Maybe there was a time when TV was seen as inferior to cinema, and maybe overall, it still is (it does kind of depend on what you’re after, entertainment-wise), but there are undoubtedly shows now that rival movies. Some shows rival great books, too, which might be the better medium to compare television to, since a book – or a series of books – can take hours upon hours to get through, and the same goes for a multi-season-long TV show.

Some of the following shows helped further the idea of television being great/cinematic art, beyond something more disposable that you might’ve tuned into weekly for light entertainment. These all rank among the most ambitious TV shows ever made, and while that’s not exactly the same as singling out the best TV shows ever made, there is, undeniably, quite a bit of crossover between two such rankings.

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‘Deadwood’ (2004–2006)

Image via HBO

There probably isn’t a Western series better than Deadwood, though calling it a TV Western and leaving it at that is also doing it a disservice, since it works as a fantastic crime/drama series as well (one that just so happens to be set during Old West times. It has some basis in history, with Deadwood being a real town and many of the characters being based on people who actually lived there in the 1870s.

Of course, that’s far back enough that not everything was documented, so Deadwood isn’t – and doesn’t try to be – 100% historically accurate. It’s fantastically written and acted, and then on a technical front, it’s also very impressive, putting that HBO money/production value to good use (and it’s definitely not going to be the only HBO show mentioned here).

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’24’ (2001–2010)

Image via FOX

24 ran for eight full-length seasons, each 24 episodes long, and each one of those episodes covered an hour in real-time… for the most part. Commercial breaks meant the episodes weren’t literally an hour long, but whenever it would cut to commercials, the events of the show would continue playing out, albeit off-screen. And so much would happen within every single season/day.

There was a ninth season called 24: Live Another Day, and that was 12 episodes long, but still retained the real-time storytelling, just with a time skip right near the season’s end. 24 was also pretty boundary-pushing in terms of its content, being very violent and dark for a network TV show, and also surprisingly willing to bump off major characters who weren’t Jack Bauer (he was kind of the only person with permanent plot armor) at just about any time.

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‘The Rehearsal’ (2022–2025)

Image via HBO

It’s a bit hard to summarize The Rehearsal, even more so than was the case with Nathan Fielder’s Nathan for You, which is similarly funny and clever, but not nearly as mind-bending. The Rehearsal is about as good as meta comedies have ever gotten, at least on television, with the second season (about airline safety… just go with it) being especially mind-blowing.

The first season of The Rehearsal felt a bit looser, like the direction of it was sort of made up as things went along, but the second season does feel more purposeful, albeit in a way that still feels spontaneous, at least at times. That’s very in line with Nathan Fielder, to not know whether you’re seeing something scripted, completely real, or in the middle somewhere, but The Rehearsal (and especially the second season) has him pushing all that to extremes that really do feel quite groundbreaking.

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‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–1991, 2017)

Image via ABC

The history of Twin Peaks, in terms of how and when it aired, is quite unconventional, which is fitting, considering the sort of show it was. Twin Peaks is noted for being an initial phenomenon, despite being – or maybe because it was – unlike anything else on TV at the time, owing to the whole thing being surreal, dark, sometimes funny, and ambitious with how many characters it followed.

There was a strong mystery that likely hooked a lot of people, and then that mystery was resolved effectively, but too soon, and then the show was canceled after two seasons… all before being brought back for a third season, dubbed Twin Peaks: The Return, over a quarter of a century later. And Twin Peaks: The Return really is one of the most out-there and groundbreaking pieces of television ever, feeling like pure undiluted David Lynch (plus Mark Frost, who was the co-creator of the show who sometimes gets overshadowed by Lynch), for better or worse.

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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

Image via The WB

As far as special effects went, Buffy the Vampire Slayer did its best, for the time and with the money it had. It’s not as technically dazzling as many of the other shows being mentioned here, but it having a go at bringing so many different supernatural creatures to life, pretty much weekly, counts for something. But in any event, it’s really what Buffy the Vampire Slayer was going for narratively and thematically that makes it stand out as notably ambitious.

It’s a show that initially took place in high school, and then had its characters graduate, with the show’s back half being about young adulthood. So, it’s a coming-of-age narrative that spans more time than most coming-of-age stories, and then it touches upon a huge number of topics throughout, all the while balancing so many genres all at once. Honestly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was pretty much every genre, at one point or another, across seven seasons, and the balancing of all that stuff throughout was immense.

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‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)

Image via Toonami

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Speaking of shows that can count themselves as part of every genre, at one point or another, here’s Cowboy Bebop, which manages to do all that genre-hopping within a single season of 26 episodes. It’s about a crew of bounty hunters traveling throughout the Solar System, essentially, so with every new target, there is the chance to go somewhere fresh and mix things up tonally, but Cowboy Bebop does manage to have an overall narrative at the same time.

There are character arcs and one central antagonist, and that main storyline – though not touched upon in every episode – is incredibly compelling, and balanced well against some amazing episodes of a more standalone nature. Cowboy Bebop really does feel ideal in terms of having single episodes that stand out and an amazing ongoing storyline, and that it does all that while having incredible (and varied) animation/music alongside homages to so many different genres and types of movies out there really does make it an all-timer, whether you want to judge it among anime or all TV shows more generally.

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‘Lost’ (2004–2010)

Image via ABC

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Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and 24 were all incredibly groundbreaking by the standards of network television, but it was Lost that arguably pushed what you could do on a non-cable show to its absolute limits. It began as a TV show about people trapped on an island after their plane crashed there, though before too long, it turned out Lost was about much more than just survival in a Lord of the Flies kind of way.

