Mon Laferte isn’t interested in playing it safe — and her latest chapter proves it.

The Chilean-Mexican singer-songwriter, who has earned over 20 Latin Grammy nominations and three Grammy nods, is entering a new artistic era with a 20-track album titled Femme Fatale Vol. 2 that feels raw, expansive and deeply personal.

In an exclusive conversation with Us Weekly, Laferte reveals that the project wasn’t built from scratch, but rather from years of emotions, fragments and ideas finally coming together. “There are many versions of me in this album,” she says. “These are notes I wrote over many years … from my 30s into my 40s. A lot happened.”

Instead of following a traditional structure, she pieced the album together like a puzzle — pulling from old melodies, unfinished lyrics and scattered thoughts. The result is a body of work that captures nearly a decade of her life.

At the core of it all remains what matters most to her: the song itself.

“Everything is about the songs,” Laferte, 43, explains. “You can dress your career with sound, visuals, staging … but in the end, what matters is the song.” In fact, she admits she enjoys the writing process even more than performing: “I prefer writing a song to singing it.”

Her voice, however, remains her most powerful tool. “My voice has been my shield and my weapon in life,” she says. “I always felt like I could stand on any corner in the world and sing … and that would be enough.”

That raw honesty defines her music. “I think I’m an open book in my songs,” she adds. “It’s very easy to read me.” Sometimes, even for herself. “I listen to older songs and realize I was saying everything … without even knowing it.”

Music, for Laferte, has always been a form of survival. She recalls writing “Gigante” during a time when she feared losing her voice after surgery. “That song saved me,” she says. “I thought, if I get through this, I’ll come out stronger.”

That connection goes back even further. As a child, she would escape family conflict by performing songs at home. “While my parents were fighting, I was singing,” she remembers. “That was my way of disconnecting.”

Today, that emotional intensity is still there — but more intentional. Onstage, she transforms. “I’m not myself up there. It’s a character,” she explains. “It gives me the courage to sing such personal things.”

Offstage, she describes herself in a moment of clarity and balance. “I feel very creative… like an alchemist,” she says. “I want to turn everything into something.” She’s also made major personal changes, including quitting smoking and drinking, which she says has helped her feel “mentally clean.”

As for what drives her now, the answer is simple: truth over approval.

“I care more about saying something than being liked,” she says.

And that might be the clearest definition of this new era — one where Mon Laferte isn’t trying to become someone new, but fully embracing every version of who she’s been.

“I feel like I’m in a good place,” she says. “At peace.”

Mon Laferte’s highly anticipated album, Femme Fatale Vol. 2, is out now.

Femme Fatale Vol. 2 Track list

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1. For Your Consideration
2. A Pesar De Ti Y De Mi
3. No Le Regales Tu Corazón
4. Sunset Boulevard
5. While I’ll Keep Writing Songs for You (ft. St. Vincent)
6. Hello Monserrat
7. Irracional Cervical
8. Tal Vez Yo Soy El Problema
9. Eterno Resplandor De Una Mente Sin Recuerdos (ft. Javiera Electra)
10. Por La Gracia De Dios
11. Vuelve A Casa
12. Estoy Llorando De Tanta Belleza
13. Yo Te Amo Y Tu Lo Intentas
14. Reino Del Amor
15. Quien Soy Yo Cuando No Estoy Conmigo (ft. GRTSCH)
16. Es Tan Sabio Nuestro Amor
17. Racimos y Glaciares
18. Vi Un Poema En Su Locura
19. Mary
20. Gigante

Mon Laferte’s Femme Fatale Tour Dates:

