By TeeJay Small
| Published 49 seconds ago

If you’re into weird, trippy movies with complex characters, twisted conspiracies, and some overarching sci-fi elements, you’re probably already a fan of Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos. Lanthimos’ oeuvre includes The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Kinds of Kindness, just to name a few. While each of these films offers a mind-bending adventure, none has turned my head inside out quite like his latest, Bugonia, now streaming on Netflix.

Bugonia stars Emma Stone as a ruthless CEO of a massive pharmaceutical conglomerate. Fresh off a slew of bad press for suppressing workers’ rights, Stone’s Michelle Fuller goes above and beyond to present the image of a caring, easygoing boss. She encourages her employees to take time for their mental health and leave early, while subtly implying that doing so would mean risking their jobs. She’s your run-of-the-mill billionaire monster.

As Fuller goes about her daily routine, we are introduced to conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz, played expertly by Breaking Bad‘s Jesse Plemons, and his cousin Don, portrayed by newcomer Aidan Delbis. Teddy, like many real-life viewers at home, is a disenfranchised wage worker who has fallen down a deep rabbit hole of online alien conspiracies. He has come to believe that a race of alien creatures has assimilated into Earth’s population, disguised themselves as corporate elites, and subjugated the world through a series of telepathic commands.

Bugonia really picks up when Teddy and Don kidnap and imprison Michelle in their basement, believing her to be a member of the alien race. Based on information they’ve collected in insulated internet chatrooms, the duo shave her head, chain her up, and slather her entire body with antihistamine lotion. They believe these measures will prevent the CEO from utilizing her mind-control powers or contacting her alien mothership for backup.

From there, most of Bugonia centers on Michelle as she attempts to escape from her captors by any means necessary. She tries to enlighten the kidnappers with logic and deprogram their conspiracy-addled minds. She even tries leaning into the conspiracy and promising that she’ll bring them into contact with her alien superiors if they let her go. The whole time, Teddy and Don are taking measures to prevent themselves from being manipulated by Michelle, by chemically sterilizing themselves and taking prescription drugs against label instructions.

Bugonia is an absolute wild ride from start to finish, and one that I simply couldn’t pry my eyes away from. Everything from Emma Stone’s spectacular leading performance to the quirky, bizarre writing to the occasional mind-bending twist kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly questioning the film’s reality. By my estimation, it’s the perfect conspiracy movie for a post-Epstein list world, where even the most twisted conspiracies don’t seem as ridiculous as they did five or ten years ago.

If you get the chance to catch Bugonia on Netflix, don’t miss it. Just be sure to throw away everything you think you know before going in, or you just might find yourself manipulated by a race of malevolent alien overlords.

L.A. Law has the kind of confidence that legal procedurals just don’t have these days. The show didn’t reach for spectacle or scale, remaining closer to the ground with realistic conversations, compromises that don’t feel overboard, and decisions that weigh heavily. Now that it’s on Hulu, it feels like a working template, one that a lot of modern legal dramas are still circling back to, whether they want to admit it or not.

Viewing it today is different because we’re in an era where prestige TV tends to spell itself out, circling its themes in thick marker and polishing every edge until nothing feels accidental. L.A. Law was comfortable letting things stay a little uneven. Scenes stretch just past where you expect them to cut, characters double back on themselves, and outcomes rarely leave someone unchanged. Watching it now, it’s not just about spotting the blueprint for shows like The Good Wife and Suits, you’re also noticing what got streamlined in the 40 years since.

‘L.A. Law’ Doesn’t Lean on Cut and Dry Endings

L.A. Law is a groundbreaking legal drama focusing on the personal and professional lives of attorneys at the high-powered Los Angeles firm McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney & Kuzak, featuring idealistic lawyer Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin), slick divorce expert Arnie Becker (Corbin Bernsen), and powerful litigator Ann Kelsey (Jill Eikenberry). On a rewatch, L.A. Law rarely rushes to resolution, letting cases land with compromises and lasting consequences, instead of clean victories.

