Entertainment
Taylor Frankie Defends Herself Amid Custody Fight With Exes
Taylor Frankie Paul acknowledged that she is not “mother of the year” while fiercely defending herself amid her custody battle against exes Dakota Mortensen and Tate Paul.
“Last night I studied that ‘long suffering’ trains us to eventually thrive in it and it’s safe to say I’m starting to understand exactly what that means,” Taylor, 32, wrote alongside a lengthy vlog about her legal troubles on Saturday, July 18.
Taylor spoke in depth about her separate custody battles against Mortensen, 33, and Tate while applying makeup in a “Get Ready With Me” video. (She shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6, with ex-husband Tate and son Ever, 2, with Mortensen.)
“If I have learned anything in 2026 [with] false headlines, there’s a lot of false information out there and so, therefore, it doesn’t affect me because it’s not true,” she insisted. “That being said, there are some things that are true as well.”
First up was Utah’s division of the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) filing a petition asking a juvenile court to find that Taylor’s three children are “abused, neglected or dependent” and seeking protective supervision on the children’s behalf.
“It’s kind of like [Mormon Wives] for me. I don’t need to go read [the court documents] because I lived them,” she insisted. “However it is perceived, what is said, it may be accurate, maybe not. It can be exaggerated, twisted. What I do know is what [happened] and I know the truth.”
Taylor confirmed she was consulting with her attorneys to determine whether there is “something way off or misconstrued” in the DCFS filing.
“It will be handled in the courtroom, not here,” she vowed.
Taylor explained that she wanted to keep details of the case sealed for the betterment of “the children” even though she knew all of the information would “come to light” eventually. However, Taylor claimed that she had “made progress in the courtroom” even if it’s a “very slow process.”
“I feel that we have made the progress that I have been aiming for and that is just more time with my son,” she said.
Taylor expressed concern that “more things” about the case were “leaked” on the same day as she resumed extended visitation with her 2-year-old son Ever.
The reality star expressly denied allegations from the DCFS report that she made her daughter Indy change Ever’s diapers.
“Not once have I forced or made my daughter change diapers,” she stressed. “If she ever wanted to, I let her. She likes to help. … If that is bad on me, so be it.”
Taylor wrapped up her vlog by clarifying that she was not trying to change anyone’s mind about her parenting.
“I am actually not here to sway anyone. I am an open book. I will give you the ugly and the pretty. If you know me, I don’t claim to be this ‘mother of the year.’ I have my faults,” she acknowledged. “I also have a right to stick up for myself, give context of my life.”
She went on, “I will admit I am a lot of things. I can confidently say that if you were to put my kids on a [witness] stand, they are choosing mom and mom’s house every time, I say that with full confidence because I love my children. They know that I love them.”
“I’m at a loss for words about this experience. It’s been the most difficult thing I have ever been through,” she concluded. “Some people think the best thing is getting offline. My decision is to show this process and how ugly it is. I’ve made mistakes. I will own that. I can see that.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star has been locked in two separate custody battles with Mortensen and Tate for months.
After taking a plea deal in a 2023 domestic violence case, Taylor was involved in a new incident with Mortensen that was investigated by Utah’s Draper City Police Department in February. Both parties publicly denied the allegations of domestic violence made by the other. (Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was pulled off ABC’s spring schedule due to the criminal investigation.)
Taylor Frankie Paul Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for SiriusXM
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges against Paul in April, effectively closing that case.
That same month, Mortensen was awarded temporary custody of Ever, with Taylor restricted to eight-hour weekly supervised visitation. A Utah judge subsequently signed mutual orders of protection for Mortensen and Taylor, requiring them to stay 100 feet apart for a period of three years.
The former couple were in court again earlier this month, as their custody agreement was changed to allow Taylor more unsupervised time with Ever. (Mortensen was also given longer weekends as part of the ruling.)
Meanwhile, Taylor’s ex-husband Tate sought an emergency change to their custody agreement for Indy and Ocean in early July when the reality star entered rehab. (Us reported on July 1 that Taylor voluntarily entered a rehab facility and has since returned home.)
While Tate’s motion was rejected, Taylor volunteered to take a sobriety test in order to regain unsupervised visitation with both children. (In Saturday’s vlog, Taylor said that the first half of her test “came in clean” but she was still waiting for the full results.)
A major development for both cases occurred this past week when child welfare officials raised concerns about her three children. Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services asked a juvenile court to order protective supervision services because it found that her three children were “abused, neglected or dependent.”
