘destroy’ me and called me a ‘motherf***er.’” Sandoval insisted that he called the police at this point.
Tom Sandoval Accused Victoria Lee Robinson of Escalating the Physical Abuse
While the drama between Sandoval and Will was unfolding, the Traitors star alleges that Victoria “entered the spare bedroom and hit my face and temple area towards my hairline.”
“The impact of the blow was so forceful that it caused my vision to blur,” he wrote. “I sustained a bruise near my temple and eyebrow ridge and bled from my ear and neck as a result of Ms. Robinson striking me that night. The pain in my mouth persisted for two weeks, which prompted me to visit the ER to be evaluated. Even after emergency medical evaluation ruled out a fracture, I continued to experience significant pain and a restricted ability to open my mouth.”
Sandoval said that he experienced significant pain for weeks after the alleged physical abuse.
“More than two weeks later, I am still unable to fully open my jaw, which has affected my ability to eat and has required me to seek further medical evaluation,” he claimed.
After the alleged physical abuse occurred, Sandoval accused Victoria of recording him again, at which time she “changed her demeanor and tone, suggesting that she was the one who was being violated.”
“Ms. Robinson routinely manipulates and gaslights me by recording our interactions and saying false things in order to manufacture evidence in her favor, just as she did on June 3,” he argued.
Sandoval specified that he stayed in his spare bedroom until police arrived.
“Ms. Robinson was arrested when it became clear that she had attacked me. As I saw her being arrested, in the heat of the moment, I asked the police officers the process by which she could be bailed out,” he claimed. “I even foolishly accepted Ms. Robinson’s phone call from jail and lent her mother financial assistance for the bail. In hindsight, I deeply regret that decision.”
Tom Sandoval Asked a Court to Force the Robinsons to Move out of His Home
In the aftermath of the incident, Sandoval said that he checked into a hotel. He has continued to live in hotels in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas, London and Ontario since the June 3 incident.
Sandoval now wants a judge to force the Robinsons to leave his Los Angeles home.
“I genuinely fear returning to the [home] while [Victoria] and her father remain there,” he wrote.
Tom Sandoval Described Previous Confrontations With the Robinsons
Sandoval offered context for the June 3 incident by referencing alleged past issues with Victoria and Will. He accused Victoria of throwing “a full Gatorade bottle” at him during a verbal dispute on April 3, 2026.
On May 14, 2026, he claimed that he went to a hotel when Victoria “cornered and blocked me in the [residence] and threatened to attack me.” The dispute allegedly started during a trip to Nashville to visit Victoria’s ill relative, per Sandoval.
“During the trip, [Victoria] became jealous because I took a photograph with a fan. Respondent instigated a verbal fight with me while she was intoxicated, causing me to lock myself in the bathroom,” he wrote. “[Victoria] ultimately went downstairs for a cigarette, during which I moved her belongings to Mr. Robinson’s room next door to give us some space. When she returned, she lost her temper again and started screaming and pounding at my hotel door, which I was not willing to open. Hotel security intervened during this incident.”
The Bravo star said he returned to the home on May 15, 2026, to retrieve personal belongings, only for Victoria to allegedly “attack me and hit me in the face and ear.”
“She then wrapped her arms around me and held on to me,” he alleged. “I was trapped in her arms and unable to free myself. She called to [Will], who came running toward me, grabbed me and shoved me out in the hall and out the front door stating, ‘You need to get the f*** out of here right now, you are not welcome here.’”
Sandoval recalled that Victoria’s behavior towards him allegedly became “more hostile, confrontational, and physically aggressive toward,” with Will frequently getting involved in their disputes.
“[Will] accepted her accusations about me without hearing my side, and directed his anger toward me,” per Sandoval. “On one occasion, after Ms. Robinson made false accusations against me, [Will] forcefully grabbed me and shoved me out of my own residence.”
Tom Sandoval Accused Victoria Lee Robinson of Frequent Verbal Abuse
Sandoval documented numerous instances of alleged verbal abuse throughout the relationship.
“[Victoria] repeatedly insulted and demeaned me throughout our relationship. She called me a ‘f***ing loser,’ told me, ‘I can get so much better,’ said that, ‘The only reason people like you is because of me,’ and frequently called me an ‘idiot’ and ‘moron,’” he wrote. “She also told me that I did not have a brain and that I was not a man. Respondent repeatedly undermined my longstanding friendships by attacking the credibility of people close to me, creating conflict and mistrust in relationships that had been important to me for years.”
He continued, “[Victoria] repeatedly created conflict within my friendships by crossing boundaries with my male friends and acquaintances, then accusing them of ‘hitting on’ her and insisting I could not trust them. This pattern occurred repeatedly, including with two close friends who were also coworkers and with a fellow Bravo personality during BravoCon 2025. After I caught Respondent being intimate with another man in December 2024, she falsely accused me of infidelity on Instagram, damaging my personal and professional reputation.”
Tom Sandoval Documented Will Robinson’s Alleged Alcohol Use
In his petition, Sandoval alleged that he “personally observe[d Will] consume alcohol every day.”
“[Will] keeps a separate refrigerator in his bedroom that is consistently stocked almost exclusively with beer,” he further claimed. “I have observed [Will] regularly consume copious [amounts] of liquor, which causes him to become hostile, unpredictable and aggressive toward me, especially during conflicts involving Ms. Robinson.”
Tom Sandoval Accused Victoria Lee Robinson of Using a GPS Tracker on His Car
Sandoval alleged that Victoria used a GPS tracker on his vehicle “after the June incident.”
“I took the vehicle to the auto shop. [Victoria] tracked the vehicle through a GPS tracker and retrieved it from the shop without notifying me,” he alleged. “I have regained possession of this vehicle, but I am concerned that [Victoria] may try to take it again without consulting me. I do not have any other vehicles that I can use.”
Tom Sandoval Accused Victoria Lee Robinson of Tampering With His Devices
Sandoval relayed multiple incidents where he claimed Victoria allegedly tampered with his private devices, including a mobile phone and iPad.
“On a recent occasion, while attempting to change my iPhone passcode, the device
prompted me to confirm whether I wanted to modify the alternate Face ID,” he recalled. “I have never set up my iPhone to permit any individual other than myself to access it using facial recognition. Suspecting that [Victoria] had accessed my phone settings, I confronted [Victoria] who denied she had modified the settings. However, when I placed my locked phone in front of [Victoria’s] face, the phone unlocked, even as [she] tried to distort her face and close her eyes to avoid the facial recognition. [Victoria’s] ability to unlock my phone would have given her access to my private text messages, emails and other applications and the ability to delete and restore data.”
Tom Sandoval’s girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson explained why they both deleted their social media accounts amid the reality star’s lawsuit against ex Ariana Madix. “We both deactivated our Instagrams once he found out about what the filing really meant,” Robinson, 32, wrote via Instagram comments, which she then screenshotted and shared to her Story. “We […]
He also accused Victoria of tampering with his social media.
