Entertainment
Ranking The 13 Best Alien Invasion Movies Of All-Time
By Joshua Tyler
| Published
Some of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time revolve around humans in a desperate struggle for survival. Sometimes we’re fighting time-traveling robots or out-of-control plagues. Occasionally, we end up in a post-apocalyptic wasteland fighting ourselves.
What really brings humans together, though, is a battle against an outside force. All the better if those invaders are from the stars. This is the definitive ranking of the best alien invasion movies of all time.
13. Lifeforce
The 1985 movie Lifeforce begins with a naked girl in a box, and it ends with a love scene so explosive it destroys a cathedral and sends a race of alien vampires running for their lives. In between those bookends, Lifeforce is one of the wildest, most unique, most incredible science fiction movies almost no one has seen.
A mission to explore Halley’s Comet results in an alien vampire who looks exactly like one of the most beautiful women in the world wandering around our planet without clothes, luring men in, and sucking the life out of them. At one point, she briefly takes the form of Star Trek star Patrick Stewart, and despite now being a bald academic, she’s so alluring that people still want to make out with her, at their peril.
Movies like Species and Under the Skin owe everything to Lifeforce, the original super hot alien babe sucks the life out of the world movie. Those copies are just copies. They can’t hold a candle to Lifeforce.
12. The Avengers
The 2012 culmination of Marvel’s phase 1, The Avengers, is one of the best superhero movies ever made, but it’s also entirely about an alien invasion. Loki shows up, opens a hole in the sky, and invites an alien army to pour directly into midtown Manhattan like it’s a curbside delivery.
The Chitauri scream between skyscrapers, raining down death as civilians run and buildings collapse. The only way to stop them is if Earth’s mightiest heroes come together as a team and fight them off.
The Avengers is the movie that made Marvel into the modern-day juggernaut it is, and it’s built entirely on the backs of Iron Man dogfighting alien attackers, Captain America commanding street-level resistance, and Hulk unleashing the full force of his anger on giant, alien beasts.
11. Little Shop of Horrors
In Little Shop of Horrors, Rick Moranis stars as Seymour Krelborn, a meek florist whose life changes when he discovers a strange plant he names Audrey II. The plant brings fame and fortune to the failing flower shop until Seymour learns it only grows when fed human blood.
Voiced by Levi Stubbs, Audrey II is an alien planet that has come to earth, but not an invader with a master plan to conquer us. Instead, it’s a manipulative alien parasite with ambition.
As the plant grows, so does its appetite and its influence, pushing Seymour to kill in exchange for success, love, and validation, including a chance with Ellen Greene’s Audrey. The real threat isn’t an alien invasion, it’s alien temptation. Audrey II’s only goal is to grow bigger, spread farther, and use human weakness to do it.
10. Signs
M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs is an alien invasion from the perspective of a normal family, and the big global consequences are only in the background. That allows it to be about more than just aliens. It’s about belief, loss, and the terrifying silence of a God who might not be there.
Mel Gibson’s Graham Hess, once a minister, has abandoned his faith after the tragic death of his wife. The alien invasion is the crucible; it drives his family into corners, tests their survival, and eventually forces him to confront whether life is chaos or design. It doesn’t end with humanity defeating aliens, it ends with one man putting his collar back on, embracing faith not because he got proof, but because he chose to trust again.
9. Predator
In Predator, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Dutch, the leader of an elite mercenary team sent into the Central American jungle on what’s supposed to be a routine rescue mission. Alongside him are Carl Weathers as Dillon, Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and Shane Black. Each is introduced like an action-movie archetype before the movie starts tearing those archetypes apart.
One by one, the team is hunted by an unseen alien warrior using cloaking technology, advanced weapons, and brutal tactics. This isn’t a takeover attempt, like most alien invasions.
The Predator is a lone trophy hunter on Earth purely for sport, seeking worthy opponents to kill and collect. As the squad is wiped out, the film strips away guns, gear, and bravado until it becomes a primal duel between Dutch and a creature that respects only strength, cunning, and survival.
8. Superman 2
Shot back-to-back with Superman: The Movie, the sequel, Superman 2, manages to exceed the groundbreaking original. It does that by pitting Superman against a trio of super-powered alien invaders from his own planet of Krypton, resulting in an eye-popping super-powered slugfest with special effects so amazing for the time that some still hold up today.
The heart of Superman 2 is the moral dilemma: godlike power versus human happiness. It treats Superman as a man making painful, adult choices. Superman has already given up his powers, leaving humanity defenseless. Realizing the cost of his choice, he reclaims his abilities, confronts the invaders, and ultimately restores both order and his secret identity.
