President Donald Trump’s joke at the expense of Team USA’s women’s hockey team has divided the sports world following the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The controversy started after Team USA’s men and women’s hockey squads both won gold at the Milan and Cortina games. On February 22, 2026, President Trump called the men’s team in their locker room as they celebrated their overtime victory against Team Canada in the gold medal game. (Trump’s FBI director, Kash Patel, was partying with the men’s team in their locker room during the call.)

After inviting the men’s hockey team to his State of the Union address in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, February 24, Trump quipped: “We have medals for you guys. I must tell you, we‘re going to have to bring the women’s team. [If I don’t invite them,] I do believe I probably would be impeached.”

Several members of the men’s team could be heard laughing at Trump’s joke. USA Hockey subsequently announced that the women’s team would not make a White House visit or attend the State of the Union speech “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”

Related: Dave Portnoy Says Only Psychopaths Are Upset at Trump’s USA Hockey Comment

Dave Portnoy is weighing in on the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s alleged “joke” about the USA women’s hockey team after both the men and women took home 2026 Winter Olympics gold against the Canadians. “People are mad, they’re going nuts. ‘How could the [USA men’s] hockey team laugh, why are they talking to the […]

Keep scrolling for more about what both the men and women’s hockey teams have said about the controversy.

Jack Hughes Gives a Patriotic Speech After Men’s Gold Medal Win

Team USA center Jack Hughes scored the gold medal-winning goal in the men’s hockey finals against Team Canada on February 22, 2026 — a feat made all the more impressive since he’d lost multiple teeth after being cracked with a high stick by Canada’s Sam Bennett in the third period.

In a postgame interview, Hughes told NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen that his team’s Olympics success made him feel “proud to be an American.”

“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes said following Team USA’s win. “I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong. We had so much support from ex-players. I’m so proud to be an American today.”

In the locker room, the men’s team spoke with President Donald Trump. The president joked that he was ”going to have to bring the women’s team,” along with the men, for a White House visit or else he “probably would be impeached.”

Team USA Women’s Hockey Players Decline to Attend State of the Union Speech

In light of President Donald Trump’s joke, USA Hockey confirmed on February 23 that the women’s team would skip a White House visit and declined an offer to attend the State of the Union speech in Washington D.C.

“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” USA Hockey told NBC News. “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”

The Associated Press reported that the quick turnaround of Trump’s invitation for the team to travel to Washington D.C. would have caused logistical problems for the women.

Jack Hughes Tries to Downplay Women’s Team Skipping White House Visit

Team USA’s Jack Hughes seemingly tried to downplay the political implications of the female players turning down President Donald Trump’s offer to visit the White House and attend his State of the Union Speech.

“They’ve got busy schedules too,” Hughes told the Daily Mail on February 23, 2026. “Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today.”

Hughes suggested that critics were putting a damper on both the men and women’s hockey teams’ success at Milan and Cortina.

“People are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,” Hughes complained. “​​People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support [the women’s team], how proud we are of them and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”

Jack Hughes’ Mother Weighs In on Controversy Over Donald Trump’s Remarks

On February 24, Ellen Hughes — the mother of Team USA men’s standouts Jack and Quinn Hughes and a consultant for USA Hockey — defended her sons’ decision to party with FBI director Kash Patel and meet with President Donald Trump at the White House.

“I think at the end of the day, it’s just about the country and the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,” Ellen told Today. “People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side. And that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about.”

Ellen argued that her sons and their teammates’ decision to visit the White House and attend the State of the Union speech was not inherently political.

“If you could see what we see from the inside and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy, and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women,” she insisted. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Ellen went on, “The other things, they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country. I hope everybody just understands what we did in the moment, both the men and women to bring this country together and let everybody cheer in the same direction.”

Quinn and Jack Hughes Express Excitement Over Visiting the White House

During a Good Morning America interview on February 24, 2026, Quinn Hughes said he was “excited” to visit the White House and suggested the trip would be “special” for the men’s team.

“There’s a lot going on on social media right now surrounding our team and [the women’s team],” Quinn added later in the segment. “In the last couple summers, we did a lot of training with them and got to know [them] really well.”