Lost had fantasy/supernatural elements, increasingly complex science fiction ideas, mysteries that kept piling upon mysteries, and all the while, it was thrilling as an action/adventure series, too. It was also bold in how it told its progressively wilder story, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, time travel, and eventually some “flash sideways” too. And then it also looked tremendously cinematic, and balanced a greater number of important characters than the majority of long-running TV dramas out there, too.

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‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)

The Sopranos is an obligatory pick here, and not really the kind of show that feels like it needs much of an introduction. That introduction, if it has to be given, can’t help but contain information you probably already know. It ran for six seasons. It was about the mob, therapy, and family drama. It was sometimes very funny. It was extremely creative and surprising. It ended in a way that people still talk about and debate. It has gabagool.

And then lots of other things. It’s a towering TV show, and it has to be brought up in a ranking like this because it really helped push forward television as a medium and method of storytelling. Almost nothing in The Sopranos dates it, and the fact that it felt groundbreaking when it was being made – and continues to hold up as something truly special, as far as television is concerned – is very much worth emphasizing.

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‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)

Image via HBO Max

Though it’s not a mystery show like Lost was, The Wire is another show from the 2000s that gets noticeably larger in scope with every passing season. It’s also comparable to Lost because its premise is a lot simpler than what ultimately happens throughout, because the earliest season of The Wire is mostly about members of the Baltimore Police Department taking part in an operation that aims to take down a drug-dealing organization.

The members of both those groups remain relevant beyond season 1, but then each season beyond the first adds a new area of Baltimore that gets explored, in effect, as The Wire grows to also deal with the docks, the political sphere, the education system, and then the media. The Wire does get compared to a great novel, sometimes, but that’s a fair comparison to make, because what it achieves really does go beyond the bounds of most television (HBO or otherwise).

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‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

Image via HBO

It didn’t even have to finish all that well to find itself at the end of a ranking like this. Game of Thrones went all-out in terms of often looking better than a good many genuine blockbuster movies, building a unique world as well as Deadwood, but on a much bigger scale. There’s a lack of a protagonist and dozens upon dozens of characters, like with The Wire, but on a bigger scale than “just” a city, as was the case with that HBO series.

Also, though it’s got more to do with the source material paving the way, Game of Thrones is bold on a narrative front, and it establishes itself early on as a show where just about anything goes. It might well have overextended itself, leading to a final couple of seasons that weren’t amazing, but even without a smooth landing, what Game of Thrones did right is enough to make it feel about as ambitious as a TV show has ever felt.

Jesse Solomon is recalling how his past testicular cancer diagnosis changed the way he looked at the world.

Speaking to People in an interview published on Thursday, July 23, the Summer House star, 33, said his health scare majorly shifted his perspective.

“I was never fulfilled doing finance,” Jesse explained of his career path before joining Summer House and pursuing his music ambitions. “Getting diagnosed with cancer the first time was a scary thing and then when it comes back, it was really a lesson of, ‘You never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow so you might as well live life to the fullest today.’”

Jesse added that he’s also hoping for a more fulfilling type of relationship in this stage of his life — which he sings about in his latest single, “Wildfire.”

Related: Jesse Solomon Was ‘Scared’ to Rewatch Cancer Scare on ‘Summer House’

Things got “super real” for Jesse Solomon as he broke down during the latest Summer House episode about a possible cancer scare. During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Jesse, 28, said watching back his emotional moment with costar and friend West Wilson was “not as bad as I thought” it would be. “I was […]

“I try not to write about love and relationship stuff too much because not that it’s overdone… But this one just came to me, and it was kinda like, if it’s not that wildfire love, I don’t want it,” he told People. “I‘ve dated people, and I just haven’t felt that truly passionate… I don’t want anything else.”

Jesse was diagnosed with testicular cancer in August 2017 and again in July 2018. The reality TV star underwent chemotherapy and has been in remission for the past seven years.

In March 2024, Jesse shared a candid insight into what it was like hearing the bad news about his health.

“I felt, like, a twinge of pain in my testicle. I didn’t really think anything of it,” Jesse told Today at the time. “The doctor said, ‘You know it’s probably nothing but go get an ultrasound.’”

At first, Jesse assumed that he had “chlamydia or something,” but the ultrasound, which he received in 2017, revealed that he had testicular cancer.

The doctor was like, ‘Hey, so it looks like you have cancer. We won’t know for sure until we remove the testicle but that’s likely the next step,’” the Bravo star recounted. “It was a bit of a shock.”

Jesse described the “painful” surgery to remove his testicle, comparing it to “piranhas jumping around in your stomach while getting kicked in the nuts by a small child.”

Related: Teddi Mellencamp Received ‘Good Advice’ About Cancer From Jesse Solomon

Teddi Mellencamp has been leaning on fellow Bravo star Jesse Solomon amid her cancer battle. “Guess who I’ve been messaging back-and-forth with about cancer? Jesse Solomon,” Mellencamp, 43, told cohost Tamra Judge on the Tuesday, April 8, episode of iHeartRadio’s “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast. “He’s actually given me a lot of good advice.” […]

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Nearly a year after the surgery, Jesse’s doctor found cancer in the lymphnodes in his stomach — meaning he had stage 2 testicular cancer. He underwent four rounds of chemotherapy from July to September 2018.

