The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Katie Ginella was especially emotional to learn that the show reportedly planned a cast trip to Japan after her alleged experiences with racism within the franchise.

“Can you tell me if my tears are overreacting? I just found out that the Real Housewives of Orange County confirmed that they went to Japan on their cast trip,” Katie, 41, claimed in a TikTok video shared Saturday, April 25. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why they would go to a country where they have zero respect for Asian culture, most of them, not all of them.”

The RHOC season 20 cast, including returning Housewife Vicki Gunvalson, were spotted in viral social media footage on Saturday alongside cameras at Tokyo’s famed Shibuya Crossing. The women appeared to dress up like Harajuku Girls in ruffled skirts, vibrant prints and multicolored wigs.

Neither the RHOC cast nor Bravo have publicly addressed the potential season 20 trip or Katie’s comments. Us Weekly reached out to a spokesperson for the TV network for comment.

Katie, for her part, held an orange during RHOC seasons 18 and 19, announcing in January that she would not return for the upcoming season 20.

“When I brought up Asian culture [on the show], I was met with comments like, ‘Nobody cares about race but you’ and other comments that weren’t funny to me and they weren’t a joke,” Katie, the first Asian-American Housewife on RHOC, claimed on Saturday. “Making fun of the foods and the meats at hotpot, a culture that they obviously don’t know anything about that I was introducing them too.”

Katie also claimed that she once told her fellow Bravolebrities that wanted to take a trip to Korea “possibly with them” to learn more about her heritage after being adopted as a child.

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“So, finding out that they took the cast to Japan on their cast trip it stung,” Katie lamented. “It broke me [and] it made me cry. It’s not because I need to be there or need to be with those ladies. It’s because of what that trip represents. I deserved respect, I deserved inclusion, I deserved a place there and every minority does.”

Katie further stressed that she doesn’t hold a grudge about her RHOC exit.

“I’m moving on [to] bigger and better,” she concluded. “My life is so much more peaceful, but seeing this news really devastated me.”

If you’re a bit sore that Invincible‘s fourth season has already come to a close, we have some good news for you. On one hand, the Prime Video animated series has been renewed for a fifth season already, but on the other, if you’re in the mood for more superhero adventures in the meantime, there are plenty of great shows you ought to give a chance. From DC Comics to Marvel, live-action and animated, here are some of the very best superhero productions worthy of post-Invincible viewing.

These shows offer everything from classic comic book-inspired superheroics to modern coming-of-age super-powered adventures. Just about everything you could hope for from Invincible can be found in these different shows, which you will have no problem binging through while you wait for Season 5. Some are longer than others, of course, and others ended too soon, but however you slice it, they’re perfect for fans of Robert Kirkman‘s famed superhero drama.

‘Batman Beyond’ (1999–2001)

Image via Warner Bros. Television Animation

For those who love coming-of-age tales that honor the hero’s journey while still leaning full-force into the action and adventure, Batman Beyond is one of the absolute best superhero shows to binge through. Set in the distant future where an elderly Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) has been retired for decades, the series follows teenage Terry McGuinnis (Will Friedle) as he becomes the next generation of the Dark Knight. Talk about the perfect superhero succession story.

Spanning three seasons and 52 episodes, Batman Beyond cleverly combines superheroics with futuristic sci-fi material that comic book fans will simply devour. With great villains and lots of Gotham-centric action up its sleeve, this series (which effectively concludes with the animated feature Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker) is a powerhouse of superhero media. As one of the best Batman animated shows out there, Batman Beyond is the gold standard for how a classic superhero can be reimagined as a legacy character who transcends the original.

‘Stargirl’ (2020–2022)

Image via The CW

Originally featured on the short-lived DC Universe streaming service before hopping to The CW, Stargirl is based on the comic book character of the same name created by Geoff Johns. Following teenage Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), who discovers that her stepfather used to be a superhero, she becomes Stargirl to pick up where the Justice Society of America left off. Balancing high school with superheroics is no small feat, especially not when you have to save the world (or at least Blue Valley) before curfew.

