By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 second ago

The reason movies like Castaway (2000) and The Martian (2015) are such compelling watches is because it’s so fun to watch smart people solve problems. It’s the kind of wish fulfillment that makes sense to me on a molecular level. I worked as a corporate office drone in a previous professional life, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that about 80 percent of people are terrible at their jobs. When you run into somebody who can effortlessly navigate proprietary software without a moment of hesitation, it’s a borderline erotic experience.

That is all to say that when I fired up 2025’s War of the Worlds on Amazon Prime Video, despite the many warnings from my friends and loved ones, I actually felt hopeful that it wouldn’t be as terrible as its 4 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes made it out to be. I’m a strong advocate of giving misunderstood films a second chance, and War of the Worlds has that “damn, he’s good” element that I have so much fun tagging along for.

Truth be told, if Ice Cube released a three-hour film of him just performing data entry at a high level, I’d buy it on Blu-ray. He’s just a smart guy solving problems, and the way he navigates the many computer systems and networks at his disposal is straight-up poetry in wide-rimmed glasses.

The problem with War of the Worlds, though, isn’t Ice Cube’s, or anybody else’s performance for that matter. It’s the whole damn movie.

War of the Worlds plays out like 2014’s Open Windows, written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, and starring Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey. Both films are screenlife thrillers, meaning we’re watching the entire film through devices in found footage-fashion. Where Open Windows succeeds, however, War of the Worlds fails miserably.

Open Windows stays enthralling because there are few characters, a very localized conspiracy, and a level of second-hand suspense generated through its voyeuristic framework. War of the Worlds takes place in the middle of a worldwide alien invasion, and it somehow feels like the stakes are lower. This could just be a genre limitation, but the whole screenlife and found footage approach seems to work much better on a micro level than a macro one.

The plot itself is rough, but there’s actually room for interesting storytelling here, which is why War of the Worlds is such a tough pill to swallow. Most of the story is told from Will Radford’s (Ice Cube) perspective. He’s a high-level employee working for the Department of Homeland Security, and he has remote access to surveillance software that allows him to watch just about anyone in excruciating detail.

One thing that I loved about this movie, not even kidding, is how good Will is at his job while also being a working-class, widowed father. He uses the technology at his disposal to keep tabs on his pregnant daughter Faith (Iman Benson), his conspiracy-theory-obsessed son Dave (Henry Hunter Hall), and Mark Goodman (Devon Bosick), Faith’s boyfriend and an Amazon delivery driver. One thing that feels realistic about Will’s position is that he’s constantly spying on his children, not out of malice, but because after his wife passed away he started overcompensating by making sure everybody else in his family is safe.

To me, this is the real story that needs to be told, and you don’t need to make H.G. Wells spin in his grave by violating his legacy one crappy CGI alien tripod at a time. As Will deals with family drama, he’s switching tabs, cracking passwords, accessing surveillance cameras, and killing it at his job tracking down hackers and cyber threats. I cannot stress this enough, I love watching Ice Cube navigate his elaborate setup with the grace of a gold medal figure skater, staring his family down through FaceTime with looks of stern bewilderment when he learns what his kids are up to when they think they’re not being watched.

Oh Yeah, This Is A Movie About Aliens

But therein lies the problem with War of the Worlds. The family drama is the more compelling story, and the alien invasion feels like an afterthought. Circling back to my Open Windows comparison, it’s hard to feel any emotional weight in Will’s exchanges with his family because it’s all done through screens. It’s sad to think that this is how we interact these days, and how Amazon, which distributes this movie, is partially responsible for the unhealthy relationship we have with our devices.

The world is literally ending, but we’re witnessing it through screens, as Ice Cube watches it through screens while FaceTiming everybody through their screens. It’s not even second-hand suspense. It’s tertiary, buried under multiple layers of abstraction that prevent you from feeling anything at all.

Had this production ditched the H.G. Wells connection entirely, and been, say, a hostage situation involving Will’s family, this whole thing could have had legs.