The show lets the gaps do the work, like in “Raiders of the Lost Bark,” when Kuzak watches Stacey Gill (Barbara Bosson) reject a massive settlement just to force the truth into the open. The scene moves on, but the look on his face doesn’t, and you’re left with it, aware it wasn’t settled nicely. That’s a gamble a lot of modern shows sidestep. They chase clarity, but L.A. Law was fine letting audiences sit in uncertainty. Those choices give the series a kind of durability. You’re not watching for the outcome as much as you’re watching for the aftermath — like Kuzak carrying that loss into what comes next — and what it does to the people making those decisions.

The ‘L.A. Law’ Firm Felt Like It Could Fracture at Any Moment

Image via Fox

On top of all of this, the firm in L.A. Law didn’t feel like a stable workplace. In the office, every conversation carries tension, like it can all blow up if someone is pushed just a bit too far. The employees of the firm leaned completely into ego, ambition, and survival, layering it into every interaction. You weren’t just tracking cases, you were watching alliances shift in real time.

In the episode “The Venus Butterfly,” relationships and loyalties blur under pressure, and no one stays firmly on one side for long. One partner backs another, then pulls away when the cost gets too high. Someone makes a move that looks strategic, until it starts unraveling into something else entirely. It made the firm feel alive in a way that goes beyond the weekly procedural plot.

Why ‘L.A. Law’ Still Holds Up Today

Where L.A. Law really separates itself is in how it handles power. Not the big, obvious moments, but the smaller ones. Like the conversations in hallways, or the decisions made behind closed doors. The places where ethics don’t disappear, but they start to bend. You see it in arcs like Rosalind Shays’ (Diana Muldaur) rise, where ambition isn’t framed as a flaw so much as a force that reshapes everything around it. You see it in the firm’s handling of corporate clients, where “doing the right thing” becomes less about principle and more about calculation. The show isn’t cynical about it. It doesn’t sneer at its characters for playing the game. It just shows you the rules as they actually function. And once you see them that way, it’s hard to go back to anything more simplified.

There might be a temptation to treat L.A. Law as nostalgia, to name it as the origin point and leave it there. But watching it now, that’s not necessarily the full truth. The pacing is different, the tone isn’t as polished, and it doesn’t move with the same urgency modern shows rely on. But that difference is part of why it works. It gives the story room to settle without unnecessary exposition. And in a landscape that often leans toward over-explanation, that restraint stands out. Streaming on Hulu doesn’t just make it accessible again; it becomes a show that still has something to say. The gold standard for legal dramas didn’t appear fully formed; it started here, and it’s still holding up better than most of what tried to follow it.

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1986 – 1994-00-00

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  Corbin Bernsen

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  Jill Eikenberry

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 38 seconds ago

One of the most weirdly persistent debates of the modern world is over whether AI can create art. Sure, you can type a prompt into ChatGPT or any number of AI platforms and have a unique image within seconds. But while the image is technically unique, it’s not exactly original. The AI was trained on every image it could get its grubby little gears on, so you never get a truly one-of-a-kind image. Instead, you get a mishmash of one or more artists’ styles that the AI bot helpfully masses off as completely original art.

The debate over the matter is so fierce because the two sides are so diametrically opposed. AI bros claim that this technology effectively democratizes art, making it possible for anyone to share their vision with the world. Traditional artists, meanwhile, claim that art has always been democratic and that AI is just a soulless alternative to learning how to draw. While ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms are relatively new, this debate stretches back decades, and in two forgotten episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the android officer Data reminds us of the limits of AI art.  

To Prompt Or Not To Prompt

One such example came from the episode “The Defector,” which begins with Data and Captain Picard acting out Shakespeare’s Henry V on the holodeck. After Data gives a surprisingly solid performance, Picard compliments the android’s acting. However, Data demurs and basically admits that his acting was an amalgamation of other performers who have played this role. He tells Picard, “I plan to study the performances of Olivier, Branagh, Shapiro, [and] Kullnark.” The captain replies that while Shakespeare is perfect “to learn about the human condition…you must discover it through your own performance, not by imitating others.”