Stargirl is a standalone series that ran for three seasons and 39 episodes, but they fly by as the new generation of the JSA is born. Full of teenage angst and hopeful enthusiasm for the future, it’s a show you’ll find yourself enamored with from the first episode. Although the character has been brought to live action before, Stargirl is a great show to help you connect with your superhero roots.

‘Alphas’ (2011–2012)

Image via SYFY

From the minds of Zak Penn and Michael Karnow, Alphas was a short-lived series that followed a group of super-powered individuals who band together to take down a terrorist cell known as “Red Flag.” What made Alphas particularly unique was that the powers of the main “Alphas” in question each come with their own downside — from heart problems to floods of emotion to uncontrollable obsession. It’s only a shame that this sci-fi series that’s better than it was given credit for ended before its time.

Alphas ran for two seasons and 24 episodes back in the day, and was loosely connected to other SyFy shows like Warehouse 13 and Eureka. But while the series ends on a pretty massive cliffhanger, don’t let that deter you from giving this one a shot. If anything, it offers a glimpse at what a world with super-powered individuals might actually look like — and how those abilities may affect those involved.

‘Young Justice’ (2010–2022)

Image via Warner Bros. Animation

For an animated series that emphasizes the younger generation of superheroes, Young Justice is one of the very best. From the beginning, the series highlighted the sidekicks of some of the Justice League’s most popular heroes, showing their potential to be the next generation of the “World’s Greatest Heroes.” Like Batman Beyond, there are some coming-of-age elements involved, and you’ll find yourself easily addicted.

Although Young Justice ran for a total of four seasons, hopping from Cartoon Network to DC Universe to HBO Max, the first two are the best that the program had to offer. Still, with a rich collection of characters, unforeseen plot twists, and an overarching conspiracy, the show only further expands the DC Universe as it continues. It would certainly have better thrived in the streaming era.

‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ (2009)

Image via Nicktoons

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Although X-Men: The Animated Series and its revival sequel, X-Men ’97, are arguably the “gold standard” for the X-Men in animation, Wolverine and the X-Men is a worthy take on Marvel’s favorite mutants that deserves to be remembered. The short-lived series follows Wolverine (Steve Blum) as he reunites the X-Men to investigate an attack on Xavier’s mansion and the disappearance of some of their teammates. With Logan at the helm, the mutant heroes face persecution from all sides.

As one of the best non-Disney+ Marvel shows, Wolverine and the X-Men was a boatload of X-Men potential. What could have been a fascinating long-form series only lasted a single 26-episode season, but the adventure was well-worth the ride. The X-Men may be back in their classic ’90s get-ups, but this early 2000s take is far better than it’s given credit for.

‘The Flash’ (2014–2023)

When it comes to live-action superhero television, one of the most beloved shows on the list is undoubtedly The Flash. Grant Gustin‘s Barry Allen defined a whole generation of TV superheroes, and although it was technically a spin-off of Arrow, it far outran the franchise’s flagship series. As Barry and his allies race to save Central City from supervillains, multiversal threats, and even telepathic gorillas, there’s a reason this series is considered among the greatest modern superhero programs.

The Flash ran for an impressive nine seasons on The CW. That’s no small feat, and if you’re looking for a superhero show that offers enough material to last you a few years, you’ve come to the right place. Sure, some seasons of The Flash are better than others, but as a whole, the show is largely consistent.

‘Heroes’ (2006–2010)

Image via NBC

Okay, Heroes is not quite as consistent as The Flash. In reality, it’s a pretty inconsistent series by comparison, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth the strange ride. Following a group of super-powered individuals from across the globe, Heroes blends the love of classic comic books with our modern views (or, at least early 2000s views) of what long-form television should entail.

Spanning four seasons and 77 episodes, Heroes‘ original run (not including the Heroes Reborn miniseries) was groundbreaking at the time. While the series sometimes struggles to pay off its promise, the first season especially is a masterclass in genre television that fans of Invincible will no doubt love. Just be warned, Heroes is one of those superhero shows that are definitely not for kids.

‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992–1995)

Image via Warner Bros. Animation

The definitive animated take on Batman, Batman: The Animated Series is everything you could ever wish for in a program following the Dark Knight. From Kevin Conroy’s iconic portrayal to the reinvention of many of Batman’s rogues to being the launching point of the DC Animated Universe, this is the show that shaped Batman (and continues to shape him) for decades to come. Conroy’s Batman alone is worth all the time you can give him.