It’s a great alien-invasion movie and one of the best superhero movies ever made.
7. They Live
They Live centers on Roddy Piper’s Nada, a transient who arrives in Los Angeles looking for work after a string of bad luck. Nada investigates a nearby church, gets caught up in a wild late-night police raid, and walks away with a mysterious pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the world for what it really is, a hotbed of political propaganda built on complacency and conformity so the aliens can quietly take over and throttle Earth’s resources for their own personal gain.
Nada’s glasses reveal not only the aliens but the true messages hidden in the magazines, billboards, and television shows we all watch. They Live is a biting commentary on the way we’re all manipulated by mass media, and in that sense, it may be one of the most important and eye-opening movies ever made.
As the film reaches its climax, it reveals just how far the conspiracy against the masses goes, and at this point, there’s no turning back. It’s up to Nada to figure out how to wake everybody up, even if it costs him his life.
6. Edge of Tomorrow
What if the only way to save humanity from an alien invasion was to kill yourself repeatedly until you found the right answers? That’s the setup for 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow, starring one of potentially thousands of Tom Cruises as he wakes up repeating the same day until he nails the perfect combination of allies and strategic maneuvers to win the war.
Considered one of the best action films of the 2010s, Edge of Tomorrow moves at a breakneck pace because it can afford to. The first-act exposition keeps resetting, expanding slightly each time until our hero learns to survive the nightmare that’s been forced on him. Each loop inches him closer to completing his mission, but at the cost of dying over and over again.
5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
One of the best remakes hit screens in 1978: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Even if you’ve never seen the 1956 original or its other remakes, the basics of the plot are easy to swallow: aliens invade Earth by replacing humans with emotionless duplicates. The catch is that the humans must be asleep for the process to work, a simple twist that turns every yawn into dramatic tension.
Donald Sutherland leads the cast of famous sci-fi stars, including Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, and Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy. Our heroes try to uncover the mystery of the pod people, but that soon takes a backseat to trying to survive another night.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is treated as a very serious story where the stakes are life and death for the entire human race. That’s refreshing compared to modern films winking at the audience every twenty minutes with a tension-deflating joke. The result is one of the most impressive remakes of all time and remains a must-watch for any sci-fi or horror fan today
4. Independence Day
Independence Day is your classic alien invasion story, but with the best CGI that 1996 has to offer. This was years after Jurassic Park, so it’s pretty damn good.
A powerful alien force has appeared over the skies of Earth with the mission to completely annihilate the planet over the Fourth of July weekend. They start by blowing up some of our best buildings in spectacular fashion. A ragtag group of people from Earth works together to stop the destruction of the planet in a last-ditch effort.
Bill Pullman gives one of the best speeches ever as our president, Will Smith gives a performance so fun it turned him into a megastar, and the rest of the cast then totally matches it every second they’re on screen. No alien invasion movie is bigger, crazier, or more fun than this one.
3. War of the Worlds
The world has seen numerous adaptations of HG Wells’ classic alien-invasion novel, both before and after the 1953 release of producer George Pal’s version, yet none have done it better. Especially not that Steven Spielberg version. Sorry, Dakota Fanning.
The movie takes the book that invented alien invasion stories and contemporizes it, setting the War of the Worlds in the 1950s. It also changes the alien ships from Tripod walkers into sleek, floating ships with heat-spitting cobra heads.
The movie’s plan was originally to stick with tripods, but they eventually went with something that was more feasible for the era’s limited practical effects. The change gives this version of the story a uniquely iconic look all its own, and the movie remains as effectively tense and suspenseful now as it ever was.
War of the Worlds holds up in a way few other movies this old do. The cinematography is still beautiful, the aliens are still scary, and the story is still haunting. It’s also a perfect window into 1950s America, complete with the innocence of weekly square dances and the hard-edged determination of soldiers who’d just survived a world war and now found themselves in another one.
2. The Thing
1982’s The Thing is the gold standard of graphic sci-fi horror, an alien-invasion film where every grotesque transformation feels like a practical-effects masterclass in nightmare fuel.
Unlike some of the bigger, more bombastic entries on this list, The Thing takes place in a more intimate setting. With people trapped in a remote outpost, and a creature from another world loose on the inside, mimicking and killing them.