Fri Jul 24 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
Sat Jul 25 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Wed Jul 29 – Boston, MA – Boch Center Shubert Theatre
Fri Jul 31 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
Sun Aug 2 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
Wed Aug 5 – St. Petersburg, FL – Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater
Fri Aug 7 – Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theatre
Sun Aug 9 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Sat Aug 12 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
Sat Aug 15 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
Sun Aug 16 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Thu Aug 20 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
Sat Aug 22 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Fri Oct 16 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Sat Oct 17 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena
Tue Oct 20 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
Wed Oct 21 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Fri Oct 23 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center
Sat Oct 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Sun Oct 25 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Theater*
Tue Oct 27 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Thu Oct 29 – Seattle, WA – 5th Avenue Theatre
Fri Oct 30 – Seattle, WA – 5th Avenue Theatre
Sun Nov 1 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
Fri Nov 3 – Salt Lake City, UT – Eccles Theater
Thu Nov 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
Fri Nov 6 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
Sat Nov 7 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

Non Live Nation Date*

Taylor Swift reached another historic milestone this week, but it was not the record-breaking achievement that captured the attention of many in the room.

During a heartfelt appearance at the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City, the global superstar became emotional while reflecting on the personal sacrifices that helped turn a teenage dream into one of music’s most successful careers.

The 36-year-old singer became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan.

After being introduced by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg and following a tribute performance from rising artist Sombr, Swift took the stage for a speech that lasted more than 20 minutes. While discussing her songwriting journey, she became visibly emotional as she looked toward her parents, Andrea and Scott Swift, who were seated in the audience.

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Speaking directly to her family, Swift said per the Daily Mail, “It was easy to choose songwriting over everything else in my life.”

She then acknowledged the enormous decision her parents made when she was still a teenager.

“But it couldn’t have been easy for my parents and my brother to just pick up and move our entire family from Pennsylvania to relocate to Nashville so that I could hone my craft in the songwriting capital of the world,” she said.

Swift explained that her parents recognized her passion for music early and were willing to reshape their lives to support it. She noted that they “uprooted their entire lives” because they realized songwriting was not simply “a temporary phase their teen daughter was going through.”

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The moment became even more emotional when she admitted, “And even though words are supposed to kind of be my thing, I will never be able to express my gratitude to you guys for doing that for me.”

After briefly pausing to collect herself, Swift added, “You’re the reason I’m here tonight.”

A Surprise Connection To Steven Spielberg

One of the lighter moments of the evening came when Taylor Swift shared how Spielberg ended up playing a role in her induction ceremony.

According to the singer, when organizers asked who she wanted to introduce her, she immediately suggested the legendary director. To her surprise, she soon found herself speaking with Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw.

Recalling the conversation, Swift said, “And he was telling me yes, absolutely he would be thrilled to be here.”

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She admitted that his willingness to participate left her “completely blown away.”

The singer also revealed that she was aware Spielberg had a packed schedule because of the upcoming release of his latest film, but it was Capshaw’s advice that stayed with her long after the call ended.

She revealed, “Kate said something I’ll never forget. She said, ‘Good and true things are easy.’”

Taylor Swift Opens Up About Industry Battles

Although Swift celebrated a major honor, she also used the occasion to reflect on the difficult parts of her journey.

Looking back on more than two decades in the music business, she spoke candidly about the challenges that came alongside fame.

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She shared, “If I look back at my entire 23 year career in music, the ups and downs, the industry battles, the trials and tribulations.”

She continued, “The tears and the cheers, and the dog piling of doubt, the criticisms of fair and unfair, the complete loss of privacy, the world tours and the ego wars and the twists of fate.”

The comments offered a rare glimpse into how Swift views the highs and lows of a career that has included chart-topping albums, sold-out tours, public scrutiny, and relentless media attention.

Yet despite everything she has experienced, the singer insisted that one thing remained constant.

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“The absolute magical chaos of this path that I chose when I was too young to remember it ever being a choice at all: songwriting was the easiest thing I ever did,” she said.

The Craft That Shaped Her Career

While Swift described songwriting as her greatest passion, she made it clear that the process has never been effortless.

She explained that writing songs can be demanding and obsessive, saying it was “definitely” hard work and sometimes “frustrating at times.”