Five Players from Team USA Men’s Hockey Skip a White House Meeting With Donald Trump

Ahead of the controversial White House meeting, it was reported that five players from Team USA men’s hockey — Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel — were skipping the Washington D.C. visit in order to return to their NHL teams.

Connor spoke to reporters about his choice to miss the State of the Union, insisting that he was “just getting ready to play on Wednesday” with the Jets against the Vancouver Canucks.

“We have a big second half [of the season] so I just wanted to make sure I was ready,” he said.

Donald Trump Shouts Out Both the Men and Women’s Hockey Teams in His State of the Union Speech

Donald Trump brought out the Team USA men’s hockey team during his State of the Union speech in Washington D.C. on February 24, 2026, to say that they’d made “the entire nation proud.”

Trump briefly acknowledged that the women’s team also won gold in Milan and Cortina, before suggesting they “will soon be coming to the White House.” He then turned back to the men’s squad to announce that he planned to give goalie Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“I did take a vote … every single one of them rapidly put up their hand up,” Trump told Hellebuyck. “What a special job you did, what special champions you are.”

Vincent Trocheck Condemns ‘Politicization’ of Team USA Hockey’s White House Visit

On the heels of Team USA Hockey’s men attending the State of the Union speech, center Vincent Trocheck told reporters it was “sad” that his team’s White House visit was “getting politicized the way it is.”

“We’re all very proud to be Americans, and we were all so proud to go [to the 2026 Winter Olympics] and win a gold medal,” he told reporters. “We went over there with a job, and it was to win gold and do it for our country and for everybody back here, and we were able to do that.”

He went on, “It’s sad that it automatically gets turned into something political when all we really wanted to do was represent everybody in here and everybody in our country as well as we could.”

Trocheck revealed he’d never before visited White House or the U.S. Capitol, so he felt it was “such an honor to be able to go.”

Team USA’s Hilary Knight Slams Donald Trump’s ‘Distasteful’ Joke

Hilary Knight held nothing back during a press conference on February 25, 2026, as she condemned President Donald Trump making a joke at her team’s expense.

“We just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate,” Knight told reporters. “I think, just the way women are represented, it’s a great teaching point to really shine light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats. And now I sort of have to sit, or anybody has to sit in front of you and explain someone else’s behavior. It’s not my responsibility.”

Knight felt it was unfair to both the men and women’s teams to be bogged down in a political controversy in light of their success at the Milan and Cortina games.

“Whatever’s going on should never outshine or minimize their work and our success on the world stage,” she said. “This was the best American women’s hockey team we’ve ever put together on a world stage when the lights have been the brightest. I think everyone felt that going through that.”

She concluded, “I want to celebrate that [success]. I want people to be remembered for that. I want the legacy of this team to be remembered. That’s what I’m trying to shift the narrative on and really focusing [on] and championing what we’ve done and what we’ve accomplished the last two-and-a-half weeks together.”

Kelly Pannek Says Donald Trump’s Joke Was ‘Not Surprising’

Team USA’s Kelly Pannek spoke with reporters about her success in Milan and Cortina, in addition to the backlash over President Donald Trump’s joke.

“With the phone call specifically, it’s not surprising, to be frank,” Pannek said on February 25, 2026. “So I don’t know why we expect differently, but I think for us, it’s also just about getting back to the focus on our team and what our team accomplished.”

Hayley Scamurra Celebrates ‘Outpouring of Love’ From Fans

Team USA’s Hayley Scamurra briefly touched on President Donald Trump’s joke during a February 2026 appearance on the “Hockey Lifers” podcast, where she said she preferred to focus on the support her team received.

“I think, you know, the call was what it was,” Scamurra admitted. “And honestly, like, the outpouring of love and support we’ve kind of received since that has outweighed any other feelings that I have.”

Jack Hughes Addressed Laughing at Donald Trump’s Joke About the Women’s Team

Speaking to reporters on February 25, 2026, Jack Hughes tried to offer context on why he and some of his teammates laughed at President Donald Trump’s joke at the women’s expense.

