Entertainment
Netflix’s 16-Episode Fantasy Romance Is Quietly One of the Best Shows on Streaming
The K-Drama market has long relied on a combination of formula and versatility. While exceptions always exist, by and large, as long as a new series delivers time-honored tropes through a skillfully fresh concept, audiences will turn the show into appointment viewing. 2023’s My Demon might not count as new by airdate standards, but the smash-hit genre mash-up (fantasy rom-com with a mystery-thriller edge) fits the bill and then some.
Writer Choi Ah-i, one of the minds behind the sensationally clever Mr. Queen, combines numerous top-tier tropes into a nearly pitch-perfect package: a marriage of convenience, a fated love story between a supernatural entity and a human (with a side of reincarnation), expertly timed banter, bucket-loads of formative trauma, sneakily potent themes, and a conventionally attractive couple gazing into each other’s eyes as the rousing music swells. This irresistible binge-watch will make you splutter with laughter, kick your heels in delight, and maybe shed a subtle tear or two.
What Is ‘My Demon’ About?
Jeong Gu-won (Song Kang), an immortal demon, offers humans their greatest wish in exchange for collecting their souls 10 years later. Gu-won suspects he was born human, but aside from some recurring dreams, he can’t recall any memories. It’s puzzling, but not a huge concern when he spends his days and nights slinking around in black leather and rocking a disdainful smirk. Inconveniently for his hellish business, however, an accident robs him of his fancy powers — unless his hand is touching a specific human woman.
Meet Do Do-hee (Kim You-jung), the heir apparent to a massive family-owned corporation. The merciless chaebol entrepreneur wields razor-sharp intelligence and cut-throat confidence from the top of her perfect hair down to her clacking high heels. Only Do-hee’s adoptive mother, Joo Cheon-sook (Kim Hae-sook), has witnessed Do-hee’s heart-of-gold vulnerabilities, all of which stem from her birth parents’ deaths. Do-hee refuses to let anyone new into her life, because the chance of losing more people she loves isn’t worth the risk. Cheon-sook’s will forces Do-hee’s hand, stipulating that she can only stay on as CEO if she marries within one year.
To make matters worse, Do-hee’s adoptive siblings aren’t exactly pleased about their mother’s favoritism for the sister they despise; their jealousy kicks off a succession power struggle that includes mysteries, manipulations, and multiple assassination attempts. Since Gu-won, now the person desperate enough to make a bargain, depends upon his powers, and Do-hee simultaneously wants to claim her inheritance and needs someone to protect her life, they agree to a mutually beneficial — and mutually disdainful — contract marriage. Enemies-to-lovers sparks fly, and they’re a glorious inferno.
Watching My Demon is a little like opening a bottle of champagne: its whimsical and zany tone pops forth like sparkling bubbles. To stretch the metaphor further, the show is pleasantly intoxicating thanks to a wealth of charming characters with believable inner lives, a compelling network of relationships, pacing that moves at an engaging clip but doesn’t sacrifice character development or intimate emotional interplay, and satisfactorily tight plotting. My Demon largely rejects common narrative shortcuts in favor of nimbly sliding past viewers’ expectations, yet always knows when to enthusiastically and unashamedly commit to the characteristic K-Drama spectacle. Nowhere else will you see two leads fighting villains by dancing a magical tango.
As for that main couple, Gu-won and Do-hee’s courtship is so electrifying that it almost circles back around to distressing. Their bristling rapport snaps between whiplash-inducing bickering and head-over-heels sensitivity, even after their earlier hostility has mostly faded into smitten devotion. Since both actors could have chemistry with a slab of motionless plastic, it’s My Demon‘s sneakily deft characterization that provides the performers a runway to brandish their exceptional skill. Gu-won isn’t the brooding bad boy archetype but a mischievous tempter, only for Song to temper that irreverent swagger with startled complexity once he starts rediscovering his lost compassion. Every Kim performance radiates the sense that she’s left everything on the table, no stone unturned; here, she’s sensational at depicting the legitimate power of Do-hee’s infamous ice princess persona as well as how it shields her inescapable, terrified loneliness. Immortal or mortal, devil or human, the duo are equally wounded and equally made for each other.
Ultimately, My Demon does dance around its themes about the cost of human connection — the inherent need for it, the courage love requires, unhealthy but completely normal responses to grief, being another person’s personal heaven and their hell — instead of wrestling with the ethical complications to their fullest extent. Although some later-stage choices lean repetitive and lackluster, those emotional beats only fizzle out because My Demon‘s opening salvo blazes so high. Choi Ah-i knew their goal from the start and achieved it by creating an earnest, sparkling, enchanting rom-com that’s both warmly familiar and wildly inventive.
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Entertainment
Forget ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Prime Video’s Steamy 8-Part Romance Is Officially a 100-Day Hit
Late last year, viewers were stunned and enthralled when HBO delivered its steamiest series of the past year. A gripping, NSFW hockey-based drama, Heated Rivalry followed the secret long-term relationship between rivals Shane and Ilya (Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie) as it twisted and turned in romantic chaos. A six-episode adaptation of Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers, the seriesearned an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode on HBO Max, which doubled following the December 26 finale, and eventually earned the green light for a second season.
