Researchers have found a way to build a system for real-life tractor beams to haul objects in space.

By Douglas Helm
| Published 16 seconds ago

Rebel ships better watch out because, apparently, we’re closer to making tractor beams a reality than ever. Once confined to science fiction, tractor beams are edging closer to reality, though not in the way most people imagine from Star Wars or Star Trek.

A team led by University of Colorado Boulder aerospace engineer Hanspeter Schaub has spent years developing what’s known as an electrostatic tractor beam, a system designed to move space debris without physically touching it. Recent testing and modeling suggest the concept has advanced far enough that researchers now see it as a serious candidate for future orbital cleanup missions.

Earth Orbit Needs A Cleanup Team

The technology is aimed at solving a growing problem in low Earth orbit. Thousands of dead satellites, spent rocket stages, and shattered fragments already circle the planet at speeds exceeding 17,000 miles per hour. Every collision creates even more debris, increasing the risk of a runaway chain reaction known as Kessler Syndrome. First proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, the theory predicts that Earth’s orbit could eventually become so crowded with high-speed junk that launching new satellites or crewed spacecraft would become dangerously difficult.

Unlike science fiction tractor beams that instantly yank ships through space, Schaub’s concept relies on electrostatic attraction. A servicing spacecraft approaches a derelict satellite or chunk of debris and fires a beam of electrons at it, giving the target a negative electrical charge. The servicing craft maintains a positive charge, creating an attractive force between the two objects. The result is a slow but continuous pull that can nudge debris into a safer orbit or guide it toward atmospheric reentry.

One of the biggest advantages of the system is that it never needs to physically dock with unstable debris. Traditional capture methods using robotic arms, nets, or harpoons become extremely risky when dealing with objects tumbling uncontrollably through space. Electrostatic tractor beams could potentially maneuver those objects from a distance, reducing the chance of catastrophic collisions during cleanup operations.

Refining The Tractor Tech

Schaub’s team has continued refining the technology inside the Electrostatic Charging Laboratory for Interactions between Plasma and Spacecraft, a specialized vacuum chamber that simulates the plasma conditions of orbit. Researchers use metal targets to imitate dead satellites and debris while studying how charged particles interact in microgravity-like conditions.

One major breakthrough involved controlling rotation. Space debris often spins chaotically, making it difficult to stabilize. The team discovered that pulsing electron beams rhythmically can gradually slow that motion, effectively acting like an invisible braking system before towing begins. That capability could prove just as important as the tractor beam itself.

The project still faces major engineering hurdles. Earth’s upper atmosphere contains constantly shifting plasma environments that can interfere with electrostatic forces. Ion wakes trailing behind spacecraft may also distort the beam’s effectiveness depending on altitude and solar activity. Power generation is another issue, since maintaining large electrical charges in orbit requires substantial onboard energy.

These Tractor Beams Are Not Just A Theory

Even so, the idea has moved well beyond theory. Schaub’s more recent estimates suggest that a full-scale electrostatic debris-removal mission could move multi-ton objects over hundreds of miles over the course of several months. The technology is also attracting renewed interest because the orbital debris crisis has worsened dramatically in recent years, driven by megaconstellations like SpaceX’s Starlink network and repeated anti-satellite weapon tests conducted by governments worldwide.

Several other companies and agencies are pursuing competing debris-removal systems, including magnetic docking craft, drag sails, robotic grapplers, and laser-based nudging systems. But electrostatic tractor beams remain one of the few concepts capable of moving non-cooperative debris without direct contact.

If funding and testing continue at the current pace, Schaub believes the first operational electrostatic tractor spacecraft could launch sometime in the 2030s. That still sounds like science fiction. But so did reusable rockets twenty years ago.

It’s Huda Mustafa’s world and we’re just living in it! The ‘Love Island USA’ star just dropped her debut single, ‘Bad Girls,’ along with the music video, and the record is already taking over timelines. The song has sparked a flood of reactions online, leaving some fans divided while others say they have already added it to their playlist.

RELATED: Issa Wrap! Social Media Reacts As Huda Mustafa Confirm Their Breakup In Joint Statement

Huda Mustafa Shakes Up Timelines With First Single ‘Bad Girls’

Fans got a glimpse of what it’s like being at Huda Headquarters in her new music video for the single, ‘Bad Girls.’ The reality star released her first song, along with visuals set in an office. It shows baddies at work serving looks and showing up as their best selves. Huda also stuns and stunts as the company’s boss. The record has fans sharing their thoughts online, and they’re not holding back when it comes to giving her their honest opinions.