The Grammy winner then shared a humorous example of how deeply she becomes immersed in her work.

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“And not that my songwriting didn’t haunt me relentlessly until I cracked the perfect internal rhyme scheme for the third line, the second verse of the hook,” she noted. 

She also laughed about the way her creativity occasionally distracted her during her school years.

Swift recalled when “my teachers called me out in class without paying attention – because that definitely happened.”

The audience responded warmly to the self-deprecating moment, which offered a reminder that even one of the world’s biggest stars once struggled to focus in class while dreaming about songs.

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Taylor Swift Celebrates With Travis Kelce And Family

The emotional evening was made even more special by the presence of Swift’s closest supporters.

Her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, attended the ceremony despite the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason commitments. Swift’s parents were also there, along with Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce.

Videos shared online showed the couple enjoying the event together. In one clip, Swift rested her hand on Kelce’s back as they sat side by side. Another showed the pair embracing during a performance inside the venue.

Earlier in the night, Sombr paid tribute to the singer by performing “Dear John” and “Cardigan.” When Swift eventually took the stage, she described his performance as “perfect.”

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The honor marked another remarkable chapter in a career that began when Swift moved from Pennsylvania to Nashville at age 14. Since releasing her self-titled debut album in 2006, she has built one of the most successful catalogs in modern music, earned 14 Grammy Awards, and become a cultural force far beyond the recording studio.

For all the records, awards, and accolades, however, Swift’s speech suggested that the achievement meant even more because of the people who helped make it possible.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 11 seconds ago

When building a new sci-fi universe, there’s always the question of how much should be revealed. The audience needs to be hooked, but there should be some mystery left to uncover later down the road. Stargate SG-1 laid out the groundwork for an entire franchise that would, in a just world, have a new series every few years. Episode 11, “The Torment of Tantalus,” gave viewers a sense of how vast the universe of Stargate is and a glimpse into the different, powerful, alien species waiting among the stars. It’s the best episode of Season 1, and from a mythology perspective, it’s the single most important episode of the series. 

The Vast Universe Of Stargate SG-1

“The Torment of Tantalus” starts off with Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) taking a look back at scientists in 1945 working with the Stargate, which, against all odds, is turned on. A man in a diving suit walks through, raising the question of where did he go? It’s an incredible cold open, and kicks off a search into the history of the Stargate program that ends up uncovering the history of the entire universe. 

In 1945, they didn’t know how to compensate for stellar drift when using the dial, which came much later thanks to Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping). SG-1 was able to replicate the dialing coordinates and send the team, along with Catherine Langford (Elizabeth Hoffman, taking over the role from the film by Viveca Lindfors, though the Swedish accent didn’t come with her), the daughter of the program’s founder, through the Stargate. They arrive to discover a small, bald, naked man, the stranded Dr. Langford, waiting for them. He survived for 50 years in total isolation, with nothing for company except the complete knowledge of the universe. 

Pulling Back The Curtain

It turns out that the building is called Heliopolis, a central gathering place to exchange knowledge and information. Dr. Langford noted four distinct languages, and an impressive (for the mid-90’s on Showtime’s budget) CGI hologram display shows elements and atoms. Jackson realizes it’s a universal language, allowing these four great races to interact. It’s the first time that Stargate SG-1 reveals The Alliance of Four Great Races, and most importantly, the existence of The Ancients. 

The first clue in “The Torment of Tantalus” that there’s something else out there comes with the realization that the plant Dr. Langford went to isn’t found on the code list from Abydos. That means the Goa’uld don’t know of its existence, and by proxy, the Goa’uld weren’t the ones who built the Stargates. If it weren’t for a horribly timed natural disaster that threatens to bring down Heliopolis, Jackson would have spent a lifetime exhaustively researching the information in the book of knowledge. 