With HBO Max boasting Heated Rivalry, Prime Video would soon debut their own alternative, Off Campus. Based on a series of books by Elle Kennedy and adapted for the screen by Louisa Levy, this eight-episode series follows the steamy, blossoming relationship between Ella Bright‘s Hannah and Belmont Cameli‘s Garrett, a music major and hockey captain who find unlikely love in the fictional Briar University.
Just like Heated Rivalry, Off Campus was a big hit with critics and audiences, with Collider’s Therese Lacson describing the show in her review as “the perfect blend of sizzling romance and soapy drama.” The series defied expectations by becoming a huge streaming hit, earning 36 million global viewers in its first 12 days of release, which ranked as Prime Video’s third most-watched series launch of all time, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout. It’s been over three months since the finale aired, and the show is still proving popular. At the time of writing, Off Campus has surpassed the 100-day mark on the Prime Video top ten in the U.S.
Will There Be an ‘Off Campus’ Season 2?
Just like Heated Rivalry, Off Campus is getting a second season, one that was confirmed before the first had even aired. However, the central cast will feature a big shake-up for Season 2, with Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) and Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) headlining, and Bright and Cameli returning in reduced roles. Production is reportedly underway for Off Campus Season 2, with a release date still unknown.
Off Campus has surpassed the 100-day mark in the Prime Video top ten. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.
- Release Date
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May 13, 2026
- Network
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Prime Video
- Directors
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Dawn Wilkinson, Erica Dunton, Silver Tree, Sam Bailey
- Writers
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Emmy St. Pierre
We’re going to step away from the glitz, glam, and celebrity view of Sin City for this week’s Vegas Files to take you on some outdoor adventures.
With the cooler months approaching, now is a great time to start planning some fun outside in nature. We’ll take you to a few spots in and around Las Vegas that are worth checking out when in the area.
If you’re looking for a scenic hike that’s not too far from the Strip, Red Rock Canyon is what you’re looking for.
According to the website, “The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area [RRCNCA] is located jus a few miles west of Las Vegas and encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon is an area of worldwide geologic interest and beauty.”
You can choose to just take the 13-mile scenic drive, stopping where you want to take pictures or explore a little deeper, hit some hiking trails, do some rock climbing, bike, camp, or more. Whatever you choose, be ready to take in the beauty and take plenty of photos along the way.
For more information about Red Rock Canyon, visit the website.
Lake Mead Is A Must Visit For Any Outdoor Enthusiast
When driving from Vegas to Boulder City, the sight of Lake Mead in all its glory strikes you all at once. The landscape is something out of a painting – mountains, canyons, the lake, and just so much more to take in and enjoy.
You can do some hiking, fishing, biking, boating, or just relax around the lake. A stop at Lake Mead is an absolute must when visiting the Hoover Dam. You can make a whole day of it with many great restaurants and shops nearby to add to your outdoor adventure.
Visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s website for all the details.
A Visit To The Hoover Dam Is Fun And Educational
Whether you’re just looking for an incredible sight to take in or want to learn more about the area and how the dam came to be, a visit to the Hoover Dam is a must.
You can choose to just check out the area on your own or take one of the guided tours to learn more in a fun way. There are a few options to choose from — a guided dam tour, a guided power plant tour, or you can do a self-guided visitor center tour.
For more information, visit the Hoover Dam’s website.
Get Your ‘Fast And Furious’ Vibe On At Speed Vegas
Just a few miles away from the Strip lies a place where you can get into a sportscar and speed around a track. Speed Vegas is a state-of-the-art facility built for anyone with a “need for speed.”
“Whether it’s your first time behind the wheel or you’re an experienced driver, Speed Vegas offers one of the most exciting driving experiences and things to do in Las Vegas,” the website reads.
You can pick your car and experience and get on the track to feel what it’s like to drive a supercar at top speeds. The 1.3 mile racetrack was specially designed for a supercar driving experience. The 2,000-foot straight away gives you enough time to really put the pedal to the metal!
With supercar options such as various models of Ferraris, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Mercedes, and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Visit Speed Vegas’ site for more details and to book your experience.
Spend A Day Admiring The View At Grand Canyon West
Just a two hour drive from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West is an incredible day trip for anyone seeking to be one with nature. The scenery speaks for itself and there are some fun things to do while taking it all in.
“There’s so many things to do in and around Las Vegas as a city, but nothing is like the Grand Canyon. Some of the misconception is it’s so far away, and I can tell you I drive there at least once a week,” Paul McGuire, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer at Grand Canyon West, told The Blast exclusively. “It’s a beautiful scenic two-hour drive, and you pass through Boulder City, where the community that built the Grand Canyon exists, quaint little villagey town, and then you come upon Washoe Tree Forest which is absolutely beautiful and stunning. It’s a beautiful ride, very tranquil, very relaxing, no traffic.”
The picture-perfect views at Grand Canyon West will have you forgetting you just came from a city filled with neon lights and action. Majestic, peaceful, and the perfect reset from being in the hustle and bustle of a busy life.
Check out Grand Canyon West’s website for more information and tickets to experience it for yourself.
Over the last 30 years, crime television has delivered some of the best and most compelling stories the small screen has ever seen. It doesn’t matter whether the genre is tackling corruption and the abuse of authority within the police force, the frantic desperation of organized crime, or the horrific intricacies of a murder investigation; its appetite for absorbing drama has always been evident.