“To make matters worse, around the same time, I noticed that my manager’s contact email and my Cameo link had been removed from my Instagram account, certain photographs had been archived, and an Instagram story commemorating the third anniversary of a close friend’s death had been deleted shortly after it was posted,” he alleged. “As I investigated, I discovered that my password had been changed, my recovery phone number had been replaced with a phone number associated with [her], and another device, consistent with the description and location of [her] phone, remained logged into my account.”
Tom Sandoval Expressed Fear of the Alleged Abuse Continuing
As he summed up his request for domestic violence protection, Sandoval shared his fear that the alleged abuse would continue unless the court intervened.
“My fear of Respondent is based on the escalating pattern of his conduct toward me over the past several months, my repeated efforts to avoid confrontation, the violence that I experienced on June 3 and my inability to safely return to my own home while [Will] remains there with Ms. Robinson as I continue to pay 100 percent of the utilities and the rent,” he claimed. “I believe that the abuse will continue unless the Court intervenes.”
Tom Sandoval Submitted Photos of the Injuries He Allegedly Endured
In addition to his court declaration, Sandoval included numerous photos allegedly showing his injuries as evidence. These images appear to show small wounds and bruising on Sandoval’s neck and inner ear.
Sandoval also submitted a photo of the hole that Will allegedly punched in his bedroom door.
Tom Sandoval Asked a Court to Grant Him Temporary Use of His Merchandise Collection
Among the key requests in the domestic violence restraining order petition involved Sandoval asking for temporary control of his merchandise collection.
The star specifically asked that he be granted temporary use of his “007 Limited Edition Golden gun (prop), megalodon tea, ninja sword guitars and trumpet.” He also asked for access to his 2024 Mercedes Benz GLE vehicle.
Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for ABA
“The situation has been especially difficult as the majority of my personal belongings remain at the [residence], including essential equipment I need for work as well as irreplaceable, limited edition items of significant personal value, which Ms. Robinson has threatened to take or dispose of,” he alleged. “I do not feel safe returning to the [residence] while [Victoria] and Ms. Robinson continue to remain there.”
Sandoval said he made three separate attempts to retrieve his belongings since June 3, though “each attempt resulted in intimidation, threats or interference by [Victoria] and her father.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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General Hospital suggests some new couples that may be pairing up soon. From a new romance for Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) to a surprising one for Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean Parsons). We’re going to talk about several pairings that may spark during July sweeps.
General Hospital: Ava and Ethan’s Potential Romance
And now let’s dive into some new romantic pairings that I am pretty excited to see manifest. The first pair I want to talk about is Ava Jerome (Maura West) and Ethan Lovett. Now already you’ve probably noticed these two have a little vibe happening. There’s some chemistry there. Even though Ava is leveraging Ethan’s secret that he is Phoebe’s father, there is something genuine there. Plus, he’s clearly hiding something.
And with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) just warning Ethan about Ava, that to me was a red flag that there’s more to come between her and Ethan. I think they would actually be a fun pairing. Ava is of course a she-villain who’s a little bit reformed and Ethan’s a con man who doesn’t seem interested in reform and Ava does like a bad boy and it certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’s been with a younger man.
Over the years, Ava had romances with Morgan Corinthos (Bryan Craig), Griffin Munro (Matt Cohen), and she recently had that fling with Cody Bell (Josh Kelly), although he was paid by Kristina Corinthos (Kate Mansi) to seduce Ava. So, Ethan with Ava would be pretty normal for her.
Honestly, I think Ethan and Ava would be a lot of fun. They have that banter and chemistry, and I could totally see GH putting them together. Plus, it would really annoy Sonny if Ava got with his latest henchmen. And I think Sonny deserves a little sass from Ava for always using Avery Corinthos (Scarola twins) as leverage in every situation.
General Hospital: Ric and Alexis – A Reformed Love Story
Next, let’s talk about Ric Lansing and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn). And of course, we know Ric is with Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) right now, and he is madly, madly in love with her, but it is also pretty clear that GH is heading towards Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) pairing up with Liz. So, with Liz’s attention elsewhere and Ric spending time with Alexis, planning the big party for Molly Lansing-Davis (Kristen Vaganos), you can also see their chemistry on display.
Fans really like the Ric and Alexis pairing because honestly, they’re hilarious when they pick at each other. No doubt they have a rocky past. We all know that. Ric was pretty awful back in the day and he hurt Alexis as well as other people. But Ric has truly changed and he and Alexis have this easy natural vibe and not just romantically. They’re a fun pair. They enjoy provoking each other and you can’t look away from any Ric and Alexis scene.
And there might have been a little foreshadowing when Cody recently asked Molly if she thought her parents would get back together and she seemed horrified. But Ric and Alexis have a fan base. They have a smoosh name, Rexis. And now that Ric is reformed and Alexis is on a good path, I think it could work. The kidnapping that he went through by Kristina, Alexis, and Ava, I think taught him a lasting life lesson. And Alexis is sober. She’s not doing any crimes right now. And she got her law license back. They’re both in a good place. Plus, we might even see Ric joining Alexis’s law practice. That could be really cool.
Dante and Elizabeth – Chemistry in the Shadows
And tied to the Ric and Alexis pairing, of course, would be Dante and Elizabeth. Even though she is giving romance with Ric another chance right now, we haven’t seen Liz in scenes with Ric in quite a while. Almost all of Liz’s screen time has been with Dante over the past, I don’t know, month or so. Even this week, as he prepared to leave town to go save Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr), he came to see Liz.
Dante has been venting to her about Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening). He’s been confiding in Liz and asking advice. And Dante’s leaving for who knows how long, but he didn’t stop to see Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza) or Sonny. No, he went to see Liz. GH is clearly throwing Dante and Liz together, and their chemistry is incredible. And once Rocco is back home and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) takes back the role of police commissioner, maybe Dante will finally see if Liz might go out with him.
Dante was already kind of bummed when he heard Liz was back with Ric. So something has to happen to get Liz away from Ric first. That’s very clear. And with Sonny going to war with Sidwell and Ric staying loyal to his brother, the mob stuff might be a deal breaker for Liz and maybe she takes a step back. Dante and Elizabeth already have a fan following as well, so this seems like a no-brainer for General Hospital to go ahead and explore.
Tracy and Martin – Enemies to Lovers on GH
Next, I want to talk about Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). It has been a minute since she had a relationship. The closest thing she’s had since Luke’s death was her very close friendship with Gregory Chase (Gregory Harrison), who of course passed away. Although, I will say I think he was a little too nice for Tracy. She needs somebody with an edge to them like Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) had. And that’s why I think she should wind up with Martin Gray (Michael E. Knight), who is supposed to be back soon.
Tracy and Martin don’t like each other. They are always at each other’s throats. They have each actively tried to destroy the other on several occasions that I can think of. Tracy and Martin bring out the worst in each other and that’s why they are absolutely hilarious together. However, I thought that they seemed to soften up a little bit when Tracy showed up at Drew Cain’s (Cameron Mathison) place during the big blizzard this winter when people got locked in together, remember? And she got stranded with Martin for a little bit. And they both need love. And soaps are known for doing enemies to lovers.