John Carpenter doesn’t settle for simple jump scares; he unleashes a parasite that rips through flesh, bursts out of chests, and reshapes bodies into twisted parodies of life. Dogs split open into writhing masses of tentacles, heads sprout legs and scuttle across the floor, and human bodies melt and fuse in ways that are as mesmerizing as they are revolting.
What makes it unforgettable is the sheer creativity of the terror, shot with brutal clarity. The Antarctic isolation only magnifies the terror, making every reveal hit harder. The Thing is a relentless catalog of the most inventive, character drama, and alien imagery sci-fi has ever dared to put on screen.
1. Arrival
In Arrival, mysterious ships invade Earth’s airspace, land, and then just sort of sit there. It’s an invasion, but one without any violence, and humans are left trying to figure out what’s going on. What’s going on will change everything about the way humanity views the universe, and also maybe the way the movie’s viewers do, too.
Amy Adams plays Louise Banks, an expert linguist who has tragically lost her daughter to an illness. She’s teamed with Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner, and the two are tasked with figuring out why the ships are there and finding some way to communicate with the beings inside.
Amy Adams is brilliant in the role, and we learn about these aliens and their language right along with her. We go through the pain of losing her daughter and find, along with her, the solace in understanding someone else for the first time. The alien’s invasion becomes a deep exploration of how our communication shapes our thinking.
It’s one of the best movies of the past ten years, a totally unique take on what might happen if visitors from space show up on our doorstep. Though it contains no battle sequences or threats of annihilation, it’s the best alien invasion movie of all time.
Anime fans don’t need to find convoluted ways to watch their favorite shows anymore. Indeed, long-gone are the days of split-up anime on YouTube; now, you can enjoy thousands of shows on convenient streaming services. Crunchyroll and Netflix are home to some of the greatest anime, such as One Piece and Demon Slayer. However, as the medium grows, more and more streaming services are adding anime to their catalogues.
They may still be in their infancy, but Prime Video and Hulu are two streaming giants that are offering more and more anime, making it easier to watch the best shows. If fans are unsure about the best anime on these platforms, they have come to the right place, as this list discusses the best anime shows on Prime Video and Hulu. Based on aspects such as story, animation, enjoyability, originality, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality, these ten anime shows are absolute must-watches.
‘Undead Unluck’ (2023-2024) – Hulu
Hulu, especially, is newer to the game, but it has already put together an impressive list of underrated modern anime, including Undead Unluck. Fuuko has given up on life after her unfortunate power has killed everyone close to her, but when fate brings her into contact with Andy, a man who cannot die, the two start their adventure to help save the world in their own weird way.
Undead Unluck is one of Shōnen Jump’s most underrated titles, maybe because no one knew it was available to stream. Still, it deserves credit for its originality, which takes these power wielders across the world on a globe-trotting adventure. Undead Unluck is a bizarre Shōnen that blends action and romance, creating a distinct series that deserves more recognition.
‘New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt’ (2025) – Prime Video
Everyone loves a cliffhanger, but some shows leave off on a bad note, only to never get another season. But after almost a decade, New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt finally brought the weird and wacky world back to fix its ending. The two titular angels are anything but heavenly, with their earthly desires getting in the way of their devil-hunting, which they must complete to return to heaven.
Known for its explicit sexual references and Western style, New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt picks up where the absurdity left off. It is bolder, raunchier, and even more chaotic, delivering a visual spectacle that doesn’t get in the way of its surreal comedy and plot. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is certainly a unique anime that will be different from anything fans have ever seen.
‘The Fable’ (2024-Present) – Hulu
Good animation isn’t everything; sometimes, a great story and characters elevate an otherwise small production. The Fable follows a hitman and his assistant on a vacation after their trail becomes too hot, needing to take some time off for things to cool down. However, it seems they cause trouble with the mafia and other scam artists wherever they go.
The Fable’s manga is phenomenal, and while the anime doesn’t live up to it, the story is intact, and the entertainment remains, resulting in a hidden gem on Hulu. The comedy is surprisingly funny, and the tension is thick, creating an amazing crime thriller. Now is the best time to watch The Fable as well, with a second season now in production, bringing the hitman to even funnier and dramatic heights.
‘Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku’ (2018) – Prime Video
It may be a cruel reality, but many viewers outgrow the typical tropes and themes of anime, especially since they are catered towards teenagers. But that is why the adult-cast genre is so good, and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is among its best. Starting a new job, Narumi makes sure that no one learns she is an otaku, but when that instantly goes wrong, she and her new boyfriend start a goofy and awkward romance.