This has resulted in a litany of exceptional series, but those same qualities of impactful and precise storytelling, thematic depth, and emphasizing character nuance have also been pivotal in delivering some of the greatest series finales the medium has seen across all genres. From somber and restrained endings that meditate on the cost of ambition to jaw-dropping climaxes that leave everyone in a state of shock, these crime television conclusions are truly perfect in every way.
10
‘Boardwalk Empire’ (2010–2014)
A stylish descent into Depression-era crime, Boardwalk Empire follows Atlantic City treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi) as he juggles his political ambitions with his criminal operations. The longer the series goes on, the more it revels in the faults in Thompson’s character, be it his insatiable greed, callous disregard for human life, and his fiercely immoral scheming and manipulations to further his own goals.
Boardwalk Empire’s Season 5 finale, “Eldorado,” sees these flaws backfire on Thompson in extraordinary fashion. While some viewed it as being predictable, Thompson’s violent demise is directly tied to his original sin decades earlier and the continuous impact he has had on the Darmody family. Complimented by its ties to actual history, its sense of karma, and the lingering poetic beauty of the final shot, Boardwalk Empire delivers a succinct and rewarding finale that emphasizes the age-old idea that crime doesn’t pay.
9
‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)
Marking one of Netflix’s more defining triumphs in the realm of television production, Ozark embroils viewers in a pulsating story of crime tension as it follows the Byrde family, who must relocate to the Missouri Ozarks to oversee a money laundering operation when they find themselves in the debt of a Mexican drug cartel. The visceral high-stakes drama and relentless suspense define the propulsive allure of the series’ four-season run, with the Byrdes’ desperate fight for survival always underlined by a hope of one day breaking free from the cartel’s control and returning to their ordinary suburban lives.
Titled “A Hard Way to Go,” Ozark’s finale grounds viewers in the consequences of the Byrdes’ actions, showing beyond any doubt that they are ensnared in their lives of crime, while the haunting final moments display that even their kids have been poisoned by their lifestyles of cold pragmatism and cunning opportunism. Also featuring surprise deaths, bleak twists, and a muted acceptance of corruption and evil standing victorious, Ozark’s resolution is one of blunt thematic resonance and damning drama.
8
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
A notably impressionable miniseries release from HBO, The Penguin excels at combining the surreal, stylized allure of superhero drama with gritty neo-noir brutality as it follows Oswald Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) rise up the criminal underworld following the events of The Batman. Torn between a disconcerting relationship with his mother and his determination to rule Gotham’s underbelly, the miniseries presents Cobb as a complex force of ambition, but the finale is emphatic in its endeavor to ensure he isn’t viewed as a sympathetic anti-hero.
Instead, “A Great or Little Thing” explores Cobb’s evil brutality in unflinching detail, be it through him strangling Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) to eliminate a vulnerability or conspiring to have Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) returned to Arkham Asylum, a fate she considers to be worse than death. Just as superhero spectacle is somewhat defined by CGI slugfests and comical quirks, crime television has come to be known for anti-hero angst and gentle moral ambiguity. The Penguin blows both of those ideas out of the water with a raw and uncompromising vision of Cobb’s savagery that makes for one of the most piercing finales crime television has ever seen.
7
‘Barry’ (2018–2023)
It is astonishing what Barry achieves with its final episode. Following Bill Hader’s titular hitman as he discovers a passion for stage acting but struggles to separate his newfound hobby from his violent past. Much of the series wrestles with ideas of intent and outcome, deliberating on the standing of Barry’s character even as he murders people with cold dissonance. There is a feeling the finale could be a triumphant redemption or a heroic farewell, but true to the series’ nature, it does something a little different.
From unceremonious demises to acceptances of quiet isolation, the appropriately titled “wow” manages to give each character a resolution they deserve while satirizing Hollywood sensationalism and calling out audiences who want easy and comfortable conclusions to complex stories. It lampoons the moralism of blockbuster storytelling and eviscerates expectations of dramatic catharsis, making for one of the boldest and most acidic finales television has ever seen.
6
‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)
Amid the plethora of great crime shows that were dominating the airways throughout the 2000s, FX’s The Shield has come to be something of an underrated gem. The shame in this is that it is one of the boldest and most important crime series the medium has ever seen, with its seven-season run revolving around the conniving practices and shocking morality of the Strike Team, a corrupt and unlawful police unit operating in a crime-riddled district of L.A. who revel in using illegal methods to uphold the law while finding ways to profit off street crime.
While it starts off strong, The Shield only gets better as it proceeds, with Season 7’s final episode, “Family Meeting,” marking an unforgettable highlight of the series. In layman’s terms, the chickens come home to roost. The members of the Strike Team are confronted with the consequences of their heinous actions, and in their punishment, their supposedly ironclad virtues of loyalty and brotherhood wither away into silent isolation. Poetic, powerful, and perfect, The Shield’s conclusion is a masterclass in crushing finality and consequence.
5
‘Sharp Objects’ (2018)
Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, Sharp Objects soars with its Southern Gothic atmospheric intensity and simmering slow-burn suspense as it follows crime reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) as she returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two girls. As is typical with crime mystery miniseries, Sharp Objects delivers an abundance of twists as Preaker’s investigation is compounded by her own traumatic past with her family, but it saves its best and most devastating episode for last.