If you consider The New Batman Adventures to be an official continuation (and we do), there are 109 episodes total to pull from with this take on the Caped Crusader. Any self-respecting fan of superhero animation ought to look back on Batman: The Animated Series for its intelligent, nuanced, and timeless take on the genre. Here are some of the best episodes to start with.

‘Smallville’ (2001–2011)

Image via The WB

Not all great superhero coming-of-age stories are in animation, and perhaps the very best live-action attempt at this style of comic book adaptation is Smallville. A reinvention of the traditional Superman mythos, the series picks up with a teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) long before he dons the cape and tights. As he befriends Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), pines over Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), and eventually falls for Lois Lane (Erica Durance), Clark discovers what it means to truly be a hero, moving past his own self-doubt to become none other than, well, you know.

As the longest-running series on this list, Smallville spanned 10 seasons and 218 episodes total, making it not only the longest-running Superman-related series but also the longest running live-action superhero series proper. In our ranking of Superman-related shows, it ranks pretty high due to its unique reinterpretation of the mythos, its ability to grow with its characters and audience, and the way in which it paved the way for superhero television into the 2010s.

‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ (2008–2009)

Image via Sony Pictures Television

Invincible fans already know that there are some similarities between Mark Grayson and Peter Parker, and those traits are perhaps best highlighted by the terribly short-lived The Spectacular Spider-Man. A reinvention of Marvel’s greatest web-slinger that is far better than anyone believed it would be, Peter Parker (Josh Keaton) finds himself balancing his personal life with his powers when he takes up the mask to become Spider-Man. In a world that hates him, he remembers that “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

With two seasons and 26 episodes, Spectacular Spider-Man could have (and arguably should have) lasted for far longer than it did. As one of the most rewatchable Spider-Man cartoons, it’s full of all your favorite Spidey villains and supporting characters, honoring the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko material while still making a name of its own. While his story did end too soon, fans at least got a small cameo from the character in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

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The Spectacular Spider-Man

Release Date

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2008 – 2009-00-00

Directors

Victor Cook, Jennifer Coyle, Dave Bullock, Troy Adomitis, Dan Fausett, Kevin Altieri, Michael Goguen

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Writers

Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Matt Wayne, Andrew Robinson, Randy Jandt, Nicole Dubuc

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Franchise(s)

Marvel

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 32 seconds ago

Has this ever happened to you? You go to work at your factory job, but you end up tearing your family apart because you keep having horrific nightmares about an impending alien invasion that only you’re aware of. Your daughters hate you because you keep blowing off family night and losing track of long stretches of time, and your wife all but commands you to go see a therapist because your nightmares are keeping her awake at night. She’s made it very clear that she’s at her wits’ end with your silly little dreams. 

The oddly specific scenario I’m talking about is exactly what happens in Extinction, a Netflix Original sci-fi action thriller about the threat of an upcoming extinction event that won’t reveal itself until it’s already too late for everybody living on planet Earth to do anything about it. 

Ignore That Terrible Review Score And Give Extinction A Chance

Taking an absolute beating on Rotten Tomatoes, Extinction currently touts an abysmal critical score of 32 percent against a slightly more favorable Popcornmeter score on the review aggregator. It’s the kind of score that might make you think that you’re about to get into a by-the-numbers “what if we got invaded by aliens?” kind of premise.

While you’re not wrong to make assumptions about the beats and storylines found in this Ben Young-directed film, it’s probably one of the better straight-to-streaming sci-fi films that I’ve seen in recent years. 

He Was Right! 

Michael Pena’s Peter may seem like he’s losing his mind because of his vivid nightmares of an imminent apocalypse, but Extinction doesn’t leave you guessing for long. Much to his wife Alice’s (Lizzy Caplan) disappointment, Peter skips out on therapy when he learns other patients are having the same exact dreams as him, which he interprets as some form of divine intervention, clueing him in on what’s to come. 