This episode first aired in 1990, but Picard’s dialogue fits right in with our modern AI debate. Data, fittingly enough, is doing what artificial intelligence always does: mashing together the work of several different artists. It looks like an original performance at first, which is why Picard applauds. But after finding out what Data did, he chides the android for just mashing a few other performances together and calling it a day. After all, he will never develop as an artist if he doesn’t take the time to develop his own style instead of copying everyone’s homework.

Picard Has Entered The Chat

This obviously reflects our modern discourse about generative AI. As an avid Shakespeare fan, Picard understands that what made those earlier actors so great was that they found ways to put their own spin on Henry V. If those performers hadn’t, in turn, just tried to copy others, then acting becomes functionally meaningless. 

The conversation about Data creating art actually echoes another conversation in the earlier episode “The Ensigns of Command.” When Picard tells the android that his recent violin performance “shows feeling,” Data corrects him. “Strictly speaking, sir, it is not my playing. It is a precise imitation of the techniques of Jascha Heifetz and Trenka Bronken.” Picard insists that Data created something original because he successfully combined two very different performances. Reluctantly, Data takes the compliment, telling his commanding officer that “I have learned to be creative…when necessary.”

At this point, AI bros might think that Captain Picard is on their side. After all, he argues that by choosing to combine two wildly different musicians, Data is actually synthesizing something new, which is akin to “prompt engineers” feeding a bunch of contrary ideas into ChatGPT and hoping for the best. The key difference, though, is that Data still had to bust out the violin and successfully perform this composition himself. Picard considers Data an artist because the android actually makes art. So-called prompt engineers aren’t even doing that; they are simply asking the computer to make something cool and then taking the credit.

Computer: End Program

To keep our Star Trek framing, think of it this way: simply telling a computer to draw a picture is a bit like an Enterprise crewman telling the holodeck to create an exotic vista. Obviously, it takes some level of thought to generate an idea and tell it to the ship’s computer. But the crew doesn’t have to program anything or render anything because the Enterprise does all of the hard work for them. That’s why, in the far-flung future of the 24th century, nobody calls themselves an artist for barking a sentence or two at the computer when they get bored.

Unfortunately, the world is far less enlightened here in the 21st century. The laziest people in the world are typing one sentence into a glorified search engine and treating the resulting aesthetic abomination as a startlingly brilliant and original piece of art. Even wilder, they get grumpy when you don’t treat them like serious artists who spent a lifetime perfecting their craft. As it turns out, both now and in the future, there’s one thing that AI can’t generate: the approval from others that these tech bros so desperately need! 

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is supporting his head coach, Mike Vrabel, amid the latter’s ongoing scandal.

“We aren’t going to speak on what we talked about inside the building, but I mean, that’s my coach,” Gonzalez, 23, told reporters in a Saturday, May 2, press conference. “That’s who I go out and play for, and he’s proven what he can do as a coach.”

The pro athlete continued, “That’s my guy, and I’m right behind Vrabes any time of day.”

Vrabel, 50, has been spotted with sports journalist Dianna Russini on multiple occasions between 2020 and earlier this year despite their respective marriages to other people. Both Vrabel and Russini, 43, have categorically denied speculation about their relationship status.

Related: How Mike Vrabel Addressed a Question About Dianna Russini During Presser

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel refused to directly discuss Dianna Russini in his first public comments since the pair were photographed together at a hotel in Arizona. During a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, Vrabel, 50, was asked to comment on Russini, 43, resigning from her job as an NFL reporter for […]

“That’s a personal and private matter,” Vrabel stated during a press conference last month. “I think that was an attempt to protect your family and I would never be dismissive. I think my family and this football team are the most important thing … I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.”