The Roomies Can’t Decide If Huda’s Single Is A Bop Or Not

Over in The Shade Room Teens comment section, folks are divided — some are saying Huda did her BIG one, while others are saying it’s not bad but not amazing either. Peep some of the reactions below.

Instagram user @therealkilahslay wrote, “The girls that get it get it 💅🏽” 

Instagram user @alexia.myers wrote, “We could do without.” 

While Instagram user @thatgirlsaam__ wrote, “Definitely a good H&M song.” 

Then Instagram user @noelletorious wrote, “Actually not bad but sounds like every other pop song.” 

Another Instagram user @officialjaycee wrote, “Y’all keep saying this elevator music but this type of music charts the highest n most ! Keep going Hudaaa.” 

Instagram user @nanyy.97 wrote, “her vocals are so smooth omg 😍” 

Then another Instagram user @tkppfinstaaa._ wrote, “But if it was Ariana grande y’all would be all over it I mean when I heard the song I thought it was fire and it made me think of Ariana Grande 🙌” 

Instagram user @sundus_abde wrote, “She ate this 🔥❤️” 

While another Instagram user @thatsjust_bluee wrote, “I just can’t take it serious nor will!” 

Finally, Instagram user @alwaysssteph_ wrote, “It’s not bad. It’s not AMAZING either.” 

X Users Weigh In On Huda’s Debut Track

Reactions also popped OFF on X (formerly Twitter). Some fans were surprised at how good the track sounds, while others said they will definitely play it while getting ready.

Not Huda actually taking music seriously waitttt ?!!! pic.twitter.com/zzQZI8RgTn

— ★ KILL Λ ★ (@IsisYaFather) May 21, 2026

Ngl she ate!! Will play it when I’m getting ready ofc https://t.co/Dcs1I07qAG https://t.co/n4yIE8rnuV

— 𝐿𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒩 (@n_yourladyn99) May 22, 2026

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might get cancelled for saying this but this sounds like it’s been copied from somewhere? it all sounds so familiar. i just can’t pinpoint exactly where i’ve heard it? oh wait… it sounds like song of the year! pic.twitter.com/iZDnG6tygK

— 🪄 (@arianastatto0) May 22, 2026

Thank God I never doubted my girl Huda Mustafa ever!!! Literally so proud, it’s only up from here Amen 🙏🏽 https://t.co/Lt7meD05DL

— minion🐻 (@mmasichi0) May 22, 2026

The shock when I learned shawty can ACTUALLY sang, sang. I’ve never been so flabbergasted in my life.

— Astro Wiz Kid ✨️ (@VeeTheVisionary) May 22, 2026

I was hoping it would be something with more quality lyrics but I’m guessing she’s trying to gain radio success first

— Royal🐉❤️‍🔥 (@muah_royalty) May 22, 2026

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Waitttt??
Yes Huda!!!
She’s out here living her main character arc while y’all watch from the sidelines..
Bad Girls summer incoming pic.twitter.com/pJiULsSpvs

— M. Reza Rahmani (@Rahmani_Mreza) May 22, 2026

Hold up Huda!!! She might be on to something!! pic.twitter.com/7CFUfX2etM

— 🌹Al’Bei🌹 (@_albei) May 22, 2026

RELATED: Huda Mustafa And Louis Russell Speak Out After His Ex-Gf Is Granted Restraining Order Against Reality Star (PHOTOS)

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 15 seconds ago

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a now-banned Instagram feed that focused on one thing: cleaning up crime scenes. Before you start judging me, just know that this was a natural escalation, and the same thing could happen to you if you’re not careful. I’m really into those ASMR videos of people powerwashing houses and driveways. This obsession led me to lawn care videos because I rent and don’t have a lawn, and I dream of one day coming up with a sophisticated mowing pattern of my own. It was a wholesome, vicarious arrangement. One thing eventually led to another, and the next thing you know, I’m wondering if this crime scene guy’s proprietary blend of cleaning agents would pass a luminol test after he scraped all sorts of miscellaneous chunks and fluids off the carpeting in question.

