In the world of science fiction cinema, the stories that are brought to life on screen tend to be far-reaching extensions of our current reality. Maybe they take us to galaxies far away or introduce us to a not-too-distant future through technological evolution. No matter the story in front of you, they provide an escape from the here and now. But what happens when the story you’re watching takes things to the next level and disturbs or provokes you? That’s when we enter a new realm of sci-fi.

For every kind of extraterrestrial that Steven Spielberg introduced, there’s an equally terrifying alien straight from the world of Ridley Scott. A trip to space may sound like a dream, but what if you’re literally lost in space with no way home? The ten films on this list are incredibly intense; they elicit different emotions that you may not experience with other sci-fi films. From a terrifying monster destroying the Big Apple to a trip that gets a little too close to the sun, the anxiety felt while watching these movies is palpable. Take a deep breath as we relive ten intense sci-fi thrillers.

10

‘The Martian’ (2015)

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We’re going to begin our journey with a film that has a hopeful finale, but a stressful journey to get there: The Martian. Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian is based on Andy Weir‘s novel and tells the story of astronaut Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is presumed dead and accidentally left behind on Mars following a sand storm. Using ingenuity and scientific knowledge, Watney survives the harsh environments, cultivates food, and manages a way to signal to Earth that he is alive while the crew on Earth fights to bring him home.

Though The Martian may not be as bleak as other lost-in-space films, the fight for survival and the anxiety to save him are enough to make your heart race. Damon plays Watney as a brave man who uses all the tools at his disposal to improve his dire situation. Through scientific problem-solving, Watney is an inspiration, rarely letting the situation tear him down. Perhaps the more anxiety-inducing experiences come from those who made the tough decision to evacuate, living with the consequences. The Martian is a story about extreme isolation; you may leave the film content until you realize you’re most certainly not Dr. Mark Watney.

9

‘Ex Machina’ (2015)

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The closer we move toward artificial intelligence robots becoming a practical reality, the more intense the premise of Ex Machina truly becomes. In writer-director Alex Garland‘s 2014 thriller, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), the CEO of BlueBook, invites his programmer, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), to administer the Turing test to an intelligent female humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). During the evaluation, Caleb develops feelings for Ava and becomes suspicious of Nathan’s true intentions.

This sleek and visually impressive film is a highly intellectual psychological thriller that opens up a conversation about the terrors of robots and technology, and how dangerous they could be in the wrong hands. Storytelling-wise, it’s as intense as they come, with Garland remarkably crafting a claustrophobic atmosphere with a menacing “god-complex” villain and a sentient robot. The psychological manipulation and the ethical and philosophical dread are nearly unbearable. If you fear AI, best sit this one out, or use it as a cautionary tale to fight against the potential before we’re all completely manipulated.

8

‘The Thing’ (1982)

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If there’s one thing John Carpenter is extraordinary at, it’s creating an intense, haunting atmosphere, and The Thing is the perfect example. The film follows a research team in Antarctica hunted by a shape-shifting alien that perfectly imitates its victims. As paranoia erupts after a sled dog brings the creature into the American base, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) must lead a battle for survival where at any moment, any of the crew could be the monster.

The Thing taps into the deepest-rooted fears of paranoia and the unknown. Watching the creature transform and merge into its victims is an intense visual experience; add in the setting of a frozen hellscape where there’s literally nowhere to hide, and you’ve set yourself up for a majorly intense situation. The combination of psychological and visceral body horror makes The Thing a standout. Though there have been quite a few advancements in cinema since 1982, at the time, the sheer terror that it exuded through its effects was enough to induce nightmares.

7

‘Cloverfield’ (2008)

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In Cloverfield, the terror is ever-present, making the found footage experience richly evocative. The found-footage monster mash, directed by Matt Reeves, follows a group of friends as they attempt to navigate a catastrophic attack on New York City by a massive, menacing creature. Told through the hand-held camcorder with an ensemble cast comprising Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman, T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Vogel, and Ben Feldman, Cloverfield follows their desperate mission to rescue friends while the military fights the monster, resulting in widespread destruction and mortality.

Perhaps the number one question we have is, why the hell are these people filming! Run! But that’s where the fun comes in. It’s an intense situation experienced by individuals who have no semblance of what to do. We may question their actions, but truly, what would you do if your city were overrun by a massive monster deadset on killing? A highly disorienting film, the handheld camerawork pushes the threat of the unknown until destruction is visible, but our inability to see exactly what the characters are seeing makes it all the more stressful. Though 10 Cloverfield Lane is the far superior film, it would not have been had we not had the original first.

6

‘Gravity’ (2013)

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Many space films tackle the battle between humans and aliens, but what about the fight for survival against space itself? That is at the core of Alfonso Cuarón‘s gripping thriller, Gravity. The story follows Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), an engineer whose first shuttle mission is destroyed by debris, leaving her and fellow astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) stranded. In a terrifying, nonstop fight against the clock, dwindling oxygen, and the vacuum of space, the duo will do whatever it takes to make it home alive.

A tightly executed 90-minute thrill ride, Gravity is a visceral and emotionally profound film about human resilience and rebirth.Cuarón uses space as an intense metaphor to capture the emotional turmoil stemming from the main character’s personal loss, while the existential threat of her demise looms. Cuarón offers a technically brilliant piece, capitalizing on immersive, uninterrupted shots and a realist portrayal of space in motion. That said, this film is far from scientifically accurate. Nevertheless, Gravity is a stressful, high-stakes survival story that pinpoints the immediate dangers posed by elements you may never have imagined.

5

‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)

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At first, you might have been shocked to learn that one of Hollywood’s favorite couples, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, were bringing a full-force sci-fi horror collaboration to the screen, but after watching A Quiet Place, it all made sense. Directed by Krasinski from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the story tells of a post-apocalyptic horror world where the Abbott family—father Lee (Krasinski), mother Evelyn (Blunt), deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and sons Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Beau (Cade Woodward)—tries to survive in silence while hiding from blind extraterrestrial creatures with hypersensitive hearing.

A Quiet Place focuses on themes of family protection and grief in a high-stakes, tense environment where one mistake could cost them all their lives. It proves the power of storytelling without dialogue, and that, in and of itself, is extraordinarily stressful. Viewers are forced to experience absolute silence, creating immense, sustained, and anxiety-inducing suspense. You may not hear fear, but you certainly can sense it! The fascinatingly intense part of watching A Quiet Place is the dread and the sense that you, too, feel compelled to be quiet as you watch. It’s an added layer that very few movies have!

4

‘Sunshine’ (2007)

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Set in 2057 as a global freeze threatens human extinction, Sunshine tells the story of the crew of the Icarus II, who must detonate a “stellar bomb” inside the sun to restart it. Upon intercepting a signal from the Icarus I, the first ship that vanished seven years prior, a series of sabotage and accidents jeopardizes their mission, leading to intense psychological strain, unexpected deaths, and a final, successful sacrifice to save humanity.

A catastrophic nightmare of a film, Sunshine shifts from an intellectual, philosophical science-fiction story to a psychological horror thriller in which no crew member is safe. Whether it be the threats of a rogue human monster or the cosmic threat of the sun, the film is filled with nonstop, overwhelming anxiety. When the film takes the drastic turn into a cosmic slasher film in the third act, the build-up of suicide, murder, and intense physical injuries confined in claustrophobic ship interiors pushes the action to a stressful staccato of endless anxiety.

