The public’s view of J.J. Abrams has evolved over the years. He went from being the go-to reviver of franchises with back-to-back successes with Mission: Impossible III and Star Trek, to then having a monster hit with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and then doing what he could with The Rise of Skywalker. Even though Abrams has become so closely associated with massive franchise films, it’s the smallest project he’s done that may be his best: Super 8. Not just for the charm factor of the clear nostalgic ties he has to the material (along with Michael Giacchino‘s flawless score), but because it also has possibly the best scene in any of his movies — and it happens during the credits.

What Is J.J. Abrams’ Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Super 8’ About?

The film follows Joe (Joel Courtney), a middle schooler who’s about to start his summer vacation with his friends as they work on a zombie movie along with his crush Alice (Elle Fanning) to submit to a film festival. While sneaking out to do a night shoot at a train station, they witness and barely survive a devastating train crash, which, unbeknownst to them, unleashes an alien that’ll begin to wreak havoc on their little town. (That is, if the air force investigating the crash doesn’t do it first.)

While that description would have you believe that the story is primarily about the alien running loose around the town — Joe’s father, Deputy Lamb (Kyle Chandler) has his hands full with that as his side-quest — the story is really focused on these kids making their movie, and that’s where the credits’ scene shines.

‘Super 8’s End Credits Are What Make the Sci-Fi Thriller a Masterpiece

Once the story has reached its conclusion, we cut to black, and Electric Light Orchestra plays as the credits roll, until we’re shown a completed version of the zombie film that the kids were making, titled, “The Case.” It’s an endearing scene, obviously playing to Abrams’ experiences making Super 8 movies growing up with charming touches like improper lighting and jerky camera movements because the actors aren’t in frame. Even the acting by the kids is stilted in a way that shows that the characters are just kids, not actors. It’s a wonderful scene that makes the film come full circle, not just because we see the context of previous scenes where the kids are dressed in costumes and are in between takes — but because Super 8 isn’t about the alien, it’s about their movie.

While the boys going after Alice after she’s been captured by the alien (credited as Cooper in the credits) is the focus of the third act, the alien itself is just what gets the ball rolling for the chaos surrounding the kids. For a large portion of the story, the alien is almost totally irrelevant to them, and the only times that its existence comes to their attention is when it inadvertently benefits the production value of their movie. There’s the detail of Joe talking to Charles (Riley Griffiths) via walkie-talkies about overhearing that the air force is investigating Dr. Woodward’s (Glynn Turman) house, which is how they know to go there to film the next day. That moment works almost on a meta level too, because when Joe tries to question why the air force would be at Woodward’s house, or why they would be taking molds of the tire tracks of the car they drove on the night of the train crash, Charles literally tells him to shut up about it and brings the conversation back to their movie.

The Zombie Movie in ‘Super 8’ Is What Pushes the Sci-Fi Film Forward

It’s important to note that while the alien is a necessary plot device to bring the characters together to accomplish a common goal for the sake of having an entertaining, action-filled climax, it’s the kids’ movie that drives the story forward. The only reason Alice gets abducted by the alien in the first place is because she snuck out to Joe’s house to convince him not to blow up his model train for the sake of the movie. Even the kids’ revelation that there’s an alien at all is from the footage they captured on the night of the crash.

Every major plot development is informed by their movie, so not showing the finished product would’ve been a disservice to the resolution of the story, more so than revealing the fate of the alien. However, even without that qualifier, it’s still a sweet scene in its own right, showcasing Abrams’ career roots and emulating the quality of the Super 8 films he grew up making. It’s an endearing short film that wraps the film up in a bow and gives the movie added rewatchability when you consider Super 8 is basically a behind-the-scenes look into how the kids made their movie, just with the added hurdle of an alien terrorizing their town.

Advertisement

Super 8

Advertisement

Release Date

June 10, 2011

Runtime

Advertisement

112 minutes

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Actor Joshua Bassett is getting real about his past addiction to ketamine following a near-death experience he had in 2021. During a podcast interview, Bassett, who starred in the Disney show “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” said that he used the drug to help him “escape” his internal struggles.

While appearing on the “Zack Sang Show,” Bassett said that he used ketamine and other drugs to help him mask the pain he was feeling in 2021. “[I’d use] whatever was the most effective in that moment at sort of putting me at ease,” he said.

According to PEOPLE, Bassett also opened up about his struggles in his new book, “Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life,” in which he wrote about using “six” baggies of ketamine every day.

In the podcast episode, the actor said that after he began using the drugs, his addiction to them only grew.