War of the Worlds Is Streaming On Amazon (They’re Totally A Real Company, Did You Know?!)

Speaking of Amazon, War of the Worlds, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, has a lot of product placement. There’s an entire sequence involving Mark, an Amazon driver, using an Amazon delivery drone to get a flash drive to Will so he can save the world. Thank God we now know Amazon is a real brand with real products and delivery services, because while I streamed this movie on Amazon, I had no idea I was only two clicks away from getting toiletries delivered to my doorstep, and three syllables away from Alexa listening to everything I say when I think I’m alone. Amazon!

Even if you get past the blatant product placement, War of the Worlds has an even more chilling implication. Will can access almost anything he wants through his DHS setup. He calls a Tesla to pick up his injured daughter, cranks the air conditioning when she complains about the heat, notices her phone battery is critically low, and remotely switches it to power-saving mode. This is framed as heroic, but it also suggests that all of our devices are capable of being controlled by people watching our every move.

I don’t know what to make of this, because unlike 2008’s The Dark Knight, there are no moral dilemmas here. At least Batman tried to justify turning Gotham into a surveillance state, even though he knew how dangerous of a precedent it would set, to catch somebody who had already caused irreversible damage to his community. In War of the Worlds, it almost feels like they’re trying to normalize this level of control, as if writers Kenneth A. Golde and Mark Hyman skimmed through 1984 and said, “Oh, this is GREAT!”

Did I mention that Amazon Prime is a real thing you can sign up for for the nominal fee of $14.99 a month? The membership practically pays for itself in saved shipping costs. Amazon. Wow.

Listen, War of the Worlds is trash. It’s not good. It aspires to be crappy. But I will say this: Ice Cube fiddling around on a computer is weirdly soothing to watch, and the second he launches a data entry ASMR channel on YouTube, I’ll be there.

War of the Worlds is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 27 seconds ago

If you’ve been known to enjoy the odd heist movie from time to time, now might be the moment to start tuning into the news. According to a report from The Guardian, a California man was just caught in a scheme to defraud his local Target retailer out of tens of thousands of dollars in LEGO pieces. The Irvine police department announced that they had apprehended the brick-burgling bandit on April 14, with over $34,000 in LEGO minifigures in his possession.

Though the whole case sounds a little baroque, the heist is a lot more sophisticated than you might expect. Apparently the suspect, 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine, is accused of pulling over 70 small-scale steals, accumulating his fortune in tiny bits and pieces. You might even say he was building his set, brick by brick. Allegedly every time Augustine would visit his local Target, he would purchase expensive LEGO sets, only to carefully swap out high-value LEGO pieces with dried pasta before returning the boxes.

I Built This Heist Brick By Brick

Needless to say, once Target employees attempted to resell the returned merchandise, they were met with little more than a box of Goya brand durum wheat semolina. Police in the area have been building a case against Augustine for more than four months, and eventually located well-organized bins of LEGO minifigures in his home. Multiple bags of Goya pasta were found as well, offering one of the strangest and funniest evidence photo spreads the department has ever seen. The Facebook reel announcing the arrest even referred to the heist as “a pasta-tively terrible plan.”

There’s no way of knowing for sure, but based on the layout of the minifigs, it looks as though Augustine planned to resell the stolen figurines on an online marketplace such as Ebay. These pieces can sell for hundreds of dollars each online, so the manicotti mastermind might have been turning a pretty penny for his efforts. If not for the Irvine police department, the perp might still be swapping stormtroopers with tortellini to this very day.

One of the strangest details about this ordeal is the fact that it isn’t the only recent LEGO related heist to strike the area. Authorities have previously charged multiple California residents in cases related to LEGO theft, with some operations accounting for millions of dollars in stolen revenue. One Riverside county man even allegedly hijacked two freight trailers full of the children’s toy sets. Clearly there is a booming criminal enterprise with these bricks serving as their foundation.