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“I was nauseous all the time and didn’t feel great,” Jesse told Today. “I definitely lost my hair, like my eyebrows towards the end. I definitely had, like, tingling in the fingers and the toes and ringing in my ears.”

Jesse told Today that he hoped that by sharing his story, it would influence other men to get tested and hopefully, he would help save lives.

“I want men to know that they should be giving themselves regular physical exams because that’s the best way to be able to tell if there’s something going on,” Jesse told Today. “I caught it early … Maybe it will encourage other people to go and get checked.”

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson has publicly criticized Elon Musk following the billionaire’s comments about Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey.”

Musk had earlier called out the film over what he claimed were historical inaccuracies, prompting Derrickson to question the billionaire’s understanding of cinema.

Despite Musk’s criticism, “The Odyssey” has enjoyed strong success since its release on July 17.

In a now-deleted tweet, Derrickson criticized Musk over his comments about Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

Before the film’s release, Musk had already questioned Nolan’s casting choices and, following its debut, claimed that his AI tool, Grok Imagine, would create a “historically accurate” version of the story before the end of the year.

Musk’s remarks appeared to dismiss the creative effort and craftsmanship involved in producing a film of this scale, prompting Derrickson to respond with a sharply worded criticism of the tech mogul.

“Clearly @elonmusk doesn’t know sh-t about cinema & he stopped reading in his 20s,” the “Doctor Strange” director wrote on X. “His opinions on art are worthless.”

Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Scott Derrickson’s Criticism

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Reacting to Derrickson’s comment, several social media users also criticized Musk.

“Not just cinema,” one user wrote. “Musk is an echo chamber of quislings, so his la la land.”

“Pretty much, his eye for aesthetics or understanding of anything other than the generic is absolutely worthless, as the director said,” another user commented.

Another critic argued that if Musk follows through with his plans, the result could end up being a mess.

“Grok will plagiarize the copyrighted work done by humans on real movies, fed to it by X employees, and will regurgitate incoherent AI slop,” the individual wrote.

Some support did come Musk’s way amid the backlash, with one user citing the tech mogul’s business track record.

“I wouldn’t bet against Musk, he seems to be pretty handy with various industries,” the user said.

Christopher Nolan Addressed ‘The Odyssey’ Backlash Before Release

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Ahead of “The Odyssey’s” July 17 debut, Christopher Nolan addressed the backlash surrounding the film in an interview with The Telegraph.

He said he was not surprised by the reaction, adding that the criticism carried little weight before audiences had actually seen the film.

“But look, these conversations that happen before people see the film – they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet,” he told the outlet.

Nolan went on to compare the scrutiny surrounding “The Odyssey” with the reaction he faced while directing his Batman trilogy, which began with 2005’s “Batman Begins.”

“What I learned over my time on that trilogy is you can’t worry about any of that at all,” Nolan said. “What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can.”

Christopher Nolan Says Sincerity Matters More Than Criticism

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Reflecting further on that period, Nolan said his experience directing the Batman trilogy ultimately proved rewarding.

“In the end, fans of the property – even when we were doing something that was not what they would have done – enjoyed the sincerity of the attempt to put as good a version of it on screen as we could,” Nolan said.

Now, he hopes audiences will respond similarly to “The Odyssey” as its box office run continues.

“All I can do is make the best film I possibly can in the most sincere way. It’s very different from how anyone else would do it, but that’s what adaptation is,” he remarked.

‘The Odyssey’ Scores Huge Opening Despite Early Backlash

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“The Odyssey” is already proving to be a box office success despite the criticism it faced before its release.

The film debuted with more than $264 million worldwide during its opening weekend, with revenue split almost evenly between domestic theaters and international markets.

Much of the skepticism surrounding the film also appears to have faded, as critics are now praising its performances and production design.

It is already being considered a potential Oscar contender, including for Best Picture and Best Actor for Matt Damon’s performance.

Anchorman and Elf star Will Ferrell is the latest iconic comedian to take the #1 spot on the Netflix charts, courtesy of his new comedy series, The Hawk. Sure, the series might’ve earned his lowest-rated Rotten Tomatoes score yet, and it might be far from the comedy peaks of his 2000s catalog, but the numbers don’t lie, and The Hawk has remained the most popular show on the world’s biggest streamer for a week. But it is far from the only show worth watching on the platform right now. So, with that in mind, here’s a list of three shows you should binge-watch on Netflix.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

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‘Ransom Canyon’ (2025–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes: 45% | IMDb: 6.8/10

The biggest TV arrival this weekend is the second season of Netflix’s answer to Taylor Sheridan‘s ever-expanding Yellowstone universe. Of course, the series in question is Ransom Canyon, a Texas Hill Country-set gem created by April Blair that follows three ranching dynasties feuding in the name of land, love, and legacy.

The return of Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly‘s Staten Kirkland and Quinn O’Grady will come as great news for many, following the first season’s 1.12 billion viewing hours earned in its initial release period. For anyone who enjoys gritty soap dramas with plenty of twists and revelations, this easily binge-worthy Western series should be right at the top of your watchlist.

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‘The Sinner’ (2017–2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.8/10

For fans of police procedurals, there is no better gem to unearth on Netflix this weekend than The Sinner. Originally aired on the USA Network from 2017 to 2021, this True Detective-esque anthology series follows police detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) as he is driven by a tragic past to use deep empathy to solve all manner of dark cases.