Alas, the team has to utilize a lightning strike (which is called back to in the Stargate Atlantis episode “The Eye”) to power the Stargate and get home in time. There’s no Goa’uld, no other alien race present in the episode, only a mystery of what’s to come and how the universe was formed. 

Stargate Deserves A New Series

Stargate SG-1 has a deep lore and mythology to it that, through the span of three series, multiple movies, webisodes, and books, still has plenty of intrigue and mystery. There’s more than enough for a new Stargate series to dive into, which is why it’s a shame that Amazon recently canceled the latest attempt to do just that. Stargate is an amazing sci-fi franchise that understands the need for satisfying answers, as a lot of what Jackson uncovers in Heliopolis is revealed in Season 3 and 4, and then raises new questions. “The Torment of Tantalus” is an episode that you will revisit once you finish the series to see how much of the future is hinted at in one 40-minute episode. 

Stargate SG-1 is available for streaming on Netflix.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 21 seconds ago

I recently wrote about the show Euphoria, and highlighted some of the ways that the series has been absolutely insane from the very beginning. Despite my insistence that the HBO show has been bonkers from day one, I can admit that the third and final season has taken things to bizarre places that would feel entirely alien to a day one viewer. Apparently, even series lead Sydney Sweeney feels this way, as she articulated in a recent discussion with Variety. As it turns out, nobody is happy with how Euphoria ended, including the main talent behind the series’ success.

When asked if she felt satisfied with her character’s final moments, Sweeney replied “I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied with where Cassie ended up, just because I know there is more to tell of Cassie’s story … I don’t think that feeling will ever go away. I’ll always be wondering what Cassie is up to in Euphoria-verse.” In fairness, Sweeney expressed that she has similar sentiments about all of her characters, especially those whom she becomes attached to after playing for years at a time, such as Cassie.

Cassie’s Egregious Evolution

In case you missed it, Cassie has one of the most off-the-walls storylines in the entire show. Season one of Euphoria sees her behaving as a relatively normal high school girl who occasionally experiments with party drugs and lusts after college boys. When compared to Rue’s drug trafficking operation and Jules’ affinity for meeting adult predators over the internet, Cassie’s story seems as mild as something you’d find on daytime TV 20 years ago.

Of course, Sydney Sweeney quickly began to display some serious star power by the time the second season of Euphoria released, resulting in her taking a significantly larger role. That season saw her having multiple emotional breakdowns after shacking up with her best friend’s ex, and fighting with her sister after she becomes the subject of a satirical theater show. By season three, however, Cassie is a married OnlyFans model, who eats out of a dog bowl, grows to Godzilla heights, and pops up on podcasts to drop ableist slurs.

Trapped In Her Own Dollhouse

The character’s final moments involve losing her husband after he’s buried alive and choked out by a snake, making a million dollars to exchange with a cartel boss, and opening a content house with a harem of aspiring nude cam models. This is like a character arc you’d see on 30 Rock as a satirical example of bad TV. By the time Euphoria rolls credits on the final episode, Cassie has undergone basically no growth, no change, and her only accomplishment is that she’s shed enough tears to fill an olympic sized swimming pool.

Elsewhere in Sydney Sweeney’s Variety interview she expresses her own view on Cassie’s ending, stating “She’s trapped in her own dollhouse. She got everything she seemingly wanted, but she’s back at the same place she started.” Sweeney also articulates that she enjoyed playing a character as frenetic and crazy as Cassie, and says that she’d like to “find more characters like that” in the future. Now that she’s running her own production company, maybe we’ll see more of this character outside of the original show. It really just depends on exactly how disappointed Sweeney is with Sam Levinson‘s writing.

It’s always an event when Steven Spielberg releases a new movie, and his latest, the sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day with Emily Blunt and Colman Domingo, is now playing in theaters.

Hulu isn’t streaming that film, at least not yet, but it does have one of the Jaws director’s most underrated science fiction pictures – A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, starring Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law.