For viewers who are tired of teenage and school romances, Wotakoi offers a mature love story that is even more realistic and entertaining. The goofy style and silly characters create a playful, fun love story that retains its whimsical charm despite being aimed at adults. Like many of the all-time best anime series, Wotakoi is short and sweet, a worthwhile romance that expands Prime Video’s catalogue of anime.
‘Summertime Rendering’ (2022) – Hulu
The mystery genre thrives in cinema, but it isn’t as big as it should be for anime. Still, there are some classics, including the modern hit, Summertime Rendering. After leaving his cozy island hometown to go to school in Tokyo, the protagonist returns years later for the funeral of his close friend. However, when he uncovers a strange supernatural conspiracy, he realizes she may not actually be dead.
Summertime Rendering has an excellent vibe, making it a perfect summer show to relax to and get intrigued by. The story does lose the plot for a bit, but the anime is an overall masterclass of mystery and suspense. The building plot and shocking moments pair well to create a thrilling experience available to watch on Hulu.
‘Heavenly Delusion’ (2023-Present) – Hulu
Fans will always be waiting for the second season of some show, but fans of Heavenly Delusion are more desperate, considering how good the previous season was. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a girl and her bodyguard traverse the wasteland in search of a utopia where food is abundant and danger is nonexistent. But to get there, they need to struggle without food and fight against strange monsters and other survivors.
Heavenly Delusion quietly became one of the best anime series of the 2020s, balancing mature themes with entertainment value. It wasn’t afraid to get dark with its narrative or moments, making the show even more gripping and tense. However, the characters, their adventure, and their development were the highlights, and fans can’t wait for more Heavenly Delusion, culminating in a magnificent anime that is one of Hulu’s gems.
‘Dororo’ (2019) – Prime Video
Remakes are a great way to fix an old series with issues or bring back a classic that everyone forgot, and Dororo is the blueprint for the latter. When a father sells his newborn son’s soul, the child is born without skin, eyes, ears, a nose, and more. Despite all odds, the child survives and is now on a journey to kill all the creatures that possess his human parts and finally become human.
Originally made in the 1960s, this modern remake completely reimagined the manga, making it more serious, gritty, and action-packed. Lots of fans don’t like that sort of change, but it worked in favor of Dororo, creating a remarkably mature anime with profound themes and blood-pumping fights. Dororo is a modern classic with an incredible story, compelling characters, and thrilling animation that help it become one of Prime Video’s best anime series.
‘Banana Fish’ (2018) – Prime Video
There aren’t many anime set outside of Japan, and if there are, it’s some sort of fictional world. However, Banana Fish is set in New York City in the 1980s. Two Japanese reporters come to the city to write an article on American gangs, but one, Eiji, gets involved with Ash, the young gang leader. However, they are now both involved in a government conspiracy that will put them six feet under if they aren’t careful.
For many, Banana Fish should probably be the best anime on this list, but the other two are just as good in different ways. This prestigious anime feels like a Western drama, and that originality separates it from every other anime. Its story is a dark and winding road of twists, turns, and unexpected developments that turn into unforgettable moments. Banana Fish is a masterpiece that proves some of the best series are on Prime Video.
‘City The Animation’ (2025) – Prime Video
Nichijou is one of the greatest comedy anime shows of all time. Unfortunately, it isn’t on Prime Video or Hulu, but another work by the same creator is: City The Animation. Set in a quaint town full of eccentric characters, this anime follows their daily life and the chaos that comes with it. From retired dads reliving their glory days to a city-wide race for prizes, every episode is a treat.
City The Animation is one of the best anime series of 2025, hands down, showering viewers in creativity unlike anything they’ve seen before. This incredibly ambitious series features some of the best directing, editing, and animation of the modern era of anime, further cementing its status as a masterpiece. City The Animation may be chaotic and funny, but beneath that is a charming anime with heart and a nostalgic vibe.
‘Bleach’ (2004-Present) – Hulu
Most of these anime were streaming on Prime Video or Hulu right from the start, but other series came to the platforms later. Bleach follows Ichigo, a seemingly normal teenager who is thrust into the world of the supernatural when saving a soul reaper. With his newfound powers, Ichigo battles whatever villains plan harm to him or his friends, constantly thwarting their dastardly intentions.
All of Bleach is now streaming exclusively on Hulu, making it the best anime on the platform. Bleach is one of the greatest anime series of all time, and its reputation proves that. With hundreds of riveting episodes, it influenced modern shōnen with its focus on urban fantasy and the rule of cool. Bleach is a stylish and epic anime that excels in its fights, characters, and action-packed plot, which experienced a major bump in animation with its modern adaptation of the final arc.