At a party, Peter’s suspicions are confirmed when all hell breaks loose, and a deluge of invading spaceships starts tearing the city apart. I don’t know about you, but if I were getting nagged about my prophetic nightmares, only to find out that they were a legitimate warning that everybody should heed, I’d take pause in my frantic efforts to move my family to safety to briefly say, “Haha, I told you so,” before grabbing the photo album and getting the heck out of town. Sure, I’d do everything I can to protect my family, but thanks to my visions being correct, I’m now pack leader, and everybody has to do what I say. 

Aliens Aren’t What They Seem 

Looking for answers back at the facility where he works as an engineer in Extinction, Peter learns that his boss, David (Mike Colter), knew more about the invasion than he initially let on. Certain people like Peter were supposed to know about it so they could figure out how to deal with the visitors who are currently decimating the entire city.

Getting seriously wounded during the ensuing catastrophe, Alice needs immediate medical attention, prompting Peter to force one of the visitors to cooperate with him in restoring her vital functions. Meanwhile, his daughters, Hannah (Amelia Crouch) and Lucy (Erica Tremblay), are escorted to a military base, where they’ll probably remain safe for the next several… minutes. 

Special Effects Are On Point

With a reported budget of just $20 million (chump change compared to an MCU joint), this Netflix Original wins some serious points for its use of special effects, especially when the alien-invasion first kicks off. Extinction uses a night skyline permeated by dust and fog to its advantage, and there’s no doubt in my mind that a boatload of CGI was used to make everything jump off the screen. But the lighting levels are so perfectly calibrated that it never once took me out of the movie because the film’s color palette does all of the heavy lifting. 

As the black and grey horizon finds itself under attack, vibrant pops of red and orange break up the skyline, while the sound design that’s capturing what’s happening on ground-level is an assault on your ears that equally matches the assault that’s occurring on planet Earth, while civilization as we know it potentially arrives at its terrifying conclusion. 

Extinction may not boast the most original premise, and received a ton of criticism for being so derivative, resulting in its poor reception. But for its production value alone, you should stream it the next time you’re looking to witness the apocalypse from the safety of your own home. 

Hilary Duff is used to being on stage, but this summer, she’s ready to up the ante. In a new interview, the “Lizzie McGuire” alum opened up about the mini tour she headlined this past winter, describing it as the perfect prep for her upcoming slate of summer shows which will feature some of her first live performances of tracks from her latest album, “Luck… Or Something.”

Speaking with PEOPLE, Duff expressed her gratitude for the “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” tour she embarked on in January 2026. Her next tour, “Lucky Me,” will start in June 2026 in West Palm Beach at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, and conclude in October 29 at the RAC Arena in Australia.

According to Duff, the next slate of shows will be bigger than before—something the “Younger” actress has been prepping for. “I’m so excited for the scale to change,” she said.

“There is something so sweet about getting to see everyone’s face, and being so intimate and close with everyone — and it was really a great way for me to start and build confidence — but I just feel like I know what I’m doing and kind of got my reps in,” she added.

Hilary Duff Sings About Family Struggles On Latest Album

According to The Blast, Duff’s latest album features a number of personal songs, including the track “We Don’t Talk,” in which the singer opens up about her estranged relationship with her sister, Haylie.

“Don’t know when it happened / Not even sure what it was about,” Duff sings over the beat. “’Cause we come from the same home, same blood.”

She continued, “People ask me how you’re doing / I wanna say amazing, but the truth is that I don’t know / What I always end up saying is how … We don’t talk, we don’t talk about it / We don’t talk about anything anymore.”

In a separate interview, Duff got candid about the reality of her relationship with Haylie, calling it the “most lonely part of my existence.”

Hilary Duff Gets Real About The Fallout With Her Father, Bob

In another song, “The Optimist,” Duff gets real about the complicated connection she has with her father, Bob Duff. In the track, Duff sings about wishing her father “would really love me.”

She detailed her decision to be honest about things with her dad, admitting she finally “felt ready” to bare it all.

“That’s my family. Those are the people that affect you the most, take up the most space naturally as a human who’s born into something,” Duff said.

However, Duff admitted to learning valuable lessons as she’s aged.

“Just because you’re born into a family doesn’t mean that it always stays together. You can only control your side and your street,” she said.