Watch With Us also recommends checking out National Treasure, a delightfully silly Nicolas Cage action flick that remains entertaining over two decades after its release.

If you’re in the mood for love, watch The Prince of Tides and swoon as Nick Nolte gets his head shrunk – and his heart opened – by glamorous psychiatrist Barbra Streisand.

‘A.I.: Artificial Intelligence’ (2001)

What does it mean to be human? That’s the question young David (Haley Joel Osment) wants to answer in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Steven Spielberg’s wildly ambitious sci-fi movie that was way ahead of its time. David isn’t like the other children – he’s a sophisticated robot who looks, acts and sounds like a real boy. He thinks he can love like a human, too, but he’s told by almost everyone around him that that’s not possible. When he’s separated from his beloved mother, he begins an epic journey to reunite with the only person who really believed he was more than just an android.

Like Spielberg’s recent science fiction picture, Disclosure Day, A.I. takes a far-fetched premise and treats it relatively realistically. The future depicted in the movie could happen – hell, it’s already happening, with ChatGPT, Claude and countless other chatbots literally rewriting how we live and perceive reality. Even though it depicts a somewhat cold and sterile future, it has a warm heart underneath its sleek futurism. That’s largely provided by Osment, who infuses his android with a need to be loved and curiosity about the outside world that we can all relate to. David’s journey to reunite with his parents so he can become a real boy like Pinocchio (Spielberg has a not-so-subtle homage to that Disney classic at the end) makes him more human than most humans will ever be.

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence is streaming on Hulu.

‘National Treasure’ (2004)

Nicolas Cage is web-slinging in everyone’s living rooms right now in Prime Video’s hit series Spider-Noir, so now is as good a time as any to stream one of his funnest – and silliest – movies. In National Treasure, Cage plays Benjamin Franklin Gates, a history buff and treasure hunter who is determined to find a mysterious treasure that was hidden by some of America’s founding fathers. He can’t do it alone, so Gates assembles a motley crew of hackers, archivists and criminals to find the clues necessary to locate the missing loot. With the stakes high and their mission virtually impossible, Gates and his band of outsiders have their work cut out for them, and they’ll need more than prayer to pull off their daring heist.

Largely ridiculed when it was first released in 2004, National Treasure has since become beloved by millennials who grew up watching it on cable. It’s still absurd, but it has a fun, what-the-hell spirit that harkens back to the Indiana Jones pictures in the ‘80s. Cage leads an impressive cast that includes Sean Bean as Gates’ shady friend, Diane Kruger as a historian with a knack for raiding tombs and Harvey Keitel as an FBI agent in hot pursuit of them all. A just-as-good sequel was released in 2007, followed by a terrible and Cage-less Disney+ series in 2022.

National Treasure is streaming on Hulu.

‘The Prince of Tides’ (1991)

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When his sister Savannah (Melinda Dillon) tries to kill herself, lonely South Carolina teacher Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte) heads to New York City to look after her. To better understand her state of mind, he visits her psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein (Barbra Streisand), who believes her depression is a result of a long-buried trauma in her past. She thinks Tom holds the key to finding the source of Savannah’s misery, but the more she talks to Tom, the more she believes he is hiding something from his childhood that affected the entire family. What happened in the past that made Savannah and Tom so miserable in the present?

Related: New on Hulu in June 2026 — The Full List of Movies and TV Shows to Watch

Hulu is ready to say hello and goodbye in June as it is scheduled to debut several high-profile premieres while ending one of its most popular and critically acclaimed shows. The Bear‘s fifth and final season will drop on June 25, so get ready to say “Goodbye, Chef!” to Jeremy Allen White‘s eternally tortured restaurateur […]

If I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe it. But credit director Streisand for creating a largely centered drama that doesn’t feel too schmaltzy or manipulative. There’s some cornball melodrama, especially when Tom starts sleeping with Susan and he plays dad to her nerdy son, but it’s largely eclipsed by the excellent casting from the cast, especially Nolte. He’s never been better as an emotionally stunted man who has to deal with the ghosts of his past if he’s going to have any future with Susan and his estranged family.