“You’re in the moment, the president calls,” Hughes explained. “We’re blaring the music and then they pause the music and then the president calls. I don’t think … obviously, it is what it is now.”

He continued, “We have so much respect for the women’s team. They have so much respect for us. We’re all just proud Americans. We’re happy that we both swept the Olympics.”

Related: JD Vance Warns Team USA Not to ‘Pop Off About Politics’ at Winter Olympics

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Vice President JD Vance is giving Team USA some unsolicited advice as the athletes compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics. “My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you’re representing the country, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans,” Vance, 41, told CNN and other reporters on Wednesday, February 11. […]

Hughes asked the media to remember that he and his teammates “are just hockey players.”

“We did our job. We went over to the Olympics to win a gold medal and that’s what we did,” he said. “I’ve had the best time of my life celebrating with my teammates that we accomplished our goal. I’m a hockey player. We’re so proud to be back in the U.S. and celebrating our gold medal and to do it with our teammates, that’s the best part.”

Team USA’s Tage Thompson Defends Wearing a ‘MAGA’ Hat During White House Visit

Team USA men’s hockey star Tage Thompson faced renewed backlash during his White House visit with President Donald Trump by wearing a Make America Great Again hat for the occasion. He stood behind the divisive fashion choice while speaking to Outkick on February 25, 2026.

“I’m proud to be an American, and I have my own faith, my own beliefs, and everyone’s entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, as well,” he said. “I think we should be able to live in peace knowing that not everyone’s going to agree with you.”

Thompson insisted that his strong religious faith was at the center of his support of Trump and his MAGA movement.

“Jesus is everything to me,” Thompson said. “Obviously, we’re made imperfect. We’re all sinners, and we need him. And I fall short every single day, and he’s the one I rely on.”

He added, “I think when you have that sense of hope, the grace and the mercy that I receive every day from him is something that gives me peace and joy in life, no matter what I do. And he’s blessed me with this game and this opportunity to play the game I love at a high level, a beautiful family and friends, people [surrounding] me that I love. And I’m just very grateful.”

Jeremy Swayman Says Team USA Men Should Have ‘Reacted Differently’ to Donald Trump’s Joke

Team USA men’s player Jeremy Swayman acknowledged that his teammates should have “reacted differently” when Donald Trump made a joke about the women’s team.

“We know that we are so excited for the women’s team,” he told reporters. “We have so much respect for the women’s team. To share that gold medal with them is something we’re forever grateful for. … Now that we’re home, we get to share that together forever.”

Sukihana and Bobbi Althoff have turned into the duo the internet didn’t know it needed! The girlies have folks cuttin’ UP online after their latest YouTube link-up. Suki pretty much stole the show, but it wasn’t her personality that locked down fan love; it was actually her reaction to Bobbi’s tea about her new bae that got it!

RELATED: Wayment! Sukihana Has The Internet In Tears After Saying Tracy Morgan Might Be Her Father (VIDEO)

Sukihana Shook UP Timelines With Her Unfiltered Comments About Bobbi Althoff’s NEW Man

Bobbi Althoff has taken over YouTube again after dropping a new chit-chat video with Sukihana. The duo unpacked everything from makeup to loyalty to whether their vibe is real or just for clicks. Even though they covered it all, the internet can’t stop replaying the moment when Bobbi started filling Suki in on her relationship. Bobbi straight up said she has a boyfriend, and Suki wasted no time asking about their intimacy, which Bobbi told her “is great.” But Suki didn’t stop pressing. The rapper wanted DETAILS and asked, “What makes it great?”

Bobbi immediately got shy and made a lil’ nervous face, and then clocked that her man had literally walked in mid-interview. The minute Suki peeped him, she just smiled and said she already knew what time it was. “I know what makes it great.” She continued, “I’m happy for you. I support jungle fever. You give me that.” Bobbi was shook and couldn’t believe Suki would really try to put her on blast. But Suki didn’t let up, she doubled down and added, “Always the ones that act like they scared to talk about sex and stuff.” 

