Bill Skarsgård has given fans a rare and relatable glimpse into his personal life.

During a recent interview, the actor was asked whether his famous family keeps in touch through a group chat, and he confirmed that they do. What caught attention, however, was the unusual name he revealed for the chat, along with the kind of conversations that take place within it.

Bill comes from a large family of six siblings and two step-siblings, many of whom work in the entertainment industry.

During a recent appearance on “Good Morning America,” 35-year-old Bill opened up about his family’s group chat.

The Skarsgårds, who have collectively built an impressive legacy in film and television, use the chat to stay connected despite their busy schedules and careers spanning multiple countries and productions.

While a family group chat may be commonplace, less common is the humorous name they gave it, inspired by another well-known acting family in Hollywood.

“Do you guys have a family group text?” Bill was asked by host Lara Spencer.

He responded, saying, “Yes, yes — it’s called ‘The Baldwins.’”

Skarsgård Says His Family Are ‘Harsh Critics’

The Baldwins referenced by Bill are the famous acting brothers Alec, Daniel, William, and Stephen Baldwin, all of whom have enjoyed successful careers in film and television.

The comparison appeared to catch Spencer off guard, and she quickly followed up by asking Bill whether he was serious about the family group chat actually being named after the Baldwin brothers.

Bill confirmed that the name was real before joking about how his own family’s chat tends to provide “a lot more critique than help.”

“Harsh critics!” Bill said of his family, which includes several active actors. “I mean, we’re all very supportive, and I think we’re all rooting for each other as well.”

How The Skarsgårds Built A Hollywood Legacy

His eldest son, Alexander Skarsgård, entered the industry as a child actor in the 1980s before breaking through internationally with “True Blood.” He later earned widespread acclaim for his performances in “Big Little Lies,” “Succession,” and “The Northman.”

Meanwhile, Gustaf gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Floki in “Vikings” and has also appeared in notable productions such as “Westworld” and “Oppenheimer.” Similarly, Bill rose to international stardom through his portrayal of Pennywise in “IT” and “IT Chapter Two.”

In addition to the three brothers, their younger brother, 30-year-old Valter, and their two half-siblings, 17-year-old Ossian and 13-year-old Kolbjörn, have also pursued careers in acting.

Why Bill Skarsgård Took On ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

More recently, Bill has further cemented his reputation with his role in “Dead Man’s Wire.”

Starring in the project came after an extended break from acting, during which he watched films and reflected on the type of work he wanted to pursue next.

It was during this break that director Gus Van Sant reached out to him with the script by Austin Kolodney, which was based on a real 1977 hostage incident, and it immediately drew his attention.

“Of course, Gus Van Sant [directing] is an immediate attraction, right? Then I read the script, and I thought it was great, and absolutely crazy,” he said in an interview.

Bill Skarsgård Says He Needed The Challenge

Despite being drawn to the script, Bill was not immediately convinced that he was the right person to play the role.

He noted a physical mismatch between himself and the real-life figure he was set to portray, which he later described as his “own self-doubt” creeping in.

Ultimately, he said the uncertainty helped him in the long run, as it kept him focused on delivering his best performance.

“If I feel like I’ve done a role, and I know exactly how to do it, and I can see the reasons why they’ve cast me, it’s less exciting,” he said. “It’s less dangerous, and ultimately, it won’t motivate me to be as good as I can be. I’m someone that has to be challenged.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are going to extreme lengths to keep the details of their upcoming nuptials a secret.

According to a new report, the power couple is utilizing an ironclad NDA to ensure guests stay quiet about the event, warning of strict ‘consequences’ for anyone who violates the agreement.

This comes after it was revealed that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be tying the knot at Madison Square Garden, a move that has ruffled the feathers of some small business owners in the area.

Swift and Kelce are doing everything they can to ensure nothing gets leaked from people who have been invited to their highly anticipated wedding ceremony, which will reportedly be held in New York City on July 3.

Sources who spoke with TMZ revealed that the duo has made their guests sign a strict non-disclosure agreement before they can receive any information about the nuptials. Such individuals, who are subject to the NDA, include work colleagues and even family and close friends.

According to the news outlet, guests who accept the invite to Swift and Kelce’s wedding are sent a link for them to sign the ironclad NDA, which legally prevents them from sharing any information about the event.

Sources further shared that the agreement comes with “consequences” to ensure guests do not break the NDA.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Will Reportedly Get Married At Madison Square Garden

It was recently revealed that Swift and Kelce’s nuptials will precisely take place at Madison Square Garden.

TMZ reported that the popstar has already booked the venue for three days, and paid retail price for it. This means she could be spending roughly $1 million per night for the MSG location.