Taylor’s legal team reacted to the DCFS report in a statement to Us, saying, “It was recently decided that the ongoing custody actions would be best suited for juvenile court, a common step for families engaged in highly contentious, complex custody matters. Taylor is not deterred by this transition; she welcomes the added structure and oversight it provides and looks forward to continuing her progress toward normalizing custody and becoming the healthiest version of herself.”
The ruling prompted Tate and Dakota to come together for a joint statement to explain their side of the legal battle.
“Tate Paul and Dakota Mortensen have remained publicly silent throughout these proceedings to avoid having serious private family matters turned into more of a public spectacle than they already have due to the insatiable appetite of others to share private family information online to promote views and publicity,” their attorneys told Us on Thursday, July 16 “However, they are deeply concerned that Taylor’s statement minimizes the gravity of the action filed by DCFS and her many underlying actions that prompted such.”
Attorneys for both men insisted that the DCFS petition was “not a routine transition to juvenile court or an opportunity for personal growth” since it determined that “the children are abused.”
“Despite the myriad false accusations published online and on social media about them by Taylor and others, Tate and Dakota have chosen to not participate in the often misconstrued social media and other online activity surrounding their cases,” they added. “They have remained silent to protect their children, not because they have nothing to say. When the time is right, they will tell their story in their own words in the appropriate forum.”
Amid her legal battles, Taylor recently returned to film the opening credits for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives earlier this month after the Hulu reality show was put on pause in February.
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The Odyssey Delivers Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Global Box Office Opening Ever : Coastal House Media
Christopher Nolan has done it again.
Universal Pictures’ The Odyssey has stormed into theaters with a massive worldwide debut, earning $264.1 million globally during its opening weekend. The epic adaptation of Homer’s classic poem collected $124.5 million domesticallyand another $139.6 million internationally, making it the biggest global opening of Nolan’s career.
The impressive debut surpasses the global opening weekends of Nolan’s previous films, including The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Interstellar, and even the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer. While The Dark Knight films still posted larger domestic openings, The Odyssey now stands as Nolan’s strongest worldwide launch to date.
Produced on a reported $250 million budget, The Odyssey was already one of the most anticipated films of 2026. Universal heavily leaned into Nolan’s reputation for delivering large-scale cinematic experiences, and audiences responded in force. Premium large-format screenings, especially IMAX 70mm presentations, sold out across the globe, with some North American theaters even adding overnight showtimes to meet demand.
The Odyssey [credit: Universal Pictures]
The film has also been embraced by moviegoers, earning an “A” CinemaScore and an audience score in the high 90s on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling strong word-of-mouth that could help fuel a lengthy theatrical run.
Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, the film follows the legendary king of Ithaca on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The ensemble cast also includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, and Samantha Morton.
Following the critical and commercial success of Oppenheimer, expectations for Nolan’s next project were exceptionally high. Based on its opening weekend performance, The Odyssey appears well on its way to becoming another landmark achievement for the acclaimed filmmaker and could ultimately challenge the highest-grossing films of his career if its momentum continues in the weeks ahead.
A horror movie with substance is a pretty great thing. Take a look at The Substance… maybe? That one is almost mindless, to be honest, with how in-your-face it is, with its satire and what it’s ultimately trying to say, but it is saying a lot. And there are other classic horror movies, naturally, that are about more than just being scary, including the likes of Get Out, The Exorcist, and Hereditary.
For those that aren’t too complicated and are all about delivering scares, or maybe entertainment value, in the case of the ones that are more comedy/horror hybrids, you’ve got a few below. These work as great mindless horror movies, and are the kind you can watch and appreciate with your brain more or less switched off. That’s not to say they’re all completely lacking substance, if you want to dig in, but social commentary and deeper messages don’t really feel like they’re focused on, for the movies below.
10
‘Phenomena’ (1985)
Of all the Dario Argento movies out there, Phenomena is easily one of his more underrated efforts. Yes, Suspiria might be easier to recommend, and something like Deep Red feels more important within the bounds of the horror genre and its history… but Phenomena is really fun. It’s kind of goofy, though it never becomes an outright comedy, so its more bombastic elements end up feeling more endearing than tongue-in-cheek or anything like a horror parody.
It’s about a young girl who can communicate with insects, and then there are ways that ability ultimately allows her to assist in an investigation to catch a killer at large. It’s quintessentially one of those “you just have to roll with it” kind of movies, but if you’re in the mood for something more than a little strange, Phenomena delivers. Also, if you’ve liked any other Argento-directed movies and have overlooked this one, remedy that as soon as you can!