Days later, Vrabel underwent counseling sessions.

“I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them,” he said in another statement. “In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend. This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”

The coach added, “I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person.”

Related: Mike Vrabel Gets Standing Ovation at Patriots Event Amid Russini Scandal 

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Mike Vrabel apparently has the overwhelming support of New England Patriots fans amid his ongoing photo scandal with sports journalist Dianna Russini. Vrabel, 50, attended a ticketholder fan event on Wednesday, April 29, where he was greeted with a rousing standing ovation, per social media footage. Vrabel returned to work earlier this week after seeking […]

Vrabel, who even sat out the 2026 NFL Draft amid his therapy sessions, has since returned to work.

As for Russini, she resigned from her duties covering football for The Athletic.

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“This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete,” she wrote in an April resignation letter. “It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”

Russini continued at the time, “Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

Neither Vrabel nor Russini addressed one another by name in their respective statements.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez kicked off Met Gala 2026 weekend in style, hosting an ultra-exclusive pre-party that quickly became one of the most talked-about gatherings ahead of fashion’s biggest night. The couple opened the doors to their New York City residence on Saturday, May 2, welcoming a curated guest list of A-listers just days before the main event at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. As honorary co-chairs and primary donors behind this year’s Met Gala, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are already at the center of the action, and their pre-party set the tone for what’s shaping up to be a headline-making weekend.

The intimate gathering drew some major names across fashion, entertainment, and media. Among those spotted were Kris Jenner and Kendall Jenner, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Kris is known to have a friendly relationship with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. In fact, she has previously spent time with the couple at high-profile events, including celebrating her milestone birthday at their home, further cementing their connection within elite social circles.

Others who were spotted at the pre-Met party include Sam Smith, Nicole Kidman, Gayle King, and Nicky Hilton. Also in attendance were fashion heavyweights like Donatella Versace and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.

Date Night Moments Take Over The Party

The pre-Gala event also doubled as a stylish date night for several celebrity couples. Serena Williams attended alongside Alexis Ohanian, while Venus Williams, who is also serving as a Met Gala co-chair, arrived with Andrea Preti.

Anna Wintour was also among the guests, continuing her long-standing presence at the center of Met Gala festivities. While she has stepped back from her role as Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue after 37 years, she remains deeply involved with Condé Nast and the Met Gala itself. Meanwhile, Chloe Malle has stepped into a leadership position within Vogue.

Inside The Ultra-Secretive Pre-Met Gala Invite

The buzz around Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s pre-party started long before guests even arrived, thanks to a mysterious, eye-catching invitation. According to Variety, the subject line of the emailed invite read, “INVITE: Jeff and Lauren Bezos Invite You.” Inside, the design leaned into a bold, disco-inspired aesthetic, featuring a close-up profile of a face with glittering red lipstick and a slightly open mouth.

The message kept things intentionally vague, teasing just enough to build anticipation. “Pre-Met celebration on May 2 at 8 p.m.,” it read, with the location notably withheld. “Address: to come upon confirmation.”

The secrecy only added to the appeal, signaling that this wasn’t just any party but one of the most exclusive invites of Met Gala weekend.

Jeff Bezos’ Met Gala Role Sparks Protests Across NYC

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s expanded involvement in the Met Gala 2026 has quickly become one of the most controversial storylines leading into fashion’s biggest night. Fresh off their headline-making wedding in Venice, the couple was announced in November 2025 as the primary sponsors of the 2026 Met Gala.

By March 2026, organizers confirmed they would also serve as honorary co-chairs for the fundraiser at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a role previously held by high-profile names like LeBron James, Beyoncé, Tom Ford, Salma Hayek, and Caroline Kennedy.

However, the announcement didn’t exactly come with a splash. Instead, their involvement was quietly referenced in Vogue’s dress code rollout, where they were briefly mentioned as honorary chairs, a move that only seemed to fuel speculation and criticism.