@bobbialthoff Not this again x @Sukihana ♬ original sound – Bobbi

Suki Leaves The Internet Gagged With Her Spicy Remarks

After Bobbi dropped the clip on TikTok, the comment section went wild! Folks immediately crowned them as their favorite duo, while others said one thing about Suki: she will always tell you about yourself.

TikTok user @Netta wrote, “I love Suki and Bobbi together lol.” 

TikTok user @b r e n d a 🌷 wrote, “I will never skip a Suki + Bobbi video.” 

While TikTok user @ms.trendsetter😖 wrote, “Suki always gonna tell you about yourself 😂” 

Then TikTok user @JaKaria wrote, “When she saw him she knew immediately 😭😭” 

Another TikTok user @UrghSeriously wrote, “This is a similar vibe to Snoop and Martha 😂” 

Then another TikTok user @Treasure wrote, “‘I know what’s making it great’ im crying😂😂” 

Finally, TikTok user @tashiaa28 wrote, “Bobbi’s reaction to ‘what makes it great?‘ told me immediately 😭😂😂” 

The “Magician” Mix-up That Fans Can’t Stop Replaying

Sukihana and Bobbi Althoff have been making the internet crack up over their convos for a minute now. Their friendship kicked off after their first interview, when Suki kept popping off, accusing Bobbi of calling her a “magician” when she said “musician” the whole time. The joke actually stuck, and fans still call Suki a magician to this day. Peep the funny clip below.

@bugz2fly Suki Is comedy! #baddieseast #suki #Bobbi #trending #viral #video #funny #classic #interview #badgirl #Dummy #Musician #lol #Top #zeusnetwork #AirHead #2024 ♬ original sound – Bugz2Fly

RELATED: Issa Kiii! Kevin Gates Has The Internet Screaming After Flexing His Strong Vocals For Bobbi Althoff (WATCH)

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There aren’t too many adult-animated series that get off-the-wall crazy and as self-assured as Smiling Friends. Since its early, unsuspecting success on the Adult Swim programming block, Smiling Friends has created an enthusiastic audience thanks to its fast-paced comedic timing, unusual characters living in highly uncomfortable situations, and a distinct visual style that’s constantly in motion throughout its run. The type of show that you find accidentally one night, while you happen to be awake, and will rapidly begin sending the link to friends you want to show it to.

Now, the window to experience it fresh is starting to close. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel have confirmed the series will conclude after Season 3 (with two additional episodes still on the way), making this the ideal moment to catch up on one of Adult Swim’s most distinctive modern comedies.

What Is ‘Smiling Friends’ About?

Image via Adult Swim

On paper, the premise sounds almost wholesome. Pim (Cusack) and Charlie (Hadel) work at a small charity whose entire mission is to make people smile. In practice, their assignments spiral into chaotic, often deeply strange misadventures that push the pair into increasingly uncomfortable corners of their world.

The cast dynamic is an easy yet efficient one; Pim is excited to take on every job he’s given and approaches each one with wide-eyed sincerity. He believes it will go off without a hitch! Charlie is grounded, quietly exasperated, and appears to be the only realist on the team. The opposing dynamics of their personalities create the emotional center of the show, but as everything around them slips into the absurd.

Episodes are between 10 and 12 minutes long, and every moment counts. Humor is prompt, scenes escalate rapidly, and the series never allows a scene to go on too long for an audience to settle into. This show features a wide range of animation styles. During its run, Smiling Friends has used a combination of classic 2D animation, computer-generated imagery, rotoscoped animation, stop-motion, Flash-style segments, and live-action sequences. The overall effect is to be confusing yet have direction.

The animation styles’ flexibility can be compared to writing, as the humor shifts from dry, awkward exchanges to full-blown grotesqueries within the same scene. In particular, the second season really demonstrated the creative team trying to branch out by using retro video game styles, horror influences, and increasingly elaborate background gags.

How ‘Smiling Friends’ Built Its Cult Following

Image via Adult Swim

Part of the series’ rapid word-of-mouth success comes down to commitment. Rather than smoothing out its rough edges for broader appeal, Smiling Friends doubles down on its awkward rhythms, off-putting character designs, and hyper-specific joke construction.