General Hospital: Joe Fitzpatrick and Lucas Jones – New Beginning
So, the last pair to talk about is Detective Joe Fitzpatrick (Jonathan Bennett) and Lucas Jones (Van Hansis). Now, we know Joe came to town single, and fans thought he was about to ask Lucas out on a date the other day, but it turns out Joe was asking Lucas a medical question about the syringe he found at Britt Westbourne’s (Kelly Thiebaud) place. So, Joe’s new to Port Charles. He has his hands full with police business.
Plus, Lucas is still grieving and he’s still chasing revenge on Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes). And as you know, Lucas wants revenge for Cullum killing the man that he loved. But that should all resolve pretty soon. And then Lucas may be in a place to finally consider a new romance. And Joe’s going to need a love interest eventually. And I suspect that he might have been brought on intending for him to wind up with Lucas.
And once Cullum is taken down, I do think Lucas will be on a road where he’s healed enough to consider going out on a date and giving romance another shot. And I will say I’ve always liked him with Brad Cooper (Parry Shen), but I don’t think he would go there again. And of course, Lucas right now still loves and is grieving that loss to some extent, but eventually Lucas will move on. And handsome cop Joe could be the one to help him get past his sadness. And remember that life is for the living.
The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” premiered on Disney+ in March 2026, featuring most of the main cast members, including Miley Cyrus, for the Alex Cooper-hosted reunion. However, Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment were notably absent. Now, months later, he’s revealing why fans didn’t see him on the special.
Musso appeared on “The Joe Vulpis Podcast” in June 2026 to discuss his life post Disney Channel success. During the chat, the topic of “Hannah Montana” came up, and the actor confirmed he had been invited to appear on the special. He began, “It wasn’t the right thing.”
According to him, “Of course they asked me.” Regarding his decision to skip, he stated, “It wasn’t presented correctly.” Musso then explained that he would have preferred Disney to produce a new episode or even a movie, with him stepping back into his character, Oliver Oken, instead of using the reunion format.
He continued, “The kid in me was banking on it. Do an episode. Do a show. The set is still there. They just did it differently, and it is what it is, but it wasn’t the right thing.”
Mitchel Says He Was Too Busy For The Special
Musso continued explaining his absence from the “Hannah Montana” 20th Anniversary Special, saying, “I was busy doing something that was more important.” However, had the decision been made to film an original episode to celebrate the show’s anniversary, it would have been “way more important” than what he did instead.
The 34-year-old continued, “It would’ve been everything. I would’ve dropped everything—eat, breathe, sleep. I’m flying in early. I’m gonna be there. It didn’t turn out that way.”
He then reflected on the special, highlighting that timing also played a factor, saying, “It’s too long of a wait to do it in a way that isn’t even close to, in my opinion, correct.”
Musso added about his desire to return to the character, “I’d want to feel the part again. I’d want to put on that little polo again and wear the plaid shorts with the goofy shoes—I’d want to play the character.”
‘Hannah Montana’ Fans Are In Agreement With Mitchel
Following Musso’s reasoning for not appearing on the special, fans of the iconic Disney Channel series largely agree. This is the case, as many found what aired on Disney+ in March to be underwhelming compared to what they expected from the reunion.
One person said on X, “I think we can all agree with him a bit.” Someone else said, “He’s right.” After that, another social media user chimed in, writing, “It was fun and enjoyable and really emotional to hear her sing ‘ This Is the Life,’ but he’s also not wrong.”
However, despite the support, some took issue with his stance, saying he robbed the fans of the full experience. One person stated, “He still could have shown up.” Someone else wrote, “I think he just wanted a bigger paycheck from Disney.”
In addition to reacting to his reasoning for not appearing on the “Hannah Montana” special, social media users are also reacting to how happy and healthy Musso appears.
The Actor Previously Reflected On The Anniversary Of The Show
Despite not filming the “Hannah Montana” reunion special, Musso took to his official Instagram page in March to reflect on the series’ legacy. He did so by posting photos from the show and penning a lengthy statement.
He said, “Hannah Montana wrapped around my heart and never really let go. We literally grew up with ya’ll — long days, crazy schedules, learning lines, cracking up between takes, and figuring out life while the cameras rolled.”
After that, the actor noted what he gained from the show, saying, “It taught me so many wonderful values, but the most important to me is that laughter can get you through the tough days. That confidence still sticks with me every single day.”
In tributing the audience, he said, “To all of you who grew up right alongside us… your friends were our friends too.”
The ‘Hannah Montana’ Alum Has A New Movie In The Works
Though not on screen as often as during his original Disney Channel days, Musso has remained active in Hollywood, with roles in projects such as “The Rinse” in 2025, “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe” in 2020, and “The Sand” in 2015.
However, according to Deadline, he was cast in 2025 to star in the upcoming comedy film “Mister Fun,” alongside Jesse Metcalfe, Cocoa Brown, and others. The movie is currently listed as being in post-production.
Every British actor of a certain generation is being asked if they’ve been approached to audition for the role of James Bond. One of the most coveted gigs in the world, the position remains open as Amazon officially searches far and wide for someone to fill it. Jacob Elordi has long been rumored to be a front-runner, while Callum Turner certainly has his fans as well. One name that has often come up in discussions about the James Bond role is Leo Woodall. The actor broke out with a memorable performance in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus, and then reached a larger audience thanks to Apple TV’s Prime Target, Netflix’s One Day, and Prime Video’s Vladimir. More recently, Woodall starred in one of the most acclaimed movies of the year, which landed on the PVOD market with a bang.
The movie in question premiered at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival, where it immediately drew a positive response from critics. It was released theatrically a few weeks ago, and the reaction from a larger pool of reviewers was just as enthusiastic. The movie marked the narrative debut of Daniel Roher, who won an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category for Navalny, about the slain Russian opposition leader. More recently, Roher co-directed the documentary The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, which holds an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Best Audition a James Bond Contender Can Deliver Is Via Their Work
Roher’s movie with Woodall has an even higher score on the aggregator website. We’re talking, of course, about Tuner. It’s now sitting at a “Certified Fresh” 94%, with a consensus that reads, “Announcing Leo Woodall as a compelling star talent, Tuner enhances its nifty caper setup with a smart sense of humor and vivid characterizations.” Woodall also played an important supporting role in last year’s Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and the World War II drama Nuremberg, which featured Russell Crowe and Rami Malek in the lead roles. Nuremberg grossed more than $50 million worldwide and has emerged as a major hit on the PVOD market. Woodall can now put Tuner in the same category as well.
According to FlixPatrol, Tuner was among the 10 most popular movies on the domestic iTunes chart this week. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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May 29, 2026
- Runtime
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109 minutes
- Director
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Daniel Roher
Dolly Parton is giving fans another reason to breathe a sigh of relief.