Since then, backlash has grown in New York City, with critics calling out the couple’s influence over such a high-profile cultural event. Protesters have taken to the streets, launching a guerrilla-style campaign that includes posters reading “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala” plastered across the city.

Bezos And Sánchez’s Met Gala Roles Spark Debate Over Influence, Power And Amazon Ties

Much of the criticism has centered on Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s role at the Met Gala 2026, focusing on questions of influence and perception. With the couple serving as both primary sponsors and honorary co-chairs, some critics are raising concerns about the power they may wield over one of fashion’s most prestigious fundraisers.

Complicating matters further are ongoing conversations surrounding Amazon, including its reported ties to Donald Trump’s administration, an issue that continues to spark debate across both the fashion world and the broader public.

BritBox’s The Other Bennet Sister is already taking the internet but storm but who makes up the Regency show’s steamy love triangle?

Based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, The Other Bennet Sister follows the events from Pride and Prejudice from Mary Bennet’s (Ella Bruccoleri) point of view. The story then departs from that to follow Mary as she travels to London and the Lake District and the overlooked sister from the big Bennet family has a romantic adventure in Regency England.

In addition to Bruccoleri, The Other Bennet Sister stars Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant, Indira Varma, Richard Coyle, Róisín Bhalla, Reggie Absolom and Jasmine Sharp. Laurie Davidson, Dónal Finn, Varada Sethu, Aaron Gill and Maddie Close also appear on the show.

Poppy Gilbert, Molly Wright, Grace Hogg-Robinson, Tanya Reynolds, Anna Fenton-Garvey, Ryan Sampson and Lucy Briers round out the cast. The series premiered in the U.K. in March, which viewers can check out on BBC iPlayer.

In the U.S., period drama fans can watch The Other Bennet Sister on May 6. The series will be available on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada but Amazon Prime offers a weeklong free trial as well. BritBox has since released the official trailer before the show’s premiere in the U.S. where romance fans can start to get invested in the fictional love story.

Keep scrolling to meet the cast who are bringing the fictional love triangle to life:

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Ella Bruccoleri

Before taking on the role of Mary, Bruccoleri appeared in BBC One’s Call the Midwife, Bridgerton, Ludwig, Down Cemetery Road and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. She has also appeared in all The Strangers movies as Dollface.

Dónal Finn

Finn won our hearts over as Mr. Hayward after previously appearing on Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, The Wheel of Time and Young Sherlock. He has also had a prolific theater career with roles in Sing Street, Hadestown and John Proctor is the Villain in London.

Related: Best Love Triangles in TV and Movie History Over the Years

Who doesn’t love a good love story? Girl falls in love with boy, then falls in love with his best friend too, for example. The love triangle has been a frequent plot point in TV and film for years, but there is maybe no more iconic angsty trio than the one between Dawson (James Van […]

Laurie Davidson

The Other Bennet Sister‘s Davidson has a scene-stealing performance as Mr. Ryder after Cats, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, Will, Guilty Party, Masters of the Air and The Girlfriend.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s eco-friendly business portfolio appears to have taken a hit, as one of his vegan sneaker investments is reportedly facing serious financial trouble.

The Hollywood star, known for his environmental activism, is said to be linked to a sustainable footwear brand that has been bleeding cash, with losses reportedly nearing $4 million.

The financial setback comes as DiCaprio continues to make headlines away from business, including renewed chatter about his relationship with model Vittoria Ceretti and recent jokes about his dating history.

DiCaprio’s vegan sneaker brand LØCI has reportedly found itself in a troubling financial position despite its celebrity-backed profile.

The eco-friendly footwear company has attracted support from several Hollywood names, including Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, and Eva Longoria, while Nicki Minaj once floated her own line with the brand.

However, according to The U.S. Sun, records show the British footwear brand has accumulated losses of £2.9 million, or roughly $4 million, while owing £931,130 to various creditors.

Perhaps more alarming is the brand’s limited cash reserve, with filings reportedly showing just £7,355 listed as “cash at bank and in hand.”