After all is said and done, it’s probably a good thing that account got shut down because if I dug myself any deeper, who knows how much further things could have escalated? Fortunately, I stumbled upon a movie about this exact thing, 2007’s Cleaner, starring Samuel L. Jackson just before he started his tenure as Nick Fury in the MCU. It has a 17 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cleaner is not 17 percent bad (Steven Seagal’s Attack Force on the other hand…). Across more than 10,000 ratings on the Popcornmeter, the film has a 40 percent approval rating, and I’m honestly wondering what’s wrong with everybody because this movie, to me, is in the 65 to 70 percent range. It’s a tight thriller about a crime scene cleaner whose most recent job sends him on an investigation that could threaten everything he cares about, and there are enough twists to keep things interesting.

The only real fault I can place on the movie is that it plays like a film that held back because it wanted to appeal to a broader audience. My thought is that since it has an R rating anyway, they should have gone full-on gritty here, but they didn’t.

ASMR For Sick Freaks

Like I said at the top, I fell in love with Cleaner quickly because I like watching people clean things. I also think Samuel L. Jackson can do no wrong. His character, Tom Cutler, is a retired police officer who runs a crime scene cleaning business called Steri-Clean. His job is simple: he shows up at a house when his law enforcement cohorts contact him, gets in his hazmat suit, mixes up his chemicals, and gets to work. The man is exceptionally good at what he does. He can turn your red couch back to white in no time at all, and you can be serving hors d’oeuvres off the same coffee table a dead, bloated body was draped over just hours before, and nobody would be the wiser. He’s that good.

Tom is also a widowed father raising his daughter Rose (Keke Palmer) all by himself. Their relationship is solid, but it gets strained due to the nature of his work and the long hours he has to pull to support her.

Tom becomes suspicious of one of his clients after cleaning Ann Norcut’s (Eva Mendes) house while she was out of town. The job was billed as a homicide cleanup. He enters using the key under the terracotta pot, does his thing, locks up, and goes home. The following day, he realizes he never put the key back, returns to the residence, and is questioned by Ann, who had no idea Steri-Clean did a job at her house. She also points out that her husband, John, is missing. Confiding in his former partner and the godfather of his daughter, Eddie (Ed Harris), Tom learns that John was days away from testifying against the former police commissioner and was probably taken out to prevent him from doing so.

Now, everywhere Tom goes, Eddie seems to be snooping around, as well as Detective Jim Vargas (Luis Guzmán), who’s so straight-faced and serious that he’s either hiding some horrible secret or he’s just as confused about this whole ordeal as Tom is. Tom also knows that he has to tread lightly because of his questionable past involving the man who killed his wife years earlier during a home invasion, and the fate he suffered behind bars while Tom turned a blind eye. Nobody is innocent in the traditional sense in Cleaner, but there’s a clear moral compass to follow once you get to know everybody.

Should Have Gone Harder

My only real beef with Cleaner is that it could have landed so much better as a gritty neo-noir thriller. All the beats and character archetypes are there, but everything feels too surface-level to fully let its hooks sink in. Samuel L. Jackson does an excellent job showcasing his skill set as a tradesman working in a hyperspecific niche industry, and his dynamic with Rose is always believable. He’s a man torn apart by his past traumas, but he shows up for his kid no matter what, even if the day has destroyed any sense of normalcy for him.

Ed Harris and Luis Guzmán do a ton of heavy lifting as morally dubious characters who are either just hard men with resting jerk faces on the right side of the law, or two guys hiding something from Tom as they manipulate their way through the premise. If there’s one thing this movie has going for it, it doesn’t lay all of its cards on the table, and an admirable amount of restraint is used, allowing the mystery to play out in a way that’s ultimately satisfying.

I just wish this one went a little harder, a la True Detective Season 1, instead of playing out like your typical bargain-basement, primed-for-mass-appeal early aughts thriller like The Glass House (2001) or Domestic Disturbance (2001). Fortunately, despite boasting similar production qualities to both of those films, the story itself is worth checking out.

If you’re like me and enjoy watching messes get cleaned up as a form of wish fulfillment (I have kids, sue me), you can stream Cleaner, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Passenger, the latest fright flick from Norwegian horror maestro André Øvredal, hits theaters this upcoming long weekend. And while he has a full slate of upcoming projects, there’s one horror movie he doesn’t think he’ll ever get to make — even though the script was brilliant. He recently discussed the never-realized project with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff.