The Prince of Tides is streaming on Hulu.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 15 seconds ago

The long-awaited movie adaptation of the YouTube web series Backrooms was released in theaters on May 29, 2026, bringing with it an incredible opening weekend that displaced major blockbusters. It topped the box office with fellow horror movie Obsession, bumping The Mandalorian and Grogu down to third place, not a good spot for the Disney-Star Wars endeavor. After all, Backrooms is not only a low-budget horror flick, but it was directed by a 20-year-old who found fame through independent filmmaking on YouTube. 

Lost In Labyrinth

So, what was Backrooms about, and was it worth all the hype?

“Captain” Carl (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has a lot of baggage that he discusses with his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve). He is dissatisfied with his life, has alienated his wife, and is facing financial troubles at his gimmicky furniture store in this 1990s period piece. To top it off, some kind of electrical problem in the store is perplexing him and raising his bill. In trying to solve the problem, he stumbles upon a doorway to another dimension in the basement of his store. 

Fans familiar with the web series will recognize the iconic yellow walls of what appears to be an office building with unusual architecture, dead ends, arbitrary items piled in stacks or absorbed into walls, and shadowy pursuers as Carl becomes obsessed with the alternate dimension. He shows up to a session with Mary, disordered and babbling, drawing her to the store and to the maze beyond the dimensional gateway.

Parsons Is The Real Deal

Backrooms definitely delivers fans what director Kane “Pixels” Parsons offered in the web series, but it’s hard for me to say how it could have been received by newcomers to the property because I’ve been a fan since I wrote about the original movie deal in 2023. As a Backrooms story, it was definitely part of Parsons’ found-footage universe, but whether or not that world resonated with people who don’t live on the Internet is another story. Based on the fact that it became an instant box-office hit, it seems to have landed, and its second weekend told a broader story about the film’s true appeal.

The script was written by Will Soodik based on Parsons’ concept, which added a lot of context to the original story. In the web series, the “found footage” filmmaker is simply exploring the setting. Soodik’s additions solidified a plot and provided a definite setting aside from the liminal location of the yellow hallways. It added a shadowy organization that knows about as much about this alternate dimension as any of the other characters. There is even a layer of elevated horror as memories and their reliability are explored as part of the magic of the supernal space. This crystallization was necessary for transferring a series to a feature film while hinting at a much broader world of which audiences will have only seen a glimpse.

Meanwhile, Parsons’ talent as a director cannot be ignored. While this young man isn’t even old enough to drink the champagne at his own premier party, his cinematography was always worthy of his more seasoned contemporaries, and producers like James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) allowed him to shine. He uses imagery effectively to get his point across from the very beginning, when he dumps literal garbage on what is supposed to be a happy memory, hinting at future complications. He and Soodik are also very sly, misdirecting the audience about who is really the main character and where the story is truly headed, an effort achieved as much by the cinematography as it is by the script.

Atomic Monster and A24 didn’t throw their weight just behind the web series, but behind a promising young director who had to schedule filming around his high school graduation. The movie found its way to many different audiences, but it also showed that there is hope yet for film as an art. 

The Kids Are Alright

I went to see it with my son Bruce, who is the same age as Kane Parsons. He became a fan on his own, but is also part of Parsons’ generation, and the breakout stardom Parsons earned with his project is a beacon of hope for every creative, especially young people. “I am thrilled to see that people my age can follow their dreams,” my son said of Backrooms and Parsons. “I have been a fan of The Backrooms for a while myself and was thrilled to see that the movie was coming out.”