The company has also reportedly remained reliant on wealthy investors to stay afloat. Filings show LØCI received £5,170,947 in investor funding, helping prop up the struggling venture and leaving it with equity of nearly £2.3 million despite the heavy losses.

LØCI Risks Trouble With U.K. Authorities

According to the outlet, LØCI has now resorted to offering dozens of its products at half price in a bid to boost sales.

Even Minaj’s range with the vegan shoe brand, including the “Barbie Dangerous” and “Itty Bitty Piggy” sneakers, has reportedly been heavily discounted.

Beyond its financial struggles, the company may also be courting trouble with U.K. authorities after allegedly filing its accounts late for two consecutive years. It was also reportedly late in submitting its annual “confirmation statement,” a legal requirement for companies in the country.

The U.K. government’s website warns that failing to file confirmation statements, annual returns, or accounts is a criminal offense, and that directors or designated LLP members could be personally fined in criminal courts.

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Leonardo DiCaprio Said He Was ‘Proud’ To Back The Brand

DiCaprio, who has long championed environmental causes and directed significant portions of his fortune toward conservation, has been one of LØCI’s key financial backers.

At the time of his investment, the Oscar-winning actor released a statement explaining why he chose to support the brand.

“I am proud to be an investor in LØCI, a brand dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact, and centered around creating cruelty-free, ethical footwear,” the “Inception” actor said.

LØCI founder Emmanuel Eribo also spoke glowingly about DiCaprio’s involvement at the time.

“He’s an absolute star and sees the world the same way we see it,” Eribo said. “It’s been an absolute blessing having him on the team. You can’t ignore it’s a British brand, and he’s betting on it.”

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DiCaprio ‘Open To A Serious Future’ With Girlfriend

Amid reports of his business setbacks, Leonardo DiCaprio appears to be winning in other areas of his life, particularly with his Hollywood career and his relationship with girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti.

Although the actor lost out on the Best Actor Oscar to Michael B. Jordan, his film, “One Battle After Another,” still had a major night, taking home six awards.

The 51-year-old attended the ceremony with his 27-year-old girlfriend, and while they did not pose together on the red carpet, their appearance still marked a major step in their relationship.

It was reportedly the first time DiCaprio and Ceretti had attended a major awards show together since they began dating in 2023.

Leonardo DiCaprio Is ‘Showing A Different Side’ With Vittoria Ceretti

DiCaprio has been linked to several high-profile women over the years, including Gisele Bündchen, Blake Lively, and Camila Morrone. However, his romance with Vittoria Ceretti may be taking a more serious turn.

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An insider who spoke with PEOPLE claimed DiCaprio is drawn to Ceretti’s independence and the fact that she has her own life outside their relationship.

“Vittoria also has her own life, and she’s very independent, which is appealing to him, especially when he’s away for filming and has long days on set,” the insider said.

The source also claimed DiCaprio has been “much more openly affectionate” with Ceretti than his friends have seen him be with any of his previous girlfriends.

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In 1993, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones teamed up for The Fugitive, one of the year’s biggest and best movies. The story about doctor Richard Kimble searching for the one-armed man who killed his wife earned several Oscar nominations, and Jones won a Best Supporting Actor trophy for his work. Three decades later, The Fugitive is regarded as one of the best action thrillers ever made. However, its forgotten sequel is not viewed the same way today. 1998’s U.S. Marshals brought back Jones, now starring alongside Wesley Snipes​​​​​, which was a box office and critical dud. So why was one movie so perfect and the other so not?

‘The Fugitive’ Is Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones’ Best Movie

In 1993, Harrison Ford was perhaps the most famous actor on the planet. He’d already played Han Solo in three Star Wars movies, and thrice had donned the fedora as Indiana Jones. Throw in other films like Blade Runner, Witness, Presumed Innocent, and Patriot Games, and Ford could seemingly do no wrong. That’s what made The Fugitive such a huge risk. It was based on the popular 1960s television series of the same name, an idea that was rare at the time. How do you reimagine a story that enthralled millions without coming across like a clone?