3

‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1978)

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The original film adaptation of Jack Finney’s novel mastered paranoia, but the second iteration built on its themes and ideas to create a truly intense viewing experience. Directed by Philip Kaufman, the 1978 adaptation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers tells the story of a silent alien invasion in San Francisco, where extraterrestrial spores create emotionless human clones. These “pod people” replace sleeping humans, forcing health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) and his colleagues to escape the city.

A story where paranoia creates an instant sense of mistrust, Invasion of the Body Snatchers taps into the themes of loss of individuality, conformity, and the anxieties of urban life. Though we tend to view San Francisco as a desirable setting for a story, here it’s transformed into a cold, urban landscape that makes it feel hopeless, matching the dread created by the emotionless, replicating aliens. What makes this version of the story more intense is that the invasion has already engulfed the area, so the characters’ struggles feel futile and helpless, turning the film into an intensely claustrophobic experience. Through tightly framed shots, fish-eye lenses, and low-light, film-noir-inspired settings, the erosion of trust comes more swiftly.

2

‘The Invisible Man’ (2020)

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Inspired by H.G. Wells’s The Invisible Man, Leigh Whannell propels the story forward with modern technology and themes to craft the perfect adaptation. The film follows Cecilia “Cee” Kass (Elisabeth Moss), who escapes an abusive relationship with Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a wealthy tech entrepreneur, only to suspect he has faked his death and is using an advanced invisibility suit to terrorize her.

Drawing on extraordinary technological developments and themes of gaslighting, abuse, and control in modern relationships, The Invisible Man taps into our practical fears through an unsettling sense of suspense. Whannell recontextualizes the classic take through a sci-fi lens to hone in on the impact of the metaphor of domestic abuse. Literally having the antagonist torment his victim as an unseen entity couldn’t be a closer replication of modern manipulation. Perhaps the anxiety we feel watching Celia’s experience this unfathomable rollercoaster is due to Moss’ career-defining performance. She was going through it for six seasons on The Handmaid’s Tale, but here, it was full throttle in a fast-paced race to prove sanity.

1

‘Alien’ (1979)

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Thanks to Ridley Scott, we learned that in space, no one can hear you scream. One of the most defining mashups of horror and science fiction is the sensational Alien. The terrifying space thriller follows a commercial starship crew as they investigate a derelict vessel and are hunted by a deadly extraterrestrial creature. Alien is, at its core, a survival story from a newfound slasher in the form of the titular creature. Between the debut of the Xenomorph and literal extraterrestrial popping out of a man’s chest, Alien proved that space can truly be a terrifying place.

The sheer terror of being stalked by a highly aggressive creature of whom you know nothing about provides a tense experience. Scott turns the ship into its own haunted house, where salvation is far and few between. Through a slow, creeping buildup, the tension is surmountable, and by keeping the threat mostly unseen, the fear is palpable. Much of the film’s and franchise’s intensity comes from the creation of the alien by H.R. Giger. The xenomorph is a living, breathing terror, hands down the most terrifying alien creation in cinema. There is no sci-fi thriller more intense than Alien.

,Days of Our Lives early spoilers for May 18th – the 22nd stun with Amy Choi (Shi Ne Nielson) attacking Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) in a rage over her daughter’s suicide. Plus, there’s a new hunk coming to Salem who shows up because of a tragedy.

And as always, on early edition day, we’re going to start with what is happening the rest of this week and then we’ll get into what goes on next week. Let’s get right to it.

Wednesday, May 13th

Wednesday, May 13th. We’ve got Gwen irritated when EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) pulls a fast one on her. I would not be surprised at all if he is trying to cheat Gwen out of her return on her investment into the Versix and Rolf’s lab. EJ may be annoyed at all the problems that Gwen’s hijinks have caused him, plus the whole Xander Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) laying half naked around his house thing.

On Monday, if you recall, Abe Carver (James Reynolds) was at Lexie Carver‘s bedside at Salem University Hospital and Paulina Price (Jackée Harry) eavesdropped and heard them professing their love for each other when Lexie woke up. So then on Wednesday, we’re going to circle back around to that and Marlena is there to offer support and comfort to Paulina who is reeling.

The thing is that I love you is bad enough. But once Abe finds out Paulina has known for quite a while that Lexie was alive and recovering in the person pod in the lab, that might be enough for Abe to rationalize walking away from Paulina and reuniting with his soulmate, Lexie.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Steve Visits Alex

Also, on Wednesday, we’re going to see Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) getting a visit from Steve. So, I think we’re going to see Stephanie Johnson‘s (Abigail Klein) dad worried about the impact of Alex’s surprise baby on his and Stephanie’s marriage. Steve obviously wants to protect Stephanie. But Alex hasn’t done anything wrong, and that’s the bottom line.

Thursday, May 14th

Thursday, May 14th, we’ve got Chanel Dupree DiMera (Raven Bowens) and Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) both needing comfort and leaning on each other. Her biopsy for the breast lump is supposed to happen soon, and obviously we’re expecting bad news. Plus, they are reeling over what Sophia Choi (Madelyn Kientz) did to Johnny, nearly killing him, and then her alleged suicide. Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) keeps bugging Arianna Horton (Vico Escorcia) going out with Liam. And that’s hot on the heels of Ari getting a steamy first kiss from Liam at the bookstore.

Gabi already weighed in on this. But Liam was stunned when Ari said her mom, Gabi’s a felon, which is true. And in fact, Ari’s mom has been in Statesville prison three times: once for shooting Nick Fallon, which she did do, and then for killing Li Shin, and then for killing Andre DiMera. But Gabi didn’t do either of those two crimes. However the Nick one she did, even though it was in self-defense. But she got out of prison early, even though she had been sentenced to like between 10 and 20 years. I can’t remember.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Shawn Brady Makes a Shift

Shawn Brady (Brandon Beemer) is out of the hospital and he moves in with Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). And we are seeing sparks flying from the start. I wonder if Belle is going to be bothered when caretaking turns to love making, unless of course she is really over Shawn. Big Days of Our Lives casting news for Thursday says we are going to meet Jason Choi (Steven O Young) who is the husband of Amy Choi. He’s played by Steven O. Young. He’s a really handsome guy.

He was in the newest Mission Impossible movie, by the way. Obviously, Amy’s husband is in town. Because his daughter Sophia died. And I wonder if we’re going to find out if he is as uber religious and strict as Amy is and whether he and Sophia had a good relationship.

Speaking of the Choi family, Amy is over at the Kiriakis mansion mixing it up with Holly and Tate Black (Leo Howard). And remember, Holly was just a jerk to Tate. Because of his decision to drop out of college and get a job instead. And she’s clearly judging him. So Amy lays into Holly. It’s a vicious verbal attack about Sophia’s death and her cyberbullying her daughter. And Amy’s lashing out, saying she doesn’t believe a word out of her mouth and basically calls Holly a liar.

Friday, May 15th

We’re going to wrap up this week on Friday, May 15th, with Rafe listening patiently as Javi vents. I think he’s mad about Leo trying to stay in his life when Javi just wants to forget the Dimitri mess, the heartbreak, their messed up wedding and all of it. Gwen won’t budge with Xander, and I wonder if Gwen is going to come at Xander hot. Because she’s so upset at the shady move EJ made earlier in the week. Also this week, Xander is lured up to Kristen DiMera‘s (Stacy Haiduk) room at the Salem Inn, and Xander wants to know why she’s so eager and desperate to get him alone.

Kristen wants Xander to kill a guy, and I’m guessing it’s EJ. May spoilers point to Kristen and Xander hitting the sheets, which would be wild. And Kristen may try and sexually manipulate Xander into doing murder. But honestly, I don’t see him taking a life for Kristen and risking his future. So we’ll see how that goes. Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd) and Kristen at the end of the week are discussing heavy life and death matters.