Also starring Jessica Biel in a scene-stealing first-season role, as well as the likes of Jessica Hechtz, Dohn Norwood, and Adam LeFevre and Carrie Coon, Matt Bomer, Chris Messina, and Frances Fisher in later seasons, The Sinner is the next TV addiction you need. This Primetime Emmy-nominated series has flown under many radars, and it’s time that it earns more recognition.

3

‘The Decameron’ (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 70% | IMDb: 6.5/10

Inspired by the 14th-century Italian short-story collection of the same name by Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron is set during the deadliest pandemic in human history, as a group of nobles and servants run away to a gorgeous villa, only for their time together to quickly spiral out of control.

Created by Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) and executive produced by Jenji Kohan (Orange Is the New Black), this gem of a period drama is both raucous and strangely timely. Likened to Saltburn meets The Great, the show received plenty of positive reviews after its release, and even earned a Primetime Emmy nomination. In a post-COVID world, The Decameron is a perfect binge-watch.

Candiace Dillard Bassett announced her departure from “The Real Housewives of Potomac” in 2024 following the show’s eighth season. Now, years later, the fan-favorite Bravo alum is opening up about her decision, saying she felt forced to fight both the cast and the production team behind the show.

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Dillard-Bassett appeared on the “Pop Syllabus” podcast in July 2026, sitting down for an almost hour-long conversation with the show’s host, Christiana Mbakwe Medina. During the chat, the topic of her much-talked-about exit from “The Real Housewives of Potomac” came up, with the host asking when the show stopped being “worth it.”

She responded, “I think for me, I realized that it was not worth it…I guess that was season seven, around the discourse around my husband.” For context, it was during the show’s seventh season when cast member Gizelle Bryant accused Dillard-Bassett’s husband, Chris Bassett, of making her feel uncomfortable in a hotel room.

She continued, “And really, it became, it was more so about me looking at him and watching the breakdown in his eyes and the fact that no one was really willing to do anything to rectify or correct it.”

Candiace Says She Didn’t Feel Supported By Production

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The former “Housewives” star continued her reasoning for leaving the hit Bravo show, stating that in addition to being at odds with her costars, she felt the production crew made matters worse for her and her husband.

According to her, “And it was also that I started to feel like I’m fighting with the girls, but now I’m also fighting with production, and I cannot have this kind of discourse of both sides of this camera.”

Dillard Bassett went on to describe her then situation with the cast as existing in an “emotional dumpster.” She said, “Okay, you sign up for that, you’re paid to do that, but now I’m having disagreement and issues with the people that are supposed to be protecting me.”

From there, she briefly discussed how the producers interact with the cast, noting that the ladies are assigned a segment producer that they work directly with. The “RHOP” alum then said, “It started to feel like I was not being supported or believed.

In the end, she stated that the “real” reason she left was that she was undergoing IVF treatments amid the stress of the show.

The Singer And Reality Star Announced Her ‘RHOP’ Exit In March 2024

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Dillard Bassett shocked fans in March 2024 when she announced via a statement to PEOPLE that she would not be returning for its 9th season. She said, “As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac,’ I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth, and moments of introspection that have defined this journey.”

Dillard Bassett continued, “With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from ‘RHOP.’” After that, she left the door open for a potential return, saying, ‘This is not a farewell, but a ‘see you later.’”

The “Driveback” singer then said, “Your unwavering support has been my guiding light, and I look forward to the exciting adventures that lie ahead — and more importantly, sharing them all with you!”

Candiace Dillard Bassett Recently Ran Into Gizelle Bryant

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Dillard Bassett is one of the several “Real Housewives” stars who will appear on the upcoming “Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th,” which will celebrate 20 years of the franchise. In February 2026, while appearing on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” host Andy Cohen asked her to dish on seeing Bryant and Ashley Darby during the filming.

For context, not only was Dillard Bassett at odds with Bryant during her time on “RHOP,” but she and Darby also maintained a rocky relationship. She told Cohen, “You all may have some nostalgia.” The “WWHL” host then asked if it was cordial between the ladies.

She reacted with a facial expression before saying, “It was.”

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The Mom Of One Opened Up About Experiencing ‘Gender Disappointment’

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The “Real Housewives of Potomac” alum delivered a baby boy in October 2024, several months after leaving the show. Recently, in July 2026, she appeared on the “If You Knew Better” podcast and revealed that she experienced what’s called gender disappointment, meaning she initially wished she’d had a girl instead of a boy.

According to her, “I had gender disappointment that a lot of moms talk about because I really wanted a girl first, and I remember being fine [at the gender reveal], and I remember going upstairs to shower to get the paint off me, and I like broke down in the shower crying.”

She went on to say that she “always knew that I wanted a daughter. I knew that what was growing inside of me was a daughter, and I was wrong.” Regarding why she decided to open up, Dillard-Bassett stated that “we do need to normalize that that is a thing and it doesn’t mean that you love your children any less or any differently or that you’re not happy.”

Madison Square Garden reportedly restricted access to its surveillance system during Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding celebrations, granting the couple an unusually high level of privacy. The move stands out amid years of debate over facial-recognition technology at live venues, which has even prompted some artists to boycott venues that use it.

MSG also reportedly imposed strict access controls on employees and production staff as preparations intensified for Swift and Kelce’s closely guarded celebration.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly went to extraordinary lengths to keep their wedding celebrations at Madison Square Garden private, even securing a rare restriction on the venue’s surveillance system.