Duff Paid Homage To Late ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Co-Star

In February 2026, Duff paid homage to her late “Lizzie McGuire” co-star, Robert Carradine, who passed away at the age of 71.

“This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend,” Duff captioned a photo of them. “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family, and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents.”

Duff added, “I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”

Duff’s on-screen brother, Jake Thomas, shared a similar statement on his social media page, according to The Blast.

“My heart hurts today. I was fortunate to know Bobby for most my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric,” he wrote.

Carradine Passed After A Years-Long Battle With Bipolar Disorder

Born in March 1954, Carradine, who starred in “Revenge of the Nerds” and “The Long Riders,” died after a years-long battle with bipolar disorder, his family confirmed.

His daughter, Ever Carradine, posted a carousel of images after her father’s death, praising his “sweet” and “funny” nature.

“He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love. I have a thousand stories and I’m being flooded with memories — so if you see me, please ask me about my dad, Bobby Carradine, who made me who I am. Rest easy, dad. I love you the most,” she wrote.

A message making rounds online has fans and critics going back and forth, and Chris Brown is right at the center of it. Ahead of his highly anticipated tour alongside Usher, the singer decided to address the chatter in a way that has the internet talking. While excitement for the shows continues to build, so does the conversation around who’s planning to pull up—and who isn’t.

RELATED: Whew! Chris Brown Slams Content Creator Over Disses About His Music & Past As Woman Linked To Viral Compliment Speaks Out

Taking to Instagram Stories, Chris Brown didn’t hold back, calling out critics who’ve been vocal about people attending the tour. He pointed out that folks have the choice to come or stay home, adding that fans of him and Usher are still expected to pack out venues just like before. He also took aim at what he described as “rage bait” pages and “fake woke” commentary, saying he finds it amusing that people are being criticized for simply wanting to enjoy themselves. In true Chris Brown fashion, he ended his message with a bold statement, saying he can’t wait to prove doubters wrong once the tour kicks off.

“The funniest and the weirdest sh*it ever to me is the fact that [people] have the option to come to my tour and the option not to. I know everyone who is a fan of me and USHER will definitely be in the building and it will be PACKED just like last year. But I’m scrolling through insta and tik tok and I come across rage bait pages and or these fake woke stand up for nothing pages bashing people for wanted to come have a good time. The dudes hating, I can understand that thinking we gone steal ya girl and sh*t. BUT THE KARENS, and the self hating h*es be making me LAUGH. I CANT WAIT TO RUB THIS SH*T IN YALL FACE,” the singer wrote.

Comments Go Off Over Breezy’s Message

Fans and critics ran straight to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section and tore it up over Chris Brown’s message. Some said they’ve been pulling up to Breezy shows for years and don’t plan to stop. While others felt he should stop addressing the noise altogether. And of course, a few switched the convo real quick, saying forget the drama—let’s talk about those ticket prices.

One Instagram user @buffiebabyy commented “He prove them wrong everytime too 😂”

This Instagram user @bac_lik_i_neva_left added, “What about the prices Chris? Let’s address those 😩”

And, Instagram user @kweenmocha joked, “Chris said ‘how you hatin from outside the club?’“

Meanwhile, Instagram user @espesiallyk wrote, “Ion know but Chris has WAAAY TOO MUCH TALENT AND MONEY to even give AF“

Then Instagram user @brandii_amor said, “😂😂😂 this is Christopher speaking NOT CHRIS“

Lastly, Instagram user @amarya_amy claimed, “No wonder I love Beyoncé! She don’t address sh*t“

Chris Brown Keeps The Same Energy

You already know Chris Brown does not play when folks start speaking on his name—and he proved it again real quick. What started as him dropping a lil’ compliment under a woman’s post turned into a full comment-section showdown after a creator accused him of “thirsting” and brought up his past. Breezy wasted no time clapping back, hopping in the comments with jokes and straight-up jabs, even roasting the creator’s appearance and posting a wild reference pic to match. The creator fired back with his own claims, but Chris kept the same energy, laughing it off while throwing a few more words in the mix—because one thing about it, he’s never letting disrespect slide quietly.