President Donald Trump has spoken out after he shared a picture on Truth Social that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ.
RELATED: What Was Posted?! Social Media Is Goin’ OFF After Clip Shared On Trump’s Truth Social Account Showed Obamas Depicted As Apes (VIDEO)
Donald Trump Shares Picture That Appears To Depict Him As Jesus Christ
According to CNBC, on the evening of Sunday, April 12, President Trump took to Truth Social and shared a photo that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ. Furthermore, per the outlet, the image appears to have been created using artificial intelligence. Additionally, it appeared that Trump shared the photo after Pope Leo XIV reportedly criticized the U.S. for its “war against Iran and for military action against Venezuela.”
He Speaks Out As Social Media Goes OFF
Furthermore, on Monday, April 13, Trump deleted the photo amid it sparking backlash. Additionally, during a press conference, he spoke on why he shared the photo and denied any intention to compare himself to Jesus Christ.
“I did post it. I thought it was me as a doctor, and it had to do with the Red Cross,” Trump reportedly said. “… It was supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”
Per the outlet, former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X to assert that Trump published the photo “to attack the Pope.”
“On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus,” she wrote.
Additionally, the reactions continued in TSR’s comment section.
Instagram user @cbellamy2 wrote, “We haven’t had a DAY of normalcy since this man took office ”
While Instagram user @the_ghanaian_alpha added, “Pay close attention to the type of people who finds ways to justify.and normalize this in these comments
Mad times 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️”
Instagram user @_sunnyyyyd wrote, “We really live in a southpark episode”
While Instagram user @unemployed.donny added, “Same guy who refused to put his hand on the bible btw”
Instagram user @1iyananicole wrote, “He think it’s all fun & games until it’s judgment day. Money, status, or power ain’t saving you trump 😂😭”
While Instagram user @i_am_ed_hardy added, “I know other countries be laughing at us 🤦🏻♂️”
Instagram user @thatguyian6 wrote, “We hate him, but this shit is hilarious😂😂😂”
While Instagram user @iswellconnected added, “Wrap this presidency up immediately”
Instagram user @debs.d7 wrote, “In the clouds with glowing hands, right…”
Before Donald Trump Shared Picture That Appeared To Depict Him As Jesus Christ, He Made Headlines By Way Of Candace Owens
Before Donald Trump shared the picture that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ, he made headlines by way of Candace Owens. As The Shade Room previously reported, Owens had been public about disagreeing with the U.S. war against Iran. In turn, Trump reportedly called her and other individuals out, saying that they have “low IQs.”
In response, Owens clapped back, calling Trump “grandpa,” in part.
RELATED: Grandpa Gotta Go! Candace Owens Claps Back After Trump Calls Her Out Over Iran War Stance (PHOTO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Like many fans, I burned out on the Marvel Cinematic Universe after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. That film felt like the natural culmination and conclusion of something the franchise had been building toward since 2008. After losing their glorious purpose, though, Kevin Feige and crew have seemingly been stuck going through the motions. Marvel movies have become tired and predictable, and superhero fatigue has set in as fans realize that the same generic storytelling blueprint is being used film after film. The Marvel TV shows on Disney+ are even worse, with most of them feeling like homework for a class that general audiences have long since dropped out of.
Because of this, I hesitated to watch Daredevil: Born Again, and I feared that Disney would completely neuter everything that made the earlier Daredevil series on Netflix so compelling. However, the news that Krysten Ritter would be reprising Jessica Jones (one of my favorite characters long before she joined the MCU) for Season 2 made me cave in and watch the new show. To my shock, I really loved the first season, in large part because it felt like nothing else in today’s superhero media. That’s when it hit me: Daredevil: Born Again is successful specifically because it breaks all the storytelling rules of modern Marvel media.
Not Exactly Kid-Friendly
Modern Marvel media has often tried to walk a tightrope between appealing to adults and appealing to the youngsters they are trying to sell toys to. The Thunderbolts is a great example of this. As a movie where the real Big Bad is crippling, soul-destroying depression, this film has a core message that an older audience can really vibe with. Because it’s meant to be a blockbuster superhero movie, though, we also have to get a steady stream of bad jokes, most of them courtesy of David Harbour’s insanely over-the-top Red Guardian character.