That approach has paid off. The show quickly earned strong critical marks — including a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes — and became one of Adult Swim’s most buzzed-about originals in recent years. Fans gravitated toward its meme-ready moments, dense visual callbacks, and the strange sincerity hiding underneath the chaos.

Its short, largely self-contained episodes also make it incredibly easy to sample. You can watch one in under 15 minutes — but the show’s layered background jokes and blink-and-you-miss-it details make rewatches especially rewarding.

Why the ‘Smiling Friends’ Is Ending After Season 3

Despite its popularity, Cusack and Hadel made the call to step away from themselves. After years of nonstop production, both creators described feeling creatively satisfied but also deeply burnt out. Rather than risk the show losing its edge, they chose to end things while the energy was still there.

Importantly, the series isn’t disappearing overnight. Two additional Season 3 episodes are scheduled to arrive on April 12, described by the creators as standalone “stragglers” rather than a formal finale. That distinction leaves the door cracked open for a possible return someday, even if nothing is currently planned. Still, for all practical purposes, Smiling Friends is entering its closing chapter — and that makes the timing of a first watch (or a full rewatch) especially appealing.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Get Into ‘Smiling Friends’

Image via Adult Swim

There’s something refreshing about a show that knows when to stop. In an era where many animated hits stretch well past their creative peak, Smiling Friends appears poised to exit while still feeling sharp, strange, and fully itself.

For newcomers, the barrier to entry is low: short episodes, fast pacing, and a premise that reveals itself quickly. For longtime fans, the impending end gives the series a natural rewatch window, especially with those final episodes still on the horizon.

Either way, the math is simple. One of Adult Swim’s most distinctive comedies is wrapping up — and the weirder it gets, the more worth the ride becomes.

Not even couples therapy can make Mercedeh “MJ” Javid and Tommy Feight’s marriage troubles go away.

In Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek of the Thursday, February 26, season finale of The Valley: Persian Style, Tommy, 54, invites MJ, 53, to couples therapy where their marital issues are put under the microscope.

“You know, whatever couples fight about, usually it’s downstream of something deeper that propels the criticism,” the doctor shares with the couple. “In your case [MJ], I think it’s unmet needs and disappointment and longing for something more.”

Viewers are shown previous scenes from throughout season 1 of the Bravo reality show where MJ and Tommy disagree over a wide variety of issues.

While sitting down with his wife, Tommy pushes back on the doctor’s assessment before he begins to raise his voice.

“I’m not perfect, but there’s a lot of critiques,” he says. “To me … I don’t do any of that.”

Another concern MJ presents in the therapy session is Tommy’s unwillingness to hang out with her friend circle. Throughout season 1 of The Valley: Persian Style, Tommy opted out of attending cast events, including dinner parties and a trip to Palm Springs, California.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m on a solo mission socially where I’m going to a lot of events without my husband,” she says.

The doctor chimes in to add, “Part of being a couple is having friends together and social events together. That is something I would really work on.”

Ultimately, Tommy finds the conversation “ridiculous” and starts to feel like his wife is right about everything and doesn’t have to change a thing.

“The only parties I went to are where she abandoned me the second that we walked in there, and I especially don’t like being around people who I have nothing in common with,” he says. “This is nonsense. It feels like you got it all figured out and I got to work on my anger. I’m the one that’s got the issues and the problem.”

In a separate confessional interview, MJ expresses her disappointment in how Tommy is handling what could be a calm and honest conversation.

“Being this extra about not hanging out with my friends, I just feel emotionally so neglected,” she shares. “My feelings aren’t being counted.”

MJ ultimately filed for divorce from Tommy in October 2025 after seven years of marriage. In December 2025, Us Weekly exclusively confirmed that the exes worked out a custody deal with their 6-year-old son, Shams.

“Shams gets the best of both of us. He sees us both all the time,” MJ explained to Us in January when The Valley: Persian Style kicked off. “By design, we are still one family. What I’m trying to do with Shams is just to explain that we’re still very together in every way that matters to our son — games, holidays, dinners, multiple times a week, hanging out at each other’s house — just so that he can see in our actions that we just shouldn’t be married, but we’re still together.”