They may be discussing their sister Lexie’s resurrection and Chad’s disappointment that EJ said it’s not an option for Abby, which is what Chad was really hoping to hear. EJ is a little obsessed and wants to know more about his forgotten past with Cat. So, it looks like EJ is going to circle back to Marlena and go under hypnosis again. And I wonder what EJ will remember.

Week of May 18th-22nd

The week of May 18th through the 22nd, we’re going to have big action as Wednesday, May 20th, is the last day of May sweeps. Stephanie is girding her loins to get some closure on her kidnapping. Meanwhile, Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins) and Kelsey keep bonding with Alex. And Stephanie is feeling frustrated with all of this. But what can she do? I think she’s going to do something with her gun.

I wouldn’t be surprised if she shot Owen if she got the chance. Thanks to Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier), we’re going to see Gabi present the Vivian handwriting samples, probably to Rafe and the FBI for analysis. And this could prove that Vivian signed the divorce docs, and that could clear the path for her to get some DiMera dollars.

Days of our Lives Spoilers: Xander and Kristen Get Close

Xander and Kristen are getting way too close for little Victoria’s sake. I hope he doesn’t do what she asks. Plus, Chanel is going to find out her diagnosis and prognosis and whether there is any treatment possible since she’s pregnant. Plus, Eli should be in Salem soon.

And Belle talks to Paulina about recusing herself from DA duties if Amy and Jason Choi do press charges against Holly. I do wonder if Justin is going to take Holly’s case if it gets that far. And between Tate bailing on Salem University plus Sophia’s death and the accusations and the stress about her grades, I’m wondering if Holly may call her outside the lines again and start drinking or taking pills.

Abe should find out soon that both Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) and Paulina knew about Lexie being alive way before he did and Paulina way before Theo did. So, I also am wondering how long until Lexie can go home and whether Abe will move out on Paulina so that he can take care of Lexie.

That’s probably what’s going to happen. I’m sure that EJ would love to have Lexie at the DiMera mansion. But Abe would hate that. Lexie might not like it either. Jada and Shawn are sizzling hot. And Marlena wonders about the chess box that was left for John, and we’ll have to see if somebody else decides to open it and poke around.

Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers for Widow’s Bay Episode 4.

If Episode 4 of the Apple TV horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay taught us anything, it’s that self-help books can be hazardous to your health on the quaint but creepy island off the coast of New England. While it seems like the biggest horror would come from the lack of wi-fi and spotty cell reception, there is something about the town’s lore that’s darker and more dangerous for the locals and tourists. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate and determined to build a better future for his teenage son as he works to turn the island into a tourist destination. The problem with his otherwise admirable goal is that, after decades of calm, the old stories that seem more creative fiction than reality have started happening again.

Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) would love nothing more than to be of value to Tom in his goals, in a way that she wasn’t in high school, where the mean girls purposely ignored and excluded her. With the mayor and local conspiracy theorist Wyck (Stephen Root), she finds a sense of comradery that she just can’t make work with her former classmates. After showing up at a social gathering where she was ostracized, she becomes set on throwing her own party to impress the people who openly dislike her and get her groove on, on the dance floor. And while she thinks she’s actually really done it, surrounded by a room full of lively people, she quickly realizes that her dream come true is more of a nightmare, as her self-help book turns out to be a grimoire, her party tiara is actually a crown made of antlers, and you don’t even want to know what’s in the punch.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with O’Flynn about how excited she was to shoot Episode 4, entitled “Beach Reads.” During the interview, she discussed digging into Patricia’s pain, working with the costume designer to find her character’s style, the misdirected hatred that Patricia finds herself at the center of, getting to dance at the party, Patricia’s reaction to learning what was really going on, that animal headpiece, the boogeyman, and how Patricia just wants to feel like she’s of value in her town.

Kate O’Flynn Was Excited To Get To Dig Into Patricia’s Backstory in ‘Widow’s Bay’

“It was such a thrill. I didn’t see it coming.”

Image via Apple TV

Collider: When you read Episode 4, what was your reaction? Did you know all of this about Patricia at the start of the series, or did this episode provide layers to her that surprised you?

KATE O’FLYNN: I had no idea. I’d done two tapes, and I was about to meet (director) Hiro [Murai] and (creator) Katie [Dippold] on a Zoom. And then, I read this episode, and it was so exciting to me. It was just such a thrill. I didn’t see it coming. And then, the synapses started pinging, with all the different colors of Patricia and all the different layers to her, with the Carrie references, the Wicker Man references, and the potential for showing the pain of what she’s going through and the ecstasy of what she feels at the party, fulfilling something that she would have dreamt about for years. I was really, really excited when I read it.

What were you told about her, about this town, and about the series in the very beginning? Because this is not a show that’s easy to describe, did you know what it would evolve into by the end of the season?

O’FLYNN: No, I don’t think any of the actors did. I think Katie would say that when you start Episode 1, you have no idea that it’s going to end where it ends. So, every time we got a script during filming, it was a page-turner to find out what happens. I remember auditioning, and the humor was not meant to be broad. They gave Barry as a reference, in terms of the tone. It just made sense to me, actually, reading the script. The world that Katie had created was very clear. It felt grounded. And all the characters, I recognized those personalities. As odd as it sounds, it really didn’t feel weird to me. It felt familiar.

I think it helps that a lot of that gets established before anything weird does happen.

O’FLYNN: Yeah. I remember the first read-through with the core cast – Matthew [Rhys], Kingston [Rumi Southwick], Stephen [Root], Dale [Dickey] and Kevin [Carroll]. We hadn’t read together, and it was all new, but it felt like there was a silent understanding of what it was and a good chemistry in the room. We were all on the same page without having talked about it.

When Patricia shows up with this group of women that are all hanging out together, they’re not particularly nice or welcoming when she comes in the door. She brings a bottle of wine, but they make snide comments about the kind of wine she brings. They don’t really include her in their conversations, and they snap at her when she goes to open a cabinet. The only one who’s really nice to her is the newest resident in town. How does Patricia feel about that?

O’FLYNN: What’s great about her is that she tries, and she just keeps trying. She’s looking for connection. She’s in a room of wolves, basically, and she’s so excited to find this new person that doesn’t know her history and her reputation. Actually, they seem like they’re on a level. In another world, they’d be friends. There is huge excitement for Patricia because she doesn’t have any friends, and she has been stuck in that role and dynamic since high school. She has never been able to reinvent herself. It’s huge. And then, it’s such a crushing blow when Shelby sides with the pack.

There’s that moment when she gets the drink spilled on her, so she has to go to the bathroom to clean up, and she thinks she’s going to return to this new friend, only to find her with the other women? How do you think she felt in that moment?

O’FLYNN: I think it’s really upsetting, but she’s used to it. There is this resilience in her where she’s like, “Yeah, I’ll take the photo, and I’m going to go home.” It’s painful for her.

We see that she’s left the party and is walking down the street, but we don’t see what happened in that moment in between. Do you think she even told anyone she was leaving?

O’FLYNN: No. I think everyone turned their back. People probably just quietly turned their backs, and she hovered around a bit too long thinking, “What do I do? I should go.” And then, she goes very quietly, and no one says bye. That’s what I think. Maybe in the first three episodes, you’re like, “What’s her deal?” She’s quietly passive-aggressive. And then, in Episode 4, you get to see what she’s been dealing with.