To my eye, this seems like a story that’s just begging to be turned into a buddy cop movie. I could see Paul Walter Hauser and Walton Goggins teaming up to stop the farfalle fugitive, perhaps played by Keagan-Michael Key. Throw in Danny McBride as the chief of police, and a few budding comedians to round out the criminal underworld, and you’ve got yourself an A+ Hulu original.

New York Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was hospitalized in New Jersey on Friday, April 24, after experiencing a medical emergency, according to TMZ Sports.

The outlet did not have an update on his condition, but added that those close to him don’t seem to think “whatever he’s dealing with is too serious” and “the belief is he will be discharged soon, if he has not been already.”

Taylor, 67, reportedly arrived in the emergency room on Friday before being taken to another area of the hospital.

Us Weekly has reached out to Taylor’s team for comment.

Taylor has been open in the past about his health issues related to abusing drugs during his playing days.

“On a typical night out, I’d get some coke from some Spanish guys in Harlem,” he recalled in a story for ESPN in 2012. “In the apartment there’d be one guy with a .38. There’d be another guy sitting at a table. I’d tell him how much I wanted, he’d measure it and put it in a bag. I’d buy about six, seven hundred dollars worth, then, look out world.”

He continued, “To keep myself entertained, I’d stand on a bar stool, then dive off into a handstand. Or pull one of my old college tricks and chew some glass. Pitchers of kamikazes can do that to you. One time in Houston, some guys on the Oilers tried to mess my game up by sending two girls to my hotel.”

Taylor’s pro career ran from 1981 to 1993, entirely with the Giants. The two-time Super Bowl champion was the 1986 NFL MVP and was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Related: Former Eagles Player Died of Head Trauma, Stab Wounds in Apparent Homicide

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Kevin Johnson died at age 55 of “blunt head trauma and stab wounds,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has determined. His death is being investigated as a homicide. Johnson was found dead on Wednesday, January 21, at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles after officers responded to a report […]

But even during his career, he spoke candidly about his drug use. In 1988, the NFL suspended him for 30 days and ordered him to attend rehabilitation after he failed a drug test. He said at the time that he wasn’t worried about the suspension, but was instead thinking about the bigger picture.

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“I’m worried about what’s going to happen to me the rest of my life unless I get myself straight,” he told Connecticut’s WVIT at the time. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

Taylor appeared in good health in March when he visited his alma mater, North Carolina, to see head coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels football team, as seen in a photo shared via Instagram.

Coincidentally, Belichick, now 74, was the Giants’ defensive coordinator during Taylor’s pro tenure. Taylor smiled wide as he and Belichick posed for a picture at the team’s practice facility in Chapel Hill.

Westeros continues to expand as the Game of Thrones franchise grows from strength to strength. Following House of the Dragon and the more recent A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO’s flagship fantasy series is about to hit the stage. In Game of Thrones: The Mad King, an upcoming stage production from playwright and director Duncan Macmillan, a tournament at Harrenhal set 10 years before the events of the original series takes place, with a plot against the King brewing as his subjects begin to fear his tyranny.

The play, presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company, has its opening night scheduled for August 8 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, where those in attendance will get a newer look at the lives of several beloved characters, including the iconic Ned Stark. First portrayed by Sean Bean in the series, a younger version of the character was later played by Robert Aramayo in Seasons 6 and 7 via flashbacks. This was long before Aramayo would play the younger version of another iconic fantasy character, Elrond, in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Should the stars align, and the upcoming stage show find itself popular enough for a television adaptation, perhaps Aramayo, who recently won the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role, could have a chance at playing Ned in a full-time capacity.

This possibility was posed to Aramayo in a recent interview with ScreenRant. “Oh, my word. I’ve never been asked that question before,” Aramayo responded. “I mean, that was just such an amazing part of my life. I absolutely loved playing Ned. It was great. I loved Game of Thrones. I was so excited to do. It was one of my first jobs. So I’ve got very, very good memories of it, but it was a long time ago.” The actor wouldn’t rule out the possibility, but it’s clear he sees several stars having to align for this to happen, making it unlikely.