Øvredal is next slated to direct Bendy and the Ink Machine, an adaptation of the popular survival horror game of the same name. It’s “a very cool video game that I’m very excited about,” he told Collider. However, when it comes to dream projects, there’s one that Øvredal still thinks about. It’s a script he wrote based on an iconic horror classic: “Years ago, I wrote a script called The Overlook Hotel, and that was brilliant.” He clarifies that it was a prequel to one of Stephen King‘s most famous creations, but he doesn’t think it’ll ever make it to the screen:

“It’s a prequel to The Shining. That would be amazing. But that’s not really a movie that’s probably ever going to go.”

King’s 1978 novel The Shining centered around struggling novelist Jack Torrance and his struggle against madness and evil as he works as the isolated Overlook Hotel’s winter caretaker; the hotel’s horrific past is expanded in flashbacks as its ghosts drive Torrance to turn against everything he once held dear. Director Stanley Kubrick adapted the novel into a 1980 film with Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall; although the movie is now considered a horror classic, King himself disliked the deviations it made from the novel. King later spearheaded a 1997 miniseries adaptation that hewed more closely to the book, and wrote a sequel, Doctor Sleep, that was later adapted for film by Mike Flanagan.

What Is ‘Passenger’ About?

Passenger stars Jacob Scipio (Pieces of Her) and Lou Llobell (Foundation) as Tyler and Maddie, a young couple who are hitting the road for a van life adventure. A few weeks into their trip, however, they witness a horrific car accident that leaves a driver dead. And while that sight haunts them, so does the Passenger, a gruesome specter that follows them relentlessly. The film also stars Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and was penned by Zachary Donohue (The Unknowable) and T.W. Burgess. It will be released on May 22.

Øvredal broke out with the Norwegian horror mockumentary Trollhunter in 2010. He has subsequently helmed the horror films The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Passenger will be released in theaters on May 22. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

May 22, 2026

Runtime

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94 minutes

Director

André Øvredal

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Cast

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• 
• 
• 

  Joseph Lopez

  The Passenger

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The Boy Meets World cast apparently didn’t always get along behind-the-scenes of the beloved sitcom.

“They had some problems working together as … they grew up,” William Daniels’ wife, Bonnie Bartlett told Page Six in an interview published on Friday, May 22, adding that it is “very unusual” for child stars to “continue in the business” after acting onscreen at a young age.

“They have grown up together. They’ve been very smart,” Bartlett, 96, stated. “They’ve done well — all of them. That’s very unusual in a cast with children. They’ve done a good job of that. They’re good people. They’re all good people.”

Boy Meets World aired from 1993 to 2000, following preteen Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his adventures throughout middle school and beyond. The show also starred Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, Will Friedle and Daniels, 99.

Related: Inside William Daniels’ 30-Year Bond With His ‘Boy Meets World’ Costars

William Daniels wasn’t just an onscreen mentor to the young cast of Boy Meets World in the 1990s as Mr. George Feeny — he became a real-life confidant throughout 30 years of friendship. The legendary actor already had a 50-year career in Hollywood — including playing Dustin Hoffman’s father in 1967’s The Graduate and voicing […]

Daniels notably portrayed Cory’s neighbor and teacher, Mr. Feeny, who followed the friend group through high school and college. Feeny ultimately married Dean Lila Bolander (played by his real-life wife Bartlett) in the final season.

According to Bartlett, Daniels was a “positive influence” to the young actors.

“He never told them what to do, but they learned a lot just from watching him … how to behave, what is serious,” Bartlett told Page Six. “You know, with kids, it’s all a joke, it’s all funny. I think [Bill] introduced them to the seriousness of responsibility.”

In the years since BMW ended, Daniels remained close to his former costars even though Savage, 45, seemingly distanced himself from the rest of the TV family.

“He disappeared — I wish I knew why, to this day,” Friedle, 49, claimed to Variety in 2023 of Savage, who played his TV brother. “We didn’t have a fight. There’s no falling out. There was no animosity. He just woke up one day, and decided ‘I don’t want this person in my life anymore.’”

According to Friedle, he tried to initiate contact with Savage for months before giving up.

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“I’ve known him since he was 11 years old, and we have a shared history. And we were doing these conventions together, and we were getting to know each other as adults, and then he just kind of went, ‘I’m done with you,’” Friedle alleged. “I tried and tried and tried for months, until finally my wife was like, ‘Why are you doing this to yourself? He obviously doesn’t want you in his life.’”