There’s something so sad about watching her looking through that book and getting to the page of worst features and circling them on the body. What did you think of that moment?

O’FLYNN: You’re seeing Patricia on her own. There’s no pretense there. She’s a funny mix of optimism and pain. It’s not like she’s someone that would really dwell on those insecurities, going about her day. But on her own, you see her at her most vulnerable.

How would you describe her style? Is it reflective of who she is?

O’FLYNN: I loved working with Alex Bovaird, the costume designer. She’s a genius. It took us a while to find Patricia. It was like, how does she exist in the real world? Her interior world is really big and strong. She’s very imaginative and creative, and that comes out in her poetry and her paintings and in her style. It’s slightly conservative. It’s modest. She tries to spark joy in her colleagues with a fun brooch but also needs to be practical because she’s got to walk around so she has practical shoes. It was about finding those subtle details to make her different to the other women. They’re normcore, and she’s got something else going on.

Kate O’Flynn Believes the Hatred From Patricia’s Classmates in ‘Widow’s Bay’ Is Misdirected

“She is herself, she doesn’t always say the right things, and she can be a bit annoying, but they really go for her.”

Image via Apple TV

Patricia might be a little awkward, but she’s a good person. Why do you think all these other women consistently pick on her? They tell her to let her story about the boogeyman go, but they don’t let it go either. Do you feel like that’s just an excuse and that they would just find another reason to pick on her if it wasn’t that?

O’FLYNN: Yeah. Don’t you find that people bond over finding someone to not like? It can be quite a connecting thing. Patricia can’t shapeshift. She is herself, she doesn’t always say the right things, and she can be a bit annoying, but they really go for her. They think she’s lying. They’ve lost all their friends, so they’re really upset about that, and it’s misdirected at her. It’s like she’s almost to blame for the death of all these women. The extent of the hatred for her is like she’s to blame for the death of these girls. It’s misdirected.

You did get to do a bit of dancing in this episode at the party. Did anyone coach you on what to do? Was that all you did?

O’FLYNN: Yeah. Sam [Donovan], the director, was like, “Listen, we’ve got a choreographer and we can workshop it.” I was like, “Okay, great.” So, I met with this lovely woman. Patricia is someone who watches VHS tapes of these music videos, and it’s quite an eclectic mix. She will rewind and try to get a move down in her back pocket to maybe bring out at a party one day. That’s her dream. So, we came up with a few moves from ‘90s hip-hop, and something from “Rhythm of the Night” that’s quite Bob Fosse and broad spectrum. And then, I just riffed off that and came up with a few of my own things that felt right for Patricia. It felt important that that moment was just her loving life.

Patricia Is Horrified When She Realizes What’s Really Going On at Her ‘Widow’s Bay’ Party

“It’s weirdly heartbreaking in a way that I wasn’t expecting.”

Image via Apple TV

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There’s the moment that everything flips in this episode, and we learn that Patricia hasn’t actually been using a self-help book, that she wasn’t really wearing a tiara, and that there’s some sort of demonic spell book and animal headpiece happening instead. And then, there’s also the punch. What do you think it was like for her to realize what was going on and to figure out what was happening?

O’FLYNN: I think her stomach went to her feet. It’s absolutely horrific. And just the slow realization of, “Oh, my God, what have I done? Have I killed all these people?” She goes straight into trying to fix it mode, but it’s horrifying for her. When I read it in the script, I found it so funny because I didn’t see it coming. And then, doing it and watching it, it’s weirdly heartbreaking in a way that I wasn’t expecting. With this show, you never quite know what something is going to feel like or what any moment is going to be. That’s what’s so exciting about it.

Do you think she really believed things had turned around for her before that moment happened?

O’FLYNN: Yeah. She doesn’t see it coming that she was under a spell. There’s a hope in her that’s like, “Oh, my God, this is it. I figured it out. People love me. I’ve done it.” There’s maybe a niggling doubt with Rosemary, because Rosemary is always saying something, but she shuts it out until she can’t anymore. When you see all the dead birds and everything, it’s pretty disgusting.

Did you actually get to wear whatever the animal headpiece was?

O’FLYNN: There were three different versions of what that headpiece should be. It needed to not be funny. It needed to be scary. It needed to be the right height. Was the animal going to have teeth or no teeth? There was a bird’s nest in one of them. Hitting the right tone with the headpiece took quite a lot of figuring out. And it was quite heavy. So much craft, talent and work had gone into it, I didn’t want it to fall off my head.

Patricia Has Found Connection in ‘Widow’s Bay’ With Tom and Wyck

“There’s an inkling that she’s with her people – these two other weirdo outsiders.”

Patricia is at her lowest point when Tom and Wyck pull up and tell her to join them. What do you enjoy about that trio of the three of them? Where does she see herself in that trio? Where does she believe she fits in with them?

O’FLYNN: You’re absolutely right. She’s at her lowest point, so it’s so delightful to then suddenly have everything she’s been wanting – connection, a tribe, her buddies. Suddenly, there’s an inkling that she’s with her people – these two other weirdo outsiders. She’s gone through the fire, come out the other side, and it was there all along, in a way. They’re an unlikely band, and I always like seeing that – people that are unlikely to hang out together. It’s not like they would go to a bar and have a drink, but they find themselves in this situation, bonded in this and trying to solve this mystery and save the island.

What is her deal with the boogeyman? Does she know for sure that it was the boogeyman in her house? Does she just think that’s who it was?

O’FLYNN: She did have the experience of the boogeyman, but she did lie about the calls. She realized that everyone else had the calls, and she wanted to beef up her story, so she lied about that. That’s when it all came undone. But it did happen.

In that moment, when they realize that Reverend Bryce is dead and hanging on the other side of the door in the church, it’s almost scarier than having to face and defeat a Sea Hag or a Boogeyman.

O’FLYNN: Yes, because it’s real. It’s a real person taking their own life. I would agree that that is the scariest.

Patricia Just Wants To Feel Like She’s Part of Something in ‘Widow’s Bay’

“She has her gang.”

Image via Apple TV

Is Patricia someone who’s terrified by the unexplainable things that go on in this town, or does she find a little bit of excitement in it?

O’FLYNN: There is something uniting about having something to fight for or fight against or figure out that makes her feel of value and part of something, and she has her gang. That’s what it’s about, rather than getting excited, necessarily, about the weirdness of the things that are happening. Because that’s happening, she has friends. The building of the world of Widow’s Bay is so confidently drawn by Katie and the writing team and Hiro that you could put a lens on any of the town hall characters and there’s a lot of backstory, a lot of folklore, and a lot of things to be found in this community. I was delighted that the spotlight shone on Patricia on this episode.

Widow’s Bay is available to stream on Apple TV.

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Release Date

April 29, 2026

Network

Apple TV

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Showrunner

Katie Dippold

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Directors

Hiro Murai

Writers

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Katie Dippold, Kelly Galuska

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 55 seconds ago

Ever since George Miller gave us the first Mad Max movie in 1979, moviegoers have been assaulted with cheap imitations, some of which are actually quite good. 1986’s Dead End Drive-In is a superb example of how a society in decline manages to operate before everything totally collapses. It exists in an early state of decay, showing how the powers that be still struggle to keep the common citizen under their thumbs, while the common citizen tries to navigate a bleak future looming over the horizon. More often, though, we get films like 1985’s Wheels of Fire, which might as well be called The Road Warrior, But Not As Cool.