Swift and Kelce will also allegedly tie the knot in front of 1,100 to 1,200 guests, which will be a mix of A-list stars and regular folks in attendance at the huge venue.

Stars who have likely signed the NDA to attend the lavish event include Swift’s close pals, Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.

Singer, Benson Boone, has also reportedly scored an invite to the wedding, along with model Karlie Kloss, who is said to have recently mended her friendship with Swift.

The Madison Square Garden Event Might Be A ‘Distraction’

Amid reports of Swift and Kelce’s nuptials being held at MSG, some sources close to the situation have shared that it might all be a ruse to throw off the media due to heavy speculation about their wedding.

Instead of getting hitched at such a massive venue, the sources shared with the Daily Mail that Swift and Kelce likely have a more intimate ceremony planned, which will not feature the thousands of guests rumored to have been invited.

A source said, “Taylor’s official wedding will not have 1,000 guests. There is a private and highly secure ceremony planned for her closest family and friends.”

“Guests of the wider party have been encouraged to donate gifts to charity, but her actual wedding will be a small, intimate gathering. There is something [else] associated with MSG,” the insider added.

Taylor Swift Came Under Fire From Fans Over The Rumored MSG Wedding Venue

On social media, Swift has already begun facing backlash over news that she might be tying the knot at Madison Square Garden.

Critics have slammed the alleged move as tacky and “attention-seeking” due to how lavish and extravagant such a venue is for a wedding ceremony.

“This is beyond trashy,” a critic said, per the Daily Mail. “It is genuinely the most attention-seeking, fanfare-heavy, tacky situation that I couldn’t even have concocted in my own head.”

Another noted, “Yuck, in her song ‘the lucky one’ about not loving being famous […] that was in two thousand TWELVE when she was TWENTY TWO what happened to her intelligence and common sense in the years since. Cognitive decline.”

Business Owners Are Dreading The News Of Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Nuptials At Madison Square Garden

People who own small businesses, precisely restaurants and bars, around the garden are said to be disturbed by the possibility of Swift and Kelce getting married there.

Many who spoke to TMZ brought up security concerns and the possibility of a lockdown, while also sharing that none of them have been given details about the event and what to expect on July 3.

One small business owner told the news outlet that it could be a “disaster” for the entrepreneurs in the area, with another stating that he does not expect any Swifties to patronize him on that day, unlike NBA fans who tend to flock to his business to watch the games.

A particular person admitted that they were “irritated” by the idea of the couple getting married at Madison Square Garden, suggesting that Kelce and Swift should compensate small business owners due to the potential financial setbacks their wedding could cause.

Jennifer Garner rarely leans into polarizing styles, but her latest colorful sundress left the internet chatting. The verdict is in: With Garner’s approval, ombré is making a comeback. We found her retro look for only $30 on Amazon!

Garner wore a flowy gradient-style sundress, a simple black cardigan and a structured leather tote. The dress had a rich purple color that faded into a lighter shade, and this Amazon twin appears incredibly similar. The only difference? It costs $2,420 less than Garner’s Gabriela Hearst piece.

Get the Woldress Sleeveless Sundress for $30 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

This Woldress Sleeveless Sundress features the same gradient print as Garner’s, adjustable spaghetti straps, and a flowy maxi length that moves beautifully when you walk. The fabric is soft and breathable, which matters when you want to stay cool yet still look put together.

Related: Jennifer Lawrence‘s Jelly Sandals Are Summer‘s Coolest Shoe Trend

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Jennifer Lawrence has a knack for making practical pieces feel instantly cool, and her latest summer shoe choice is proof. While flip-flops tend to dominate warm-weather wardrobes, the actress is making a strong case for something a little more unexpected: jelly sandals. Playful, comfortable and surprisingly chic, the nostalgic style is quickly becoming one of […]

One five-star shopper called it “the most comfortable piece of clothing” they own and wrote, “It’s thick enough to not see through it and thin enough to feel like you’re wearing nothing. The material is similar to Cuddl Duds pajamas. It can look casual or dressy depending on your accessories.”

Throw it on with sandals and a straw hat for weekend errands, or copy Garner with an easy layer, chic sandals and a roomy bag. And if you’re not a bag person, no worries! Even more functional than Garner’s designer dress, this lookalike dress might be even more functional than Garner’s designer version, thanks to the roomy pockets.

No fussy shoes, no statement jewelry, just a colorful dress doing the heavy lifting. It’s a styling formula that works for brunches, outdoor weddings, travel days and Saturday afternoons. This dress is easy to wear and even easier to style, so go ahead . . . rock it all summer long. We sure are!