Viewers have been divided about the ending and unconfirmed announcements of future installments of the franchise, but I can’t agree with any of them about either one. Backrooms was a franchise already, in that it was a series of short films with the same labyrinthine theme and setting. Its elevation to a feature film doesn’t change the endless potential within the hallways, and even its plot admits there is plenty more story to tell in the character of Phil, played by Mark Duplass (the Creep franchise), who is as clueless and confused as anyone else despite his higher status.

I can’t condemn neither the film’s continuation into a franchise nor an ending that was as definitive as it needed to be to wrap Carl and Mary’s story with a tight bow. Bruce agreed: “I enjoyed the movie and felt that its ending made sense. If naysayers think they can make a better version of the movie, I would like to see them try. This goes for any piece of media.”

Whatever its controversies, The Backrooms is setting records at the box office, pulling in almost $150 million on its first weekend against a budget of only $10 million. Its second weekend saw it at number 3 with $26 million, with new release Masters of the Universe only just ahead of it at $29 million (Scary Movie 6 topped the weekend with $55 million). For a movie’s second weekend, not only is that not bad, but it nearly overran a major summer blockbuster’s opening weekend. This sends a stark message to big studios trying to feed mindless slop to audiences: that a movie needn’t be expensive or a long-established franchise to be popular; it just needs to be original and interesting. 

I think Bruce summed up the movie well for both fans and skeptics alike when he told me, “In a world where information and opinions are at our fingertips, it is important to remember what is opinion and what is fact: the fact here being that a kid Pixel’s age can achieve his goals and make a masterpiece of a movie, the opinion being that others think that they could do better just because they are older. There are moments where adults know better, but this is not one of them.” 

Kane Parsons, and the kids, really are alright. Get lost in Backrooms, in theaters now.

A volunteer group in northern Mexico searched for Nancy Guthrie after receiving an anonymous tip suggesting the 84-year-old may have been buried near the U.S.-Mexico border in an unmarked grave. The search has renewed attention on the case as investigators and volunteers continue working through potential leads with no confirmed results so far.

RELATED: Savannah Guthrie Announces $1M Reward As Search For Missing Mom Nancy Guthrie Reaches 24 Days (VIDEO UPDATE)

Buscando Corazones Nogales is a group that dedicates itself to locating missing persons. Furthermore, they conducted the search and traveled to the area known as “Mariposa” after receiving the report earlier this week. Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, the organization’s leader, said the tip specifically pointed to a burial site near a stream in the region. “We received an anonymous call telling us that the woman’s [Guthrie’s] remains were in the Mariposa area — in a grave over a stream,” she said.

Search Yields No Findings As Efforts Continue In Mariposa Area

According to Ayala Ortiz, the group conducted an initial sweep of the area indicated in the tip, which has previously yielded the discovery of 25 unmarked graves. However, the latest search did not locate Guthrie’s remains. Despite the outcome, organizers said they plan to continue searching the region, noting that both missing persons cases and previously undocumented burial sites remain a concern in the area.

The Sonora State Commission for the Search of Missing Persons supported the effort, while local and state authorities provided security assistance during the operation.

Savannah Guthrie Shares Emotional Plea Four Months After Disappearance

It has now been four months since the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie. In a recent emotional Instagram Story, Savannah shared a post featuring the message, “Oh my, my soul it cries out, soul it cries out,” alongside a simple but direct plea reading, “Bring her home.” The post reflects the ongoing emotional toll on the family as the search for answers continues with no confirmed updates on her whereabouts.

Here’s What We Last Knew In The Case

In a previous Instagram video, Savannah Guthrie shared a direct appeal to the public, reading from prepared remarks as she addressed her mother’s disappearance. She urged anyone with information to come forward, stressing the family’s desire for confirmation that Nancy Guthrie is alive, and noted concerns about misinformation or manipulated media. Savannah also described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light,” highlighting the close bond she shares with her children and grandchildren.