In this film, we’re already occupying the wasteland, resources are scarce, and it’s every man for himself. There are trucks and explosions, and a rag-tag group of miscreants trying to fight off evil militias, with their only hope being to live another day before figuring out where they’re going to scavenge next. It’s a fun, action thriller B-movie, but most of the excitement I felt while watching it was over how awesome it’s going to be the next time I watch a Mad Max film. I’m way overdue to revisit Fury Road, and I have Wheels of Fire to thank for making me realize that.

The Ownership, True Believers, Rebel Gangs, And Lots Of Stuff Blowing Up 

Wheels of Fire follows the adventures of Trace (Gary Watkins), a former member of a militia known as The Ownership. The Ownership’s entire reason for being is to establish stable communities where people can start rebuilding peacefully. Scavenging along with Trace is his sister, Arlie (Lynda Wiesmeier), and her boyfriend, Bo (Steve Parvin), but the group quickly gets broken up by a warlord named Scourge, who captures and enslaves Arlie, while Bo falls in with his gang.

Along the way, Trace befriends a lone mercenary named Stinger (Laura Banks), and the two cross paths with a group of Sand People and a psychic named Spike (Linda Grovenor), only to run into another community known as the True Believers. Scourge, who simply wants to rule over everybody, is hellbent on destroying both The Ownership and the True Believers if it means he gets to be the ruler of the wasteland. Lots of stuff blows up, everybody’s wearing leather in the desert, and you can only imagine just how bad everybody smells in this context.

A Quick And Fun Imitation

While I give credit to Wheels of Fire for having fun with a formula that was already perfected with 1981’s The Road Warrior, it’s also all over the place, and undermines its own adventure by trying to cram so much lore into such a short run time. The entire movie clocks in at 81 minutes, and just when you think things are getting going, the credits are already rolling. It’s one of those “drive off into the sunset” kind of movies, as it’s pretty obvious that nobody’s situation is going to improve overnight, and there’s still a long road ahead. In order for that to work, though, a film like Wheels of Fire has to be good enough to warrant a sequel that allows for that lore to properly build out.

Instead, we have a bunch of wasteland renegades on the adventure of a lifetime, but there’s such a lack of charisma that nobody seems like they want to be there at all. Even when the film was at its most intense, I kept thinking to myself, “Man, if I were there, I’d go out in an epic blaze of glory unlike these clowns.” The most we get here is some yelling and a bunch of marauders sauntering around the desert haphazardly, simply going where the screenplay tells them to walk.

Still, Wheels of Fire is such a low-stakes film that any fan of that dusty and crusty Mad Max flavoring will find enjoyment in its aesthetic because you really can’t go wrong with it, which is why we’re still silently holding out hope for another Mad Max movie that we’ll probably never get. Though there are murmurs of a TV series in development, so never say never.

As of this writing, you can stream Wheels of Fire for free on Tubi.

Maggie Sajak is showing support for boyfriend Jackson Olson after his Dancing With the Stars casting news.

“SO PROUD @jacksonolson_ !!!” Sajak, 31, wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, May 12, while sharing Olson’s cast announcement.

In another slide, Sajak shared a photo of herself and Olson, 28, cuddled up together as they watched a fireworks display.

“Beyond proud of you @jacksonolson_ …the dance floor better get ready,” she added.

Olson, a player for the Savannah Bananas and viral internet sensation, was announced as DWTS season 35’s latest celebrity cast member during Disney’s Upfront presentation on Tuesday.

Related: Maggie Sajak Supports Boyfriend Jackson Olson at Savannah Bananas’ Game

When Jackson Olson takes the field during some of his biggest games to date, he’ll have an extra special cheerleader in the stands. Just a couple of weeks after hard-launching his relationship with Maggie Sajak, daughter of famed gameshow host Pat Sajak, the Savannah Bananas baseball player was able to have his girlfriend attend one […]

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“This banana is hitting the ballroom! 🍌🕺,” the official DWTS Instagram page shared. “Catch @jacksonolson_ on the new season of #DWTS, this fall on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu.”

Love Island’s Maura Higgins and Summer House star Ciara Miller were previously revealed as cast members.

During an appearance on Good Morning America on Wednesday, May 13, Olson said he “manifested” his casting.

“When I was a kid, I never thought any of this was possible, even like, playing for the Bananas or anything like that. I was a shy kid that never danced, never put myself out there, never entertained and found a passion for it,” he explained. “And now I kind of manifested this whole thing and posted a couple TikToks last year just joking [about joining the show], pranking my coach that I was going to be on the show, never thinking that it was a possibility. But when I posted it, I’m like, ‘Maybe there is a possibility.’ I saw some comments. I’m like, ‘OK, maybe this is possible.’”

Related: Maggie Sajak’s BF Jackson Olson Hints He’s ‘In Love’ After Romance Reveal

Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson made it very clear that he is in love after going public with Pat Sajak’s daughter, Maggie. Olson, 28, shared a clip from the movie Elf via his Instagram Story on Tuesday, April 21, showing Will Ferrell‘s character Buddy saying, “I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it.” Olson […]

Olson’s DWTS casting comes weeks after Maggie, the daughter of former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, hard-launched their romance via Instagram by sharing a photo of the couple at Disneyland.

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The athlete later gushed about his long-distance relationship with Maggie in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly.

“It’s really cool because we’re obviously living very different lives right now on the opposite side of the country, but we’re able to come together and just have an awesome relationship,” he shared on May 1. “I feel like in any relationship, you’re trying to figure out how to see each other as frequently as possible, which is never something that I thought in my past I was going to want to do … but now I really do.”

Olson continued, “It’s just about planning and making sure you’re setting aside time to see each other and make really cool experiences happen because a start of a relationship never happens again. You only get one chance at a start of a relationship.”

The OG 90 Day Fiance is back and Shea McGuire is larger than life in the small town of Paducah, Kentucky but so are his many secrets. Catie Norboe tries to settle down with Josh Atkins but can’t stop drunkenly making out with randoms.

Marissa Rubinetti fears Edward Miguel Gomez won’t be able to keep up in her fast paced world. And Ashia speaks in tongues when her fiance hits a glitch with his k-1 visa. Grab a beer, fire up the barbecue and let’s dive right in to this recap of Season 12, Episode 1 In My Getting Married Era.

90 Day Fiance: Shea McGuire Can’t Hide from His Reputation

On 90 Day Fiance, Shea McGuire enjoys his hard partying life in Paducah, Kentucky. He’s a realtor, an auctioneer and the life of the party. He loves his boat, some cold beers and the ladies. The ladies love him too and swarm around him at the local barbecue. One even admits she’d date the flirty 54 year old if he was single. But he’s not. Enter Annabelle Chua, his fiance in the Philippines. They met through Shea’s pal Greg who has a wife in the Philippines.

Shea McGuire has three kids and two ex wives. He’s super close to daughter Allison. He consults Allison to check out some of the clothes he bought for Annabelle’s arrival. Allison approves his selections. And he admits she was his style inspo. But Allison fears their relationship will suffer when Annabelle Chua arrives. Since her dad is her neighbor and best friend. A knock on the door interrupts them. And it’s Shea’s most recent ex wife Nicole.

It’s clear on 90 Day Fiance that Nicole isn’t there for a friendly chat. She pulls Shea McGuire out on the porch for some private talk. She threatens to tell Annabelle that Shea isn’t innocent. He two-timed Nicole with Annabelle during their 4 week marriage. And she wants Annabelle to know that he’s still hanging out with her as well as flirting with certain locals a little too much. So Shea McGuire will have a lot of explaining to do when Annabelle arrives.