The beloved singer made a surprise appearance on Wednesday at the opening of her Tennessee Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee. It was a small but powerful moment that sent a wave of relief across her devoted fanbase.
While the appearance eased some fears, Dolly Parton has remained the subject of speculation in recent months following reports about health struggles and the cancellation of a highly anticipated residency.
Dolly Parton surprised fans with her appearance for the grand opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
On Wednesday, the country music star was in attendance to showcase some of the site’s new features, such as a barbecue restaurant and a coffee shop called “Cup of Ambition.”
The look was one of Parton’s rare public appearances in recent times, and it brought smiles to the faces of her many fans who’ve worried about her health.
Fans had been particularly looking forward to the singer’s return and were ecstatic to see her smiling and interacting with people after a hiatus, as she made several appearances.
She had previously stepped back from several other events while recovering physically and emotionally. The turnout on Wednesday indicated that the legendary entertainer might be making her comeback to the stage she has illuminated for more than 50 years, per TMZ.
The Country Star Previously Made An Appearance In March
The Blast covered Parton’s first major public appearance in March, when she delivered the keynote address at the opening of Dollywood’s 41st season in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It was her first time in front of a large crowd after months out of the spotlight.
That night, addressing an audience, Parton admitted to experiencing health challenges, as well as the loss of Carl. She told the crowd, “I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them.” “All is good. It didn’t slow me down.”
The Dollywood season also kicked off a new attraction, the $50 million NightFlight Expedition roller coaster. Parton co-owns the theme park, which has been a cornerstone of the Pigeon Forge community since the 1980s.
Dolly Parton Opened Up About Grieving Carl Dean While Juggling Health Issues
Beyond the health battles, Parton has been open about the emotional weight of losing Carl Dean, who passed away in March 2025 at the age of 82 after a long illness. The two had been together for nearly six decades, marrying in 1966 after meeting outside a Nashville laundromat in 1964.
Parton said she needed to recover after his death, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. She said she was “worn down” and “worn out” as she grieved the death with her health issues.
Dolly Parton, in another interview, expressed her peace knowing that Carl was no longer suffering, yet she spoke of the great loneliness he had left behind. Fitting in has been a big adjustment for a woman who had been living with someone for almost 60 years.
Insiders Say Carl’s Death Hit Parton Harder Than Anyone Realized
The Blast has previously reported that people who knew Parton said that life was heartbreaking without Carl Dean. The insider said the singer’s grief affected her physically, as she stopped eating properly, and some of her former health care regimens were neglected.
Another source alleged that it was the first time in decades that Parton really slowed down. Later, the country girl admitted the challenge to herself, writing to fans that she was experiencing a “year of firsts” without Carl, including holidays, anniversaries, and even Carl’s death anniversary.
Dolly Parton Canceled Her Las Vegas Residency But Refuses To Quit
Parton announced in May that she was canceling her Las Vegas residency after previously postponing it from December 2025 to September 2026.
In a candid video, she revealed that her immune and digestive systems were “all out of whack” and that some medications left her feeling “swimmy-headed.”
Despite the setback, Parton made it clear she has no plans to retire, telling fans, “Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet.”
Apple TV has had a sensational summer, with as many as four new shows delivering near-perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes. At least one of them was able to ride this positive word-of-mouth and break out into the mainstream. However, the one Apple TV title that was set up for success seems to be struggling. The series in question features a star-studded cast that includes an Oscar winner and a six-time nominee. The show’s A-list pedigree also extends behind the scenes, with the legendary Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese serving as executive producers. Apple made sure to underline this in its marketing for the project, which premiered to positive reviews on June 5. The show has so far aired four episodes, and will conclude its 10-episode run on July 31.
According to FlixPatrol, it’s currently the fourth-biggest title on Apple’s global viewership chart. It isn’t doing any better domestically, having fallen to the number five spot behind holdover hits such as Your Friends & Neighbors, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Widow’s Bay, and Sugar, which recently returned with a second season. Of all these hit shows, Widow’s Bay has proven to be the real cultural juggernaut. It holds a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and recently concluded its 10-episode debut season. Two other shows on Apple TV — Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Star City — both hold 96% scores.
Audiences Don’t Seem To Be Falling for Max Cady’s Charms
Neither of these shows, however, features the star power of Cape Fear. Featuring Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, and Patrick Wilson, Cape Fear is plummeting on the Apple TV viewership charts. It opened to positive reviews and is now sitting at a “Certified Fresh” 76% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s consensus reads, “Elevated by Javier Bardem’s manic charisma and the genre’s best pulpy intricacies, Cape Fear revitalizes the revenge thriller and manages to make a noteworthy name for itself.” Audiences don’t seem to be too impressed, having given Cape Fear a 61% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show is based on a novel that was previously adapted into two movies, the first in 1962 and the second in 1991. Bardem plays the colorful character who was played by Robert Mitchum in the 1962 version and Robert De Niro in the 1991 adaptation, which was directed by Scorsese.
Cape Fear is streaming on Apple TV now. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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June 4, 2026
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
-
Nick Antosca
- Directors
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Amanda Marsalis, Morten Tyldum, Stephen Williams, Jon S. Baird, Jonathan van Tulleken, Reed Morano, S.J. Clarkson, Trey Edward Shults
- Writers
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Peter Blake, Alan Page Arriaga, Tara Shivkumar, Maria Jacquemetton, Diana Pawell
Seth Rogen has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile creatives, building a successful career as an actor, writer, director, and producer. Despite his busy schedule, however, he hasn’t directed a movie in over a decade. His last film project as a director was “The Interview,” released in 2014, which sparked tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Rogen has since directed for TV, and will slowly ease back into helming movies.
Seth Rogen is starring in a new movie directed by Olivia Wilde, “The Invite,” alongside Wilde, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton, and at the premiere, he discussed his own experience directing. The last film he helmed was “The Interview,” released in 2014, which he co-directed with childhood friend and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg.
“It has been a while. The last one we did almost started a war, so that made us maybe a little gun-shy for a little while,” Rogen said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The actor said that directing for TV has been going well, and he’s welcoming the idea of directing for the big screen once again. “We do talk about maybe, hopefully, directing a film next year, actually. We’re not the biggest problem anymore,” he added.
North Korea Threatened The U.S. Over ‘The Interview’
“The Interview” starred Rogen and James Franco as producer Aaron Rapaport and TV host Dave Skylark, who land an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. After being recruited by the CIA to assassinate the leader, their journalistic assignment turns into a high-stakes mission.
North Korea vehemently condemned “The Interview,” claiming that it was an act of war against them and an insult to their people. They demanded that the movie not be released, to no avail. It was followed by a cyberattack on Sony by a group called Guardians of Peace, which resulted in a leak of confidential emails, personal information, and copies of unreleased films. The FBI later confirmed the cyberattack originated from North Korea.
“If the U.S. persists in American-style arrogant, high-handed and gangster-like arbitrary practices despite the repeated warnings of the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], the U.S. should bear in mind that its failed political affairs will face inescapable deadly blows,” North Korea threatened.