WIRED reports that MSG executives ordered a seven-hour lockdown of the arena’s internal video management system on July 2, preventing nearly all security personnel from accessing cameras and facial-recognition technology “due to a client privacy request.” Sources also claimed the restriction was repeated on July 3, the night of the couple’s star-studded wedding.

The debate over facial-recognition technology at live venues has simmered for years. In 2023, more than 100 artists, including Tom Morello, Zack de la Rocha and Boots Riley, pledged to boycott venues that use face-scanning systems, citing concerns over privacy and potential misuse.

MSG Employees Faced Tight Restrictions Before The Wedding

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Madison Square Garden’s unusual security posture reportedly extended well beyond its camera network, with employees facing sweeping restrictions ahead of Swift and Kelce’s wedding festivities.

As The Blast previously reported, corporate staff were allegedly told the venue was “off limits” for the entire week, with one source claiming employees “were not given a reason why it’s a no-go zone.” The restrictions were reportedly set to remain in place until July 5.

Production workers also allegedly faced tighter controls inside the building. Staffers were said to be barred from carrying phones, issued wristbands and required to pass through an additional security checkpoint before entering.

The measures unfolded as vendors moved into the arena and unusual activity was spotted around the surrounding streets, further fueling speculation about the tightly guarded celebration.

Taylor Swift Wedding Leaks Reportedly Cost Employees Their Jobs

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The secrecy surrounding Swift and Kelce’s wedding reportedly carried serious consequences for Madison Square Garden employees who allegedly failed to follow the rules.

According to Bloomberg reporter Myles Miller, the venue parted ways with staff members accused of violating NDAs tied to the celebration. He also backed up reports that everyone entering the arena, including law enforcement officers, was required to surrender their phones, while access to the building remained tightly restricted ahead of the ceremony.

MSG has not publicly addressed the reports, leaving unanswered questions about the alleged dismissals and the nature of the purported NDA breaches.

Deleted CEO Post Offered Rare Look Inside Taylor Swift’s Wedding

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Despite extensive efforts to keep the celebration under wraps, guests briefly got an unexpected glimpse inside the superstar couple’s wedding after AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron shared — then quickly deleted — a detailed account of the event.

Aron, who attended the ceremony after overseeing the theatrical release of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, called it “such a privilege to be THERE” before describing how Madison Square Garden had been transformed with peach-and-white décor, oversized photos of the couple through the years and an arena floor redesigned to resemble “an outdoor garden at a lush countryside retreat.” He also praised the ceremony as “long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing.”

Although the post was swiftly deleted, screenshots quickly spread across social media, offering one of the only firsthand accounts so far from inside the tightly guarded celebration.

The Security Logic Behind Taylor Swift’s Wedding Venue

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For many fans, Madison Square Garden seemed like an unconventional choice for a wedding venue. But beyond its status as one of the world’s most famous arenas, it reportedly offered something few traditional locations could: the ability to host nearly 1,000 guests while maintaining an extraordinary level of privacy.

Unlike sprawling private estates or luxury resorts, the New York venue features controlled entry points, underground access and the infrastructure to manage large crowds away from public view. Wedding experts also noted that its size made it easier to accommodate a star-studded guest list without sacrificing security, while allowing the arena to be completely transformed into an intimate setting.

The location also carried personal significance for Swift, who has headlined multiple sold-out shows at MSG throughout her career, making the iconic venue a fitting backdrop for one of the biggest moments of her life.

George Kittle is admitting he had a blast at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Madison Square Garden wedding.

Appearing on the Thursday, July 23, episode of the “Unbuttoned” podcast, the San Francisco 49ers tight end reflected on what it was like to attend the celebrity wedding of the year.

“The entire thing was fantastic,” George, 32, told Chris Simms on the podcast. “I had so much fun.”

George attended the wedding alongside his wife, Claire, and his parents, Bruce and Jan. Claire’s mom Shelly also scored an invite and attended the nuptials after Swift and Kelce previously forged strong relationships with the family at Tight End University.

Related: George Kittle and Wife Send Message to Taylor and Travis After MSG Wedding

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and his wife, Claire Kittle, are sending newlyweds Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift a congratulatory message after the couple’s star-studding Madison Square Garden wedding. “It was a family affair. Congratulations on finding your exclamation point!” George and Claire, both 32, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, July 5. “JusT&T […]

“Travis likes Bruce a lot, but then the moms got invited because of Tight End U last year, where they hung out with Taylor for a long time, and she just really liked them,” George explained. “So that was kind of fun to have like a family outing at Madison Square Garden.”

Swift and Kelce tied the knot at the famed New York City venue on July 3, with a star-studded guest list in attendance.

The Grammy winner and NFL player each wore bespoke designs from Christian Dior Haute Couture for their special day.

“The bride and groom’s wedding ceremony looks have been created by Christian Dior Haute Couture. They are designed by Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections, in close collaboration with the bride and groom,” a rep for Swift revealed via press release at the time. “This is the designer’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity. [Both of] their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin and the bride wore Cartier jewelry.”

Related: 49ers’ George Kittle Drops Clues About Taylor and Travis’ Wedding Venue

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding rumors are back in the red zone, and San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle just added fuel to the frenzy. The NFL star, 32, revealed a notable detail about the couple’s invitations while also addressing the ongoing speculation over the wedding’s venue. “They said absolutely no gifts, but I […]

After Swift and Kelce said their “I do’s,” George and Claire sent the newlyweds a personalized congratulatory message via social media.