Just as risky was the role. Harrison Ford had made a career of either being the action hero chasing down bad guys with his gun, or the cocky smart ass with the funny one-liners who’s having a little too much fun during precarious situations. Often, he played both simultaneously. In The Fugitive, Ford had to hold back. Richard Kimble is a doctor who is sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit, the killing of his own wife. When he escapes, he has to find the real killer, but Kimble isn’t the calm and cool hero. He’s an everyman, a guy in over his head. In each scene, Ford portrays a nervous energy and terror. Richard Kimble is scared and anxious, but he can’t stop. He doesn’t have weapons or car chases to help him either. All he’s got going for him is his intelligence and a dedication to not giving up.

The Fugitive is a ticking clock movie. No one else but us knows that Kimble is innocent. We’re immediately put on his side, and it’s a tense countdown, because Kimble must prove his innocence before the authorities can catch up to him. What puts The Fugitive into all-time classic territory is that Ford’s talent is put next to another acting phenom in Tommy Lee Jones. The gripping script from Jeb Stuart and David Twohy is crucial, and Andrew Davis‘ direction is spot-on, but The Fugitive doesn’t work without the perfect counter to Kimble. It’s found in Sam Gerard, the Deputy U.S. Marshal tasked with bringing in Kimble. We don’t want him to succeed, of course, but this gruff man of the law becomes so likable because of his serious, by-the-book personality that we’re desperate for Gerard to believe Kimble and help save the day. How The Fugitive gets there is filmmaking magic.

Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes Couldn’t Recapture the Magic in ‘U.S. Marshals’

Image via Warner Bros.

Next to the behemoth that was Jurassic Park, The Fugitive was the biggest movie of 1993, pulling in $177 million domestically. Critics loved it just as much as audiences. It has a stellar 96% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes (what’s wrong with 4% of you?!), and Roger Ebert gave it a perfect four stars. At the 1994 Academy Awards, The Fugitive was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, with Tommy Lee Jones taking home the lone win.

Five years later, The Fugitive got an unnecessary sequel. It was also an impossible one. There was no logical way to bring Harrison Ford back. Poor Richard Kimble surely couldn’t be falsely accused of a second murder! The only possible avenue was to follow Samuel Gerard on another case. That’s what U.S. Marshals did, now with a plot that sees Gerard and his returning team, which includes Joe Pantoliano, after another suspected murder. This time, it’s Wesley Snipes’ Mark Roberts who is on the run, with a bus and train collision escape upped to a crashed plane. Gerard is given a partner as well in Robert Downey Jr.‘s Special Agent John Royce. That doesn’t sound bad on paper, and although U.S. Marshals has plenty of action and a few big twists, it was dead on arrival. At the domestic box office, the sequel only took in $57 million. That’s not much of a surprise in a movie without Harrison Ford, but there was something bigger weighing it down.

U.S. Marshals flopped simply because it wasn’t very good. Snipes tries his best, and no offense to him, he’s simply not Ford. There was no way to step out of that enormous shadow. U.S. Marshals was also hurt by losing director Andrew Davis to Stuart Baird, who was making only his second feature. Everything that worked the first time wasn’t followed the second time around. It’s a lazy film that’s more basic action movie than smart thriller. You’ve seen this cookie-cutter type of genre film many times before, and outside of Jones giving his all, the thrill is gone. Critics turned their noses up at it, and today it has a paltry 31% Tomatometer score. Roger Ebert summed U.S. Marshals up succinctly, writing, “I hoped it would approach the taut tension of the 1993 film, and it doesn’t. It has extra scenes, needless characters, an aimless plot, and a solution that the hero seems to keep learning and then forgetting.” The characters of U.S. Marshals weren’t the only ones forgetting. Audiences forgot it, too. It’s not a horrible movie by any means, but when you’re following a classic, doing a standard, repetitive thriller isn’t going to cut it.