Get the Woldress Sleeveless Sundress for $30 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more summer dresses and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Jennifer Garner’s Floral Dress Looks Like Zimmermann — The Look for $40

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Jennifer Garner is giving Us fashion inspiration for spring and summer, and it all revolves around this one dress style. The fun print, flattering silhouette and effortless appearance makes the style look so elegant — seriously, we’re obsessed. While we love pretty much everything Garner dons, we couldn’t help but zoom in when we saw […]

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas introduced us to an infamous universe of heroes and villains. The epic saga of good versus evil saw those on the light and dark sides do battle in space, using a powerful Force we’d never seen before. Many of the individuals wielding those powers were known as Jedi, and in the Star Wars saga, no Jedi is more iconic than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). As the Star Wars universe has expanded with new characters, planets, and stories, Luke’s prowess as the primary Jedi has diminished, as he may no longer be the most powerful in the galaxy.

Though we have great admiration and respect for Luke, the truth is, there are other Jedi who beat him in the ultimate power rankings. We’re here to discuss five that are arguably stronger. Some are light-years ahead, while others have maybe a point or two more in their pro list. Nevertheless, this is not a “Knock Luke” list, but rather a celebration of five famous Jedi in the history of the galaxy. The list will mention the Star Wars canon, which includes the films, series, and animated shows. As a note, these are not ranked; they’re just five incredible Jedi we’d draft for battle over Luke! No offense.

Ahsoka Tano

Image via Lucasfilm

Just look at her lightsaber! Need we say more? Ok, we will. A brilliant character first introduced on screen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, voiced by Ashley Eckstein, and later given her own live-action series starring Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka is a beloved character and a pivotal figure in the Rebellion against the Empire. Ahsoka was a Padawan to Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter). Though they had a rocky start, they developed a deep, sibling-like bond. A seasoned warrior, she wielded iconic white lightsabers. She ultimately left the Jedi Order after being framed for a crime she didn’t commit, prompting her to build rebel networks. Her elite training under Anakin ultimately gave her an innate experience to face off against him as Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) in Star Wars: Rebels. Though she is overpowered, it makes sense, as he was always a more powerful Jedi and Sith Lord.

Nevertheless, Ahsoka’s resume was stronger than Luke’s. Coming off the front lines of the Clone Wars, she was a formidable opponent in combat with a mystic connection and received the life-force essence of The Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson), the literal embodiment of the Light Side of the Force. Ahsoka’s ability to step away was not just a philosophical choice; it was a matter of survival—her eagerness for spirituality allowed her to survive Order 66 and actively shape the rebellion. Her combat mastery, decades of formal training, and battlefield experience appear more powerful based on this conversation. At the end of the day, the lightsaber prodigy mastered dual-wielding. Her martial arts style set her apart from every Jedi in combat, giving her the charge to outmaneuver and easily dismantle many of her opponents. Luke may have the legacy, but Ahsoka has the tangibility.

Anakin Skywalker

Many works of fiction seem to focus on offspring whose journeys see them become equal to, if not better than, their parents. In the Star Wars universe, that’s not necessarily the case. For those living under a rock: Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is Luke’s father. While their story is one of cinema’s best — father is defeated by son only for father to sacrifice himself for son — the truth of the matter is, when it comes to power as a Jedi, Anakin is number one overall; he is the “Chosen One” after all. Focusing on the prequel trilogy and the stories that relate to Anakin (Hayden Christensen) before his brush with the dark side, Anakin was destined to bring balance to the Force. After being discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), he was trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), becoming a legendary Jedi Knight known as the “Hero With No Fear.” But all was lost when Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) manipulated Anakin via his emotions, turning him to the dark side. But prior to that, Anakin’s saga as potentially the greatest Jedi was high.

Anakin contained more raw potential than anyone before or after him. Lucas himself had said that at his full potential, Anakin was destined to be twice as powerful as Emperor Palpatine. But alas, it never reached that point, you know, because of his physical injuries on Mustafar. In combat, Anakin’s connection to the Force provided him with superhuman reflexes and unparalleled foresight, making him arguably the most lethal lightsaber duelist of his era. Add in his tactile battlefield brilliance, and Anakin was a force to be reckoned with. Luke contained many of the same attributes, but his training was never as strong. Luke was fragmented and often self-taught, finding his footing by intuition. While some might find that more powerful, Anakin’s hands-on experience built him into the Jedi he was destined to be.