To be completely truthful, it saves its most harrowing scene for its final moments before the credits roll, delivering a brutal revelation that reconfigures the entirety of the series and shatters Camille’s most sacred relationship. It is an ending that lingers long in the mind, a masterclass in shocking plotting and disturbing detail that complements the miniseries’ ruthless mood of dread and tension perfectly.
4
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
Opening as a tightly-focused exploration of street-level drug dealing and a small police unit investigating the Barksdale crime organization, The Wire expands exponentially to examine the inner workings of the Baltimore police department, the volatility of City Hall, the chain-of-command of the drug trade, and the abysmal failure of social institutions. Over the course of five seasons, the series evolves through a litany of character deaths and the gradual overhaul in personnel within systems, and yet the finale holds the idea that nothing has changed from Season 1.
It is a bold message, but one that illustrates the cyclical nature of crime, violence, and institutional failures. It homes in on this with the bleak and hopeless emphasis on the trajectories of the younger characters, with some becoming callous enforcers in the drug trade while others succumb to addiction. McNulty’s (Dominic West) resigned reflection as he looks over the city is the cherry on top, the perfect highlight that compounds the message of damning repetition that makes the series so timeless and powerful.
3
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)
For so much of its run, Better Call Saul was known as the prequel series to Breaking Bad, following Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) in his tumultuous journey from a street-savvy defense attorney to the legal advisor of one of Mexico’s biggest drug cartels. Its final stretch of episodes, however, leaps forward to after the events of Breaking Bad, focusing on Jimmy McGill’s reclusive life in hiding in Nebraska after his involvement with “Heisenberg.”
In the appropriately named “Saul Gone,” McGill is finally apprehended by the authorities and stands trial for his crimes, circumstances that force him to make a monumental decision between avoiding the consequences of his wrongdoing and facing his punishment in a manner that allows him to reclaim his identity and win back the respect of Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). Handled with delicate care, sentimental flourishes, and a sense of welcomed justice, Better Call Saul ends with an acknowledgment of the power of regret, an uplifting emphasis on Jimmy and Kim’s relationship, and a 180°-turn on the tone and themes of Breaking Bad‘s conclusion.
2
‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)
Famous for its pioneering impact on television storytelling and its relentless brilliance, The Sopranos had its place in small-screen history enshrined long before its finale came around. However, its swan song has become, in itself, one of the most fiercely debated moments in television history. After following New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) for six seasons, and with the final season gradually ratcheting up the tension, the finale boldly aspires to ambiguity rather than clarity.
Every aspect of the final scene has been dissected ad nauseam, and while there is a general consensus about what the abrupt cut-to-black ending signifies, there is still room for those with differing perspectives to mount their case. Looking at the storytelling of the episode as a whole, “Made in America” excels at tying up lingering loose ends, delivering rewarding character farewells, and staying true to the series’ overall style of gritty realism and engrossing drama. Creator David Chase’s defiance of traditional Hollywood closure was met with some criticism at first, but in time it has only added to the legacy of The Sopranos, making it the flagship of modern television greatness and an ageless beacon of creative dare in the medium.
1
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)
Viewed by many as being the greatest television series of all time, it is perhaps no great surprise that Breaking Bad holds what is possibly the greatest finale of all time as well. Throughout five seasons, the hit AMC show follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he goes from being an ordinary and meek suburban family man and science teacher to a ruthless and completely amoral drug lord in charge of the most in-demand form of methamphetamine.
By the time “Felina” begins, Walter’s empire has crashed around him as he has been forced into hiding, and the family he once hoped to leave with millions of dollars has been consigned to squalor. From quiet emotional beats like Walter’s conversation with Skylar (Anna Gunn) to more explosive moments like the attack on the drug compound holding Jesse (Aaron Paul) as a prisoner, and, of course, to the note-perfect final scene complemented by Badfinger’s “Baby Blue,” the Breaking Bad finale is as masterful a finale as has ever been written, produced, and presented.
Breaking Bad
- Release Date
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2008 – 2013-00-00
- Network
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AMC
- Showrunner
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Vince Gilligan
- Directors
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Vince Gilligan, Michelle Maclaren
We are now less than 100 days away from the culmination of one of the century’s best film trilogies. Released on the same date as another major blockbuster in Avengers: Doomsday, December 18, Dune: Part Three will provide one final flourish to Denis Villeneuve‘s acclaimed trilogy adapting Frank Herbert‘s Dune novels. So far in the series, both Dune and Dune: Part Two have risen to the status of “masterpiece,” and all eyes are on the third to complete a perfect set.
Dune: Part Three is penned by Brian K. Vaughan and features yet another stacked cast, led by Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, and also featuring Zendaya as Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Jason Momoa as Hayt, and many more. To round off a sci-fi story as expansive as Dune is no easy task, but thankfully it is in the hands of a modern genre master who has already taken a beloved work and crafted a genius follow-up.
Back in 2017, Villeneuve took on the unenviable task of crafting a sequel to director Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner, itself an adaptation of Philip K. Dick‘s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Despite skepticism, Villeneuve would defy all expectations and make one of the greatest sequels in cinema history, led by Ryan Gosling in one of his best performances. Sadly, Blade Runner 2049 was a flop at the box office, although its subsequent popularity and status have encouraged the green light on the upcoming Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099. Ahead of that series’ arrival, Blade Runner 2049 is proving popular again, officially ranking as the most-watched movie on HBO Max in the world at the time of writing.