Seth Rogen Feared His Career Was Over
Sony Pictures canceled the traditional theatrical release of “The Interview” following the threats. Instead, the movie was released digitally, followed by a limited theatrical release in a few hundred, mostly independent movie theaters.
Then-President Barack Obama criticized Sony, saying “they made a mistake” in cancelling the theatrical release, wishing they had consulted him on the steps to take. “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” Obama said.
In 2025, Rogen recalled how he thought his career was done after the international debacle. “I legitimately thought I had eliminated myself as someone who was viable to work with,” he said, adding that he worried he pushed things too far in “The Interview.”
The Actor Was Happy To Take A Back Seat In His Latest Film
Elsewhere in the interview, Rogen said that he enjoyed working on “The Invite” solely as an actor. The filmmaker often takes on multiple roles in his projects, but this time, he had one mission: to act.
“It’s nice when there’s a conversation happening over there, and you’re like, ‘Normally I’d be a part of that conversation that everyone looks pretty miserable to be a part of.’ And I can just scroll Instagram and talk to Edward,” he shared.
Rogen also praised Wilde for fulfilling her role as both director and actor in the movie. “She was very bold in both respects, which I found to be really impressive,” he said.
Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’ Is A Massive Success
Apple TV+’s “The Studio,” which Rogen writes, directs, executive produces, and stars in, has been a critical success, earning widespread praise for its sharp satire, witty writing, and standout ensemble cast.
“The Studio” took home a record-breaking 13 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Rogen. The show also won two awards at the Golden Globes for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a TV series.
“The Studio” is coming back for Season 2, but a release date has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, fans are eager to see which film Rogen will direct next.
One lucky man has Amy Adams and her family to thank for saving his life.
The actress recently shared a wild story about the time she saved a man’s life while spending quality time with her loved ones.
The incident occurred in Santa Monica, and Amy Adams drew on her medical knowledge from her time on the short-lived TV show “Dr. Vegas.”
During a recent interview, Adams reflected on her time starring as a nurse on the CBS show, noting that she had shadowed an emergency room doctor to prepare for the role. Thanks to this experience, the actress was well prepared when an accident occurred in Santa Monica.
According to the entertainer, she and her family were leaving their favorite restaurant when they noticed a group of people panicking. “They’re yelling, ‘He’s dying!’ and my husband’s like, ‘That’s blood,’” Adams shared on the “SmartLess” podcast, noting she told her beau, Darren Le Gallo, to stay with their daughter, Aviana.
Meanwhile, the actress sprang into action with her father and rushed over to the group, where they discovered a man had been stabbed in the neck. Adams and her dad grabbed the towels they were going to use at the beach to apply pressure on the man’s neck before her TV medical knowledge kicked in.
The TV Personality Remained Calm And Composed Throughout The Scary Situation
Adams recalled remaining calm and composed throughout the ordeal, giving instructions to de-escalate the situation. “I’m sitting there somehow going, ‘You need to calm your pulse rate. Take a deep breath in.’ I literally was just so focused,” she said, adding
“I was like, ‘The more you struggle, the faster you’re going to bleed. Just lay down. Let’s elevate this.’”
The “Enchanted” star’s efforts saved the man’s life, and he had the opportunity to express his gratitude a year after the incident. Adams noted that she was in a restaurant when a stranger approached her to ask about the stabbing incident.
The Stabbing Victim Got Emotional While Thanking The Actress
When the man approached the TV personality, he didn’t introduce himself as the person she and her father had saved. Instead, he acted like a stranger who heard about their heroic act and wanted to confirm the story.
After Adams confirmed the incident had happened and wondered how the man knew, he then revealed the scar on his neck. The actress recalled being pleasantly surprised by his identity, while the latter got emotional as he thanked her for saving his life.
“He was like all teary, and he had his son with him. It was so crazy,” the actress said. As for how the man got stabbed, Adams said she didn’t know the full story. Nonetheless, she heard the victim and his friends had bumped into an old college friend and had some drinks before the man “just freaked out.”
The Golden Globe Award Winner Faced Many Hurdles
Adams’ life-saving role as a nurse on the short-lived TV show marked one of the many jobs she took to make a name for herself in Hollywood. In a 2014 interview, she opened up about her difficult rise to fame, noting she was “a mess.”
She described the many years she spent trying to survive in Los Angeles as “painful, to say the least,” recalling how she took “everything from day player to guest star to small parts in movies.” But these roles were not enough to ensure her survival.
Adams, per E! News, confessed that she was under “a lot of pressure” and almost quit acting because she was starting to dislike who she was becoming. Fortunately, her perseverance paid off, and the spotlight began to notice the actress in her early 30s.
Amy Adams Once Had A Crush On Leonardo DiCaprio
One of the projects that put Adams in the spotlight was 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can,” in which she played Leonardo DiCaprio’s love interest. The Blast reported in 2022 that the TV personality had reflected on her experience working with the actor.
She confessed that she was once one of DiCaprio’s biggest admirers, but her feelings for him cooled after meeting him. “Nothing really kills a crush faster than working with somebody,” Adams explained, clarifying that she didn’t mean it in a bad way.
According to the actress, her fantasy of DiCaprio was ruined after getting to know the real him. Additionally, she had no time to think about a crush while dealing with the pressure of the spotlight after their movie became a hit amongst fans.
For more than a decade, “Stranger Things” shaped Millie Bobby Brown’s childhood, career, and closest relationships.
However, when the cameras finally stopped rolling on Netflix’s blockbuster series, the actress discovered saying goodbye was far harder than she ever imagined.
Instead of celebrating the end of a hugely successful chapter, Brown found herself battling unexpected emotions, questioning friendships, and struggling to process life without the people who had become her second family.
Millie Bobby Brown candidly reflected on the emotional aftermath of finishing “Stranger Things” during a live recording of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in New York City.
Although she has long been known for her upbeat personality, Brown admitted she wasn’t prepared for how deeply the ending of the series would affect her.
“It was very hard for me,” Brown recalled per Page Six, adding, “I would not have expected that coming off of the show. I’m a very happy-go-lucky person.”
Instead of feeling relieved after wrapping one of Netflix’s biggest franchises, Brown said she found herself overwhelmed by unexpected sadness.
The 22-year-old described falling into “a slight depression,” explaining that the emotional weight of closing such a significant chapter in her life hit far harder than she ever imagined.
Brown Tried To Mend Relationships With Her Co-Stars
As she processed the end of the series, Millie Bobby Brown also found herself reaching out to the people she had worked alongside for years.
The young star admitted she wanted to make sure there was no lingering tension with her “Stranger Things” family, including David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Winona Ryder.
“I was like, ‘We’re still friends, right? Like, you’re not gonna stop talking to me anymore?’” she recalled.
Brown explained that she apologized if she had ever hurt anyone during their decade together, hoping to leave the production on good terms.
She explained, “I was like, ‘I’m sorry if I ever upset you,’ and was just trying to mend anything. ‘It’s been 10 years, and I really want to be friends. You’re my sibling.’”