Robert Aramayo’s Best Performance Is Finally Coming to Netflix in the U.S.

The aforementioned BAFTA win for Aramayo came for one of the past year’s most underrated movies. Written and directed by Kirk Jones, the hilarious, heartwarming, and profoundly educational biopic I Swear finally makes its U.S. streaming debut this weekend. Described as “an endearing, unflinching biopic” in Aidan Kelley‘s review, the film is a true gem and will hopefully find its way up the streaming charts over the next few days.

Could Robert Aramayo return to play Ned Stark in Game of Thrones? Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest news.

Bravo isn’t happy that audio from the “Summer House” reunion taping on April 23, 2025, has leaked. Hours after the cast concluded production on the upcoming sit-down gathering, where star Ciara Miller is set to address her former friends, Amanda Batula and West Wilson, about their secret relationship, behind-the-scenes footage showed up online. Andy Cohen spoke out about the breach of trust, and later, a Bravo spokesperson revealed the company’s plans to take action against the leaker.

According to Bravo’s Daily Dish, a network representative condemned the leaked “Summer House” audio and shared the company’s position on the matter.

“This represents a serious breach of trust and a clear lack of respect for the cast, crew, and the integrity of the production process,” the statement read. “We take this matter very seriously and have launched a full investigation and we will take appropriate action based on our findings.”

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The released clip featured Miller having a heated conversation with Batula over her secretive relationship with her ex, Wilson.

During the argument, Miller slammed Batula, calling her a “snake,” while Batula’s other castmates questioned her over the timeline of her and Wilson’s relationship.

Before the leaked audio was shared online, Cohen rushed to Instagram to give viewers a teaser of what was to come.

“Well, I’m walking out of the Summer House reunion,” he said. “I’ve probably hosted — well, it’s over a hundred reunions, maybe a hundred and fifty — something like that. This is one of the most intense we’ve ever shot ”

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He added, “This was a lot. This was a lot. It was very intense, you guys. And every question was asked.”

Cohen had a more serious tone when addressing the release of the short reunion clip, replying to a user on Threads who implored him to stay off social media.

“I don’t [like what I’ve seen],” Cohen wrote. “On my way to eye surgery and just reading about it. People laid their souls out emotionally for ten hours yesterday and its disgusting and illegal for someone to leak or distribute this.”

Cohen, who’s been hosting Bravo reunions since the early 2000s, called the move “disrespectful” to the cast who opened up their lives for the audience. “Let the season play out,” he finished. “You will see it all in due time.”

Wilson And Batula Confirmed Their Relationship Almost A Month Ago

The renewed interest in the current season of “Summer House” began in early March 2026, when viewers speculated that Wilson and Batula were in a relationship.

After denying the rumors, the pair released a joint statement on March 31, according to The Blast, confirming the reports.

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“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” their joint post read. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we need a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

Continuing, they said, “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected. Our connection grew out of a genuine, long-standing friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

‘Summer House’ Cast Members Slam Batula And Wilson

Before the cast gathered for the reunion, some of them reacted to the news online, according to The Blast.

Newcomer KJ Dillard appeared to throw shade at the pair by sharing a snap of the song “Back Stabbers” by The O’Jays.

Kyle Cooke, Batula’s soon-to-be ex-husband, also commented on the matter, saying he was “frustrated” by the story. “I’m obviously disappointed in her,” he added.

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Former “Vanderpump Rules” star Stassi Schroeder blasted Batula’s need for male attention on her podcast. “She acts this way with men everywhere. She needs male attention really badly. She needs validation and I think that is what led her to West,” Schroeder said.

Right now is a great time to be a fan of Mark Wahlberg, especially thanks to the release of his new Prime Video original movie, Balls Up. The film co-stars Paul Walter Hauser (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Ironheart), and after being released straight to streaming on Prime Video last week, the film has yet to be dethroned at the top of streaming charts. Wahlberg is also fresh off the success of another straight-to-streaming movie, The Family Plan 2, which is streaming around the world on Apple TV. The film is a direct sequel to The Family Plan, and while it did reunite most of its original stars, it also added long-time Game of Thrones veteran Kit Harington to its cast. Wahlberg is also in line for a big year in 2026.