90 Day Fiance: Catie Can’t Control Herself

Catie Norboe brings a lot to this new season of 90 Day Fiance. She’s downing Jack Daniels on a plane when we first meet her. She lives in Portland, Oregon. But has been living the life of a crazy nomad while pet sitting for free rent around the globe. Along the journey she met Josh Atkins, a reserved Brit from London. She made out with his friends first and ghosted him while he went to the bathroom. But nevertheless they are engaged. Catie comes home to her things in storage. And fails to secure an apartment for her and Josh.

Catie Norboe blames her OCD for her many struggles. Among them being an inability to keep her lips to herself when drunk. She admits to a friend in her run club that she still makes out with randoms since getting engaged to Josh Atkins. She makes patriotic cake pops and buys America themed gifts to greet him at the airport. Including some red lingerie that she teases him with in baggage claim. Josh is a little uncomfortable. But she did secure an apartment although site unseen.

TLC Crossover Marissa Rubinetti Says Yes to Love

New to 90 Day Fiance, Marissa Rubinetti is familiar with reality tv. The Pennsylvania native is the COO and Executive Vice President of Kleinfeld Bridal. Which is of course the TLC wedding dress show where brides famously say “yes to the dress”. Marissa has an apartment in New York City and is a single mom to two sons. She’s divorced from their father Michael. But they have a good co-parenting relationship.

In between her high powered career and motherhood she found time for a much needed girl’s trip to the Dominican Republic. And this time Marissa said yes to a fling with hotel entertainer Edward Miguel Gomez. Back home she went back to her life but texted Edward 3 years later on a return trip to Punta Cana. Edward admits losing her number. They reconnected and he proposed and it was Marissa’s turn to say yes.

Edward Miguel Gomez is arriving soon on the k-1 visa. But Marissa isn’t without concerns on 90 Day Fiance. She fears lifestyle differences may take their toll. And how her ex husband might react to another male presence in their son’s lives. But Edward was willing to shed some skin to help adapt to life in America. He underwent an adult circumcision. And although there was a slight complication during the healing process he’s doing just fine.

90 Day Fiance: Ashia Gets a Gift from Above

Ashia is spirited and definitely brings a different energy to 90 Day Fiance. At the tender age of 12 Ashia was minding her own business at a store when a voice from within told her the next song to be played would be an NSYNC song. And sure enough it was! Ashia considered it pure divine intervention even if Joey Fatone was involved. Her pastor says she has a prophetic gift. And she’s embracing it in her Pentecostal church in Alabaster, Alabama.

Ashia whirls, twirls and speaks in tongues. She tearfully reveals that God himself not only served up a boy band but now is sending her a husband. She even took her best friend along to Nigeria to meet him. And his best friend proposed to her best friend. Ashia says her and her fiance Maxwell both love business and the Lord. But there’s a glitch at the visa interview leading her to speak in tongues about blood and Justin Timberlake. It works to a point and their story continues this season.

Mallory Is a Redneck Woman

On 90 Day Fiance, Mallory hails from Athens, Alabama and calls herself a basic white b*tch. She loves her southern lifestyle of drinking and hanging out with her pals who she refers to as rednecks. Mallory ventured to Greece on a girl’s trip. And a dashing boat captain from Turkey named Rasit saw her on an app and was captivated. The feeling was mutual and now they are engaged.

Mallory heads to Turkey to bring him back on the k-1 visa. She worries how Rasit who she fondly refers to as “Rash” since she can’t pronounce his name will fare in her conservative town. Rasit adores Mallory. He likes everything about her. And it shows when he sees her arrive at the boat dock in her cowboy hat. We’ll see how they figure it all out once he arrives in Alabama. Til next time!

Travis Kelce is pulling back the curtain on his latest getaway with Taylor Swift after the couple quietly spent time together in London.

The Kansas City Chiefs star recently opened up about their overseas trip during his podcast, sharing unexpected details about their food adventures, theater outings, and playful conversations with family and friends as wedding buzz surrounding the couple continues building online.

Travis Kelce recently discussed the trip during an episode of the “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” podcast, where his older brother Jason quickly teased him for keeping the getaway low profile.

“I found out you were in London on the Internet,” Jason Kelce joked per PEOPLE. “That was fun.”

Travis laughed off the comment before replying, “London is fun, Jason.”

The NFL star then shared more about what he and Taylor Swift did while visiting England together.

According to Travis, the pair spent much of their time enjoying food and attending theater performances around the city.

“For the most part, had some really good food and enjoyed some plays,” he explained before discussing a production of “Romeo & Juliet” they attended.

Travis praised the cast members involved in the performance, saying, “Saw Sadie Sink, and, I believe, Noah Jupe is his name. He’s f-cking phenomenal as Romeo. Sadie was as Juliet as well.”

The trip also reportedly included attending Poppy Delevingne’s 40th birthday celebration and a stop at Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant in London.

Ramsay later described the celebrity couple to Entertainment Tonight as a “classy couple” who were “in high spirits” and “had a blast” during the visit.

One of the moments Travis appeared most excited about involved a dinner date at the famous Indian restaurant Gymkhana.

The football star admitted the experience completely surprised him.

He described the outing as “one of the most surprising meals” he had ever experienced while also calling the food “f-cking remarkable.”

According to Travis, he approached the dinner differently than many people expected, especially considering his reputation for being selective with food choices.

“Every dish they brought out, I didn’t ask a single question. I just dove in,” he said.

“The only questions that I had to ask was how hot or how spicy the heat of the spice.”

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end explained that the group decided to keep the spice level manageable during the meal.

He noted they “went more on the mild side” when deciding how adventurous to get with the menu.

The conversation eventually shifted into a running joke about Travis supposedly only eating basic comfort foods.

Taylor Swift Gets Dragged Into Travis Kelce Food Debate

Jason Kelce admitted that his younger brother had become frustrated over repeated jokes suggesting he was an extremely picky eater.

Jason told listeners that Travis was “a little bit upset” over the comments made during earlier podcast episodes.

Travis pushed back on the reputation while admitting there may have been some truth to it years ago.

“It’s not accurate at all, but it’s fun to play around with because I was at one point,” Travis explained.

He then credited Jason for helping expand his food choices years earlier through one memorable sushi experience.

“I was hammered, and you told me, ‘Dude, just eat this. You’re gonna love it,’” Travis recalled. “And I did. And then I’ve loved sushi ever since. Sushi’s like, I can’t go, like, more than a week without getting sushi now.”

As the jokes continued, Travis firmly shut down one rumor that has followed him online.

“I’m not doing this anymore, this whole Travis only likes chicken fingers thing,” he declared.

Jason then playfully suggested Taylor Swift deserved some credit for helping change his eating habits.

“You didn’t like food before you started dating with Taylor. That’s all I’m saying,” Jason joked.

Travis quickly dismissed the claim as “bogus.”

Travis Gets Teased About London Trip

The teasing did not stop with Jason. Podcast producer Brandon Borders, also known as Intern Brandon, joked that Travis Kelce only became adventurous with food because of his relationship and international travels.

“You flew out of the country to prove a point. You flew out of the country to prove me wrong personally, and I say, you’re welcome. I got you out there,” Brandon teased.

The lighthearted exchange gave fans another glimpse into the relaxed dynamic Travis shares with those closest to him.

At the same time, the London getaway has continued fueling interest in the couple’s relationship as wedding speculation surrounding the pair grows stronger.

The two stars became engaged last year and are reportedly planning to tie the knot sometime later this year.