“It got to a point, and I think that’s the thing about a lot of drugs is that they can be fun and enjoyable for a little while, but … what happens is you have a good time and then now you’re at a deficit, a dopamine deficit,” he said, explaining that he used the drugs as “an escape” from the pain.

Joshua Bassett Was Able To Hide His Addiction To Ketamine Because Of His Acting Abilities

Bassett said on the podcast that he became quite skilled at hiding his addiction struggles, mainly because of his profession as a performer.

“I was pretty good at hiding it. You know?” he said. “I’m an actor so I think it’s my gift and curse is that I can pretend that I’m doing well when I’m not.”

The singer, now 25, said that addiction “thrives through isolation” before saying his proximity to fame and money only exacerbated things.

He went on to say how thankful he was to still be alive today, saying, “It’s truly a miracle it didn’t take my life.”

He added, “It’s a miracle my life hasn’t been taken quite a few times, to be honest … You know, it’s a miracle I’m here for sure.”

Writing A Book Was ‘Cathartic’ For Joshua Bassett

In a separate interview with PEOPLE, Bassett opened up about how writing a book helped him begin his healing journey.

“When you start to write those down and relive those, it’s very, very physically painful,” he said. “The body does keep the score and I think in doing that it’s very raw and difficult, but the artist paves the road for the audience to scroll down.”

For those who may be unfamiliar, Bassett spent much of 2021 and 2022 in the headlines, thanks to his Disney co-star, Olivia Rodrigo, and her Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Driver’s License,” which is rumored to be about him.

“The hard work I have to do of sitting in those emotions over and over again and crafting the perfect words and trying to get it to really fit and having to relive that, that difficult work ideally makes it cathartic and easy for somebody to be able to read it,” he said.

Bassett Is ‘Honest’ In His Book, But Not Always ‘Transparent’

Continuing, Bassett, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Song, said he bares his soul in the book, talking about sexual abuse, mental health, and the pressure of fame.

And while he touches on serious topics, the actor said he decided to dial it back a bit in certain parts of the writing process.

“My mentor, there were a couple times where he’d be like, ‘You can be honest without being transparent at times.’ So there were a couple times where I dialed it in. It’s still pretty vulnerable, but there’s certain points where it’s like, ‘You know what, you don’t need to give the world everything, you know?’” he shared.

What Has Bassett Learned From His Addiction?

Elsewhere during the interview, Bassett said that he’s learned a lot about himself over the years. According to him, he displayed some behavior he isn’t proud of, and if he could go back and do it over again, he would.

“I wish I was more considerate in my tornado and my distress and even addiction,” he said. “[Addiction can be] very self-centered. There is an element to addiction that is, ‘I care more about how I feel at the expense of everyone else,’ and you end up hurting a lot of people, you end up choosing yourself in a way that is unhealthy over people. I just wish I’d be a little bit more considerate, a little bit more thoughtful and a little bit more forgiving of myself and others.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce looked as smitten as ever as they stepped out for a romantic date night in New York City.

The “Opalite” singer and Kansas City Chiefs tight end, both 36, were spotted holding hands as they made their way to dinner at Or’esh restaurant on Friday, May 15.

Swift opted for a flowing off-the-shoulder cream dress which featured a floral pattern. She teamed the look with Aquazzura’s Twist Sandal 95 heels and accessorized with a straw shoulder bag which had a chain strap.

For his part, Kelce went for his usual head-turning style, wearing a light blue and white pinstriped button-down emblazoned with patchwork artwork, including an image of a wolf on one panel. The NFL player completed the ensemble with black trousers and black shoes.

Related: Taylor Swift Brings Her Red Lip Classic to NYC Date With Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got all dressed up to hit the town in New York City. Swift and Kelce, both 35, were pictured heading to dinner in the Big Apple on Saturday, December 28, where they both showed off their signature style while holding hands. The pop star, for her part, was positively bejeweled […]

The couple, who announced their engagement in August 2025, recently returned from a short visit to London, where they saw a Romeo & Juliet play starring Sadie Sink, attended Poppy Delevingne’s 40th birthday celebrations and indulged in the city’s dining hotspots.

Speaking on his “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday, May 13, Kelce gushed about their time in the U.K. and raved about the restaurant they dined at.

“For the most part, [I] had some really good food, enjoyed some plays,” Kelce shared. “[We] saw Sadie Sink and, I believe, Noah Jupe is his name. He was f***ing phenomenal as Romeo. Sadie is phenomenal as Juliet, as well.”

Since they began dating in summer 2023, Swift has been candid about the positive effect Kelce’s presence has had on her life.