Denis Villeneuve Is Taking on One of Cinema’s Biggest Franchises Next
Never one to take a rest, Villeneuve will move straight from Dune into another enormous franchise, as he takes a seat in the directing chair for Amazon’s new James Bond era. Little is known about this next installment, although we are now closer than ever to discovering who will be the next 007. What we do know is that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will pen the script for the next Bond movie, with him and Villeneuve sure to make a great partnership.
Blade Runner 2049 is streaming now. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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October 6, 2017
- Runtime
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164 minutes
- Director
-
Denis Villeneuve
- Writers
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Michael Green, Hampton Fancher
- Producers
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Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes, Carl Rogers, Dana Belcastro, Steven P. Wegner
Few genres are as thrilling as the spy film, whether it’s the kind with a cat-and-mouse game played across exotic locations; suave, debonair secret agents uncovering evil plots to destroy the world; or more cerebral fare, where the protagonist stumbles across a conspiracy that is rooted deep within global institutions. But let’s say there’s a spy movie that largely bucks those conventions, one that pits the Americans against the Russians during the Cold War. There’s no exotic locales, just water as far as the eye can see, with the bulk of the film spent aboard cold, gray submarines, with a protagonist who isn’t a suave secret agent in the vein of James Bond, but instead a desk jockey with a fear of flying. Would you believe that such a film isn’t just good, but is a bona-fide masterpiece thriller? If you don’t, you should: the film is The Hunt for Red October, and 36 years after its release, it’s found new life as one of the most popular rentals on Apple TV.
Jack Ryan Has Three Days to Uncover a Rogue Soviet Submarine Captain’s Intentions in ‘The Hunt for Red October’
It’s November 1984, and the Soviets have given command of Red October, a state-of-the-art Typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine with a “caterpillar drive,” to the esteemed Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). It’s a decision they’ll soon regret, after Ramius kills the political officer on board and tells his crew that they have been instructed to conduct missile drills off the American East coast. With that, they engage the caterpillar drive and, now undetectable, make their way to their destination.
Government officials in Washington call on CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) to brief them on the threat that Red October—and its commander—poses. It’s certainly not good news, and after hearing that the bulk of the Soviet Navy has been mobilized to locate and sink the sub, the military staff surmises that Ramius has gone rogue and plans a renegade nuclear strike. Only Ryan, who has done extensive research on Ramius, has a different hypothesis, suggesting that Ramius actually plans to defect to the United States with the sub, a major coup for the Americans if he’s right. It’s his monkey, so now it’s his zoo, and Ryan’s given three days to confirm his theory before the U.S. Navy joins the hunt to find, and scuttle, Red October.
So Ryan is sent to the mid-Atlantic, where he boards the American submarine USS Dallas at the risk of his own life. There, he tries to convince Commander Mancuso (Scott Glenn) to contact Ramius to determine his real intentions. His timing is perfect, given “Jonesy” (Courtney B. Vance), the sonar technician aboard, has discovered a means of tracking Red October using underwater acoustics software. They catch up to the Soviet sub, where Mancuso, swayed by Ryan’s arguments, contacts Ramius and offers assistance. Sure enough, Ryan was right, and Ramius, stunned but relieved that the Americans figured it out, accepts. After staging a nuclear reactor “emergency” that forces the crew to abandon ship, Ramius welcomes Ryan, Mancuso, and Jonesy aboard, turning over Red October and requesting asylum for himself and his officers. Only the arrival of Alfa-class submarine V.K. Konovalov puts a damper on the proceedings, setting up a deep-sea battle to the death.
A Wealth of Talent Both On and Off the Screen Makes ‘The Hunt for Red October’ Work
By rights, The Hunt for Red October shouldn’t work as well as it does, but a wealth of riches both on and off the screen creates a memorable film that stands as a masterpiece of the genre. The cast, including heavyweights like Tim Curry, Sam Neill and James Earl Jones, is perfect (Glenn’s performance, in particular, is one of his best). But the film lives and dies with its two leads, and they rise to the challenge. Baldwin is perfectly suited for Jack Ryan’s first appearance on film, taking a character unprepared (and largely unwilling) to be involved directly in the proceedings through a journey that sees him grow in confidence and assertiveness, taking control of the situation and claiming his role as an action hero.
Baldwin’s good, but he’s not Sean Connery good, with the seasoned vet commanding the screen in one of the best performances of his post-James Bond career. His Marko Ramius cuts an imposing, authoritative figure, one that keeps up appearances and (largely) deflects suspicion in order to facilitate the defection of himself and his crew. He balances that with the vulnerability that comes with seeing his plan, his freedom, come to fruition. It’s good enough that even his maligned non-attempt at a Russian accent (Marko McRamius?) isn’t enough to distract from it.
Director John McTiernan is no stranger to generating high tension in confined areas, as he did in Die Hard. He keeps the tension on high throughout the film, dropping dangers at key intervals and generating real concern from the viewer. His vision is perfectly complemented by cinematographer Jan de Bont, his partner on Die Hard. It’s a chemistry so in sync that it creates magic, and the tricks de Bont picked up from McTiernan can be seen in de Bont’s first directorial affair, 1994’s Speed, another thriller that spends the bulk of its time in confined quarters.
Surprisingly, one of the film’s best scenes has no action whatsoever, but simply captures Ryan and Ramius conversing on the deck of Red October at the end of the film. McTiernan and de Bont immortalize the moment in a gentle blue hue, with the two talking heads on the left side of the screen, and the river behind adding an unimpeded calmness to their discourse. In a high-stakes thriller like The Hunt for Red October, it’s a savvy move that grounds the film with humanity, a perfect end to a masterpiece.
Jordon Hudson had yet another unusual interaction with the media — this time on the sidelines of her boyfriend Bill Belichick’s University of North Carolina football game.
Pat Welter — a sports reporter for WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina — shared footage via Instagram on Saturday, September 12, that showed him panning his phone camera over to Hudson, 25, on the sidelines at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, only to realize that she was already filming him with her own mobile device.
The video showed the two seemingly at a stalemate for a few seconds before Hudson waved at him while smiling.
“Me filming Jordon Hudson. Jordon Hudson filming me,” Welter, 38, humorously captioned the clip.
The journalist responsible for leaking audio of Jordon Hudson complaining on a hot mic explained why the footage is emblematic of a larger issue surrounding Hudson’s relationship with her boyfriend, Bill Belichick. The footage of Hudson, 24, was from a taping of Belichick’s show Coach in September 2024, and released on Friday, October 17, by […]
Hudson was rocking a Tar Heels T-shirt, which she wore over white denim pants with a low-hanging ivory-colored belt. Her first appearance of the season on the sidelines may have helped propel UNC to a blowout victory against East Tennessee State Buccaneers, 35-3.
While Hudson hasn’t explained why she was filming Welter on the sidelines, the reporter has recently been critical of UNC’s leadership.
The school has gone through a tumultuous few weeks after Tar Heels football general manager Michael Lombardi resigned from his post on September 3 amid an internal investigation into a human resources complaint.
While reporting on the Lombardi scandal, Welter recently suggested that there could be a knock-on effect on Belichick’s strategy for the Tar Heels since Lombardi and Hudson were key influences on the coach last season.
“From a #UNC source ‘the downfall of this whole thing is who Bill listens to.’ Last season that was Jordon Hudson and Mike Lombardi,” Welter tweeted on August 26 alongside a clip of a wider discussion of Belichick’s leadership.
Jordon Hudson gave a playful nod to her haters while celebrating another milestone cheerleading victory. Hudson, 24, and her Cheer Extreme Raleigh Code Black squad earned a full paid bid to the 2026 Worlds with their performance at the Cheer for Charity 2026 competition on Sunday, March 15. “📣📣📣📣📣 #GOLDDIGGER GOT #PAID 🤑🤑🤑🤭🤭#IDigGoldMedals #GRANDioseCHAMPS #TroubleCubStrikesAgain,” […]
Hudson is no stranger to clashing with the media, as she became a viral sensation in 2025 for interrupting a CBS Sunday Morning segment when reporter Tony Dokoupil asked Belichick how his age-gap romance began.
“We’re not talking about this,” she insisted in a now-infamous moment.
Hudson has since called out reporters via social media when they were critical of her frequent presence alongside Belichick on the sidelines of Tar Heels’ games.
In December 2025, she threatened to sue podcaster Pablo Torre over his reporting that she’d been banned from the university’s football facilities — an allegation that UNC later denied.
“I can report that there has been no legal notice or letter or communique of any kind sent to me,” Torre, 40, told The Contrarian’s editor-in-chief Jen Rubin days later. “I have not been sued by Jordon Hudson despite her threatening to do so on Instagram last week, which is a fun sentence that I never get tired of saying out loud.”
He added, “I can further add to the clarity of the dynamic that the University of North Carolina, who I contacted, has made clear to me that they have no part of any of the legal threats at all made by Jordon Hudson.”
Like other broadcast networks, NBC is building out its programming for the 2026-2027 TV season. The network blends new and returning shows, with some schedule changes. The Hunting Party is the only show from the previous season that won’t return following its cancellation. However, a new replacement is lined up, and it debuts in one week. That series is Line of Fire, a family drama with procedural elements led by Peter Krause and Hope Davis. It is one of four new shows on NBC this season, but some don’t debut until next year.
Another is also a procedural that follows a private investigator. It is a modern retelling of a classic NBC series with the same premise that ran from 1974 to 1980 for six seasons. It follows Jim Rockford (James Garner), an ex-con and private investigator who works low-level investigative cases for a fee. Rockford typically uses his quick thinking and charm to solve most cases without getting into physical fights unless the situation calls for it. Garner played the character in the story’s initial run in the subsequent TV movies.
Now, James “Jim” Rockford is back on TV and on NBC after a short stint on CBS in the reunion movies. David Boreanaz (Bones) plays the character, and the show’s premise doesn’t deviate from its predecessor, except for some contemporary updates. When the series starts, Rockford has just been paroled (not pardoned like in the original series). He returns to his job as a PI in Los Angeles. However, his quest to seek legitimacy hits a snag because of friction with the police department and organized crime. The series also stars Michaela McManus and Jacki Weaver. The Rockford Files has been held for a midseason premiere, meaning viewers won’t see Rockford’s exploits until January 2027.
What Does the Rest of NBC’s Fall Schedule Look Like?
NBC’s scripted premiere kicks off on Monday, September 21, with Line of Fire. In November, St. Denis Medical and The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins form an hour-long comedy block from 8 pm. Tuesday has no scripted shows, with the NBA taking over the primetime slots. Wednesdays remain One Chicago night with Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. occupying the three-hour block. Thursdays are for Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. Fridays feature another comedy block with Happy’s Place and another brand-new comedy series, Newlyweds. Jake Johnson’s new comedy Sunset P.I. doesn’t premiere until February 2027.
Collider will keep you updated with more news, including the premiere date for The Rockford Files.
- Release Date
-
1974 – 1980-00-00
- Directors
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William Wiard, Lawrence Doheny, Ivan Dixon, Jerry London, Reza Badiyi, Russ Mayberry, Jackie Cooper, Lou Antonio, Corey Allen, Jeannot Szwarc, Stephen J. Cannell, Alexander Grasshoff, Arnold Laven, Harry Falk, John Patterson, Stuart Margolin, Alexander Singer, Bernard L. Kowalski, Bernard McEveety, Bruce Kessler, Charles S. Dubin, Christian I. Nyby II, Dana Elcar, Hy Averback
- Writers
-
Gordon T. Dawson, Rudolph Borchert, Don Carlos Dunaway, Edward J. Lakso, David Taylor, Donald L. Gold, Rogers Turrentine, Walter Dallenbach, Lester Wm. Berke, William R. Stratton, Jo Swerling Jr., Leigh Brackett, Mitch Lindemann, Robert Hamner, Zekial Marko, Howard Berk, Shel Willens, Eric Kaldor, Gloryette Clark
-
James Garner
Jim Rockford
-
Noah Beery Jr.
Joseph “Rocky” Rockford
Certain novels seem to be making their way to the big or small screen. They’re filled with complicated romantic plots, expansive backgrounds, and memorable characters. However, producing a quality film or series from a book isn’t based solely on good writing. In some cases, production might not get past the planning stage, while in others, it might take certain aspects from the original work and alter them beyond recognition.
Of the five books listed below, some have the characteristics of great potential for film adaptations, while others include details that must remain in their film adaptations.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
The Lies of Locke Lamora, a novel by Scott Lynch, leads readers to a city called Camorr, based on the real medieval city of Venice. The city of Camorr is full of criminals, thieves, nobles, and so many shady dealings that cheating someone seems simple compared to people’s business in Camorr. The story follows a boy named Locke Lamora, the leader of Gentleman Bastards, a group of talented thieves who steal from the rich while pretending to be harmless. Unfortunately for them, the world in which they live is turned upside down when a criminal called Gray King takes over the underworld of Camorr.
The novel was already adapted into a film after the rights were bought, but unfortunately they eventually expired. The elaborate cons provide the spectacle, but Locke and Jean’s friendship gives the story its emotional core. A faithful adaptation would also need to preserve Lynch’s willingness to let the Gentleman Bastards be funny, reckless, violent, and genuinely vulnerable rather than turning them into conventional fantasy heroes.
The Night Circus
Set in Le Cirque des Rêves, a mysterious circus that appears and disappears unexpectedly, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern depicts the thrilling duel between two young illusionists, Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, trained by opposing magicians. This is a game of magic, though neither Celia nor Marco knows who their rival really is. The game eventually leads to their cooperation that neither of their mentors could have imagined.
This is one of those books where the atmosphere is almost as important as the plot, which makes it a particularly tempting adaptation challenge. The circus’s impossible tents, magical attractions, and shifting locations could produce some extraordinary visuals, but spectacle alone would miss the point. Set in Le Cirque des Rêves, a mysterious circus that appears and disappears unexpectedly, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern depicts the thrilling duel between two young illusionists, Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, trained by opposing magicians. This is a game of magic, though neither Celia nor Marco knows who their rival really is. The game eventually leads to their cooperation that neither of their mentors could have imagined.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a massive fantasy epic by Samantha Shannon, set in a world torn apart by differing beliefs about dragons, magic, and history. In the West, dragons are feared and despised, while in the East, they are worshipped as godlike beings ridden by dragonriders. The focal point of the conflict is Queen Sabran IX, who poses a serious threat in her quest to give birth to an heir while facing the menace of the ancient Nameless One. Her protector, the spy Ead Duryan, is secretly loyal to the Priory, while dragonrider-in-training Tané and exiled alchemist Niclays Roos become caught up in the same growing crisis.
The novel’s scale is obviously a selling point, but its real strength is how those enormous fantasy stakes intersect with deeply personal conflicts. By using four points of view, the narrative can traverse court politics, espionage, religion, and dragon adventure without reducing the plot to a simple good-versus-evil conflict. A standard adaptation should also keep queer love and complex female characters within the book’s framework, rather than ignoring them or reducing them to mere background plots.
Six of Crows
In Leigh Bardugo‘s book Six of Crows, we meet six youngsters assigned to carry out an exceptionally challenging jail escape. The team is led by mastermind criminal Kaz Brekker, and the crew includes spy Inej Ghafa, sharpshooter Jesper Fahey, Grisha Heartrender Nina Zenik, former Grisha hunter Matthias Helvar, and demolition expert Wylan Van Eck. The gang targets the Ice Court military base, and as if that’s not enough, the mission gets even more complicated when the drug they are expected to secure could affect international politics in one way or another.
There is a major caveat: the Crows have already appeared in Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, which gave them an original storyline rather than directly adapting Six of Crows, and that makes a faithful adaptation of Bardugo’s duology even more appealing. The novel’s heist structure, shifting perspectives, and complicated relationships would work brilliantly across a season of television, especially because each crew member brings their own history, vulnerabilities, and reasons for taking the job.
The Song of Achilles
Written by Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles tells the Trojan War from Patroclus’s perspective. It begins centuries before the war and follows Achilles and Patroclus’s friendship from their first meeting through the war’s major events. Patroclus accidentally kills a boy and is sent to Phthia, where he meets Achilles, who is the son of Peleus and Thetis. Despite Thetis’s efforts to prevent their friendship, their relationship becomes love.
A faithful adaptation must understand that the Trojan War is not the heart of this story; instead, this is the stage for a story in which the bond between Patroclus and Achilles deepens amid questions of fate, mortality, and duty. The work took Miller 10 years, and the author used not only The Iliad but many other Greek and Roman texts in the development of the storyline, aiming to center a character who was a minor one in the classic poem. Strictly speaking, this close perspective makes the book great, and that is exactly what the screen version needs to achieve.
Entertainment
Steven Spielberg’s Best Indiana Jones Successor Officially Discovers a New Free Streamer
Steven Spielberg recently made a long-awaited return to sci-fi, but like the genre’s other prodigal son, Ridley Scott, his comeback wasn’t as successful as he’d have liked. While Scott’s new movie, The Dog Stars, has underperformed commercially and received mediocre reviews, Spielberg’s far more expensive Disclosure Day barely broke even and left audiences largely indifferent. Spielberg hasn’t delivered an outright hit since Ready Player One, which was released nearly a decade ago. But it’s easy to forget that Ready Player One was released at a time when Spielberg was going through a similar lull, with movies such as War Horse and The BFG both falling short of the mark at the box office. It was during this decade that he attempted to launch a franchise with a movie that honored some of his most iconic past work. The movie in question is currently streaming for free in the United States.
It marked Spielberg’s first time working in performance capture, and the freedom he got resulted in some of the most ambitious sequences he has ever crafted. A oner in the movie is often ranked among the greatest action beats of the last few decades. The movie was based on a series of popular Franco-Belgian comic books that Spielberg became aware of when he was promoting Raiders of the Lost Ark in Europe. Although the movie was produced during a particularly successful era for comic book adaptations, familiarizing American audiences with the source material was always going to be a challenge. Eventually, Spielberg was unable to pull it off, with the movie only grossing around $70 million domestically.
Here’s Where You Can Watch Steven Spielberg’s Adventure Movie for Free
By now you’ve probably guessed that we’re talking about The Adventures of Tintin. The movie was very successful overseas, and it eventually made around $375 million worldwide against a reported budget of $130 million. Featuring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Daniel Craig, the film now holds a “Certified Fresh” 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator website’s consensus reads, “Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.” A sequel was announced with co-producer Peter Jackson at the helm, but it has been stuck in development hell for 15 years. Recently, however, Jackson revealed that he is ready to get working on the sequel and that work on the script is underway. You can watch The Adventures of Tintin on Pluto TV, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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October 25, 2011
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Writers
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Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish
Entertainment
‘Sicario’ Meets ‘Lethal Weapon’ in Denzel Washington’s Action Blockbuster Officially Leaving Netflix Soon
2026 has been a quiet year for Denzel Washington, who is starring in fewer projects year after year as he moves into a different stage of his career. Last year, Washington headlined one of the biggest Apple TV movies of the year, Highest 2 Lowest, which was directed by his long-time collaborator Spike Lee. The film was based on the iconic Akira Kurosawa crime thriller, High and Low, and it spent weeks at the top of Apple TV streaming charts before finally giving up ground to newer releases. Back at the end of 2024, Denzel Washington took the place of Russell Crowe in the legacy sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which struggled at the box office under the weight of its $250 million budget. Washington earned Oscar buzz for his performance as Macrinus in the film, though he was never officially recognized.
Washington has starred in plenty of Oscar-worthy movies over the years, but he’s also not shied away from starring in entertaining action hits designed to deliver thrills, not awards. One of such films came all the way back in 2013 when he teamed up with Mark Wahlberg for 2 Guns, the epic crime thriller that grossed over $131 million at the global box office. This is a lot, but not as much as the studio would have liked to see, considering it came into theaters carrying a $61 million budget. All these years later, the only way to stream 2 Guns is on Netflix, but this won’t be the case for much longer. Netflix announced not long ago that the film is set to leave streaming soon, and the last day to watch 2 Guns on Netflix comes at the end of this month on September 30.
What Is ‘2 Guns’ About?
The official synopsis for 2 Guns, which earned scores of 64% from critics and 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: “For the past year, DEA agent Bobby Trench and U.S. Navy intelligence officer Marcus Stigman have been working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate. The twist: Neither man knows that the other is an undercover agent. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, the men are disavowed by their superiors. Trench and Stigman must go on the run lest they wind up in jail or in a grave.” The cleanest way to pitch the movie to someone who’s never seen it is Sicario meets Lethal Weapon — it’s an epic crime thriller like Sicario but also a true buddy cop action comedy like Lethal Weapon.
Check out 2 Guns before it’s removed from Netflix at the end of this month and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Denzel Washington’s future project.
- Release Date
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August 2, 2013
- Runtime
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109minutes
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