Daredevil: Born Again embraces its TV-MA rating to tell a story by adults and for adults. There’s no real push to sell toys (or, for that matter, Marvel Rivals skins), so the writers can focus on telling a story that is centered on trauma. The first episode begins with one of Matt Murdock’s closest friends getting shot by Bullseye, leading to the show’s first real balls-to-the-wall action scene. When he hears that friend’s heartbeat stop, Matt does two things that once seemed impossible: he tries to kill the attacker and subsequently hangs up the horns for good.
The story that unfolds doesn’t feature any Spider-Man-like quips from our hero. For that matter, nobody utters any of those Whedon-esque lines like “Well, that just happened.” Instead, the narrative focuses on the guilt that our protagonist feels over his life as a superhero, ultimately getting his best friend murdered by a costumed villain. Everything (including a horrifically honest portrayal of police brutality and a serial killer subplot straight out of Hannibal) feels refreshingly mature. The TV-MA rating isn’t just about letting Daredevil drop f-bombs. Instead, it’s a license to, like the earlier Marvel shows on Netflix, return to telling rich stories rather than selling cheap toys.
The Return Of The King
Unsurprisingly, Charlie Cox does an amazing job as the titular hero of Daredevil: Born Again, and he injects his tortured character with so much pathos that you’ll stay invested in his every move, whether he makes them in a courtroom or on a rooftop. But the primary reason to watch this show is the triumphant return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, better known to friends and foes alike as the Kingpin of Crime. In the original Daredevil show, the actor pulled off the impossible by showing us tantalizing glimpses of the vulnerability hidden behind Fisk’s mask of violence and domination. Incredibly, he doubles down on all of this with his showstopping Born Again performance.
In this newer show, Kingpin becomes the mayor of New York City in an attempt to improve lives, but he can’t shake the criminal nature that made him infamous in the first place. D’Onofrio helps to sell the fact that his character does not see this as a contradiction or a sign of hypocrisy. Rather, he sees a city spiralling into chaos, and he believes costumed vigilantes are a symptom of the larger problem rather than a solution. Accordingly, he runs the city with the same ruthlessness that he ran his criminal empire, with the ultimate goal of restoring order.
Daredevil: Born Again’s ambitious plot works on several levels, with Kingpin’s government (complete with ICE-like enforcers) serving as a clear parallel to Donald Trump’s government. Thanks to D’Onofrio’s performance, though, Kingpin always comes across as a complex character rather than a political parody, which gives all of this strident social commentary a downright electrifying frisson of tension. As with Cox, D’Onofrio isn’t here to sell toys, and he’s not here to be a mustache-twirling farce. Unlike most Marvel villains, he’s in this show to illustrate how the banality of evil will always be wrapped in a cult of personality and the best suits that money can buy.
Law & Order: MCU
Aside from his fun cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Charlie Cox’s most substantial Marvel role before Born Again was his cameo in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. That series did a good job at bringing the funny, and its lighthearted approach to storytelling (despite what the haters would tell you) often felt like a breath of fresh air. However, She-Hulk suffered in one major regard: its courtroom scenes. It was a show about a lawyer-turned-superhero, and unfortunately, nobody involved with the show could write a compelling courtroom scene if their lives depended on it.
Fortunately, Daredevil: Born Again delivers an ongoing legal plot (Matt Murdock must defend a costumed vigilante accused of killing a corrupt cop) worthy of the best Law & Order episode. This plot drives many of our heroes’ actions and makes for one of the most compelling aspects of Season 1. It felt like a magic trick, really. In a season that brought back both Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and the franchise’s killer action scenes, nothing kept me on the edge of my seat more than when I was waiting for the jury’s verdict with bated breath.
Forgive Marvel, For They Have Sinned
Obviously, the quality of Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t make up for modern Marvel mostly being a disappointment. Furthermore, it’s entirely possible that Season 2 (which is still ongoing as of this writing) will manage to drop the ball. But if you’re like me and have been burned out on what the MCU has to offer, it’s worth checking out this sequel series. If nothing else, additional audiences tuning in may let Disney know exactly what we want from superhero movies and shows: mature writing, deep characterization, and the intersection of several killer plots.
You don’t need superpowers to know where to find Daredevil: Born Again. Like all things Marvel, it can be streamed today on Disney+. That streamer is also the home of the earlier Marvel movies that once premiered on Netflix. When Born Again inevitably makes you nostalgic for the days of exciting Marvel TV shows, you can always go back and watch the original Daredevil. Just do what I did and try to ignore that you’re watching it on the same streamer that brought you stinkers like Secret Invasion and Iron Fist.