When the singer won the Best Pop Album award for The Life of a Showgirl at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in March, Swift praised Kelce in her speech.

“This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that’s the way that I get to feel every single day of my life because of my fiancé, who is here tonight,” Swift told the crowd at the time. “So, thanks for the vibes.”

Related: Taylor Swift and Fiance Travis Kelce Hold Hands on London Date

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were all loved up while enjoying a date night in London. Swift and Kelce, both 36, were spotted leaving the Indian restaurant Gymkhana on Thursday, May 7, according to photos obtained by TMZ. The couple held hands as they walked out of the London hotspot. The pair donned coordinated outfits […]

Kelce has echoed the same sentiment in multiple interviews, including on “The Stephen A. Smith” podcast in January 2025.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

“I’m enjoying all aspects of life. Me and Taylor are happy,” Kelce said at the time. “I couldn’t be happier to have that confidence and that comfort off the field and all the support I could ever ask for in the stadium.”

The athlete added that he and Swift are equally supportive of each other, which has been equally beneficial.

“I think personally, that’s the beauty of being in a very strong relationship is that you get that support to be able to come in and focus on your craft, focus on being the best version of you,” Kelce continued. “That’s why I wanted to be at the concert, supporting her and being there for her, making sure she feels comfortable and supported in everything she’s doing in life.”

Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan seems to have hit his stride in the last decade, with well-received genre films produced on restrained budgets and undeterred by the restrictions that would affect more expensive movies. In this last decade, he has delivered blockbusters such as Split and Glass, as well as the far leaner and meaner thrillers Old and Trap. His next movie is a supernatural romance starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. It’s arguably his most unexpected genre switch-up in roughly 15 years, which was around the time when his career hit rock-bottom. The movie that sent him there remains infamous to this day, and is currently streaming on Peacock in the United States for those curious to check it out. However, it will be removed from the platform soon.

The film in question was released in 2010 and developed as the first installment of a trilogy. It was the most expensive project of Shyamalan’s career, and his first film to be based on a pre-existing property. Shyamalan absolutely needed the project to work, not only because of its hefty budget, but also because his career had hit a bit of a rough patch in the preceding few years. Unfortunately, the film was universally panned upon release, and even accused of having racist undertones. It now holds a 5% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, which, unsurprisingly, is the lowest of Shyamalan’s career.

Here’s How Long You Have Left To Watch ‘The Last Airbender’

By now you’ve guessed that we’re talking about The Last Airbender, based on the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The movie featured a handful of newcomers alongside veterans such as Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, and Cliff Curtis. The fantasy epic, which borrowed elements from Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, starred Noah Ringer in the lead role of a “chosen one” archetype who must fulfill his destiny and protect his people from menacing imperial forces.

The Last Airbender grossed around $320 million worldwide against a reported budget of $150 million, but the poor response from critics and fans put an end to any future plans that Shyamalan and Paramount might have had. The property was rebooted as a Netflix live-action series several years later; it received mixed reviews and is set to return with a second season in June 2026. You can watch Shyamalan’s adaptation on Peacock, but only until June 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Advertisement

Release Date

Advertisement

July 1, 2010

Runtime

103 minutes

Advertisement

Producers

Frank Marshall, Sam Mercer

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jack Schlossberg is still struggling to wrap his head around the loss of his late sister, Tatiana Schlossberg.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in an interview published on Friday, May 15, Jack, 33, admitted, “I don’t think I’ll ever process it.”

Tatiana, who was the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy — died in December 2025 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was 35.

“The world will never be the same for me, not only since she passed away, but since she was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago,” Jack told Vanity Fair.

Jack, who is also a younger brother to Rose, 37, said his sister Tatiana is still on his mind almost five months after her death.

“She was my best friend. We could finish each other’s sentences,” Jack added. “I miss her all the time. Every day I think about her.”

The JFK Library Foundation confirmed Tatiana’s death following her battle with acute myeloid leukemia via an Instagram statement in December 2025.

“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the statement read. It was signed by Tatiana’s husband, George Moran, their two children, Edwin, 4, and Josephine, 1, her parents, siblings and sister-in-law Rory Schlossberg.

In a New Yorker essay published in November 2025, Tatiana wrote that she had been given a year to live after receiving her devastating diagnosis.

Tatiana shared that she learned she had “a rare mutation called Inversion 3” after her doctor noticed an imbalance in her white blood cell count following the birth of her second child. Initially, Tatiana was told she would need to undergo months of chemotherapy and receive a bone marrow transplant.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

“I did not — could not — believe that they were talking about me. I had swum a mile in the pool the day before, nine months pregnant. I wasn’t sick. I didn’t feel sick. I was actually one of the healthiest people I knew,” she wrote. “I had a son whom I loved more than anything and a newborn I needed to take care of.”