Mace Windu

Image via Lucasfilm

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A key player in the prequel trilogy, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) served on the Jedi High Council. Why? He was extraordinary, notorious for his trademark purple lightsaber, blunt, no-nonsense leadership style, and for creating the aggressive Vaapad lightsaber combat form. That alone has made him a profound Jedi. A formidable warrior and one of the respected leaders of the Old Jedi Order, Mace Windu represented the past as the future was being crafted. Though he was wary of training Anakin, believing him to be too unpredictable and dangerous, hindsight is 20/20. Mace Windu famously denied him the rank of Master, so that gut feeling was right all along. Or was he one of the catalysts of Anakin’s descent? You decide.

While some of his contemporaries may have been wiser, Mace Windu’s skill set was specifically designed to counter dark-side users. That purple lightsaber is unique and iconic, but its power is what made him stand out. Vaapad allowed Windu to channel his inner darkness and tap into the dark energy of his opponents, turning their aggression against them without falling to the dark side himself. Mace Windu’s combat prowess remains one of his greatest assets. His unique combat skills and mastery of the Force made him a nearly unmatched warrior who successfully disarmed and defeated Darth Sidious in single lightsaber combat. One thing that made him stand out among the rest was his rare and powerful Force ability called Shatterpoint, which allowed him to perceive the weak spots in a person, situation, or even a battle’s outcome. More formidable and disciplined than Luke, Mace Windu had a lifetime of dedication to evolving and creating a Jedi who was nearly invincible.

Rey

Image via Lucasfilm

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When a sequel is created, it’s often executed in a way that is reminiscent of its original. So, when Star Wars: Episode VII— The Force Awakens arrived, and we met a young child who lived on a dusty planet, skilled as a scavenger, highly proficient in piloting and mechanics, the comparisons to Luke Skywalker were obvious. For the longest time, many viewers assumed Rey (Daisy Ridley) was a descendant of Luke. Boy, were we wrong! As the primary protagonist of the sequel trilogy, Rey represented the new generation of Jedis in more ways than one. Her life changed when she met the droid BB-8 and the former stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), soon learning her immense natural Force sensitivity when Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber called out to her. Trained by the man himself, Rey’s unique attribute was the Force Dyad she shared with the villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), also known as Ben Solo.

More than just incredible girl power, Rey’s arc was resounding, giving her the wherewithal to become stronger than her mentor. Like Luke, Rey was filled with raw power, inheriting an extraordinary connection to the dark side of the Force due to her lineage. Of course, having a biological connection to the greatest and most powerful Sith Lord gives her immense strength and a natural capacity to manipulate the Force that vastly exceeds that of a typical Jedi. The Force Dyad gave both Rey and Ben unprecedented powers; through that bridge, she could perform complex Force techniques almost instantaneously simply by interacting with him. In a stunning storytelling device and movie moment, during her final confrontation with Emperor Palpatine, Rey channels the collective spiritual energy and life force of every past Jedi, becoming a conduit for generations of light-side users. Between bloodline, cosmic connection, and the accumulated wisdom of the Order, Rey’s ceiling for Jedi power is nearly limitless.

Yoda

Image via Lucasfilm

Of the many incredible creatures and aliens introduced in the original Star Wars series, one little green guy had the biggest impact: Yoda (Frank Oz), the definitive Jedi of any species. Yoda is a legendary and immensely powerful Jedi Master, recognized for his small stature, green skin, and unique inverted speech pattern. As the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda became one of the most skilled practitioners of the Force in galactic history. To many, he was the greatest Jedi of all time because of the legacy of who he trained— some of whom are included in this story. Further, unlike many others, Yoda trained for nearly 900 years, studying, mastering, and deeply connecting with the Force. No one will ever be as wise as Yoda.

With many Jedi powers, perhaps Yoda’s greatest was his ability to sense disturbances across the entire galaxy. From there, we watched Yoda throughout the Skywalker Saga engage in other integral skills, including manipulating massive objects and even absorbing and redirecting pure dark side energy with his bare hands. Perhaps because of his stature, Yoda just made it look cool. With that, his prowess with a lightsaber was integral to his success. He had the agility to overwhelm elite duelists like Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and spar on equal footing with Darth Sidious. Yoda achieved a level of oneness with the Force that allowed him to manifest as a Force ghost after death, a technique few Jedi ever mastered. As the one who trained Luke, Yoda gets some bonus points.

Fans who pulled up to Summer Walker’s recent concert in Atlanta got the ultimate surprise when Yung Miami popped out and shut it DOWN with a performance of her hit single, ‘Spend Dat.’ Caresha came through and did her big one while the crowd screamed, cheered, and rapped along. Videos making rounds on social media show her having a time on stage, and of course, fans who missed the show wasted no time weighing in with their opinions.