The emotions continued long after filming wrapped. While spending time by the ocean, the “Enola Holmes” star said the reality of everything finally caught up with her.
“And then I was on the beach, it was beautiful, and I just sat there crying,” she continued. “It was a very hard time for me.”
Millie Bobby Brown Says Eleven Became Part Of Who She Is
For Brown, “Stranger Things” wasn’t simply another acting job. It represented her childhood, her identity and many of the relationships that shaped her formative years.
She began portraying Eleven at just ten years old, remaining with the series throughout its five-season run from 2016 to 2025. Looking back, Brown said the experience was something very few people could truly understand.
“And no one will ever understand it,” she shared. Brown explained that playing Eleven became inseparable from her own life because she spent more time with the cast than she often did with her own family.
In her words, “I started the show when I was 10, and this character was me, and these people were in my life more than my own family.”
She added that she saw her castmates more frequently than she was able to sit down for dinner at home, making the goodbye especially painful after a decade together.
Brown admitted that leaving the character behind remains one of the hardest parts of closing the series. “I’m going to miss Eleven more than anything,” she noted.
Brown And Harbour Moved Past Their On-Set Disagreement
Although Millie Bobby Brown now speaks warmly about her castmates, her time on “Stranger Things” wasn’t entirely free of conflict.
Reports emerged ahead of the show’s fifth season alleging she had filed a complaint involving David Harbour, who portrayed her on-screen adoptive father, Chief Jim Hopper.
According to earlier reports, Harbour was the subject of an internal investigation before production on the final season began, although the outcome of that inquiry was never publicly disclosed. Brown also reportedly filmed the series finale with a personal representative present on set.
Earlier this month, Harbour publicly acknowledged there had been tension between him and Brown, though he emphasized that they eventually resolved their differences.
Speaking to Variety, he compared the disagreement to family dynamics, noting that families “occasionally get in arguments, disagreements” before they ultimately “come back together.”
He also explained that others had become involved before the two stars decided to handle the issue themselves. Harbour shared that once he and Brown had “cleared everybody out of the way and talked to each other,” they were “fine.”
Millie Bobby Brown And David Harbour Found Common Ground After Clearing The Air
Harbour reflected further on the situation, revealing that the biggest challenge wasn’t the disagreement itself but how uncomfortable people had become with honest conversations.
“Everyone nowadays is very scared of talking about things,” he reflected, further noting, “People are very scared of being human. It’s unfortunate, because I don’t know how to navigate this weird media world.”
Despite the headlines surrounding their relationship, Harbour maintained that the conflict never changed the foundation of their bond.
“But it was completely normal and we adore each other and always have,” the 51-year-old stated.
There’s going to be at least a little heaviness in just about every drama movie out there, because it’s in the name, really. Dramas deal with difficult things, or personal struggles, and sometimes broader ideas, or, like, groups of people working through something immense. As boring as it might be to be the 500,000,00th person to bring it up, The Shawshank Redemption really is a quintessential drama, and one where there’s a balance of intense moments of hardship and quite a bit by way of moments that are inspiring and hopeful.
With the following films, though, there’s a focus on hardship and sadness. These are the heaviest drama movies of all time, and they’re either devoid of hope, or what little traces by way of silver linings that they might have are incredibly dim. There will also be a focus on dramas over anything else, so even if something notoriously heavy like Come and See might be labeled a drama, it’s primarily – and usually – described as a war movie, or at least a war-drama, so it doesn’t qualify for this particular ranking.
10
‘An Elephant Sitting Still’ (2018)
Even if you think you’ve seen it all, movie-wise, there are still almost guaranteed to be parts of An Elephant Sitting Still that’ll rattle you. Part of that has to do with the film being remarkably long, as in almost four hours, so there’s a lot here that is dark when, like, the whole film is about several people trying to get by while living lives defined by various personal struggles.
It is grounded in that way, and the kind of movie where it’s easy to forget you’re watching one. It’s a cliché to call a movie hypnotic, but An Elephant Sitting Still really is, since there’s a unique rhythm here and all the long takes prove immersive, too. The legacy of the film, and the story behind its production and release (if you want to read up on that… it is really bleak, though, as a warning), does also inevitably add to the heaviness of An Elephant Sitting Still, and its ultimate/undeniable haunting quality.
9
‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (1974)
While not as long as An Elephant Sitting Still, the theatrical version of Scenes from a Marriage is still pretty much epic-length, though the scope of the movie (and its premise) definitely aren’t in line with what you’d expect to see in an epic. Basically, it is a bunch of scenes, many of them long and most of them involving some kind of argument between a married couple who are going through a divorce.
When Marriage Story came out, it was pretty easy to compare it to Scenes from a Marriage, though that’s also got a little more by way of hope. And the same can probably be said for Kramer vs. Kramer. Scenes from a Marriage is more intense, and very subversive/bitter if you want to consider it a romance film of sorts. It is primarily a drama, though, and one all about falling out of love rather than falling in love, so it feels like it qualifies for present purposes.
8
‘Bicycle Thieves’ (1948)
Unlike some of the other dramas here, there isn’t any graphic or shocking content in Bicycle Thieves, and it ultimately finds other ways to be incredibly downbeat. It’s about a man trying to provide for his family in Italy, during the post-war years, and eventually finding a job that requires a bicycle, only for everything to be placed in jeopardy once that, you know, bicycle thief strikes.
Much of it’s about this man and his son going around, trying to find the stolen bicycle, and how the desperation inherent to an already desperate situation intensifies. Bicycle Thieves is simultaneously sad and very simple, and one of those films that shows how you can make something cinematically compelling out of pretty much anything. It’s also hard to imagine many people watching this and somehow not feeling at least the slightest bit moved by what they see.
7
‘Sátántangó’ (1994)
One of the biggest endurance tests in cinema history, Sátántangó (based on an also harrowing novel) goes for about 430 minutes, and it feels some level of soul-crushing, dull, and emotionally empty for almost every single one of those minutes. It’s like a slice-of-life movie where life just sucks, and there’s nothing for anyone, and nothing matters. People live in a tiny village, and living in a tiny village sucks. One guy comes through the town and inspires hope, but he also sucks, since he has his own nefarious scheme he’s trying to execute.
It’s like a slice-of-life movie where life just sucks, and there’s nothing for anyone, and nothing matters.
It’s non-stop misery, and then the pacing feels the opposite of non-stop, since Sátántangó is one of the slowest films ever made. It’s glacially paced by design, sure, but still. There also isn’t really any other genre you can argue this one fits into. It’s a straightforward drama, never threatening to be funny like a comedy, or exciting like a thriller, or (traditionally) scary like a horror movie. This is enough, though, for some to consider it one of the best films of its decade… somehow.