Daredevil: Born Again SCORE
By TeeJay Small
| Published
If you’ve got your finger on the pulse, you’ve probably already heard of Apple TV‘s Shrinking. The series, which just wrapped its third season, is the latest venture from Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence.
It’s packed with star-power, loaded with toxic positivity, and feels like a warm, cozy blanket if you’re spending a night inside, reminiscing about the times your tight-knit group of friends razzed each other over dinner and drinks. Despite some of the show’s major highlights, I’ve got extremely mixed feelings about Shrinking, and I can’t quite place how I’d rank it overall.
Shrinking Should Be Top Tier
For starters, Shrinking has a top-tier premise. A Southern California-based therapist grapples with the death of his wife, all while managing clients, a teenage daughter, and a growing group of supportive pals. Also, his gravelly boss is Indiana Jones.
The show features leading performances from Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, and Harrison Ford. Rising star Luke Tennie also takes center stage in the series, which might leave you with your jaw agape if you just finished watching him on Abbott Elementary and The Pitt.
A Therapist Jimmying His Clients
Segel’s Jimmy Laird opens the series by coming out of an almost year-long fog. In the immediate aftermath of his wife’s untimely passing, he indulged in alcohol, drugs, and parties with hired women. As he tries to return to the reality of his daily grind, he struggles to reconnect with his daughter before she leaves for college. Meanwhile, Jimmy takes his therapeutic practice to bold new places by ‘Jimmying’ his clients, pushing them to make big choices both inside and outside of his office.
Former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams is my personal highlight of Shrinking, as she brings an undeniable charisma to the show. Harrison Ford is also a major bright spot, serving as Jimmy’s boss, and a reluctant mentor to pretty much every other person on screen at any given time. Some fans have suggested that this role will be Ford’s last, and if that’s the case, I couldn’t ask for a better career send-off.
A Flippant Disregard For Therapist Boundaries
Shrinking has its flaws. The most glaring issue is the show’s flippant view on the relationship between a therapist and their client.
For Jimmy, violating the ethical practices laid out for a shrink is kind of the whole point. But beyond that, the series seems to think therapy functions more like a boozy brunch than a years-long discipline. Throughout the whole series, therapists hang out with clients in social settings, offer straight-up illegal advice in place of coping mechanisms, and bring their personal problems into sessions, taking up valuable time gossiping instead of focusing on the patients.
I understand that a straightforward and realistic show about therapy would be very boring, but it just feels a little too over the top for a show with such deep themes.
The Unbearable Stench Of Wealth
The other major flaw with Shrinking is the unbearable stench of wealth. The main characters live in a very affluent neighborhood in Pasadena, where they seemingly spend every waking moment getting wine drunk, planning spur-of-the-moment vacations, driving pristinely restored classic cars, and never worrying about money at all. The least wealthy character is Luke Tennie’s Sean, and even he gets to live in Jimmy’s pool house for free.
Again, I’m not suggesting that characters on Shrinking need to be hyper-realistic or descend into abject poverty in order to be entertaining. I’m just saying, sometimes I have to grit my teeth as the characters decide on a whim to buy a car they don’t need, or give away a rental property that would cost me $4,500 per month before utilities.
Some weeks, I catch Shrinking the moment that new episodes hit Apple TV. Other times, I have to decide whether to spend my money on groceries or on paying down high-interest debt. When those weeks rear their head, the very last thing I can tolerate is a show about a wealthy man crying in his mansion.
Shrinking Will Never Be A Prestige Show
If you’re in the market for a feel-good show and don’t mind it getting occasionally so saccharine that your blood sugar spikes, Shrinking might be exactly what you need. There’s also a pretty massive How I Met Your Mother reunion couched within the second and third seasons, so it’s worth watching if you’re a longtime fan of that sitcom.
Still, Shrinking will never be a prestige show on the level of Breaking Bad, Severance, or even Curb Your Enthusiasm. It’s the kind of show you throw on when you’re homesick and looking for some empty comfort. Shrinking is currently streaming on Apple TV.
SHRINKING SERIES REVIEW SCORE
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There’s no shortage of competition shows right now, but Netflix’s latest unscripted pickup sounds like it’s aiming for something a little meaner, rougher, and a lot less polished. This one isn’t about baking, bluffing, or making a fortune in a mansion. It’s about stripping people down to the basics and seeing what’s left when the comforts of modern life disappear. And with a concept like that, it makes sense that Netflix went looking for someone who actually looks like he could survive the end of the world.