Related: Tatiana Schlossberg Reveals How Her Siblings Supported Cancer Treatment

As Tatiana Schlossberg underwent stem cell treatment for her terminal cancer battle, her siblings leapt into action to help. “My sister had turned out to be a match and would donate her stem cells,” Tatiana, 35, wrote in a New Yorker essay published Saturday, November 22, referring to older sister Rose Schlossberg. “My brother [Jack […]

Tatiana added in the essay that her mind immediately went to her young children and she shared her fears that they would grow up with limited memories of their mother.

“My first thought was that my kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn’t remember me,” she recalled. “My son might have a few memories, but he’ll probably start confusing them with pictures he sees or stories he hears. I didn’t ever really get to take care of my daughter — I couldn’t change her diaper or give her a bath or feed her, all because of the risk of infection after my transplants. I was gone for almost half of her first year of life. I don’t know who, really, she thinks I am, and whether she will feel or remember, when I am gone, that I am her mother.”

Over the years, stories have made the most of criminals with good intentions. Some have undergone impressive redemption arcs, while others have always been good but worked outside the system, but it is undeniable that people flock to these stories. However, one 2008 TNT series with this concept is unfairly forgotten. Leverage takes the Robin Hood idea and applies it to modern con artists in a five-season heist series that can be watched over and over again. Though Leverage may not have been the most popular show, it got a three-season sequel on Prime Video, Leverage: Redemption, which continues the story with a few new faces, proving that there are plenty of stories to tell about these unlikely heroes.

The original series centers on five complex and lovable characters who use their morally questionable talents for good as they defend those who are taken advantage of by the rich and powerful. Though the action sets Leverage apart, it’s the characters that are the heart of the show as they show off their skills, face their fears, and let each other in. With over 70 episodes, each featuring a different job, Leverage offers a new and exciting story with each installment, making it the perfect show to have on repeat.

What Is ‘Leverage’ About?

The point of Leverage is the central group of thieves uniting to fight for the little guy. The team is formed by former insurance investigator, Nate (Timothy Hutton), who serves as the mastermind, using his years of chasing thieves (including his eventual friends) to plan elaborate heists in near-impossible situations. The rest of the group consists of Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a grifter able to play any role, Eliot (Christian Kane), the hitter who rarely loses a fight, Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a gifted hacker, and Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a cat burglar, pickpocket, and safe-cracker. They each prefer to work on their own, but one unlikely mission proves that they make an impressive team, setting all five of them on a new path where they use detailed heists to target corruption and avenge ordinary people whom the system has failed.

Leverage‘s episodic format allows each story to stand on its own, but the characters all have their own journeys. Nate has perhaps the most unique story as he goes from a respected investigator to a criminal, but his journey isn’t black and white. Nate loses his career long before the events of the series, as the loss of his son and subsequent divorce ruined him both emotionally and financially. This newfound passion helps Nate heal while the rest begin to reform as they steal to help others and form a strange found family, especially as they learn more about each other. While the heist action is new every episode, the characters’ personal storylines develop slowly, making a compelling rewatch, especially considering it’s impossible to remember the details of every mission.

The Characters Are ‘Leverage’s Highlight

While the concept is exciting in itself, the characters make Leverage that much better. The main group doesn’t initially fit together, but they end up being exactly what the others need. While they all quickly choose to help others, it is a slow process of growth, and throughout the series, each one is haunted by their past. This allows all five heroes to grow throughout the series, proving that redemption isn’t something that happens immediately. Each character gets episodes to explore their growth as they return home to help their family or face their personal trauma. With the constant development, it’s hard not to get attached to these characters.

It’s a strange support group, but they are always there for each other, and with two slow-burning romances (one between Nate and Sophie and another between Parker and Hardison), the show keeps changing the dynamic. But one thing always remains: the humor. Though there are often dark realities that the characters face, Leverage never misses an opportunity to lighten the mood. With relentless gags, constant banter between Elliot and Hardison, Parker’s socially awkward personality, and shocking talents that come to light, the show offers plenty of laughs in the midst of the drama. While sorely underrated, Leverage is the perfect new comfort series where the heroes outmaneuver the bad guys in increasingly unexpected ways.

Leverage is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

Advertisement

Release Date

Advertisement

2008 – 2012-00-00

Showrunner

Chris Downey

Advertisement

Directors

Dean Devlin

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement