By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 30 seconds ago

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is, without a doubt, the tropiest TV show ever created. Thanks to geeky showrunner Joss Whedon, the series was always channeling some of the most popular tropes of film and television, all while creating a few of its own. Eventually, this led to a minor bit of internet history: the helpful website TV Tropes began as a Buffy fan site before it expanded to cover pop culture of all stripes. Long before that site was created, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran a stake through the laziest trope of them all!

When Willow Rosenberg is first introduced in “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” she is presented as a mousy, geeky girl. This is mostly due to how she dresses, and the character’s fashion evolves over time, revealing her to be one of the sexiest of the Scoobies. In short, Willow is the living embodiment of the “Beautiful All Along” trope, in which minor changes to someone’s appearance reveal them to have been a secret hottie all along. Even wilder, resident mean girl Cordelia draws attention to this in the first episode when she dunks on Willow’s choice of clothing.  

Mean Girls: Sunnydale Edition

Need a few crumbs of context? According to TV Tropes, “Beautiful All Along” is the trope in which a character (almost always female) is initially presented as someone who isn’t conventionally attractive. Eventually, she takes off her glasses, lets down her hair, and/or updates her wardrobe, and voila! The Ugly Duckling character is revealed to be a beautiful swan. It happens to Rachael Leigh Cook in She’s All That, Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries, Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, and so many more examples.

It also happens to Alyson Hannigan in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the first two seasons of the show, she wears childishly bright, mostly oversized clothing that emphasizes that she is a very nerdy character trying to hide rather than stand out. Her fashion becomes fitted and confidently quirky in Season 3. As befitting Willow’s college debut, seasons 4 and 5 show her experimenting with a mixture of bohemian and contemporary styles, and she was often dressed far better than Buffy. She eventually settled into a sexy ‘90s style that alternated between darker palettes for Season 6 and warmer palettes for Season 7.

Buffy Called Out Its Own Lazy Trope

In retrospect, it’s clear the plan was to make Willow look more overtly sexy over time. That’s why we got early glimpses of Alyson Hannigan as a smokeshow, like when she dons a midriff-bearing Halloween costume in Season 2 and meets her leather-clad, dommy mommy vampire persona in Season 3. Those early episodes reminded us how hot Willow actually was, something that her geeky wardrobe from the early seasons did its best to obscure. But in a kind of meta-moment you can only find in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cordelia actually calls out what the show is doing to Willow in the very first episode!

In “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” we get a vintage Cordelia moment in which she apparently gives Willow an earnest compliment. “Nice dress!” As soon as the geeky girl smiles, though, Cordelia follows up with her sick burn. “Good to know you’ve seen the softer side of Sears.” A sheepish Willow says that her mother picked the outfit out, allowing Cordelia to squeeze in yet another insult. “No wonder you’re such a guy magnet.” The scene is very effective at defining who these characters are: Cordelia is the sexy bully, and Willow is her mousy target. However, there’s more going on in this scene than you might think.

Black (Magic) Swan

If you pay close attention to Cordelia’s insult, she doesn’t actually call Willow ugly. In her overly cruel way, she is pointing out that Willow might just be a “guy magnet” (as in, attractive to others) if she wore better clothing. This is exactly what happens later in the show: Oz, her first serious boyfriend, takes special notice of her when he sees her sexy Halloween costume. She and Xander also share some forbidden smooching after he notices how good she looks in her homecoming dress. Furthermore, she meets Tara (the love of her life) at the height of her experimental fashionista phase in college.

Long story not very short? Willow is the ultimate Buffy example of the “Beautiful All Along” trope. All it takes is an improvement in her wardrobe to show everyone in Sunnydale how sexy she really is. Incidentally, that wardrobe change also helped audiences realize how gorgeous Willow actor Alyson Hannigan is. In 2004, one year after Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its final episode, she was voted one of the sexiest women in the world by FHM!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the king (or should that be queen?) of TV tropes, and Willow was the ultimate embodiment of the “Beautiful All Along” trope. But the show was also famous for turning tropes on their head and generally subverting our expectations. In the very first episode, not only did Cordelia effectively call this trope out, but she foreshadowed exactly what would happen to Willow: she’d eventually ditch the mousy clothing, start dressing stylishly, and become one of the loveliest ladies in all of Sunnydale.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 46 seconds ago

Simon Pegg has been one of my favorite comedic actors ever since I first saw Shaun of the Dead, and I was thrilled to see that Absolutely Anything was not only streaming for free on Tubi but also co-starring the late and legendary Robin Williams. Unfortunately for me, I have a tendency to click on any title without knowing anything about it because I genuinely have no real hard likes or dislikes when it comes to my entertainment choices; I just want to see what’s out there.

Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised, but in the case of Absolutely Anything, I’ll just say that my time would have been better spent watching reruns of Spaced instead.

Aliens Deliver Super Powers As A Test

Absolutely Anything boasts one of those classic “be careful what you wish for” kind of narratives like The Monkey’s Paw. Instead of a cursed paw that messes with one’s fate, Simon Pegg’s Neil Clarke gets gifted supernatural powers from a distant alien species who debates whether they should allow Earth into their galactic council, or destroy the planet.

The aliens decide that if Neil has the power to do absolutely anything he wants for 10 days, they’ll let Earth join the council if he uses his newfound powers for good. If Neil uses his powers for evil purposes, the trigger-happy aliens will blow up the planet and kill everybody living on it.

The Power To Make Kate Beckinsale Fall In Love With You

I’ve repeatedly said in the past that I love a quick setup if it means that a movie’s run time is spent exploring the premise to its fullest potential instead of wasting its entire first act on exposition. But Absolutely Anything is not one of those films because it does nothing but set up gag after gag with little to no payoff once its narrative framework is established.

Once Neil realizes that he can do literally anything he wants, he wastes his powers trying to get his neighbor and romantic interest, Catherine (Kate Beckinsale) to fall in love with him. As the title suggests, he can do absolutely anything, but he decides that he wants his boss, Headmaster Mr. Robinson (Eddie Izzard), to be nice to him. He wishes that his students at his school would all disappear and stop bothering him, but immediately reverses his wish when the classroom explodes and kills them.

Robin Williams Voices A Dog

My ears perked up when Neil granted his dog, Dennis (Robin Williams), the ability to speak and understand English. As a lifelong fan of Robin Williams, I was gravely disappointed when it quickly became clear that his voice-acting talent would be used for leg-humping jokes and incessantly begging for biscuits for the remainder of the film.

By the time Absolutely Anything gets into existential territory in the third act with Neil’s decision to fix the world’s many problems (war and climate change), it was already too late to redeem this movie that first tried to be witty, but then lost the plot with its many attempts to be an over-the-top, slapstick gross-out comedy.

The Absolutely Wrong Target Audience

Absolutely Anything is one of those movies that demonstrates how an amazing cast and fun idea can get in its own way if it fails to execute in a meaningful way. Pegg and the rest of his supporting cast understood the assignment, but I can’t in good conscience say that the assignment was worth their time given how great their past work had been leading up to this movie.

What’s more, this could have been a fun, low-stakes family film if it didn’t have an R rating. As far as I can tell, the only reason Absolutely Anything was rated R was due to its willingness to carpet-bomb the dialogue with f-bombs whenever the opportunity presented itself.

I always try to think of who movies like this are for, and in an effort to remain civil, I’m going to put Absolutely Anything in the laundry-folding or dish-washing category. If you want something playing in the background while you’re doing your household chores, you can fire up Tubi and give it a go. If you want to watch a solid alien movie starring Simon Pegg, I’d advise you to watch Paul instead.

Chris Brown recently released the visuals for his latest single, “Fallin’,” but the conversation has already shifted from the music to the video’s creative direction.

Soon after the video dropped, viewers began pointing out similarities between Brown’s visuals and Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed film, “Sinners.” The comparisons have since sparked debate online, with some fans accusing the singer of leaning too heavily on the movie’s style and others even calling on Coogler to take legal action.

On May 1, Brown released the visuals for “Fallin,” his latest project with singer Leon Thomas.

Within 24 hours of its release, the video had already gathered nearly two million views, a number that highlights just how much fans were anticipating it. However, that early success is now being overshadowed by accusations that the creative inspiration behind the video heavily borrowed from “Sinners.”

One detail that quickly stood out to viewers was the wardrobe. Brown and the male cast members appear in suits that some fans felt resembled the styling seen in Coogler’s film, while several female performers wore gowns that also drew comparisons.

Observers also spoke about the video’s color grading and overall tone, noting how its moody, atmospheric palette seems to mirror the same visual identity that helped “Sinners” earn critical acclaim.

Fans Urge Ryan Coogler To Sue Brown

At some point, the comparisons escalated into stronger reactions, with some online users even calling on Coogler to take legal action against Brown. Some also chose to mock the singer, saying, “at least have some originality,” and “this feels like cosplay.”

A third critic took things further, alleging, “He stole his swag. Word for word. Bar for bar. Song sounds A.I. generated too.”

Still, Brown received some support from several X users who saw nothing wrong with the video.

“Chris is paying homage to the film… they didn’t steal the aesthetic, they were inspired,” one user argued.

‘Fallin’ Is Part Of Chris Brown’s Upcoming LP

Directed by Travis Colbert, “Fallin’” is not just another visual from Brown. The song is expected to appear on the singer’s upcoming self-titled LP, “BROWN,” which is set to arrive on streaming platforms on May 8 via RCA Records. Apple Music lists the project as a 27-track pre-release album under RCA Records and Chris Brown Entertainment.

Before “Fallin’,” Brown had already released several singles from the project, beginning with “Holy Blindfold,” which arrived on June 13, 2025.

Brown Set To Tour With Usher In June

The “Fallin’” video also features a cameo from Usher, who is set to hit the road with Brown later this year.

The two R&B stars announced their joint stadium run in April with a promotional video shared on Instagram, captioned, “It’s Time!” The tour, titled “The R&B Tour,” is a play on their names, Usher Raymond and Chris Brown.

Produced by Live Nation, the 33-date North American tour is scheduled to kick off on June 26 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. It will make stops in major cities, including Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami, before wrapping up on December 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

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Beyond the music, Brown and Usher have also tied the tour to a charitable initiative through a partnership with Global Citizen. As part of the collaboration, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which supports access to quality education for children around the world.

Chris Brown Slammed Critics Of His Upcoming Tour

Following the tour announcement, several netizens took to social media to criticize the collaboration, and it ultimately drew a reaction from Brown.

Taking to Instagram, Brown stated that critics who disliked the tour had the option not to attend, adding that he believed fans of both him and Usher would still show up in large numbers just like they did at his previous tour.

He also addressed negative online commentary aimed at discouraging attendance based on his past controversies.

“The dudes hating, I can understand that (thinking we gone steal ya girl and shit). BUT THE KARENS, and the self-hating hoes be making me LAUGH. I CAN’T WAIT TO RUB THIS sh-t IN YALL FACE,” the singer said.

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Hugh Jackman has a new movie coming out that is apparently his best yet: The Sheep Detectives. Starring Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, and an all-star cast of both voice actors and live-action players, the story follows a group of sheep all investigating the death of their beloved shepherd (Jackman). To celebrate the film’s release this week, Collider is delighted to bring you an exclusive sneak peek from the film that takes us into the human side of the investigation, which exemplifies why the sheep have to take matters into their own…hooves.

The Sheep Detectives is described as follows: “A must-see family film this summer, packed with laughs, heart, and the cutest (and fluffiest) team of amateur sleuths! The film follows George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd who loves to read murder mysteries to his sheep, never suspecting that they can understand him. When George is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep decide to solve the crime themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.”

Our sneak peek includes Braun’s Tim Derry investigating people around town, including American Rebecca Hampstead (Gordon), who came into town for the first time on the day of the murder. While his questions start out with him asking about her whereabouts and why she was in town to begin with, they do take a detour into asking about her personal life. While Tim is earning collective groans from the locals, Beth (Hong Chau) notices Rebecca is fidgeting with her bracelet while talking to the detective. This is just the beginning of the mystery in The Sheep Detectives​​​​​​.

‘The Sheep Detectives’ Is 2026’s Most Whimsical Whodunit

When the first trailer for The Sheep Detectives was shown at CinemaCon in 2025, many wrote the movie off as a joke. However, as we approach the film’s release this weekend, The Sheep Detectives has officially become Jackman’s highest-rated film yet with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences long for new and original whodunit stories. Author Leonie Swann did something special with the novel that translated to the screen better than anyone could’ve hoped.

You can see the sheep solve a murder when The Sheep Detectives hits theaters on May 8. Stay tuned at Collider for more.

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Release Date

May 8, 2026

Runtime

109 Minutes

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Director

Kyle Balda

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You know that effortless look certain women have when they’re walking out of a Madison Avenue cafe? The kind where the dress skims rather than clings, the fabric looks expensive (even up close) and nothing pinches at the waist after lunch. That polish doesn’t come from squeezing into something restrictive. It comes from knowing what actually flatters.

To help you on your journey, we rounded up loose, slimming dresses that channel rich Upper East Side energy without the high price tag. Think: Drapey silhouettes, tailored sleeves and fabrics that move with you through school pickups, brunches or gallery openings. Prices start at just $25, so you can build out your whole wardrobe rotation without worry. Scroll on for the picks worth adding to your closet this season.

17 Loose, Slimming Dresses With Upper East Side Rich Mom Style

1. Our Favorite: The contrast trim and ribbed knit material on this sleeveless maxi dress adds subtle structure without clinging. The V-neck elongates your frame, while the flowy skirt skims everything below.

2. Pretty Polka Dots: Picture this flowy polka dot dress at a garden lunch with woven flats and a straw tote. The relaxed fabric has a way of moving with you, instead of pulling. Plus, the classic print never goes out of style.

3. Throw-On-and-Go: This loose flowy shift earns its keep on humid mornings when fitted clothes feel impossible. Wear it with espadrilles to brunch or sneakers for errands.

4. Brunch-Approved: Brunch outfits shouldn’t require holding your stomach in for two hours. This Swiss dot wrap dress flows away from the body, so you can actually enjoy the eggs Benedict.

5. Resort Polish: Vacation packing gets simpler when one dress works for dinner, the pool deck and sightseeing. This colorful wrap maxi handles all three activities without wrinkling into oblivion.

Related: 17 Spring-to-Summer Dresses That Look Like Boutique Bestsellers

Working at a boutique, I learned quickly that not every dress makes it past spring. You’d see someone buy a piece in March, wear it once or twice, then move on when the weather changed. The styles that actually lasted were always the same: easy midis, breezy maxis and throw-on dresses that feel right no […]

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6. Ladylike Luxe: This sleeveless halter dress works for an outdoor wedding with strappy heels or a milestone birthday dinner. The chiffon material catches light beautifully in photos.

7. Hamptons Style: Beach town dressing should feel cool, not clammy. This halter chiffon maxi moves with the breeze, and doesn’t stick to skin after a walk on the sand.

8. Boutique-Worthy: Wear this pink eyelet maxi to a daytime baby shower or vineyard lunch with tan sandals. People will assume it came from a small boutique, not a $41 click.

9. Park Avenue Polish: Beige colors can read flat on its own. However, the halter design and V-neckline on this flowy maxi sundress adds quiet luxury vibes, so the neutral shade looks intentional.

10. Floral Find: The square neckline on this floral midi dress frames the collarbone in a way V-necks can’t. Short sleeves and a flowy skirt keep proportions balanced.

11. Tennis Club-Chic: Slip on this black floral maxi over a swimsuit for the club pool, then wear it solo to lunch with espadrille wedges. The neutral palette works through fall.

12. Timelessly Chic: The bow tie front and ruffle hem on this V-neck midi dress adds personality without crossing into trendy territory. The short sleeves give it three-season range.

13. Must-Have Maxi: The smocked high waist on this floral maxi dress cinches without a belt or zipper. The ruffle sleeves cover the upper arms without adding bulk.

14. Polished Ease: The beige and black contrast trim on this spaghetti strap maxi mimics designer color-blocking style. The flowy V-neck cut keeps it relaxed as well.

15. Figure-Flattering: Maxi dresses without waist definition can swallow your shape. The elastic waist on this V-neck maxi gives structure where you want it and ease everywhere else.

16. Lunch Date-Ready: The subtle cutout on this square-neck dress adds interest without exposing too much. The short sleeves and flowy cut keep it lunch-appropriate, too.

17. Country Club Chic: Pull on this tulle midi dress for a daytime event or anniversary dinner with metallic sandals. The smocked waist holds its shape through dinner and dancing.

Related: 17 Petite Spring Dresses That Flatter Women Over 40 — From $10

Shopping for a spring dress when you’re 5’4″ or under usually means hemming the bottom, hiking up the shoulders or giving up entirely on a style you loved on the hanger. The designs just happen to be too big or loose or long, but there’s good news! More brands are finally cutting petite spring dresses […]

Skai Jackson is speaking out after facing online criticism over her frequent use of AI on social media. During a recent livestream, Jackson addressed questions from viewers, which has sparked ongoing debate across platforms.

Related: Skai Jackson Addresses Cast Beef Rumors As Fans Question Why She Missed ‘Jessie’ Link-Up (PHOTOS)

Skai Jackson Responds To AI Criticism During Livestream

Skai Jackson has recently gone viral for sharing AI-generated photos depicting fictional life moments, including images of herself getting married, having a child, and even being in a hospital. Some of her posts even include edited images placing her alongside high-profile celebrities, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner.

Recently, during her Twitch stream, Skai was questioned about her use of AI, following the internet’s debate.

One commenter asked, “Did she say why she uses AI so much?”

In response, Jackson said:

“Everybody uses it. Apple uses it, I believe Microsoft uses it. So if you don’t want to use AI, I would suggest you maybe turn your phone off and delete Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, throw away your iPhone and switch to a Samsung.”

Social Media Reacts

Jackson’s response quickly sparked mixed reactions on social media, with users debating both her reasoning and how she chooses to use AI.

Instagram user @aysiadiorr wrote, “It’s the way she’s using it….. to make this fake like of herself”

Another Instagram user @chanparislynn_ wrote, “you didn’t answer the question. Don’t nobody use it like you girl and you know that”

While Instagram user @visualdiaryny wrote, “I hate when peoples excuse for doing something is because everyone else is doing it 😭😭😭😭 like stand up”

Instagram user @asaaa_jacque wrote, “She is so me 😂😂😂 I hope she keep using it til y’all learn that it’s her life and she can do pretty much whatever the hell she wanna do with her life”

Another Instagram user @itss.monnie wrote, “I think it be funny 😂😂😂 I’m just as delulu as she is 💁🏽‍♀️😭”

While Instagram user @ninam0sley wrote, “just say them folks are cutting you a check”

Instagram user @1alaaalandd wrote, “Okay let’s be fr tho. Shes trynna clickbait with those photos and it’s literally working. Using Al is literally give her money 😭”

Another Instagram user @legitnesha wrote, “She not wrong tho, a lot of companies like Google and Apple use it. How do you think the algorithm is so quick to change now”

While Instagram user @jaseanbrackett wrote, “Can’t spell AI without Skai”

The Internet Questions Skai Jackson’s Recent Photo With Kai Cenat

The debate surrounding Skai’s use of AI has also led to confusion among fans about distinguishing real moments from edited ones.

The former Disney Channel star recently attended the Los Angeles premiere of ‘MICHAEL,’ the upcoming biopic centered on Michael Jackson. While at the event, Jackson posed for a photo with streamer Kai Cenat, who was also in attendance. After the image began circulating online, some social media users questioned whether the photo was authentic or another AI-generated post.

Related: Skai Jackson Raises Eyebrows After Sharing AI-Generated Photos With Celebrities On Snapchat (PHOTOS)

In many ways, filmmaking is a heist in its own right. Pulling off a score in a bank, cash depository, or warehouse full of valuables requires similar levels of trickery, deception, cunning tactics, and even brute force that goes into making a movie. A heist is only as good as its crew, and the same is true for a movie, from the director and leading star to the camera grips.

Being so analogous to the criminal act, it’s no surprise that the heist genre, a general subgenre of crime movies, has resonated since the dawn of the medium, with one of the original narrative films in 1903 being The Great Train Robbery. While there are plenty of entertaining and enduring heist movies, these 10 ranked below are as close to perfect as they get.

10

‘Going in Style’ (1979)

Image via Warner Bros

Before redefining action comedies with beloved classics such as Beverly Hills Cop and Midnight Run, Martin Brest kicked off his feature filmmaking career with the most unexpected batch of thieves: senior citizens. This rag-tag group of criminals, played by showbiz legends George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg in the supremely underrated Going in Style, shows that a bag of cash is nothing compared to the thrill of living on the edge before your demise.

Not to be confused with Zach Braff‘s remake in 2017, 1979’s Going in Style is both a darkly funny romp about three old rapscallions in Queens collecting Social Security who are sick of elderly life. To spice up their lives, the trio successfully orchestrate a bank robbery and subsequently splurge the cash on a gambling binge in Las Vegas. The concept of Going in Style practically writes itself, with the prospect of old men turning into criminals susceptible to many cheap punchlines. However, the shrewd Brest underscores the bitterness and alienation of aging, and he deploys the team’s frustration for comedy and a mournful exploration of mortality. Retirement is painted as a warm, autumnal era for peace and reflection, but the boredom can also drive you to commit felonies.

9

‘Set It Off’ (1996)

Image via New Line Cinema

Like with most crime-oriented films, the heist subgenre is predominantly centered around men and grapples with traditional masculine ideas. With Set It Off, women were not in marginalized positions as victims or romantic partners of the criminal men, but instead, leading the scores. F. Gary Gray‘s timeless 1996 heist movie has become increasingly beloved in recent years, but it’s not just because of the swapped gender dynamics.

The anchor of Set It Off‘s excellence is the sparkling chemistry between its four leads: Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. They play lifelong friends who convene to perform a bank robbery for their own respective motivations, but the end goal triggers chaos and builds to a fatalistic end. You believe that they share a strong bond, even if their short-sighted urges are responsible for the friendship’s demise. The film allows the individual characters to blossom as fleshed-out people. Crackling with a relentless vigor, fluid pacing, and just the right level of endearing charm, Set It Off proves that heist movies are only as good as the chemistry between its stars and authenticity of personal relations. Gray would receive bigger budgets along the way, but he still has never topped this archetypal but inventive heist thriller.

8

‘The Town’ (2010)

Image via Warner Bros.

By 2010, the heist genre appeared to have no room to expand or push the genre’s template. However, this didn’t mean that the well had run dry. Despite all the towering influences lingering over him, Ben Affleck boldly gave us a heist classic for a new generation with The Town. Not only is Affleck’s crime thriller about an expert thief and his tried-and-true “one last job” a love letter to the subgenre, but it has also become a calling card for all Boston cinephiles, who now wear the film as a badge of honor.

Set in Charlestown, a Boston neighborhood, The Town is one part Heat, mixed with Rififi, and another part The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Call it a rip-off all you want, but the movie fires on all cylinders as a heist thriller and character study. Doug MacRay (Affleck) was raised in a life of crime, but upon finding true love in a bank teller of a place he robbed, Claire (Rebecca Hall), he’s ready to settle down. Staying true to your neighborhood and roots versus taking the bold step of reforming your life is the compelling dynamic at the heart of The Town, which features a superb performance by Jeremy Renner as the menacing thief “Jem” Coughlin, the symbol of Charlestown’s self-destructive path. Affleck, perfectly capturing the aesthetic and tone of his hometown, reinvigorated the heist genre with newfound layers of grit, realism, and pathos.

7

‘Inside Man’ (2006)

Image via Universal

As was the case for The Town, sometimes, when making a heist movie, it’s better to just play the hits. This doesn’t mean your film is reductive or frivolous, but rather, it’s using a solid template to adhere to a visionary director’s style and reflect the moment. Inside Man executes this formula to a tee, as Spike Lee‘s homage to Dog Day Afternoon and ’70s New York crime movies is a blast to watch, rich with in-depth commentary about corporate conspiracies and the post-9/11 angst of America.

Like any Spike Lee joint, Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster, features the city of New York as its main character. From inside the bank that’s being taken hostage by Owen’s eerie theft conductor, Dalton, to the negotiation team on the street led by Washington’s Keith Frazier, NYC culture and sense of distress and annoyance run through everything, including the surprising moments of levity, to the intense, life-or-death circumstances of the robbery. Expertly crafted and incredibly acted, Inside Man proved that Lee could’ve been a phenomenal genre journeyman director if he wasn’t so gifted as a commentator on social issues and complex characters. This film underlines that the heist is often secondary to the immersive world-building and unorthodox character relationships between cops and crooks.

6

‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’ (1973)

Image via Paramount Pictures

There’s something about the city of Boston that makes for the ideal heist movie. Before The Town, The Friends of Eddie Coyle was synonymous with Boston bank robberies on the big screen. An essential film of the gritty New Hollywood of the 1970s that has increasingly become a fan favorite, the 1973 heist movie by Peter Yates and starring Robert Mitchum has impeccable vibes. They truly don’t make em’ like they used to, but in fairness, nothing will ever match the aesthetic of the ’70s.

If you ever wanted confirmation that movie stars are too pretty and glossy these days, watch just a few minutes of The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Everyone looks tired, beaten down, grimy, and looking a decade older than their actual age. The king of the hangdog expression, Robert Mitchum, is at his peak as the titular character, a gunrunner for the Irish mob who turns the tables on his colleagues to avoid jail time and start a new life. Echoing the style that was en vogue upon release, Eddie Coyle is equally melancholic and stylized, with the harsh sensibilities being a product of the upending of American values occurring throughout the decade. Shot on location in Boston, the film treats heists as mundane, thankless work, but someone has to get the job done. Otherwise, all parties will meet their demise at the hands of ruthless crime organizations.

5

‘Inception’ (2010)

Many films throughout the years have tackled the abstract concept of dreams, regarding how we process them or how they enter our subconscious. However, only Christopher Nolan (perhaps with assistance from Satoshi Kon‘s Paprika) would’ve thought to turn dreams into an elaborate action-heist epic. While most of us probably couldn’t relate to the grandeur and spectacle of the dreams in Inception, everyone can agree that Nolan’s monumental blockbuster is a rip-roaring success.

One can only imagine the kinds of things Nolan conjures in his sleep based on what we see in Inception, which sees the director cranking up his intricate narrative arcs and intersecting action set pieces to an unfathomable degree. On first watch, you may not follow everything transpiring on screen, but you’ll be completely transfixed by Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his band of mind bandits, who are hired to upend the corporate control of a massive company. Told with Nolan’s signature calculating precision and operatic emotional wavelength, the 2010 film clouds its exciting heist numbers in a shadow of perpetual uncertainty, as Nolan demands that the audience questions the line between reality and fantasy. Between show-stopping choreography and production design and the tragic undertones of the story, you won’t be dozing off and having dreams of your own when watching Inception.

4

‘Thief’ (1981)

Image via United Artists

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You can’t talk about the heist genre without celebrating the genius of Michael Mann. While most directors take a few entries in their filmography to find their groove, Mann burst onto the scene with the craft, idiosyncratic vision, and assurance of a 20-year veteran with his debut feature, Thief, the Rosetta Stone for the rest of his work. Mann’s 1981 heist movie and stirring character drama is one of the most exquisitely made and meditative films in the genre’s history.

James Caan plays Frank, a career jewel thief ready to start a new life for himself and walk away from the criminal underworld. Of course, this mission is only possible by completing an ill-fated “last job” and tying up loose ends with his family and colleagues. From the opening minutes, with the Tangerine Dream score echoing over the dark and rain-soaked streets of Chicago, Thief is an unparalleled achievement in cinematography. The slick, neon-induced aesthetic popularized in Miami Vice was first established by Mann in his debut picture. His fascination with the life of crime and heist affairs shows in the film’s demonstration of cracking vaults, which is deliberately executed and engrossed in the little details of Frank’s occupation. Caan, in his finest performance, straddles the line between embodying tough, no-nonsense professionalism with a tender yearning for a more fulfilling life. This paradox is the nucleus of Mann’s poetic voice and the pathos of crime.

3

‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2001)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Is Ocean’s Eleven the “coolest” movie ever made? It’s hard to deny it. Steven Soderbergh‘s breakthrough box-office success put him on the map in mainstream Hollywood, and also firmly cemented the movie star persona of George Clooney, who leads a Hall of Fame cast that includes Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon. There’s only one place that can handle all this star power: Las Vegas.

A remake of the vastly inferior 1960 film starring the Rat Pack, Ocean’s Eleven announced itself as an instant heist classic in 2001, shaping an alternate side to the genre less reliant on brute force and more on suave and trickery. Danny Ocean’s (Clooney) band of thieves tries to pull off the impossible by orchestrating a heist past the tight, ruthless security at a Vegas casino owned by Ocean’s rival. Throughout the story, they make it look easy, which approximates the effortless direction and acting in the film’s production. The unfussy but controlled Soderbergh lets the style and vibrant energy emanate from his all-star cast, who are both equally adept at harmless robbing and eccentric characters. While the stakes are personal for Ocean, the film never overstays its welcome with its dramatic language. Ocean’s Eleven is a subtle exercise in craft and execution without breaking a sweat.

2

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

Image via Warner Bros.

Although it’s best remembered for its audacious feats of screen acting and astute social commentary, let’s not forget that Dog Day Afternoon is about a pulled-from-the-headlines heist that was just as wild in real life as it was depicted in Sidney Lumet‘s 1975 classic. Starring Al Pacino at arguably his apex as a leading man, the film is just as stirring as a story of rebellion, identity, and cultural clash set inside a bank on a blisteringly hot day in August.

When the temperature reaches sweltering heat in New York City, things quickly unravel. This sense of societal combustion is confronted head-on in Dog Day Afternoon, the most socially conscious heist movie made in Hollywood. Because the film is primarily set in one location, the viewer can grasp the claustrophobic tension and lingering doom of both the bank tellers and the amateur criminal masterminds, Sonny (Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale). Lumet crafts the initial holdup and climactic escape scene with a two-fisted swagger, never dismissing the stakes of the heist. However, he lets Sonny literally and figuratively shed layers, and we recognize that he is a man disillusioned by the world, and his desire to use the money to pay for his partner’s sex change operation makes him a folk hero among LGBTQ subcultures. Sonny’s not taking over a bank—he’s taking control of this cruel world. Attica, indeed.

1

‘Heat’ (1995)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

How can you talk about the heist genre without recognizing the immortality of Heat? To this day, Michael Mann’s magnum opus is the blueprint for all heist movies in its wake. The 1995 Los Angeles crime epic that finally pitted Al Pacino and Robert De Niro against each other was taken for granted by critics and the Academy Awards upon release, but today, Heat is synonymous with cinematic perfection.

On the surface, Heat is too bloated, sprawling, and dense with plot and character information to work. However, Mann turned his failed TV pilot into a sweeping but streamlined portrait of the duality of human beings on opposite sides of the law. Cops and criminals developing a strange kinship is a recycled archetype now, but Mann delivers this scintillating dynamic between Vincent Hanna (Pacino) and Neil McCauley (De Niro) with the soulfulness of an opera. Supporting casts don’t get much better than Heat‘s troupe, which features stellar work by Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, and Ashley Judd, which enhances Mann’s kaleidoscopic vision without compromising their own autonomy. As for the heists, the medium itself entered a new stratosphere of spectacle and immersive fury in the film. Mann magically strikes a perfect balance between gritty realism and heightened formalist bravura. In Mann’s world, crime is a den of sin, but it is also the life force that drives devout professionals like Vincent and Neil.

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Release Date

December 15, 1995

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Runtime

170 minutes

Director

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Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann

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Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for From Season 4 Episode 3.

Viewers may have been left with many unanswered questions ahead of From‘s return with Season 4, but the MGM+ horror series doesn’t force anyone to wait long before picking up right where the story last left off. The premiere ends with the reveal that the seemingly innocent Sophia (Julia Doyle) is actually the Man in the Yellow Suit (Douglas E. Hughes) in disguise. In case that wasn’t heavy enough, Episode 2 provides the absolutely devastating confirmation of what happened to Jim (Eoin Bailey) after he was murdered in front of his daughter, Julie (Hannah Cheramy), despite her apparent efforts to prevent his death from occurring.

Episode 3, “Merrily We Go,” both acts as a breather of sorts — seriously, if anyone’s entitled to the catharsis of smashing up a bunch of cars at this point, it’s Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) — and confirms how the town is picking up the pieces (or not) after Jim’s death. For Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), there’s very little time to grieve, especially since the loss of her husband serves as a greater confirmation that she and Jade (David Alpay) were getting much closer to the truth than the town’s evil wanted.

Ahead of Episode 3’s premiere, Collider had the opportunity to speak with Moreno about the show’s unique approach to filming some of Tabitha’s most heartbreaking moments, whether Tabitha shares Julie’s fears about their family’s presence in the town, why Tabitha doesn’t confess the truth to Henry (Robert Joy) about who she really is, and more.

COLLIDER: How did you prepare yourself for Episode 2, both in terms of the family’s discovery of Jim and the scene of Tabitha delivering that speech to him about taking care of their family?

CATALINA SANDINO MORENO: I don’t think you can prepare for that. Because I have played this character for many years, and my connection with both Eoin and Jim… he was the protector of the family, the one who was always trying to shield her, and not having him, it was like a death, saying goodbye to an old friend. That speech, I remember asking Jack [Bender] how he was going to shoot it, because usually we use two cameras, and Jack was like, “It’s just going to be one. We’re just going to push [in].” That gave me a lot of relief. He’s like, “Just do what feels right. You can move. Don’t feel restrained.” He gave me a lot of freedom to do that scene.

I remember as soon as I saw him lying there, it was a reminder of, “I don’t have my companion. I don’t have my friend. I don’t have the father of my children. And I keep losing!” She lost a child once, and now she’s losing the father of her kids. This is not a game. This is real life. Although they’re in this crazy monster world, this is her reality. It was just beautiful, and I couldn’t thank Jack more than I have for shooting that scene how he did. I think that moment was so precious and so honest, and it’s human. It’s what you do. You might fight with your partner, but at the end of the day, he’s the father of your children! You love him, and you’ve stuck together. You were in the shit together, and now he’s not there anymore.

I just felt that that was the highlight of my season — that, and another scene I have later on with Victor. That’s just so much of the realism of how you say goodbye to your best friend. How are you going to tell this to someone that you love and cared about? Those are the moments that I live for, basically.

‘From’s Catalina Sandino Moreno Reveals How Jim’s Death Sets Up Season 4’s Biggest Theme

“We’re dealing with a different monster now…”

Image via MGM+

As brutal as the discovery of Jim’s body is, does that confirm to Tabitha, “I’m on the right track here — if this town, if this place is willing to go after the people I love”? Is there a part of her that acknowledges that, even through her grief?

MORENO: Of course. Of course. I think that anger towards Jade, it’s like, “You figure shit out. It should be you. Poor Jim was trying to protect our children, protect me, and you have done all these things!” But that’s part of grief, and that’s part of pain, and that’s part of the desperation, that she doesn’t know what to do anymore.

But yes, knowledge in the town comes at a cost. Sarah’s brother said it early on — that when you push for answers in the town, the town is going to push back. We’re dealing with a different monster now, of how much are you going to push? Are you going to be scared to push and maybe just be here forever, or are you going to defy this town, knowing that it could be deadly? That’s a good premise for this whole season.

At the diner, Julie gets upset at something Sophia says to her off-screen, and then Tabitha and Julie have the moment where Julie is openly questioning whether their family is the reason bad things have happened. Has Tabitha been holding onto that same fear at all?

MORENO: No, I think she feels cursed ever since her child died. There’s that beautiful scene where she goes into the church and says, “Don’t talk about God, because I’ve prayed so much, and my child died.” I think she feels cursed from that moment on. I don’t think everything started because they arrived. I think things have been hitting the fan since before they arrived, but now that they’re here, and Jade is here, it’s like, “We didn’t come in by ourselves. We came with Jade.” I think that started to shift things and move things and push. There are deaths, of course, because we were pushing, and we’re looking for answers. But I think she felt cursed ever since her child died, way long before they arrived in town.

‘From’s Catalina Sandino Moreno Explains Why Tabitha and Henry’s Relationship Is So Complicated

“She still feels strange, knowing that she is the recreation of Miranda.”

Image via MGM+

I really liked seeing you having more scenes with Robert [Joy] in this episode, with Tabitha feeling driven to find the lighthouse again, and then Henry insists on going with her, despite her warnings. What do you enjoy about getting to develop that relationship, which has a lot of layers to it?

MORENO: I think it would be more if he knew at the time that she was Miranda, but he didn’t know when we were going to the bottle tree. She still feels strange, knowing that she is the recreation of Miranda. With Henry, ever since she went out of town and found him, it’s been a great connection, but Tabitha feels responsible for bringing him to the town. She was the one who caused the crash, and she was the one who was like, “This is a crazy town. You’re not going to believe the town,” and he believed her. And because he believed her, he’s in this hole with us. She feels very responsible for that. So it’s very respectful. I don’t know what next season is going to be like with Henry and Tabitha, but I feel it has to change now that we all know who she is.

Why do you think, in this episode, that Tabitha doesn’t confess the truth to Henry about who she really is?

MORENO: I think it was not the right time. We’re right in front of the bottle tree. He was telling me so many beautiful things about his wife and remembering her. I mean, if it took her a while to understand that she was Miranda, I couldn’t imagine someone who had a child with her to understand. “What do you mean, you’re Miranda?” I don’t think it was the right moment for her to deliver that information to him, right in front of the bottle tree, where she died.

New episodes of From Season 4 premiere Sundays on MGM+.