The Valley: Persian Style airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET with new episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.

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There are movies that leave waves — and then there are movies that struggle to stay afloat despite a massive production, big stars, and a legendary true story at their core. Somewhere in between those waves sits In the Heart of the Sea, a high-budget sea adventure that aimed for epic but never quite found the current, and if you’ve been meaning to give it another watch, your time is running out.

In the Heart of the Sea, starring Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy, is set to leave Prime Video at the end of February — meaning there’s just a short window left to stream this ambitious seafaring drama before it disappears from the platform. Directed by Ron Howard and based on the true story that inspired Moby-Dick, the film charts the harrowing ordeal of the whaling ship Essex after it’s sunk by a massive sperm whale.

Hemsworth plays Owen Chase, the first mate whose leadership and resilience are tested as the crew fights for survival against the unforgiving ocean. Despite a reported production budget north of $100 million, the movie underperformed at the box office and didn’t capture the cultural momentum its marketing suggested it would.

Is ‘In The Heart of The Sea’ Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that In the Heart of the Sea squanders the rich dramatic depth of Nathaniel Philbrick’s book in favor of a glossy, surface-level retelling that never quite finds its emotional anchor. The review noted that while the film doesn’t fail outright, it rarely rises above competence, which is about as damning with faint praise as one could muster. Ultimately, the review concluded that In the Heart of the Sea is visually impressive but dramatically adrift.

“The film doesn’t need to be a history lesson, but there are times when it goes out of its way to avoid rich dramatic material presented in Philbrick’s book. Like his characters after their boat is smashed, Howard doesn’t seem to have much idea of where to go. He just wants to make sure he makes a comment about energy dependence (something dropped in so clumsily you can almost hear him talking about it at the press junket) and then sets the audience on its way. In the Heart of the Sea may not be completely heartless, but Howard should have been able to bring more verve and energy to this tale.”

In The Heart of The Sea leaves Prime Video at the end of the month.

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Release Date

December 3, 2015

Runtime

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122 minutes

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There are comedies that make you laugh. There are thrillers that keep you guessing. And then there are movies that somehow do both — while also quietly roasting everyone involved. Few filmmakers have mastered that tonal tightrope quite like the Coen Brothers. Across decades, they’ve built a filmography filled with morally questionable characters, absurd misunderstandings, and endings that hit you sideways. And the one with the funniest ending of all is about to vanish from streaming.

Burn After Reading, written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, is set to leave Prime Video at the end of February. Released in 2008, the film follows a group of deeply unserious people who believe they’ve stumbled upon explosive CIA secrets — when in reality, they have absolutely no idea what they’re holding. The all-star cast includes Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton — each delivering performances that range from unhinged to hilariously pathetic, as well as featuring the most demented “pleasure device” ever conceived for film.

While Burn After Reading wasn’t as universally praised as some of the Coens’ heavier hitters like No Country for Old Men or Fargo, it’s grown into a cult favorite thanks to its satire and endlessly quotable absurdity.

How Good Is ‘Burn After Reading’?

Collider’s review stated that Burn After Reading proves the Coen Brothers can bend any genre to their will — even if this particular outing doesn’t visually sparkle the way some of their previous films have. The review praised the razor-sharp screenplay and the cast’s commitment. Pitt’s gleefully dim personal trainer is a highlight, delivering broad comedy with precision, but the technical side doesn’t quite match the script’s bite.

“Finally, I think the editing of the film is a bit lacking. It’s not that the film feels too fat or too lean, but like the cinematography, it rarely pops. ‘Reading’ doesn’t need to be a loud film, but there doesn’t seem to be a total embrace of the film’s wonderful tone. ‘Burn After Reading’ is as smart and sharply acted as any other of the Coen Brothers’ great films. It’s a shame that the other aspects of the film aren’t as good, but they certainly don’t hurt the film and shouldn’t dissuade you from seeing how once again, the Brothers Coen are the masters of any genre they set their sights on.”

Burn After Reading leaves Prime Video at the end of February.

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Release Date

September 12, 2008

Runtime

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96 minutes

Director

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

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Writers

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

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Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

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