RELATED: Fans Are Ready For Chris Brown & Usher To “Take Their Money” After Announcing Joint R&B Tour (REACTIONS)

The Old Guard is a superhero story meets covert ops and military, but without any capes or costumes. The superpowered beings at the heart of the film are a mysterious group of immortal beings, led by Andromache or “Andy” (Charlize Theron), who have secretly protected humanity for millennia. As they struggle to maintain their anonymity, they must also contend with the emergence of a new immortal, Nile (KiKi Layne). Together, the team faces both modern threats and age-old enemies in their quest to preserve secrecy about their identities and ensure security for the future.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who previously created much quieter movies like The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond the Lights, The Old Guard has an emotional depth that you might not expect from a superhero action film. The themes of sacrifice and guilt are grounded by Theron’s stellar performance, as well as those of Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Chiwetel Ejiofor. With its blend of thought-provoking elements and adrenaline-pumping action, The Old Guard offers a refreshing take on the genre, providing both entertainment and substance for viewers. A sequel is now streaming, so now is the perfect time to watch the original.

The Old Guard is streaming on Netflix.

There is a new biopic out called Michael, and not too surprisingly, it is about Michael Jackson. The focus is more on his early years and rise to fame, starting in the 1960s and ending near the end of the 1980s, with the release of Bad and its subsequent tour. It was in production for a while, and had reshoots in 2025, which fueled speculation that it might be the first part of a duology. It would make some sense, given this film covers about two decades, and then ends about two decades before Jackson’s untimely death in 2009.

At best, it’s kind of just another music biopic, hitting all the predictable beats you’d expect and not really doing much beyond telling a story most fans (and maybe even a fair few casual listeners) will already know. At worst, it’s kind of more frustrating than something like Bohemian Rhapsody, which already felt too safe and sanitized in 2018, which was almost a decade ago now. Music biopics need to be a little more exciting, and so too do biopics in general, really. In the interest of highlighting some other not very good ones, these biographical movies are pretty lackluster, and are arguably worse than (the, again, not very good) Michael.

8

‘Wyatt Earp’ (1994)

Image via Warner Bros.

Wyatt Earp is most interesting for not being Tombstone, and for coming out only one year after that far superior film about the titular figure, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Since Wyatt Earp is a good deal longer (and you really feel the length), it technically covers a little more than Tombstone, so it’s not like they feel like the same movie, just of different quality, but the approach taken overall for Tombstone was also flat-out better.

For present purposes, Wyatt Earp feels more like a biographical film, and it’s a bloated and poorly paced one, so that’s why it’s here. The hope, in all likelihood, was that it would be a Dances with Wolves-level hit, since that was another epic-length Western starring Kevin Costner from the 1990s, but Wyatt Earp also falls short of that one by a good deal. Watching it, you’re left with a feeling of regret about not picking either Tombstone or Dances with Wolves to watch instead.

7

‘Judy’ (2019)

Image via 20th Century Fox

Taking a similar approach to Michael as far as titles go, Judy (2019) is all about Judy Garland, who’s best known for her roles in various iconic movie musicals. However, Judy takes place near the end of Garland’s rather tragic life, showcasing her attempts to stage a comeback during what ended up being the final year of her life: 1969, exactly 30 years on from her most famous film, The Wizard of Oz.

It’s got that Wyatt Earp problem of making you wish you were watching something better instead, like The Wizard of Oz or another actual Judy Garland movie. The film kind of came and went, though Renée Zellweger was praised for her performance as Garland… for some reason? She goes very broad, and it almost feels a bit like a Saturday Night Live caricature has stumbled its way into a deathly serious and plodding drama. The film might’ve meant well, but it’s overdone on an acting front and then undercooked on all the other fronts, leaving Judy thoroughly unsatisfying and frustratingly dull in just about every way.

6

‘Mommie Dearest’ (1981)

Image via Paramount Pictures

With Mommie Dearest, it is a worse film about a famous actress than Judy, but it’s also the kind of bad that makes it more engaging – at least in bursts – than the drab and overall more tedious aforementioned film about Judy Garland. The central figure in Mommie Dearest is Joan Crawford, though things are seen from the perspective of Crawford’s adopted daughter, Christine, who wrote the memoir upon which Mommie Dearest was based.