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“It was a family affair. Congratulations on finding your exclamation point!” George and Claire wrote via Instagram on July 5. “JusT&T Married ❤️. We love y’all!”

The Kittles’ wedding tribute was a reference to Swift’s own phrasing about her now-husband during her debut appearance on Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast last year.

“Travis, he’s just a vibe booster in everyone’s life that he’s in,” Swift said on an August 2025 episode of the podcast as she gushed over Kelce. “He’s, like, a human exclamation point. He’s like when you take a picture on your phone and you push the ‘enhance color’ button, that’s what you do to every text.”

Over the course of the last 99 years, the psychological thriller genre has evolved in ways that are nothing short of fascinating. Contrary to your good ol’ regular thriller, one of the psychological variety prioritizes character-driven tension, moral conflicts, and mind games over external conflict. The result can often be an absolutely enthralling motion picture.

Indeed, from 1927 until the present, there have been several psychological thrillers which have gone down in history as true all-timers and have aged like fine wine. Whether it’s a Golden-Age Hollywood classic like Rear Window or a modern international masterpiece like Parasite, the best psychological thrillers of the last 99 years are among the genre’s definitive masterpieces.

10

‘The Unknown’ (1927)

Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Originally titled Alonzo the Armless, Tod Browning‘s awfully underappreciated silent horror thriller The Unknown is among the most intense silent movies ever made. Starring Lon Chaney in one of his most memorable yet underrated performances, it’s the tale of a criminal hiding as a circus performer, and the horrific lengths he goes to in order to win over the woman he’s obsessed with.

The film holds an impressive 100% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s fully deserved. Gleefully melodramatic and thankfully not restricted by the censorial Hays Code, which wouldn’t be adopted until three years later, the film is as thematically fascinating as it is surprisingly moving. Its horror elements are, like those of pretty much any movie from the 1920s, quite a bit dated; but The Unknown is still a must-see 99 years after its release.

9

‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)

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The late Satoshi Kon made several animated masterpieces over the course of his career. It was as soon as he made his debut with the psychological horror thriller Perfect Blue, in fact, that he cemented himself as one of the greatest anime filmmakers of his generation. Hugely influential and utterly timeless, this is one of those classic animated movies that have aged like fine wine.

For one, the animation is stunning, wonderfully supporting the surrealist vision that makes Kon’s oeuvre so fascinating to explore. Aside from being visually striking, Perfect Blue is also deeply atmospheric and at times unexpectedly terrifying, portraying the horrors of artistic obsession with a level of depth that has inspired films as great as Black Swan and The Neon Demon over the years.

8

‘Parasite’ (2019)

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Bong Joon Ho is one of the greatest South Korean filmmakers currently working, and as if his incredible (and at times awfully underrated) pre-2019 output hadn’t been enough proof, he then came out with Parasite. Today, this is perhaps one of the most noteworthy international films of all time, the first movie not in the English language to win the Best Picture Academy Award.

As a satire critiquing socioeconomic disparity and the exploitation of the working class, Parasite isn’t particularly subtle—but it never needs to be. What makes it one of the best thriller movies of the last 25 years is precisely Bong’s willingness to go big and loud with the narrative, juggling several different genres in a film that can be nail-bitingly tense and suspenseful without ever sacrificing its acidic sense of humor.

7

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

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By this point, Jonathan Demme‘s The Silence of the Lambs has become such an indelible cornerstone of modern pop culture that it has become even more famous than the 1988 novel it’s based on. Whether it is or isn’t a horror movie is a hotly debated topic, but one thing is undeniable: It’s a psychological thriller through and through, and one of the most effective that the last four decades have thus far produced.

Being one of those thriller movies where the villain wins, never afraid to approach its story with brutal grimness and shock value, The Silence of the Lambs is not exactly a crowd-pleaser; but it’s a must-see nonetheless. As far as hugely suspenseful stories with tremendous psychological depth go, it doesn’t get much better or much more iconic than Demme’s magnum opus.

6

‘The Wages of Fear’ (1953)

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Even back during the days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, it wasn’t only the United States that produced exceptional psychological thrillers. For proof, one needn’t look further than Henri-Georges Clouzot‘s French-Italian co-production The Wages of Fear, one of those great thrillers that marked the end of an era. Fueled by pure cynicism and existential dread, it’s one of the most unique films from the 1950s.

The Wages of Fear is as philosophically complex and thought-provoking as it is irresistibly thrilling, achieving the perfect balance between artfulness and pure entertainment value. Its satirical sense of humor is razor-sharp, its social critique of capitalist exploitation has aged like fine wine, and the cinematic thrills that its whole runtime has to offer are pure movie magic.

5

‘Woman in the Dunes’ (1965)

Written by Kōbō Abe and based on his own novel of the same name, Woman in the Dunes is perhaps the best and most important work of the career of Hiroshi Teshigahara, one of the most foundational voices of the Japanese New Wave film movement. A work of pure arthouse avant-garde, Woman in the Dunes is definitely not made for every cinephilic palate. Those who love their psychological thrillers slow-burning and purely psychological, though, will very likely love it.

Woman in the Dunes is basically a philosophical dissertation in movie form, a Kafkaesque masterpiece about the absurdity of life and the odd yet undeniable power of human connections. It’s one of the most underrated drama movie masterpieces ever made, and though it’s definitely intellectually challenging and more on the “psychological” side than on the “thrilling” side, it’s still essential viewing for all fans of the genre with enough patience for it.