Wedding Buzz Continues Around Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce

While Travis and Swift continue enjoying time together, reports about their wedding preparations have continued circulating online.

According to previous reports, Swift is reportedly feeling “a little” nervous about Travis’ upcoming bachelor party despite trusting him completely.

The concern reportedly centers more around the unpredictability of bachelor party traditions than anything involving the NFL star directly.

Sources claimed Travis has already reassured Taylor that the celebration will remain calm.

“Travis has promised Taylor he’s going to keep it chill, but that’s not really up to him – his boys are in charge of the planning, and it’s hard to imagine they’ll hold back,” a source told Closer Online.

The insider added, “Taylor trusts him, but every woman is a little nervous about their man’s bachelor party.”

HBO has spent the better part of two decades convincing us that prestige television lives or dies with names like Tony Soprano, Carrie Bradshaw, and Daenerys Targaryen. But some of the network’s most rewatchable and memorable work has happened inside the strict containment of a single season.

Miniseries don’t have to wring a fifth installment out of a story that should’ve wrapped at the end of Season 1. They get in, gut you, and get out. Below are 10 that more than earn their place on this list, even if you slept on a few of them the first time around.

1

‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)

Image via HBO

Amy Adams plays Camille Preaker, a St. Louis crime reporter dragged back to her dying Missouri hometown of Wind Gap to cover the murders of two young girls in this Gillian Flynn adaptation. Reuniting with her toxic mother (Patricia Clarkson, in a performance so toxic you’ll want to fumigate your TV) and an unsettling teenage half-sister she barely knows (Eliza Scanlen, also frighteningly good), Camille drinks her way through the assignment while peeling back layers of family dysfunction more horrifying than the case itself.

Jean-Marc Vallée’s eight-episode descent into Southern Gothic dread is the kind of show that gets under your fingernails. The director likes to linger on the details of Wind Gap — the sweat-splattered bodies of teenagers rollerblading down Main Street, the rotting wood of a plantation porch. He cuts past and present together so fluidly you sometimes don’t realize you’ve slipped into Camille’s traumatic memories until you’re already drowning in them, a tactic that pays off in the show’s nastiest reveals. Adams, who’d spent a career being cast as a bright young thing until this show, is doing something different here. She’s playing a woman who has clearly not eaten a real meal in years, carves words into her own skin, and flirts with a teenage suspect because she can’t resist the temptation to self-destruct. It’s truly thrilling to watch.

2

‘The Night Of’ (2016)

Image via HBO

Riz Ahmed plays Naz, a Pakistani-American college kid who borrows his dad’s cab to hit a Manhattan party, brings a beautiful stranger home, wakes up next to her bloody corpse, and proceeds to make every catastrophic decision the criminal justice system rewards with a Rikers Island bunk. From there, an eczema-ridden, sandal-wearing John Turturro takes over as Jack Stone, the bottom-feeder defense attorney who sees something in Naz worth fighting for. Eight slow, meticulous episodes that double as a procedural and an autopsy of how easily American justice grinds a brown kid into something unrecognizable follow.

Naz gets processed, gets a cellmate (Michael K. Williams, magnetic as always, playing a Rikers shot-caller who takes an interest in him), gets a neck tattoo, a heroin habit, and, eventually, gets very good at survival in a place he should never have ended up. Meanwhile, Stone is shuffling around Manhattan in those flip-flops, building a defense on phone records, autopsy timelines, and a dogged refusal to let his client become a statistic. Ahmed’s transformation is the spine of the whole thing, and Turturro is the heart. The finale doesn’t give you the catharsis you want, but it does give you something messier and truer to life, which is exactly why it works.

3

‘Watchmen’ (2019)

Image via HBO

Damon Lindelof’s audacious sequel to Alan Moore’s graphic novel opens with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and never quite lets up on our necks after that. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a Tulsa cop moonlighting as the masked vigilante Sister Night in an alternate America where police hide their identities behind hoods because white supremacists have made that necessary. Jeremy Irons mutters around an English manor, Jean Smart busts vigilantes and busts out homemade sex toys as an FBI agent with an axe to grind, and Tim Blake Nelson wears a reflective head sock with conviction.

Watchmen is nine episodes of pulpy, big-swing television that somehow manages to be a faithful comic-book sequel and a piercing meditation on American racial trauma at the same time. The episode “This Extraordinary Being” remains one of the most stunning hours of TV in the streaming era, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score will haunt your driving playlist for years to come.

4

‘Chernobyl’ (2019)

Image via HBO

Who would’ve thought the guy who wrote The Hangover Part II had this in him? Craig Mazin pivoted from broad studio comedy to prestige drama and somehow delivered the most harrowing piece of historical reconstruction HBO’s ever put on the air. Across five episodes, Jared Harris (as Soviet scientist Valery Legasov), Stellan Skarsgård (as a reluctant Party functionary), and Emily Watson (as a composite scientist who refuses to swallow the official story) walk us through the infamous 1986 nuclear meltdown from the moment the reactor blows to the courtroom postmortem of who let it happen.

It’s bleak, obviously, but it’s also a masterclass in how to make policy malfeasance feel like edge-of-your-seat suspense. The cold open alone, Harris recording his confession before he hangs himself, ranks among the bleakest first scenes of any TV show. So, maybe try to watch this in two sittings?

5

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Image via HBO

Kate Winslet plays Mare Sheehan, a vape-puffing, Wawa-grazing, hoagie-clutching Delco detective in this moody crime drama that became something of a pop culture phenomenon when we were all confined to our couches during the COVID-19 lockdowns. She’s newly separated, still grieving the death of her son, sharing a house with a mom (Jean Smart, Emmy-winning per usual) who keeps pinching her sleep aids, and getting nagged by the entire town to solve the murder of a local teenager. Evan Peters drops in as a sweet outside detective brought in to help, Julianne Nicholson plays her best friend with surprisingly deep ties to the case, and Guy Pearce smolders through a side plot as the visiting professor-with-benefits.

Brad Ingelsby’s creation is a whodunit that isn’t really about the whodunit. Mare of Easttown earns its emotional gut-punch by treating everything from grief to opioid addiction and casual misogyny with the same importance as the central murder mystery. Winslet’s accent (the show’s most viral export) props up one of the best performances of her career, a woman who is bone-tired in every frame. By the end, you’ll totally understand why.

6

‘Empire Falls’ (2005)

Image via HBO

Adapted from Richard Russo’s Pulitzer-winning novel, this two-part Maine-set miniseries gathered Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Aidan Quinn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Wright into the orbit of a dying mill town and the diner that anchors it. Harris plays Miles Roby, a passive divorcé running the Empire Grill at the whim of a powerful matriarch (Woodward), while his deadbeat father (Newman, having an absolute ball) drinks and schemes around the margins. It’s a subtler, slower list entry, but one with a knockout supporting cast that reads like a roundup of America’s best character actors.

Newman is the obvious scene stealer, devilish and twinkly in what would become one of his last great roles, but Hoffman, in particular, gives a small, pre-Capote performance so fascinating that it functions as its own little movie. This show is the kind of mid-2000s prestige TV no one talks about anymore, but they really should.

7

‘The Young Pope’ (2016)

Image via Gianni Fiorito/© HBO/courtesy Everett Collection

Paolo Sorrentino dropped the most beautifully blasphemous show of the decade onto HBO, and most of America was too busy meme-ing the title to notice. In The Young Pope, Jude Law plays Lenny Belardo, a chain-smoking, Cherry Coke Zero-craving young American cardinal who’s just been elected the first U.S. pope, and who promptly reveals himself as the most reactionary pontiff in modern memory. Diane Keaton plays the nun who raised him in an American orphanage, wearing a habit and a Knicks jersey, sometimes simultaneously.