The film is a feature-length excuse to let Faye Dunaway chew a lot of scenery, and she herself is a pretty forceful and sometimes hammy actress who is playing the also bold, uncompromising, and sometimes hammy Joan Crawford. It’s either great casting, or a total nightmare of too muchness, or maybe somewhere in between, as in the kind of thing you can flip back and forth between admiring, finding hilarious, and being bored by. It’s a dark film thematically, but the execution is very camp in a way where it’s hard to tell how much – or if any – of the comedy was supposed to be intentional.

5

‘The Iron Lady’ (2011)

Image via TWC

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The Iron Lady is one of three movies that contain an Oscar-winning Meryl Streep performance, and it’s easily the worst of them. Streep is better in both Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice, and those are overall much stronger films, too. Admittedly, they’re not super comparable, beyond all the movies in this trio being “dramas,” since The Iron Lady was the only one of the three that required Streep to play a real-life figure: Margaret Thatcher, a divisive U.K. Prime Minister who held that position from 1979 until 1990.

She was to the U.K. what Ronald Reagan was to the U.S., and both leaders had vocal supporters and detractors. The Iron Lady is not terrible because of who Thatcher was or wasn’t, but because it is so very bland, clunky, tedious, and borderline useless. It offers little to no interesting insight into Thatcher or the period during which she led the U.K., and not even Streep really makes an impression. Actually, she does an impression. That’s all it is. She is impersonating Margaret Thatcher. It’s not an interesting performance, and it’s not a good performance. She is great in most movies she’s ever starred in, but not this one. It’s a joke of a film, and not even a funny joke at that.

4

‘Back to Black’ (2024)

Image via Focus Features

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This is starting to feel like piling up on biopics about women, but the top 3 in this ranking are back to focusing on men, so along with Wyatt Earp, that’s four about men. And, nice and equally, four about women. More men, actually, since none of the words above have been particularly nice about Michael. It’s good to be all about equality, even when being negative about boring biopics.

Which is lots of preamble before begrudgingly getting to Back to Black, which is a film that has so little worth commenting on beyond the very obvious things that are wrong with it. It doesn’t do Amy Winehouse or her legacy justice, it fades into the background in terms of being boringly biopic-ey, and it exists in the shadow of Amy (2015), which is one of the best, heaviest, and most thought-provoking music documentaries of all time. Just watch that instead, or listen to Winehouse’s actual music. Or both. They’re both much better options than slogging through Back to Black.

3

‘The 15:17 to Paris’ (2018)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Not everyone loved American Sniper, which is easily the most popular of Clint Eastwood’s directorial efforts of the past decade and a half, biopic-related or otherwise, but it looks like Lawrence of Arabia compared to The 15:17 to Paris. This one is about three real-life American men who thwarted a terrorist attack in 2015, and it also stars those three real-life figures, playing themselves.

Criticizing this movie is not intended to take away from their actual heroics, and yes, acting ability does not matter as much as what they were able to do in the moment. But the choice to have these non-actors play themselves backfired, as if you’re judging their acting, it’s not good, to say the least. They stand out alongside various professional actors who appear in supporting roles, and even more distractingly, some of these actors are best known for their comedic performances (like Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, and Tony Hale). All that, plus a dud screenplay, adds up, and ensures The 15:17 to Paris is a pretty awful film, all things considered (unfortunately).

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‘Stardust’ (2020)

David Bowie is a monumental enough figure that even just picking out one of his many eras to depict and explore in a film would be a mammoth task. Stardust focuses on his attempts to tour the U.S. right before he adopted his Ziggy Stardust persona, which is a pivotal and likely difficult era to capture even if you’ve got the rights to Bowie’s music and approval from his estate… which Stardust did not have.

So, if anyone ever wants to make a proper Bowie biopic one day, no one is going to be offended about you overshadowing Stardust. But it’s also probably futile to try, especially if you want to capture more than one era of Bowie (and there are so many different eras and personas, not to mention styles of music covered across a decades-spanning career). Stardust was just never really going to work, and it’s weird enough effort was put into it that it technically stands as a finished/released film.