4

‘Oldboy’ (2003)

Image via Show East

Another South Korean filmmaker who has proven time and time again throughout his career to be a master of thrillers is Park Chan-wook, but no Park thriller is better or more iconic than Oldboy. Based on Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi‘s Japanese manga Old Boy, it’s one of the heaviest mystery movies of all time, one that’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

But as squirmy as it may be, Oldboy is still one of the greatest action films and psychological thrillers of the 21st century so far. It’s brilliantly intense, perfectly paced and choreographed, and admirably well-acted. As for its third act, it’s one of the most shocking that the genre has ever seen, and more than enough to make this masterpiece a test of endurance for the most seasoned psychological thriller fans.

3

‘Se7en’ (1995)

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David Fincher is one of the greatest thriller filmmakers of his generation, and he proved that since very early on in his career. Se7en was his sophomore directing effort (and the first film he had full control over, considering the disaster that was Alien³), and what an introduction to the Fincher the world now knows and loves it was. It’s probably the darkest, most pessimistic, most cynical blockbuster ever to have made over $300 million dollars at the box office.

As grim and unapologetically tragic as it may be, though, Se7en is also so irresistibly entertaining that anyone who claims to love psychological thrillers, yet hasn’t seen it, doesn’t actually love the genre as much as they think they do. Sure, it’s one of the most fatalistic movies of all time, but Se7en is also an undeniable masterpiece bolstered by its incredible cast, its breathtaking third act, and its many jaw-dropping twists.

2

‘Rear Window’ (1954)

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There were many directors who came before him and helped define the psychological thriller, but it was Alfred Hitchcock who properly transformed the genre into what we now understand it as. Different people may point to different films as their favorite Hitchcock psychological thriller, from Vertigo to Psycho, but there’s one that may even be the director’s best-ever work: Rear Window.

Rear Window is a complete and utter masterclass in virtually every aspect of filmmaking. It’s a masterclass in how to use blocking and framing to tell a story, in how to get the best performance possible out of thespians of Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly‘s stature, and in how to build suspense in a space as tightly confined as an apartment. It’s one of the most universally loved thrillers ever for a reason.

1

‘High and Low’ (1963)

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Akira Kurosawa is pretty much universally recognized as the greatest Japanese filmmaker of all time, and there are those who would go so far as to even call him the greatest overall. Watching a masterpiece like High and Low, it’s really not hard at all to understand why. Part riveting crime drama, part intense psychological thriller, part thought-provoking social critique, it genuinely is one of the best motion pictures ever created.

High and Low‘s story is split into three very tonally and stylistically distinct sections, each one of those experimenting with elements from different subgenres and artistic styles. But the tropes of the psychological thriller are a common thread that unites the entire runtime, and Kurosawa understands them so flawlessly that this is easily one of the most perfect crime movies of the 20th century.

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High And Low

Release Date

March 1, 1963

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Runtime

143 Minutes

Director

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Akira Kurosawa

Writers

Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Eijirô Hisaita, Akira Kurosawa

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Many different directors have utilized their talents to become iconic within the history of the thriller genre, from icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood like Alfred Hitchcock to modern titans of the genre like Christopher Nolan. However, arguably the greatest singular filmmaker when it comes to influence and overwhelming quality within the thriller genre is David Fincher. While not every film that Fincher has directed qualifies, each of his thrillers has been one of the defining experiences of their respective era.

From beloved cult classics to some of the most important and widely celebrated films of all time, Fincher’s thrillers have added to his overarching legacy and stature as one of the all-time great thriller filmmakers. Everyone is going to have their perspective and opinion as to which of Fincher’s thrillers are the greatest, with this list reflecting the energy and legacies surrounding the movies in this specific moment in time.

8

‘Panic Room’ (2002)

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One of the inherent sadnesses of a ranking like this is that one film, no matter how great it may be, has to be last place. The slot goes to Panic Room not due to its lack of quality, but because nearly every other Fincher thriller is so high quality. The film sees Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) trapped in their New York panic room, forced into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse against three intruders during a brutal home invasion. However, tensions have noticeably risen since the main object of interest that the intruders want is inside the panic room.

While many of Fincher’s other thrillers proved to be groundbreaking in their qualities and became massively celebrated classics of their era, Panic Room is simply a tightly-knit, well-executed thriller. It’s certainly good when compared to the array of other thrillers from the 2000s, but when compared to the masterful thriller filmmaking from Fincher’s previous and eventual work, it just doesn’t live up to the stature and level of quality.

7

‘The Game’ (1997)

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Released two years after one of Fincher’s greatest achievements, there were a lot of expectations and excitement placed upon The Game that later Fincher releases simply didn’t have. Audiences of the era simply didn’t respond well to the more abstract and overly twist-reliant energy of the film, with many considering it to be a massive disappointment. However, time has been kind to The Game, with many coming to appreciate its strengths and the classic elements of Fincher’s style.

The film follows San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), who on his birthday receives a strange present from his brother in the form of an abstract game. With constantly changing rules and danger inherent to its very premise, it doesn’t take long before Van Orton’s life is completely consumed by the intricacies of the game. His sense of reality begins to crumble, as he cannot tell where the game ends and reality begins. Similarly to Panic Room, The Game would easily be more celebrated if it were in the context of another filmmaker’s thriller outings, yet compared to Fincher’s other thrillers, especially of the ’90s, it’s easy to see it as a little underwhelming.