RELATED: Spend Dat! Social Media Mentions Diddy After Yung Miami Reveals $2.3 Million Was Spent On Her During One Date (VIDEO) 

Yung Miami Pops Out & Turns Summer Walker’s Atlanta Show UP

Clips circulating on TikTok show Yung Miami strutting onto the stage at Summer Walker’s concert while ‘Spend Dat’ blasts through State Farm Arena. She pulled up looking like money — literally! She served a look in a black latex bustier top and matching mini skirt while a neon green buss down flowed over her shoulders. Miami even stayed on theme with ‘Spend Dat’ by adding dollar bill symbols to the back of her hair.

@summerwalker.sa

BRO ATL WON! #summerwalker #stillfinallyoverittour #finallyoverit #spenddat

♬ original sound – SummerWalkerSA

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Other angles show Miami smiling from ear to ear as fans rapped every single word. She also hit a little two-step to the beat and sprinkled in some of the moves from the viral dance to the song. Peep the vibes from the show below.

@innocencelost94

Atlanta crowds stay winning 😭🔥🔥 @Caresha Yung Miami x Spend Dat . . . . . . . . . #yungmiami #spenddat #summerwalker #finallyoverit #atlanta

♬ original sound – M.J.

The Internet Weighs in After Miami’s Viral Stage Moment

Once videos of Miami’s performance made rounds on TikTok, folks didn’t hesitate to weigh in with reactions. Plenty of fans said they loved seeing Caresha have her moment, while others said ‘Spend Dat’ has been on replay ever since it dropped.

TikTok user @BigB👑 wrote, “Neva switched up on my good sis 😻” 

TikTok user @🦈 wrote, “She look so good.” 

While TikTok user @Naomi Marntell wrote, “I love this song real bad.” 

Then TikTok user @Mari🍒 wrote, “Baby she got her a HIT!!!!” 

Another TikTok user @Santi 💙 wrote, “I’m so glad to see her comeback! Bc we all loved Caresha’s personality and she didn’t deserve that hate train at all.” 

TikTok user @𝑅𝓎 wrote, “she’s meant for this 😍😍😍” 

Then another TikTok user @🔌🌹 wrote, “Always liked her 😍😍” 

While another TikTok user @valval1 wrote, “I’m loving this for Caresha!♥️”

Finally, TikTok user @Thubelihle Mandlazi wrote, “Body tea 👌” 

Caresha Reacts As Fans Admit They Judged ‘Spend Dat’ Too Soon

Amid Miami’s performance, reactions to ‘Spend Dat’ continue to take over the internet. Recently, an X user pulled up one of her old posts from when she first dropped the track and fans flooded with critiques. At the time, Miami shared a message saying, “Maybe it’ll grow on yall.” The fan ended up agreeing, writing on X, “The one time Caresha was right.” Once Caresha peeped the post, she slid in with a peeking-eye emoji.

RELATED: IKTR! Yung Miami Turns Up With Her Dad In Viral Clip & Fans Can’t Get Enough Of Their Energy (VIDEO) 

Bloating always comes at the worst times, but with the right blouse, it really doesn’t matter! We found 13 tummy-flattering blouses that fit the description, making you look slim, polished and anything but ‘poofy.’ They should cost hundreds, but our tailored-looking picks start at just $4!

The chic, rich mom blouses on our list are structured where it counts and loose everywhere else, including around the tummy area. So whether you’re running errands or leading a boardroom meeting, you’ll look and feel your best. See top styles like button-down shirts, babydoll ‘fits and more on Amazon. Scroll on!

13 Tummy-Concealing Blouses to Wear All Summer — From $4

1. Our Favorite: Crafted with a flattering peplum design, this slimming blouse flares where you want a little extra tummy coverage. The elongating vertical stripes do the rest, drawing the eye up and down.

2. Boutique Find: This under-$30 blouse features a dainty floral print that gives it a small-shop appeal, without the boutique markup. The relaxed cut floats over your waistline.

3. Mediterranean Style: Just $10 gets you a buttery-soft blouse with a Mediterranean print that looks straight from Greece. The fabric drapes without bunching for a slimming effect.

4. Girly Girl: Ruffles, cap sleeves and bright colors make this playful, feminine blouse anything but basic.

5. Elevated Button-Up: Designed with short puffed sleeves, this dramatic button-up shirt provides intentional volume with a feminine twist.

Related: These 11 Business Casual Pieces Are Colorful yet Still So Polished

Gone are the days of boring black pants. CEOs and corporate queens are switching from monochrome basics to fun yet sophisticated pieces, and we found the 11 tops, pants, skirts and shoes that nail the business casual aesthetic. A little color goes a long way, and it doesn’t require sacrificing the polish you’ve spent years […]

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6. One-of-a-Kind: Throw this elegant blouse on for a gallery opening or a long dinner. It’ll earn you compliments, while the loose fit earns your loyalty.