That someone is Alan Ritchson, who is officially bringing a new survival competition series to the streamer. The currently untitled show comes from Bunim/Murray Productions and will test the grit, resilience, and instincts of a group of high-profile influencers and headline-makers as they’re pushed far outside their comfort zones. With their usual luxuries gone, the contestants will have to rely on determination, survival skills, and each other to make it through the experience.
The series will ask whether these carefully curated public figures can actually endure life in the wilderness when there’s no fame, no followers, and nowhere to hide. Ritchson will, of course, need to fit this in alongside numerous big projects and, of course, shooting Reacher, the fourth season of which is set to premiere later this year.
What Can We Expect From ‘Reacher’ Season 4?
Ritchson has already hinted that this season is the most action-heavy yet. In his earlier comments to ScreenRant, he said the show may include roughly 30 fight sequences across its eight episodes, while also admitting he worried about “fight fatigue” if the action did not serve the story. He stressed that the team was not just adding fights for the sake of it.
“We shot… God, I don’t even know, man. 30? We’ve never shot this many fights. There’s so many. And it’s not just that we’re just going for the sake of it. I worry about fight fatigue for audiences. I watch my wife watch Game of Thrones, and I am yawning my way through it, and then the fights start. I’m like, ‘Now it’s getting good.’ The fights start, and she’s like, ‘Oh, wake me up when the fights are done.’ And I’m like, ‘What is that?’ I don’t ever want somebody to disengage because they’re just seeing all the fights in the world thrown on screen.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Alan Ritchson.
- Release Date
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February 3, 2022
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Nick Santora
- Directors
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Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent
- Writers
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Cait Duffy
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Internet users are swarming Emily Huff‘s social media accounts amid her liking a comment that asked if she “beat” Jayda Cheaves.
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Internet Users Swarm Emily Huff’s Social Media Amid Her Liking A Comment That Asked If She “Beat” Jayda Cheaves
Emily Huff’s social media has been a gathering spot for social media users. On Instagram, her latest post, shared over the weekend, showed her standing on a beach while carrying a Black Goyard bag.
“Let’s take a trip bae 🫢,” she had captioned the photo.
Then, in her comment section, the reactions rolled in.
Instagram user @tgomezpls wrote, “Dess took you up through there poodie @theemilyhuff”
While Instagram user @topdollmakkah added, “Them ppl turnt you every whicha way”
Instagram user @raeaintnoforeign wrote, “did dess whoop u? yes or no”
While Instagram user @blackrose_724 added, “Yall mad she got Jayda😭🤣”
Instagram user @therealchelskardash_ wrote, “WE RIDE FOR JAYDA 😬”
Furthermore, under a photo shared before that one, the comments continued.
Instagram user @chaingangggggggg wrote, “Jayda got beat up on the walk up 😭”
While Instagram user @krystalforever added, “You shoved her into tomorrow 🥲😂”
Instagram user @swovey wrote, “I new I would find y’all here 😭😂”
While Instagram user @g1rlyfaceee_ added, “Dang you can’t fight @theemilyhuff”
Instagram user @alex_oitnb123 wrote, “How you swing first and you got your ass beat😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Additionally, the comments even rolled in under her latest TikTok.
TikTok user 💎 wrote, “So yea yea what she walked up to you and said ?”
While TikTok user ThatRealLeeHappened added, “Do a story time and tag me 👀👀👀👀👀”
@theemilyhuff 10/10 “soft serve margarita” #atlanta #food #review #softserve #mexican
Here’s Why Internet Users Are Speculating About Altercation Between Emily Huff & Jayda Cheaves
As The Shade Room previously reported, over the weekend, footage surfaced of Jayda Cheaves and Dss Dior being involved in a physical altercation while at a club. At the time, details about the altercation remained scarce. However, the footage went viral and caught Yaya Mayweather’s attention.
Then, on Sunday, April 12, a tweet was shared that showed another angle of the altercation. Subsequently, fans began speculating that the footage showed Jayda Cheaves tussling with Emily Huff. To add, Huff even liked a comment which asked her if she “beat jayda or what.”
Swipe below to see the comment, and Huff’s like.
Why Might The Women Have Beef?
As The Shade Room previously reported, in January, Supa Peach alleged that Emily Huff dated Lil Baby before Jayda Cheaves. However, she added that at the time, Huff and Cheaves were friends. Around the time of Peach’s revelation, Huff appeared to confirm her recollection of events.
RELATED: Whew! New Angle Of Dess Dior & Jayda Cheaves’ Fight In Club Has Social Media Users Speculating It Involved Her Former Friend Emily Huff
What Do You Think Roomies?
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