Over the years, Mark Wahlberg has starred in plenty of famous action hits and infamous misfires, but one of his more polarizing releases came just a few years ago with Uncharted. The film is inspired by the hit video game franchise from developer Naughty Dog, the same team that has developed and released both The Last of Us games. The film was released back in 2022, and while it was a complete miss with critics, who rated it a Rotten 41% on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the film was a success with the masses. After earning a Verified Hot 89% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter, Uncharted grossed over $400 million at the box office against a $120 million budget. Currently, the film is currently in the top 40 films on HBO Max worldwide, even getting to the #1 spot in the Netherlands. The film is now streaming on Hulu in America.

Why Did Fans Not Like the ‘Uncharted’ Movie?

Some fans criticized the casting choices in the Uncharted game, particularly for both Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, who don’t exactly capture the same essence from the game as Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan. While the film does still manage to provide a very Uncharted-feeling adventure, it’s hard for some long-time fans to look past the casting. Sony confirmed a while back that it was working to develop another Uncharted movie, but there has been little noise on this front lately. Still, after the first film was such a success, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the franchise return to the big screen in some way.

Check out Uncharted on Hulu in the U.S. and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Wahlberg’s future projects.

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Release Date

February 18, 2022

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Runtime

116 minutes

Writers

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Art Marcum, Rafe Judkins, Matt Holloway

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Ant Anstead and girlfriend Renée Zellweger are still wheeling and dealing — and completely smitten — after five years of dating.

“How it started …..” Anstead, 47, wrote in a rare Instagram tribute to Zellweger, 56, on Friday, April 24, in honor of their anniversary, sharing a throwback photo from what appeared to be their meet-cute on Celebrity IOU Joyride.

“Happy FIVE YEAR anniversary my beautiful lady!” he gushed. “Hands down The best human I know! Luckiest boy! I love you my Ren 💫❤️ x.”

In the photo, Anstead looked lovingly at Zellweger as she laughed while holding a power tool. The pair appeared to be inside an empty garage working on a car renovation project of some sort.

Related: Renee Zellweger and Ant Anstead’s Relationship Timeline

Ant Anstead continued to make headlines after his split from Christina Haack by sparking an A-list romance with Renée Zellweger. Anstead and Haack, who share son Hudson, were married for nearly two years before they announced their separation in September 2020. Anstead didn’t stay single for long, as he and Zellweger first sparked dating rumors […]

Anstead wore all black with a pair of black-and-white work gloves, while Zellweger donned a flannel shirt, jeans and clear protective glasses.

The couple’s milestone anniversary comes after they met filming Discovery+’s Celebrity IOU Joyride. Anstead and Zellweger were already in a well-established romantic partnership by the time their episode premiered in August 2021.

Fans learned of the pair’s relationship that summer when they were spotted together in Orange County, California. In July 2021, the Bridget Jones’s Diary actress was photographed kissing Anstead while riding bikes in Laguna Beach.

Related: Ant Anstead Shares PDA-Packed Tribute to Renee Zellweger on Anniversary

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A reason to celebrate. Ant Anstead shared a sweet tribute to Renée Zellweger to celebrate their second anniversary. “Two years of magic 💫💫 x,” he captioned photos via Instagram on Sunday, April 23. The main snap shows the Wheelers and Dealers alum, 44, and the Academy Award winner, 53, holding hands while enjoying the great […]

As the couple prepared to celebrate their second anniversary in April 2023, a source exclusively told Us Weekly, “Renée and Ant are happy to have found each other and it shows.”

The insider shared, “They both want to settle down and create a home together.”

“Renée loves how romantic, open and honest he is. She does say that it took her a while to find love again, but it was well worth the wait,” the source added. “She’s still giddy in love. He literally swept her off her feet.”