7. Boho Babe: A pretty print draws attention exactly where you want it, i.e. away from your midsection. Grab this boho-style blouse and make suck-it-in moments a thing of the past.

8. CEO Alert: Wear this CEO-worthy blouse with tailored pants and you’re ready to run the room. If you’re experiencing bloating, it’ll be your little secret.

9. California Cool: Sometimes you just want to wear a summer top tucked in and sharp, while other days you may prefer it loose and flowy. Regardless, this on-sale number reads intentional for both.

10. Center of Attention: Yes, you can get this Amazon top for $4. The vibrant red blouse costs less than your latte and still delivers a flattering fit.

11. Elegant Embroidery: The textured fabric elevates this embroidered blouse, turning it from a basic find to a boutique-level style. The shape is generous through the torso and the stitchwork carries the elegance.

12. Simple Stunner: This barely-there blouse flows instead of clings, which makes all the difference during the summer. You’ll forget you’re even wearing it.

13. Picnic Party: Gingham looks crisp, even when you’re feeling puffy. This summery number features a relaxed, effortlessly flattering silhouette.

Related: I Want To Look Like I Summer in Paris — Boutiquey Pieces From $7

Billowy dresses, tailored trousers, delicate florals — who wouldn’t want to look like a Parisian rich mom? Luckily, you don’t need a plane ticket to channel effortless Left Bank energy. These chic summer dresses, blouses, two-piece outfit sets and more look straight out of a seventh arrondissement boutique, and they start at only $7! The […]

Steven Spielberg’s latest science-fiction epic, Disclosure Day, is proving that a Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score doesn’t always mean unanimous praise. While the film currently holds a strong 80% critics score and a respectable 74% audience score, reactions to Spielberg’s newest blockbuster have been notably mixed, creating one of the year’s most interesting critical debates.

Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo, Disclosure Day follows a world-changing extraterrestrial mystery that forces humanity to confront its place in the universe. As Spielberg’s latest original sci-fi project, comparisons to classics such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Minority Report were inevitable.

For many critics, the legendary filmmaker has delivered another thrilling reminder of why he remains one of Hollywood’s most celebrated directors.

One of the film’s strongest reviews came from Matt Maytum of Total Film, who praised Spielberg’s return to blockbuster science fiction, writing:

“Spielberg’s best blockbuster since Minority Report.”

The review reflects a common sentiment among supporters of the film, who have praised its ambitious scope, emotional storytelling, impressive visual effects, and Spielberg’s signature sense of wonder. Many positive reviews have also highlighted the performances of the ensemble cast, particularly Emily Blunt, while applauding the latest collaboration between Spielberg and legendary composer John Williams.

However, not every critic was won over by the filmmaker’s latest adventure.

Offering a much harsher perspective, Nicholas Barber of the BBC wrote:

“A flimsy, outdated car-chase thriller with no ideas about aliens that we haven’t heard before.”

The review stands in sharp contrast to many of the film’s positive notices and highlights one of the primary criticisms surrounding Disclosure Day. While even some detractors praised Spielberg’s craftsmanship and technical execution, several critics felt the film’s central mystery and conspiracy-driven narrative lacked the originality and emotional impact found in the director’s most beloved works.

Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo in ‘Disclosure Day’. {credit: Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment]

That divide among critics helps explain why Disclosure Day has become such a heavily discussed release. An 80% score is typically considered a strong result on Rotten Tomatoes, but the gap between the film’s most enthusiastic supporters and harshest detractors reveals a movie that is generating genuine debate rather than universal acclaim.

Audience reactions have mirrored that split, though generally leaning positive. The film’s 74% audience score suggests most moviegoers are enjoying the experience, particularly its spectacle, suspense, and large-scale storytelling. Others, however, have criticized the pacing and felt the film’s ambitious ideas don’t always receive the payoff they deserve.

Despite the mixed reactions, Disclosure Day remains one of the year’s most successful original science-fiction releases from a critical standpoint. The film’s Fresh rating demonstrates that the majority of reviewers enjoyed Spielberg’s latest effort, even if opinions vary significantly on where it ranks among his legendary filmography.

Whether audiences see it as a modern sci-fi classic or a flawed but fascinating blockbuster, Disclosure Day has achieved something few films manage to accomplish: it has people talking. And nearly five decades after changing cinema with films like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg continues to prove that his work can still spark passionate discussion among critics and moviegoers alike.

Nothing beats a good heist movie. You get a plan, a crew, a vault, a double-cross, and the specific dopamine hit of watching people pull off something they shouldn’t be able to. The good ones run on pure mechanics. The great ones make you sweat over whether everybody is about to get caught. And the last ten years have been a low-key golden age for the form.