Friedle now hosts a “Pod Meets World” recap podcast with former costars Fishel, 45, and Strong, 46. Friedle and Strong also supported Fishel during her stint on Dancing With the Stars last year, in which Daniels even made a cameo.

Savage, for his part, has not publicly discussed his rumored BMW estrangement.

Roommates, the streets are talking after a young woman tied to one of the most shocking rapper murders in recent memory — just learned her fate in court. What started as a birthday trip quickly turned deadly, and now both Alicia Andrews’ and Julio Foolio‘s names are back in headlines as new details continue to unfold from the case that rocked Florida and the rap community alike.

RELATED: Alicia Andrews Found Guilty In Murder Case Of Rapper Julio Foolio

Alicia Andrews Sentenced In Julio Foolio Killing

A judge has officially sentenced Alicia Andrews, 23, to 15 years behind bars for her role in the 2024 killing of rapper Julio Foolio, born Charles Jones II. According to reports, Andrews helped track Foolio’s movements during his birthday weekend in Tampa before he was ambushed and fatally shot outside a hotel. Prosecutors said Andrews and her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, followed Foolio from location to location while relaying updates back to the gunmen who later opened fire.

Authorities revealed the attack stemmed from a long-running Jacksonville gang feud involving Foolio and rival groups allegedly connected to ATK and 1200. Trial testimony claimed Foolio’s social media activity and music, including diss-heavy drill tracks, intensified tensions over the years. Investigators said rivals spotted online posts about his Tampa birthday plans and allegedly used that information to coordinate the deadly retaliation mission.

Foolio’s Mother Speaks After Sentencing In Killing

During sentencing, Foolio’s mother, Sandrikas Mays, delivered an emotional statement directly addressing Andrews’ involvement. She told the court her son would still be alive had Andrews not participated in the plan, regardless of whether she pulled the trigger herself. Mays also pointed out that Andrews still has the opportunity to see her family and child, while she can no longer see her son. Her statement reportedly left the courtroom emotional as the judge prepared to hand down the maximum sentence possible for the manslaughter conviction.

“They hunted my son down like a deer in the woods. This was loyalty to v*olence over humanity. My son was treated like his life didn’t matter,” Mays can be heard saying.

Four Co-Defendants Face Life Without Parole

Prosecutors originally charged Andrews with second-degree murder, but jurors ultimately convicted her of manslaughter. Her attorney argued she played only a “minor” role in the crime and announced plans to appeal the conviction. Meanwhile, four additional defendants — Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy on first-degree murder charges. Although prosecutors pushed for the death penalty, the jury rejected it. The four men now face mandatory life sentences without parole at next month’s hearing.

RELATED: Florida Police Arrest 4 Of 5 Suspects In Connection To Murder Of Rapper Julio Foolio (VIDEOS)

Fans are reflecting on the life and legacy of rapper Rob Base after he passed away at age 59. Rob, who was from Harlem, made up one half of a hip-hop duo with DJ E-Z Rock. E-Z Rock, born Rodney Bryce, also passed away at age 56 on April 27, 2014, from complications with diabetes.

RELATED: Prayers Up! NBA YoungBoy Associate Ben10 Reportedly Shot Again In Baton Rouge Weeks After Houston Incident 

Details On Rob Base’s Passing

Rob Base, whose real name is Robert Ginyard was a prominent figure in the ’80’s hip-hop scene and built his name off the 1988 hit ‘It Takes Two.’ On Friday, May 22, Rob’s official Instagram account released a statement confirming he passed away after a private battle with cancer. The message noted that he will always be remembered for his music and legacy, along with how she showed up as a loving father, family man, and friend.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives,” the statement read.

Rob passed just days after he celebrated his 59th birthday on May 18. He also dropped a message on Instagram that day, expressing gratitude and sharing a photo of himself.

Social Media Mourns Rob & Reflects On His Legacy

After news about Rob’s passing broke, The Shade Room’s comment section was flooded with reactions. Plenty of fans credited him for creating an iconic hit, while others shared how sad they feel seeing so many pioneers pass away from cancer.

Instagram user @amazing_amy797 wrote, “I’m bout to blast It Takes Two ALL day. Rest up 🙏🏾🕊️😢” 

Instagram user @jaylapage101 wrote, “Aww man RIP.” 