Three months later, a source told Us that the Oscar winner has really bonded with all three of Anstead’s children. Anstead shares daughter Amelie, 22, and son Archie, 19, with ex-wife Louise Storey. He also shares son Hudson, 6, with second wife Christina Haack.

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Related: Renee Zellweger Seemingly Laughs in Ant Anstead Sweet Video With Son

Renée Zellweger seemingly could be heard joyously laughing in the background of Ant Anstead’s holiday video starring his son Hudson. Anstead, 45, posted a clip via Instagram on Saturday, December 28, in which a woman giggles at the sight of 5-year-old Hudson gazing into a crystal ball that pulsed with beams of pink, purple and […]

“Renée gets along really well with Ant’s children and they spend a lot of quality time together,” the insider said in July 2023. “Despite being in the public eye, Renée and Ant love just hanging out at home with the kids, watching movies and making dinner together. They enjoy a very low-key lifestyle.”

Anstead’s eldest children, Amelie and Archie, even attended the January 2025 premiere of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy with him to support Zellweger.

“Midweek movie night with the kiddos …. The Movie was absolutely utterly brilliant and the lead actress was mesmerising and smoking HOT (I have a mega crush on her!),” Anstead captioned an Instagram photo of the trio on the red carpet. “I’ve let the missus know she’s my hall pass….. X.”

By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 26 seconds ago

There’s no denying that Jordan Peele is one of the great horror directors of the last 10 years. Get Out, Us, and Nope were all hits. That’s why fans were so excited when HIM was announced. Jordan Peele’s name was all the marketing, the name fit alongside the rest of his filmography, and the first trailer looked like the same striking horror imagery he perfected.

The horror film, now available on Netflix, was only produced by Peele. You’ll still find plenty of people today who think he wrote and directed the film, which is a shame, because if he did, it would be a better film. 

HIM Has No Time For Subtlety

HIM follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, a former college football player turned actor) as the promising young player derailed by a vicious attack from a psycho wearing a goat mask. To get back on track, he goes to the remote compound of his idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), and takes part in a series of bizarre drills. There’s obviously something wrong with White and the compound, which might as well include a large neon arrow pointing to the horned skull on the wall when the two first meet. 

The meat of HIM follows Cam training at the compound, meeting the bizarre group of hangers-on and assistants that surround Isiah, including his social-media influencer wife (Julia Fox) and doctor Marco (comedian Jim Jeffries), oh, and the star’s crazed fans, outright described as a “cult” by Isiah’s team. It’s supposed to be tense, with the horror slowly escalating, but it’s done with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Instead of going along for the ride, you’re waiting for the twist you can see coming the moment you see the team’s name, The Saviors. 

HIM Needed Streaming To Be A Hit

What makes HIM interesting isn’t its slow burn plot, it’s how it looks. Cam is centered in most of the shots, putting us inside his head as he tries to make sense of the growing insanity around him. It’s a unique way to frame a movie, and the best performance by the back of an actor’s head since The Wrestler. HIM should be better than it is, but there’s something missing. 

There are moments of bizarre silliness: Singing over a downed teammate’s body, Cam’s strange hallucinations, and the entire third act. By the time HIM pays off, the audience is checked out.

Critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes agree, with a 36 percent and 58 percent rating, respectively. During its brief theatrical run, the film barely recouped its $27 million budget, earning $28 million, yet since debuting on Netflix this month, it’s been in the streamer’s top ten. People want to give it a chance, but they just don’t want to pay movie theater prices. 

I wanted to enjoy HIM, which at least dared to try something different in an increasingly sanitized Hollywood. I’m also a sucker for gothic horror. The edges of the film that hint at something dark and disturbing boiling beneath the surface make a promise the gore-filled, bonkers finale can’t live up to. Jordan Peele’s films leave the audience with plenty of questions, but HIM’s largest question is, “What did I just watch?”

HIM is now on Netflix.