Nancy Guthrie’s family dropped her off at her home on the evening of Feb. 1, and she did not attend church the following day. Savannah also spoke about her mother’s health challenges, saying she lives in “constant pain” and relies on medication to survive, including a pacemaker that reportedly stopped syncing with her Apple Watch. Officials with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department continue to investigate the suspected abduction, with support from federal agencies including the FBI. At this time, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, and there is no confirmed evidence pointing to who may be responsible.

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Comedian Wanda Sykes was among the presenters at the 2026 Golden Globes. While on stage, she made a joke about Bill Maher, who was in the audience at the ceremony. Now, months later, she’s revealing that he confronted her over her comments. Plus, the “Undercard” star is giving her thoughts on the recent Netflix Kevin Hart roast.

Sykes recently appeared on Vulture’s “Good One” podcast. During the conversation, she was asked about her joke at the Golden Globes, in which she said the world needs “a little less” of Maher. In revealing his response, she stated that he wasted no time in confronting her.

Sykes recalled that he approached her as they were outside the venue waiting for their vehicles. According to her, he asked, “What was that about?” She went on, “And I was like, ‘It’s a joke, Bill.’ He was like, ‘Well, it wasn’t even a joke.’”

The actress went on to say that Maher referred to her onstage comments as “stupid” and that he stated he’d received texted messages from others who felt the same way.

Sykes Says Maher’s Response Epitomized The Joke

The “Undercore” star continued her line of discussion about Maher’s reaction to her Golden Globes joke. According to her, “I said, ‘See, you’re doing exactly what we said in the joke. We need less of this.’”

She continued, “You’re epitomizing the joke.” From there, Sykes responded to Maher’s rebuttal about receiving reports from others after her joke, saying, “I got a lot of texts telling me how great it was and how they don’t like you, and it was really funny.”

Sykes added, “I guess that’s the problem. You’re watching Fox News, and I’m over here on MSNBC.”

Fans Are Taking Wanda’s Side

Following Sykes’s revelation about how Maher reacted to her saying she’d like “a little less” of him, social media is overwhelmingly on her side. Overall, fans believe the political comedian has become the thing he once poked fun at.

One person wrote, “At some point, Bill became what he was making fun of and started taking himself way too seriously.” A different social media user stated, “He can dish it out, but he can’t take it. I think Wanda is wonderful.”

Someone else chimed in, writing, “I forgot Bill is a comedian, and I think he has forgotten as well.” After that, another former fan of Maher stated, “Wanda Sykes is undeniably one of the best living comedians. Bill Maher should be grateful she even mentioned him.”

Another person responded, “Bill is everything he makes fun of. That joke was so light, too.” However, not everyone considered Sykes’ joke funny. One person noted, “She has never been funny to me. Neither has Bill, but her comments to him while on stage felt odd.”

Wanda Sykes Also Reacted To The Kevin Hart Roast

During Sykes’ recent Vulture interview, she was asked about the recent roast of Hart and if she’d been invited to participate. The 62-year-old responded, “Kevin called me before it was announced and I said, ‘No.”

She then shared that he told her it would be good publicity for her recent comedy special. When asked if she’d watched the roast, Sykes stated, “I consumed enough to go, ‘Thank God I went to the Sparks game instead.”

In describing what went wrong with the Netflix roast, Sykes labeled the problem as “lazy writing.” She went on, “I thought the same thing with the [Tom] Brady roast, too. Seems like the roasts, they’re just recycled sexist, racist, gay jokes. Like, come on.”

Some of the comedians featured were Shane Gillis, Chelsea Handler, Katt Williams, Pete Davidson, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Sheryl Underwood.

Sykes is one of the most sought-after comedians working today. Recently, in May 2026, she released her third Netflix special, “Wanda Sykes: Legacy.” According to the streamer, the special features the comedian’s return to her alma mater, Hampton University, where she provides humorous commentary on a variety of topics, including politics and her family life.

“Legacy” follows 2019’s “Not Normal” and her 2023 special, “I’m an entertainer.” Also in 2026, her Netflix comedy series “The Upshaws” ended after five seasons.