6

‘The Killer’ (2023)

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The most recent release in Fincher’s filmography, The Killer is unlike any other thriller in his filmography, acting as a sort of satirical reflection on his entire career and one of the most singular yet strangely endearing films he’s ever made. The film sees Michael Fassbender as a cold, calculating assassin who, after a job gone wrong, ends up on a quest of murder across the globe as he cuts off all loose ends with his former company that employed him. While not as appreciated as his other films, The Killer is still one of the best thrillers of the 2020s and an important step forward for Fincher as a filmmaker.

Part of the genius of the film is that, while it could be incredibly easy to treat the central assassin character as a suave, endlessly effective killer, much like the protagonists of other Fincher thrillers, the reality is in fact the complete opposite. It’s instead the facade that the character convinces himself that he is, while he ends up fumbling and messing up at every opportunity, creating an almost satirical reflection on the glorification of this archetype of character. It’s one of Fincher’s most self-reflective films, all the while doing an effective job of paying tribute and following upon the strengths of the graphic novel that it’s adapting.

5

‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)

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From a strictly conceptual point of view, the existence of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo within Fincher’s filmography was seen with hesitance and questioning from fans instead of raw excitement. This resistance largely came from the fact that another adaptation of the same novel already existed, directed by Swedish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev just 2 years prior. It wasn’t like the previous film wasn’t well-received, with particular, universal praise for Noomi Rapace‘s work as the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander.

However, all hesitation was quickly squashed when the film was actually released. Fincher’s filmmaking style fit the world and characters of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo like a glove, and the performances by Daniel Craig and an Oscar-nominated Rooney Mara lived up to the stature and quality of the previous film. Nowadays, Fincher’s version is largely seen as an impactful companion to the other adaptation, having a lot of signature strengths that helped introduce this novel to more audiences worldwide.

4

‘Fight Club’ (1999)

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Originally released with a great deal of controversy and mixed reception from audiences and critics of the era, Fight Club has amassed an overwhelming legacy in the time following its release, becoming one of the most celebrated cult classics of all time. With exceptional performances and a sense of renegade satire pocking at the danger of consumerism and toxic masculinity, the film can be considered Fincher’s magnum opus and one of the greatest of all time.

The fact that Fight Club isn’t at the very top of the list isn’t an indictment of its overwhelming qualities and craft, but that in the time since its reevaluation, even more of Fincher’s movies have aged gracefully and amassed their timeless qualities to audiences of the modern age. Still, few movies have proven to be so masterfully crafted or worth revisiting, with each rewatch adding layers and providing additional depth and symbolic messaging to the overall experience.

3

‘Zodiac’ (2007)

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While many of Fincher’s most acclaimed thrillers are largely based around original or, at the very least, non-fiction stories, the powerful true-crime elements of Zodiac make it all the more impactful. The film follows the perspective of the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle, as they find themselves obsessed with the murders of the Zodiac Killer and, over the course of a decade, attempt to uncover the culprit. However, as time goes by and public interest in the killings grows, it becomes an unexpected race against time to prevent what could be another murder.

The film was already massively praised when it was first released, yet the mixture of top-notch performances and powerful pacing for maximum tension surrounding its mysteries has made it among the most celebrated in Fincher’s entire filmography. It’s a film that cuts to the heart of exactly why Fincher is such a dynamic and celebrated visionary, delving into elements of humanity and obsession as they grapple with finding the truth even when seemingly all leads have been exhausted.

2

‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

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One of the most pivotal elements of any great thriller, not just the ones directed by Fincher, is a powerful central performance that can take hold of the narrative and elevate the themes and symbolism to make a truly exceptional thriller experience. While many of Fincher’s thrillers feature incredible actors doing top-notch work, arguably the best performance in any of his thrillers comes from Gone Girl. Rosamund Pike’s Amy Dunne is not just one of the great characters of the era, but also one of the best thriller performances of the 21st century.

Her cunning, calculated work, combined with Fincher’s exceptional direction and the layered themes of the original novel, makes Gone Girl one of the best thrillers of the 2010s and a must-watch in Fincher’s entire filmography. The passion and excitement around the film have only amplified in the time since its release, as this gripping psychological thriller has a quality and level of craft leaps and bounds above other thrillers of the era.

1

‘Se7en’ (1995)

Image via New Line Cinema

Fincher’s legacy as a mastermind of the thriller genre has largely stemmed from the brilliance of his first thriller, Se7en. This cultural landmark of ’90s cinema has been continuously lauded and praised not just as one of the greatest thrillers of the decade, but one of the very best that the thriller genre has to offer. It’s about as perfectly crafted as a police procedural can get, with powerful symbolic weight amplifying a captivating mystery and one of the most iconic endings in film history. This story of two homicide detectives hunting down a serial killer whose crimes are based around the seven deadly sins has achieved a life and legacy of its own outside of Fincher’s status and legacy himself.

It’s a masterfully concocted thriller that finds the perfect balance between emotion, mystery, and tension that acts to many as the apex of what thriller filmmaking should strive to be. Even if Fincher didn’t direct any other thrillers after this point, his legacy as one of the great architects of the genre would already be cemented thanks to Se7en. It’s difficult to imagine any other thriller in Fincher’s present or future coming close to the sustained legacy and overwhelming quality that this masterpiece delivers from beginning to end.