We got full-volume Bayhem, a Steven Soderbergh comeback set at a NASCAR race, Miranda July making us feel weird about families, Sandra Bullock raiding the Met Gala and Jeff Bridges earning an Oscar nomination by chasing two bank-robbing brothers across West Texas. The form is in better shape than it has any right to be. Below, these films are the best of the last ten years. (The top spot is non-negotiable. The rest, we can argue about.)

10

‘Kajillionaire’ (2020)

Image via Focus Features

Miranda July’s con-artist family drama is the kind of movie you watch and then immediately have questions about. Like, is the protagonist really named Old Dolio Dyne? And, is Debra Winger actually wearing a wig that looks like a sentient pile of yarn? The answer to both is, yes. Evan Rachel Wood plays Old Dolio like some kind of feral animal trying to pass as a real girl. Richard Jenkins and Winger are her parents, who have raised her to scam strangers and split everything three ways. Then Gina Rodriguez crashes their operation as chatty stranger Melanie, and the whole house of cards starts noticing just how flimsy it is.

Kajillionaire is a heist movie the way Paper Moon is a heist movie. The actual robbing is almost incidental to what’s going on emotionally, but the schemes do stack up. If you’ve ever been to a Miranda July reading and watched the room split between people on the verge of tears and people checking their phones, that’s the response curve here too. A heist movie about wanting to be loved is still a heist movie.

9

‘The Mastermind’ (2025)

Image via Mubi

The premise: Josh O’Connor, playing an unemployed architect named JB Mooney, steals four paintings from a suburban museum in 1970 while Vietnam War coverage plays in the background. Kelly Reichardt directs at her usual unhurried clip, with O’Connor bumbling through Massachusetts, Alana Haim playing his wife, and Bill Camp filling out the orbit.

Critics turned out for it, with the consensus calling Reichardt’s pace “laconic,” which is the polite critic word for “slow on purpose.” It won’t be everyone’s idea of a heist movie. The loot gets hauled around in a station wagon and the climax is mostly a man looking at a phone booth. People who want their heist films to feature parkour or banter will hate it. People who already think every great heist is secretly a movie about masculinity in crisis will feel vindicated. Mooney isn’t stealing for money. He’s stealing because his life is small, and he thought theft might make it bigger. Reader, it does not.

8

‘Army of Thieves’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

Bear with me. Yes, this is the Netflix prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Yes, it stars and is directed by Matthias Schweighöfer, who plays a German bank teller named Ludwig Dieter and approaches every scene like a Muppet who has just discovered espresso. And yes, it is a surprisingly charming heist movie, provided you can clear the conceptual hurdle of “this exists in the same cinematic universe as a casino zombie tiger.” Nathalie Emmanuel rounds Ludwig up alongside a crew of safe crackers to break into a legendary set of vaults across Europe before the zombie apocalypse hits the news cycle.

The Europe-trotting is fun and Schweighöfer turns Ludwig into the kind of nervous, sweaty hero you actually want to win. As a piece of heist filmmaking, it’s modest. As franchise salvage operations go, it’s borderline miraculous.

7

‘Ambulance’ (2022)

Image via Universal Pictures

Michael Bay made a movie where Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II rob a bank, hijack an ambulance, and speed through Los Angeles for two hours while Eiza González performs emergency surgery in the back. Watching Ambulance is like watching someone solve a Rubik’s cube during a car crash. Bay’s instincts have never been subtle, and this is him fully off the leash, gleefully inflicting his style on a 130-minute single-day plot.

Most heists spend the first hour planning and the last twenty minutes running. Ambulance does roughly the inverse. Will (Abdul-Mateen) is a Marine vet who needs major money for his wife’s experimental surgery since his insurance won’t cover it; and the only person who picks up the phone is his career-criminal adoptive brother Danny (Gyllenhaal), who happens to be staging a downtown bank job.

Of course. Will signs on. The job collapses inside a minute — a cop gets shot, the brothers commandeer the ambulance dispatched to save him, and they hit the freeway with the wounded cop and EMT Cam (González) trapped in the back. What makes it work is that the chase is the heist. The vault is mobile, and the clock is real. The brotherhood stuff is the actual engine. Will spends the movie trying to keep Cam and the wounded cop alive while Danny unravels into someone more honest and more dangerous than he meant to be.

6

‘Ocean’s 8’ (2018)

Image via Warner Bros.

The cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter. That cast was the pitch, the marketing, and most of the movie. Gary Ross directs this all-women spin-off of the Soderbergh trilogy, in which Bullock’s Debbie Ocean assembles a crew to lift a $150 million Cartier necklace off Hathaway’s neck at the Met Gala.