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‘Gotti’ (2018)

Image via Paamount Pictures

A movie has to be pretty bad to give Battlefield Earth a run for its money as the worst thing John Travolta has ever starred in, but Gotti is pretty darn bad. Battlefield Earth is probably more of an ambitious disaster, which makes it a bit more enjoyable, though Gotti is also clunky enough to be fairly entertaining at times, with Travolta bluntly stumbling his way through a very strange performance as notorious gangster John Gotti.

It’s not a constant source of unintentional comedy, yet there’s enough here to laugh at if, for whatever reason, you’re burned out on genuinely great gangster movies and want to watch some tasty trash. It’s up there (or down there?) as one of the worst crime movies in recent memory, and since it’s about a real-life criminal, it also stands as an all-time bad biopic, too.

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Gotti

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Release Date

June 14, 2018

Runtime

110 Minutes

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Writers

Leo Rossi

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Netflix has an unusually heavy lineup of horror movies slated for April 2026, even if they may seem a little out of season.

Thankfully, there is some much-needed variety among the films despite their shared genre and near-simultaneous launch on Netflix.

To narrow things down, the Watch With Us team has selected three new Netflix movies to watch in April 2026, as ranked by IMDb.

Our selections include an original story, a legacy sequel and a follow-up to an acclaimed sci-fi/horror flick.

Related: New on Netflix in April 2026 — The Full List of Movies and TV Shows

Netflix just announced it’s increasing subscription prices for the second time in under two years, but the streamer has the content library and future slate to justify that move. Don’t believe me? Well, just check out what Netflix has scheduled to release in April 2026. Watch With Us has compiled the full list of all […]

3. ‘Him’ (2025)

IMDb rank: 5.0

How far would you be willing to go to be one of the greatest football players of all time? The horror flick Him puts that question to Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), an athlete who grew up idolizing Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), the acclaimed quarterback of the San Antonio Saviors. Cameron has followed in his hero’s footsteps and become a college player who stands on the cusp of greatness.

When Cameron’s career is threatened by a head injury before he’s even taken the field, the Saviors and Isaiah offer him a chance to join the franchise and succeed his hero. What Cameron doesn’t realize is that accepting this contract will have a higher cost than he ever dreamed of. The Saviors and Isaiah have been hiding some big secrets for decades, and the price for their success is coming due. If Cameron wants to be a part of that tradition, he may have to turn his back on everything he’s ever believed in.

Him is now streaming on Netflix.

2. ‘Scream’ (2022)

IMDb rank: 6.3

You can tell that Scream was made before Jenna Ortega became a breakout star because her character, Tara Carpenter, barely gets any scenes outside of the extended prologue. But the attempt on Tara’s life is enough to draw her estranged half-sister, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), back to Woodsboro. The reason Sam ran away from her life is that she’s discovered her disturbing link to the original Ghostface murders three decades earlier, and someone is starting a new round of murders.

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Related: Every ‘Scream’ Movie, Ranked

As inevitable as death and taxes is another Scream movie installment — but we’re not complaining. This weekend, Scream 7 graces theaters everywhere, and with it comes the exciting return of one of Scream‘s original actors, Neve Campbell, who returns to the franchise after skipping Scream VI. We couldn’t be more excited to herald the next chapter […]

It doesn’t take long for Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) to be drawn into the hunt for the new Ghostface killer. But they’re not just the hunters, they’re the prey. There’s nothing that the new killer would love more than to slaughter the original Woodsboro survivors, as well as the new generation of teens who find themselves on Ghostface’s kill list.

Scream is streaming on Netflix.

1. ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (2021)

IMDb rank: 7.2

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John Krasinski only briefly returns as Lee Abbott in A Quiet Place Part II, but he does helm the sequel to his wildly popular sci-fi/horror flick. In the wake of Lee’s death, it falls to his wife, Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), to find a safe haven for herself and her children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe). That’s very difficult in a world where even the slightest sound can attract the attention of the vicious alien invaders who murdered Lee.

Evelyn and her kids soon encounter Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a friend of the family whom they haven’t seen since the invasion began. Emmett may not be the same man he was before, and Evelyn doesn’t have many options left, especially when they discover a colony of survivors led by an unnamed man (Djimon Hounsou).

A Quiet Place Part II is streaming on Netflix.