6
‘The Conformist’ (1970)
Compared to Sátántangó, The Conformist almost feels like an action movie, or at least a thriller, but it is still pretty methodical and patiently paced in the overall scheme of things, not to mention more of a political drama than anything else. Well, maybe a psychological drama, too. It’s about a man who attempts to carry out the assassination of someone he used to look up to, mostly due to him becoming politically and morally compromised.
It’s a film about fascism, evil, and human nature. It is also incredibly beautiful, at least to look at, so The Conformist can be considered an arthouse film quite comfortably, if that counts as a genre. Still, if that’s not a genre, then it’s a drama, and an oddly hard-hitting one, albeit in ways that aren’t too easy to describe. It gets under your skin and stays there, itching/bothering you a lot, rather than punching you in your gut the way a bunch of the other movies being mentioned here opt to do. And speaking of movies that go right for the gut…
5
‘Requiem for a Dream’ (2000)
This is probably the most nightmarish a non-horror movie can feel. Requiem for a Dream is… well, the hint at the nightmarish is there in the title. It’s the death of a dream, and the dream’s replaced by a nightmare. It’s hard not to feel this way during and after the film, as Requiem for a Dream might well be one of the least subtle movies in cinema history.
It’s blunt with a purpose, though, in trying to showcase the worst-case scenario for a few people who all get addicted to some kind of substance and have it tear their respective lives apart in a variety of ways. The misery here is pretty consistent, and also works well to feel more intense on a pretty much scene-by-scene basis, all crescendoing to inevitable tragedy (and it’s not the fact that it is a tragedy which is the surprising part… more so just how in-your-face that tragedy is and, ultimately, how tragic things get).
4
‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ (2007)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is entirely uncompromising, but has to be, to get across the message it wants to. It’s a Romanian film about a young pregnant woman who works with her friend to find a way to get a black-market abortion at a time in Romania’s history when doing so was illegal, and then the various risks (health-related and also what might happen if they’re caught) are unpacked in grueling detail.
Everything here is presented in a way that feels uncomfortably grounded, so if anything, you might well wish 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was less immersive than it is. Though, again, that does give the film its power, and sure, it’s about a divisive issue, so you might not agree with what it’s trying to say – and where it does fall on the abortion debate – but it’s hard not to acknowledge or even admire just how impactfully this argument/message is presented.
3
‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004)
If there’s anything by way of a silver lining or some kind of inspiring thing to be found in Mysterious Skin, you do have to look very hard, but it says something about finding strength in bonds with others. That’s something, and it stands out when everything else here is so crushing. It is, ultimately, about two young men who find they share some kind of upsetting past, and that sense of having someone to relate to… again, it’s something.
It’s the way the film unpacks that past, though, and what Mysterious Skin deals with thematically that makes it so challenging to watch. What it shows isn’t necessarily overly graphic, but the subject matter is a lot to grapple with. Mysterious Skin is incredible, though, and right up there among the very best films being mentioned here. It’s just also one that you could understand most people not really wanting to watch, simply because of what it deals with (yes, that stuff was skirted around here, but go read up on the movie if you want to know; find some commentary that isn’t required to be essentially PG-rated and stuff).
2
‘Harakiri’ (1962)
Since there’s a focus on samurai culture/morality and, eventually, a little by way of bloody action, you could almost say Harakiri is a martial arts movie… just one that really doesn’t emphasize action at all. It’s much more of a drama, and there are only a few minutes of fighting in a movie that runs for more than two hours, and proves gut-wrenching in some very visceral ways for much of that runtime.
Harakiri is about a man who wants to take his own life in the titular ritual, but he also wants to explain why he’s been driven to that point to a samurai clan, all before taking part in this ritual before them. Much of it’s told in a series of flashbacks that start grim, and then keep getting all the more upsetting. Compared to other films about samurai (even those that don’t spend too much time on action/fight sequences and choose instead to focus on drama and/or tragedy), this is particularly heavy-going stuff.
Harakiri
- Release Date
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September 15, 1962
- Runtime
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133 Minutes
- Director
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Masaki Kobayashi
- Writers
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Shinobu Hashimoto
-
Tatsuya Nakadai
Hanshiro Tsugumo
-
Akira Ishihama
Motome Chijiiwa
-
Shima Iwashita
Miho Tsugumo
-
Tetsurô Tanba
Hikokuro Omodaka
1
‘The Seventh Continent’ (1989)
Some people might push back against the idea that The Seventh Continent is the most heavy-going Michael Haneke movie, but that could be because it’s not quite as well-known as the likes of The Piano Teacher and Amour. Those are also emotionally intense, of course, but The Seventh Continent has even more by way of dread, building it up for a very long time before, uh, something happens.
That’s the other hard part. If you say what makes this film as devastating as it is, you kind of ruin the whole thing. If you’re in any way familiar with Haneke, you’ll expect something emotionally and psychologically harrowing, yet this really goes the extra mile, when it gets to the point where it’s ready to. The Seventh Continent should be watched the one time, and then probably never again. Good luck finding anyone who’s either seen it twice, or has already seen it and one day wants to watch it for a second time.
Miniseries are all the rage in the streaming era, but streaming services didn’t pioneer miniseries. In fact, networks like HBO have been doing it for a while now, and HBO itself has practically perfected the art of the limited series (AKA miniseries). For decades now, they have been the undisputed home of content like this, producing dense, cinematic stories that know how to make a grand statement in just a handful of episodes.
Combing through HBO’s staggering library, we can find a bunch of flawless shows that have a few episodes only. They’re perfect for binge-watching and a quick weekend break away from reality, without any wasted moments. Packed with incredible performances, airtight writing, and memorable stories, here are the perfect HBO miniseries with six episodes or fewer.
‘Parade’s End’ (2013)
A symbolic and somewhat forgotten member of prestige TV is Parade’s End, a drama directed by Susanna White, written by the legendary Tom Stoppard, and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch in one of his greatest TV performances. Parade’s End was adapted from Ford Madox Ford‘s notoriously dense novel tetralogy; while five episodes may not feel adequate for adapting the entire story, the miniseries does a great job of capturing the slow, painful death of the old Edwardian world order under the weight of modern warfare, which is the entire point of the tetralogy.
Set during the early 20th century, the series follows Christopher Tietjens (Cumberbatch), a principled aristocrat trapped in a destructive marriage with the cruel and manipulative socialite Sylvia (played with icy perfection by Rebecca Hall). While he suffers through this emotional warfare, he finds himself increasingly drawn to a young suffragette, Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens), during the outbreak of World War I. It can be a demanding, slow-burning watch that emphasizes the characters’ inner turmoil over any action, but the performances are uniformly magnificent. It is a perfect, almost academic exercise in character studies; many critics have called Parade’s End “Downton Abbey‘s darker half.”
‘Mildred Pierce’ (2011)
Mildred Pierce was adapted from James M. Cain‘s 1941 novel of the same name, and this HBO miniseries by director/writer/producer Todd Haynes is the second adaptation of the novel. The first was the 1945 film noir starring Joan Crawford, while the miniseries takes the same story and stretches it into a sprawling five-part Depression-era epic starring Kate Winslet in the same role as Crawford. Despite gaining a fairly limited audience response upon release, Mildred Pierce swept the Emmys, with Winslet taking home the Best Actress Emmy for her powerful leading performance.