The plot is the kind of breezy contraption where everyone has exactly the skill they need at the exact moment they need it. The heist mechanics are flimsy, but the climactic Met Gala montage (plus Hathaway playing a deluded, vain version of herself) is so worth it. Ocean’s 8 understood that the appeal of a heist movie is spending time with the kind of characters you’d want to commit a crime with, and it delivered on that.

5

‘Triple Frontier’ (2019)

Image via Netflix

A bunch of ex-special-forces operators — Ben Affleck, looking like he hasn’t slept since 2002; a salted-and-peppered Oscar Isaac; Charlie Hunnam; Garrett Hedlund; and Pedro Pascal — decide to rip off a South American drug lord because the American military pension system is a scam and Affleck’s character is one bad mortgage away from collapse. J. C. Chandor, who made Margin Call and A Most Violent Year, directs with his usual seriousness, which is a strange and welcome tone for a Netflix action movie. The job goes wrong almost immediately, so while the actual robbery is methodically planned, the getaway is corrupted by greed.

Triple Frontier sneaks up on you because it’s pretending to be a guys-on-a-mission flick and is actually a slow disaster movie about American hubris — how a man who has been trained his whole life to extract value from a foreign country might, given the right financial pressure, just go ahead and do it for himself.

4

‘Widows’ (2018)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Steve McQueen, fresh off 12 Years a Slave, decided his next project would be a Chicago crime thriller co-written with Gillian Flynn, based on a 1983 British miniseries. And, because he refused to half-ass things, he cast a who’s-who of female powerhouses: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo. They play the widows of a crew of dead robbers who have to finish the job their husbands started or get killed by Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya (who is terrifying in this, by the way). Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, and Robert Duvall fill out a deep bench of unsettling men who are each useless in their own specific ways.

It’s the rare heist film that takes the politics of who-gets-to-be-a-criminal seriously. Race, class, gender, Chicago aldermanic corruption, all of it’s threaded through gun choreography and sandwiched between long shots of Erivo sprinting at break-neck speed. Stick around for the reveal in the third act recontextualizes the entire first hour and earns this movie such a high spot on this list.

3

‘Logan Lucky’ (2017)

NASCAR. Pneumatic cash tubes. Daniel Craig bleached blonde with a Southern-fried twang and shouting about hard-boiled eggs. Steven Soderbergh came out of his brief retirement to make a Coca-Cola-soaked heist movie set at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Channing Tatum and Adam Driver as West Virginia brothers, Craig as incarcerated demolitions expert Joe Bang (who they have to break out of and back into prison to pull the job off), Riley Keough as their sister, and Seth MacFarlane attempting a British accent. Everyone is having the time of their lives.

This is Soderbergh stretching back into his Ocean’s pocket but with a poverty-tourism guilt that the original trilogy never bothered with, and the result is the rare working-class heist movie that’s actually about more than its characters’ bank accounts. The film’s own characters refer to it as “Ocean’s 7-Eleven,” and the joke works because it’s just so damn good.

2

‘Baby Driver’ (2017)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Edgar Wright‘s getaway-driver musical experiment turns the soundtrack into a fifth wheel. Ansel Elgort‘s Baby (yes, that’s his name) drives for Kevin Spacey‘s mob boss while tinnitus blares classic rock through his head, and the entire movie syncs its violence, footwork, and gear shifts to whatever’s playing. Lily James is the waitress he falls for. Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Eiza González are the unhinged crew. The bank robberies are choreographed like dance numbers because they basically are dance numbers.

The “Spacey of it all” has soured the rewatch for plenty of people, fairly. But as a pure piece of heist film-making, the opening Atlanta chase scored to “Bellbottoms” alone justifies the whole exercise. Baby Driver is still one of the most kinetic action movies of the decade and the heist form has rarely been this much fun.

1

‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)

Image via Lionsgate

Two brothers — Chris Pine, all weathered regret; Ben Foster, electric and savage — rob a series of small West Texas branches of the bank that’s foreclosing on their dead mother’s ranch, while a near-retirement Texas Ranger named Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) follows the trail. Taylor Sheridan wrote it before he became Taylor Sheridan. David Mackenzie directs it like a grittier Coen Brothers movie.

The reason it tops this list is that it’s a heist movie that understands that every great heist is also an indictment. The brothers aren’t stealing from the bank. They’re stealing their own money back, and the movie isn’t shy about who the real thieves are here. Ten years on, Hell or High Water still feels like the rare modern heist film with something to say and the patience to say it slowly.

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Hell or High Water

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Release Date

August 11, 2016

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Runtime

102 minutes

Director

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David Mackenzie

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