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The Fugitive

Release Date

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August 6, 1993

Runtime

131 minutes

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Andrew Davis

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Andrew Walker is all for more Curious Caterer Mysteries — but has Hallmark greenlit the next installment?

“I wish there were updates on the Curious Caterer,” Walker, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly in April while promoting his latest Hallmark rom-com Kentucky Roses, which premiered on Saturday, May 2.

The actor told Us that fans of the mystery franchise need to “message Hallmark and go to the chat groups and tell them how much you’re missing Curious Caterer.”

Walker then teased that he and costar Nikki DeLoach are just waiting for the network to sign off on shooting the next chapter in Detective Tom Shultz and caterer-turned-ameatur-sleuth Goldy Berry’s story.

“I’ve been told that we might get some more episodes back. So we’re ready to go,” Walker said, revealing that the “scripts are written.”

He also confirmed that he’s “here” with “nothing planned on my schedule,” so he would happily start shooting whenever the team is ready.

Related: Andrew Walker: Curious Caterer’s Nikki DeLoach Is a ‘Witch,’ Manifested Film

Witchy woman! Andrew Walker gushed over his Curious Caterer costar Nikki DeLoach for manifesting their Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchise. DeLoach, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, February 1, that she had a “vision” for her and Walker, also 43, to collaborate on a Hallmark mystery film series. “I think I said [to] you, […]

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The Curious Caterer Mysteries franchise premiered in 2022 with Dying for Chocolate. The movie series — which is now up to five total films — centers around caterer Goldy (DeLoach) as she stumbles upon murder cases and has to team up with local detective Tom (Walker) to solve them.

During the 2024 film, Foiled Plans, Tom and Goldy shared their first kiss and they have since become a couple — but fans haven’t gotten to see much of their love story just yet.

Walker told Us that while he “can’t really tease much” about what’s to come, he assured fans that they will “obviously dive into more of what Goldy and Tom’s relationship looks like” in the next movie.

He also shared that if the next film gets greenlit viewers will get more information on the “peripheral characters,” including Goldy’s assistant and best friend, Marla Maguire (Jaycie Dotin), and Tom’s right hand deputy Mason (Riley Davis).

“It really is now about what are the individual characters around [Goldy and Tom] and their peripheral doing? And where do they come from, and what are their hobbies and fun things they like to do?” Walker explained. “Because they’re so developed, those characters, even though they’re not in it as much as Tom and Goldy are. But I think there’s just a lot of fun opportunities there.”

As fans wait to see what’s next for Curious Caterer’s Tom and Goldy, they can catch Walker in his latest rom-com, Kentucky Roses. The movie, which centers around the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, premiered on Saturday and is now streaming on Hallmark+.

“I play Ash Taylor. And Ash is a guy that goes after what he wants,” Walker told Us about his character. “He swore he’d never come back and work for his dad. He moved away to Cincinnati and he’s kind of living his dream, and his dad calls him back because he needs a favor.”

The actor explained that when a spire at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby horse races, gets damaged two weeks before the big race, Ash is called in to fix it.

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Related: Where Do Andrew Walker’s 2025 Hallmark Movies Rank Among His Past Hits?

Andrew Walker has cemented himself as one of Hallmark Media’s biggest stars after making his network debut in 2012. The Canadian actor first left his mark on viewers that year with A Bride for Christmas alongside Arielle Kebbel. The twosome reunited on camera for 2015’s Bridal Wave, which launched Walker into an even bigger name […]

While in town, Ash meets Sadie Moore (Odette Annable), who “comes from a long lineage of greenhouse workers” that has a history with Churchill Downs herself.

“Love was not at the forefront of her mind,” Annable, 40, exclusively told Us in April. “Of course, she meets Ash Taylor … and their love story unfolds in this really fun, beautiful, organic [way].”

Kentucky Roses is now streaming on Hallmark+.