Mildred Pierce follows Winslet as the titular character, a newly single mother who, after leaving her husband during the Great Depression, scraps and claws her way to financial independence by building a successful restaurant from the ground up. However, the drama isn’t just about scraping by; it’s a psychological dissection of motherhood and class aspiration. Mildred’s fatal flaw is her obsessive, unrequited love for her monstrously ambitious and ungrateful daughter, Veda (Evan Rachel Wood), who despises her mother for her perceived “common” roots. Mildred Pierce is a perfect blueprint for how to adapt a classic noir into a modern prestige TV series, and this one’s still heavily talked about among fans.
‘I Know This Much Is True’ (2020)
If you are looking for a light, fun watch, run far away from I Know This Much Is True. However, if you want to watch one of the most actorly tours de force ever committed to television, then this is the right choice for you. Mark Ruffalo pulls off a miraculous double performance as Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, identical twins whose lives are shattered by tragedy and mental illness; the story is exhausting, relentless, and emotionally devastating, but Ruffalo’s commitment is undeniable. He won a Primetime Emmy, a SAG, and a Golden Globe for his performance.
In I Know This Much Is True, Thomas Birdsey suffers from debilitating paranoid schizophrenia; one day, he has a horrific public breakdown that he justifies as an act to stop the Gulf War, but this only lands him in a maximum-security asylum. Dominick, his twin, spends the entirety of the six-hour run trying to navigate bureaucratic hell to free his brother while simultaneously unraveling his own traumatic past. I Know This Much Is True is a perfect, harrowing study of familial trauma that uses its six episodes to make you feel overwhelming sympathy and despair before giving you some genuine hope.
‘Years and Years’ (2019)
Though still heavily underrated, Russell T. Davies‘ Years and Years is one of the scariest dystopian science fiction series of the 21st century. The miniseries uses the intimate scale of a family home to ground massive, world-ending events, making global doom feel aggressively personal, affecting every member of the family in a certain way. For a show that depicts the end of the world across six one-hour episodes, Years and Years moves with a fast, witty pace that never feels dull or overwhelming.
Years and Years follows an ordinary Manchester family, the Lyons, over the course of fifteen years starting in 2019, but the truth is that the fictional future it depicts feels terrifyingly plausible. As the years tick by in the show, the world succumbs to economic collapse, authoritarian government surveillance, refugee crises, the rise of transhumanism, and the political schemes of a populist billionaire played by the fantastic Emma Thompson. There are moments when the show feels less like science fiction and more like a news broadcast, but despite its freakish realism, Years and Years is perfect and essential viewing.
‘We Own This City’ (2022)
In We Own This City, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, returns to Baltimore, but he isn’t here to show us the noble corners of the drug trade this time. This time, he is here to show us the rot from the inside out, the institutional kind. But it’s not fair to compare it to The Wire, which feels like a literary journey. We Own This City is, much rather, a quick, direct punch to the gut, a systemic critique of institutional failure without charming antiheroes and redemption arcs. The miniseries boasts a 93% Certified Fresh rating, but it still feels heavily underseen by wider audiences. Here’s time to fix that.
We Own This City is a six-part, journalistic deep dive into the real-life rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), a plainclothes unit that was meant to be busting criminals, while they themselves were the actual criminals. Led by a mesmerizing Jon Bernthal as Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, the show depicts how this elite squad turned into a crew of violent robbers and racketeers who stole millions of dollars while trampling on civil rights. We Own This City is simply a portrait of total corruption and a great watch that still condemns this kind of behavior.
‘Olive Kitteridge’ (2014)
Olive Kitteridge might be the most efficient character study on this list, yet it spans 25 years in the life of its titular character while taking up only four hours of runtime (four one-hour episodes). The miniseries follows Olive but is, more than anything, a portrait of her depression, which she uses as a bitter, defensive mechanism to push away the people who love her most, including her husband and son. Created by Jane Anderson and directed entirely by Lisa Cholodenko, this adaptation of Elizabeth Strout‘s novel swept the Emmy Awards, taking home eight, including Outstanding Limited Series.
Frances McDormand plays Olive, a sharp-tongued and deeply depressed middle-school math teacher living in the fictional seaside town of Crosby, Maine. On the surface, she is rude to her loving husband Henry (Richard Jenkins), alienates her son Christopher (John Gallagher Jr.), and lashes out at anyone who gets too close. But under that surface hides a vast, lonely ocean of pain that Olive continuously masks with her stinging personality. Olive Kitteridge is a masterpiece about the stubbornness of the human heart, embodied perfectly by McDormand, a tour de force in pretty much everything she does.
‘Angels in America’ (2003)
Angels in America is Mike Nichols‘ six-episode adaptation of Tony Kushner‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and it remains the gold standard for short-form series. It is a fantasia about national themes, including religion, politics, and sexuality. The cast is packed, from Al Pacino and Meryl Streep to Mary Louise Parker and Jeffrey Wright, who all won Emmys for their performances, both lead and supporting. In 2004, Angels in America broke the record for the most Emmys won by a miniseries in a single year (11 wins), but its depiction of the AIDS epidemic remains the most important part of this fascinating series.
Angels in America is set in New York City during the mid-1980s, and it follows Prior Walter (Justin Kirk), a gay man dying of AIDS; during his hospital stay, he is visited by a celestial Angel, who declares him a prophet and gives him a message from the angels to humanity. The series also weaves in the stories of Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), Prior’s lover who abandons him out of fear, Roy Cohn (Pacino), the real-life closeted lawyer and political fixer who is also dying of AIDS but denying it, and Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), a closeted lawyer working for Roy. Angels in America relies on visual grandiosity and fantasy, but it’s an intimate portrait of living with AIDS and the closeted life.
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Chernobyl is a five-episode historical thriller miniseries that depicts the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster and the catastrophic, downright infuriating cleanup that followed. Chernobyl meticulously plays out as a procedural about how a system swimming in denial turns a manageable accident into a world-ending catastrophe; it also depicts how the disaster affected ordinary people, workers’ families, and residents who lived near the disaster site. Chernobyl is widely regarded as the best miniseries of the 21st century, winning multiple Emmys and the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries.
Chernobyl begins with a disaster: the core of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is exposed, but the lead engineer denies it. Following the explosion, Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), a renowned Soviet scientist, is brought in to lead the cleanup efforts. He’s joined by the cynical deputy chairman, Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård), and Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson), a physicist tasked with discovering the ugly truth. Many characters are real, but one of the exceptions is Khomyuk, who is a fictional amalgamation of various scientists who worked on solving the mystery of the explosion. Chernobyl shows the explosion in the first episode, leaving the remaining four to explore the contradictions of the bureaucratic cleanup, as well as the exposure of the first responders on the explosion site. It’s a tragedy about the cost of truth and a must-see for any HBO fan or history buff.
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