While Instagram user @kimmymar wrote, “Damnnnn.. it takes two is ICONIC 🔥. RIP 🙏🏽” 

Then Instagram user @onlyonesephora wrote, “Classic, Classic Classic ‼️‼️‼️ Rest Well Rob 🙏🏽” 

Another Instagram user @roycer__ wrote, “Yo MTV Raps era is goated, he was at the top of it. RIP :(” 

Instagram user @jheekidthegr8 wrote, “Mannnnn This got me stuck!!! 🙏🕊🕊” 

Then another Instagram user @iamjakkblakk wrote, “This song in skate key went crazy thank you rob base ya music will live on 🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️” 

While another Instagram user @lilngb wrote, “This song still turn block parties up🔥🔥🔥” 

Finally, Instagram user @teethespacehoochie wrote, “I don’t care how old you are when IT TAKES TWO comes on you hit them dance moves! Rest in peace to him!” 

More About Rob Base’s Career

PEOPLE reports that Rob and DJ E-Z Rock met in Harlem when they were in grade school before they formed their group. Although fans know them best for ‘It Takes Two,’ Rob and E-Z Rock dropped their first track as a duo in 1986 with “DJ Interview.”

In addition to making its mark in the hip-hop, ‘It Takes Two’ also landed in the 2009 rom-com ‘The Proposal’, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later earned a platinum certification from the RIAA. Since its release, artist like Snoop Dogg and others sampled it.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Heartbreaking Photos Show Funeral Of 8 Children Killed In Louisiana Mass Shooting (UPDATE)

By Robert Scucci
| Published 22 seconds ago

I love a great vibe-driven thriller where nothing is ever explicitly explained, but the catharsis experienced by its protagonist is forced upon the viewer. 2023’s Fuzzy Head is one of those films in the sense that you kind of know what’s going on, but you’re also seeing everything through the perspective of somebody who doesn’t, thanks to their prolonged state of sleep deprivation. We’re not talking about the kind of grit you’d see in a movie like The Machinist (2004), but there’s definitely some thematic overlap when it comes to its insomnia-driven plot.

Fuzzy Head is a visceral experience as we learn about our protagonist, the traumas that shaped her, and the people she still freely associates with. We catch glimpses of her fleeting thoughts as they arrive, transform into hallucinations or false memories, and dissipate in a perpetual cycle of grief, guilt, and existential dread.

I Don’t Feel Safe Here

Fuzzy Head follows Marla (writer-director Wendy McColm), a young woman who can’t remember the last time she slept. What she does remember, though questionably, is the death of her mother (Alicia Witt) when she was a child. During flashback sequences, we witness Mother putting Marla in increasingly dangerous situations, to which Marla repeats the mantra, “I don’t feel safe here.” We see a number of these exchanges throughout the film, and they all end about the same way: Mother dies from a gunshot wound to the head, and then we transition to present-day Marla, who’s still trying to process what happened.

It’s never made clear how Mother dies in Fuzzy Head until its very late third-act reveal. The mystery of whether Marla shot her abusive mother, if somebody else did, or if Mother shot herself is irrelevant until then anyway, because the real story is how grown-up Marla remembers a younger version of herself discovering her dead mother and spiraling out from there.

In the present, Marla sleepwalks through life, confiding in characters like her best friend Blank (Jonathan Tolliver), The Whistler (Rain Phoenix), and Marian (Numa Perrier). The film gets especially trippy when both of Marla’s worlds collide: the past she’s trying to escape and heal from, and the present where she’s been living in a trance-like state, melting out of one lived experience and into the day her mother died while trying to make sense of it all.

A Visually Stunning Odyssey Of Grief

Fuzzy Head isn’t a movie that offers easy answers, and that’s by design. Like real-life grief and trauma, the film strikes a nerve when you least expect it, and you simply have to digest the discomfort as you try to navigate your way through. This is not a linear account of events, but it’s not a non-linear narrative either. It’s the story of one woman under a very specific set of circumstances who’s trying to make peace with her horrible childhood and how it prematurely ended when her mother was found bleeding out on the bathroom floor.

The whole thing plays like one of those dreams you vaguely remember after only falling half asleep, and as each scene transitions to the next, whatever clarity you latched onto vaporizes right in front of your eyes. It’s a visual representation of what our protagonist is dealing with on a visceral level, and it’ll take you places that all seem strangely familiar while also feeling completely out of this world.

As of this writing, Fuzzy Head is streaming for free on Tubi.