This is 10 episodes of Sorrentino in his element, delivering gorgeous visuals and monologues that land somewhere between profound and unhinged. Law’s performance is indulgent and eccentric and deliciously off-kilter. He should’ve won more awards for it. Instead, the show became a punchline before audiences realized it was funnier and weirder than anyone gave it credit for.

8

‘The Undoing’ (2020)

Image via HBO

David E. Kelley adapted Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel into the most expensive-looking limited series of pandemic-era HBO with The Undoing. Nicole Kidman plays Grace Fraser, an Upper East Side therapist whose oncologist husband (Hugh Grant, in full reptilian-charm mode) becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a beautiful art-mom from their son’s private school. Donald Sutherland looms grandly as Grace’s wealthy father, his eyebrows doing most of the heavy lifting.

This show is a six-episode whodunit dressed in cashmere and filmed in townhomes and the lobbies of buildings most New Yorkers can’t afford to even walk past. The mystery itself is fine, though the ending is still divisive. But the real reason to watch is Grant’s mid-career renaissance, that floppy-haired rom-com lead now playing men whose surface charm conceals something rotten underneath. It’s a role he feels born to play, compliment intended.

9

‘The Investigation’ (2020)

Image via HBO

A Danish-Swedish co-production picked up by HBO, Tobias Lindholm’s six-part series fictionalizes the real-life investigation into the murder of journalist Kim Wall by Peter Madsen aboard his homemade submarine. Søren Malling plays detective Jens Møller, the patient, exhausted lead investigator working alongside divers, prosecutors, and Wall’s grieving parents to build a case against a defendant the show pointedly never names or shows on screen. That choice, refusing to give the killer a face or a single moment of screen time, is what elevates The Investigation above the parade of true-crime adaptations that have chased it.

Lindholm centers the victim and family, here, resisting the seductive impulse of serial-killer prestige TV. The show is sad, gray, and devastating, and a model for how the genre might responsibly exist going forward.

10

‘The Regime’ (2024)

Image via HBO

This Kate Winslet turn couldn’t be more different from her Philly-twanged hard-ass in Mare of Easttown. As Elena Vernham, the fictional dictator of a fictional Central European nation, who rules her marbled palace with the help of an ex-soldier (Matthias Schoenaerts) she essentially keeps as a pet, Winslet is at her most deranged. Across six episodes, she fears mold spores, communes with her father’s preserved corpse, croons Chicago at state functions, and drives her country off a slow, gilded cliff.

Will Tracy, the Succession alum behind The Menu, brings his signature brand of acidic political comedy to a show that pairs slapstick autocracy with genuine geopolitical dread, and Winslet is having a hell of a time, lisping and over-pronouncing her way through a performance she herself described playing “an awful, awful cow.” What’s not to like?

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The Regime

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Release Date

2024 – 2024-00-00

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Showrunner

Will Tracy

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Writers

Will Tracy

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 18 seconds ago

Jon Bernthal is really having a moment right now. Not only did his popular Punisher character return for Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, but he’ll be popping up on the big screen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That will mark the biggest, most substantial cameo any Marvel TV character has ever made in an MCU film. On top of that, this violent vigilante character just got his own TV special, The Punisher: One Last Kill. With the svelte runtime of a TV episode and the ambitious plotting of a short film, this movie provides plenty of action and drama while leaving you wanting more.

What is The Punisher: One Last Kill about? We catch up with Frank Castle after he has done what once seemed impossible: he’s killed everyone that had anything to do with the brutal murder of his family. After seemingly wiping out the Gnucci crime family, he is at a crossroads, unsure of what to do with his life now that he’s completed his quest for vengeance. But when Ma Gnucci (played by Judith Light) shows up and puts a bounty on his head large enough to attract every thug in the tricity area, the Punisher’s new purpose is simple: survive the day or die trying!

Straight Down The Barrel

If you’re a big fan of the original comics, you’ll quickly clock that One Last Kill is a very loose adaptation of the “Welcome Back, Frank” arc written by The Boys creator Garth Ennis. “Loose” is the keyword here, though. Since he’s already killed the rest of the family (something we later see through a hilariously violent flashback), Ma Gnucci is the only significant comic character who makes an appearance. She’s really just there to kick off a barebones plot that is (no points for guessing) just an excuse to have Punisher kicking a lot of ass onscreen. 

The simplicity of the storytelling is really a double-edged blade here. On the one hand, this is the perfect TV movie for any Marvel fan who has ever complained about the TV shows feeling like homework because, after the prerequisite dramatic setup, The Punisher: One Last Kill descends into balls-to-the-wall action. On the other hand, if you’re actually invested in Frank Castle as a character, you’ll likely be disappointed at the relative lack of characterization and even resolution because this short film is laying the seeds for a new TV show that we may or may not even get.

A Bit Of The Old Ultraviolence

With that being said, this huge Frank Castle fan found the whole thing very enjoyable. To paraphrase Wolverine, The Punisher: One Last Kill is the best there is at what it does, but what it does isn’t very nice. The action is dynamic and intense, and there are several brutal, bloody kills that would give your favorite horror movie a run for its money, and it’s not just gunplay, either. While you do get to see Frank using a small arsenal of firearms, he also weaponizes everything from a baseball bat to his own burning body. Really, there’s so much chaos and carnage onscreen that the subtitle to this movie should have been “So Many Kills.” 

The secret ingredient of The Punisher: One Last Kill is Jon Bernthal. He handles the emotional weight of his scenes (which include heartbreaking flashbacks to his family and an intense scene where he contemplates suicide) well, giving an otherwise one-note character a surprising amount of nuance and depth. The performance also sells the idea that Frank Castle is a tragic figure; someone who just wanted to be a family man before he was transformed into a living weapon. Frank’s rage is as righteous as it is terrifying to behold, and Bernthal sells every bloody moment of his character’s descent into a baptism of blood.  

A Movie Worth Peeping At

Honestly, I was deeply surprised by the quality of The Punisher: One Last Kill. I thought this TV movie might be a vanity project at best (Bernthal cowrote the screenplay) or a boring filler episode at worst. Instead, the movie convinced me that Bernthal really understands Frank Castle’s character and how he is both driven by and tormented by his past. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, it’s always rewarding to see a Marvel actor who (not unlike Ryan Reynolds with Deadpool) really loves his character and sees this job as more than an easy way to get a fat paycheck from Mickey Mouse.

Speaking of pleasant surprises, I was delighted by how well The Punisher: One Last Kill functions as a standalone film. For the most part, you don’t need to have watched Daredevil: Born Again or the previous Punisher series for this story to make sense. That means that Marvel gets to effectively have it both ways. Existing fans of the character will love seeing Frank Castle fighting his demons and delivering vigilante justice, one bullet after another. Meanwhile, those fans can use this movie to introduce their friends to the character, growing the Punisher fandom before he pops up again in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is a movie that plays for keeps, and nobody (including, sadly, the world’s cutest doggie) onscreen is ever truly safe. There are no quips, no comic sidekicks, and no mustache-twirling villains.

Instead, this is Marvel’s tribute to John Wick, and it focuses on one of the most brutally compelling characters in the entire MCU. No need to reload your remote. You’ve already got batteries in the chamber. Just aim at your TV and fire up Disney+ to watch the absolute bloodiest thing Marvel has ever put on television.

THE PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL SCORE