9
‘Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter’ (1984)
Most Friday the 13th movies work as mindless horror films, and that’s okay some of the time, because some of them can be fairly entertaining. You’ve got an almost unstoppable killer, and then a group of (usually young) people who have to try (and usually fail) to survive that killer. It’s not like Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter really goes beyond this sort of simple story, but it executes all the recognizable and expected conventions of the series the best.
There are some decently fun characters/victims, the violent special effects are done well, it’s a frequently entertaining movie, and it being framed as a finale does give it a tiny bit more oomph than most Friday the 13th movies. Of course, it was not genuinely “The Final Chapter,” but it did end up being the best chapter, and perhaps the only Friday the 13th movie that’s an actually essential watch.
8
‘Terrifier 3’ (2024)
All the Terrifier movies are mindless, truth be told, though the second and third ones are a good kind of mindless. The first Terrifier might well be too narrative-free and thrown-together. It’s barely got a story or a reason to watch, beyond Art the Clown having an undeniable presence as a villain, and the violence being consistently grisly and over-the-top. Terrifier 2 and 3, make no mistake, are also very focused on Art the Clown doing his Art the Clown thing, and showcasing grisly sights.
Terrifier 3 has more by way of a reason to care, because there was a bare minimum kind of story in Terrifier 2, and it’s continued well in Terrifier 3 (the whole aftermath of it all). It’s still a very blunt and straightforward affair, and Terrifier 3 is not the kind of thing you can watch unless you, at the very least, don’t mind very in-your-face on-screen violence, but at least it and Terrifier 2 feel more or less like actual movies. Also, Terrifier 3 stands out for being perhaps the grisliest Christmas movie ever made, too.
7
‘House’ (1977)
House is about people going to a house, and then weird things happen to them. It is the set-up for a great many horror stories out there, sure, but very few of them play out with quite the same atmosphere and tone as can be found in House. Most of it’s incredibly silly, though the way it feels a lot like a fever dream can make certain parts perhaps a little eerie.
It’s subjective. Some might watch House and find not one second of it actually frightening, and that’s of course valid, but more than that, it’s also understandable. House is essential, as far as comedy-horror movies go, and it’s so well-regarded and widely discussed as a cult classic that it might well have graduated beyond “cult” status, instead now just existing as a flat-out classic comedy/horror film.
6
‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)
Honestly, any of the Sam Raimi-directed Evil Dead movies could’ve gone here. The first is straightforward and generally a bit more frightening than you might expect a low-budget movie made well over 40 years ago to be. The third, Army of Darkness, is, admittedly, barely a horror movie. Evil Dead II exists rather ideally between those two extremes, and works as both a horror movie and a rather goofy comedy.
The narrative here kind of remixes a lot of what went on in 1981’s The Evil Dead, though with a few new elements to ensure it never runs the risk of feeling like a retread. Even when things are familiar, the goofiness gives it all a whole new flavor. You can find some of it creepy, and then find the rest of it hilarious. Emotionally/viscerally, Evil Dead II is a great and varied ride, and finding deeper meaning here would require some stretching of the sort that would make Mister Fantastic blush.
5
‘The Return of the Living Dead’ (1985)
If you’re talking about mindless horror movies, and you don’t mention anything zombie-related, can you really/honestly say you’re talking about mindless horror movies? It’s more than fitting to talk about something like The Return of the Living Dead here, since zombies themselves are kind of brainless/mindless foes, a lot of the time, and surviving them can be a rather simple affair, at least as far as what the characters have to do is concerned.
Maybe you get some Cold War/nuclear weapons-related paranoia explored in The Return of the Living Dead, but it largely exists to be a zombie-related romp.
The original Dawn of the Dead has a fair bit by way of social commentary, of course, and maybe you get some Cold War/nuclear weapons-related paranoia explored in The Return of the Living Dead, but it largely exists to be a zombie-related romp. Like Evil Dead II, it rides the line between horror and comedy quite well, and it’s certainly an entertaining watch if you like yourself some B-grade (or maybe B-plus-grade? Since it is good) horror.
4
‘Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack’ (2001)
There are certainly Godzilla movies that are more frightening (or at least more intense) than Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, but Godzilla himself is frightening enough here that you can still consider this something of a horror film. He’s unforgiving and driven by vengeful spirits here, with this Godzilla film also having a fantastical/supernatural spin by making Mothra and King Ghidorah legendary/mythical figures.
You get a bit of science fiction here, but less than you usually do with the Godzilla series. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is ambitious with the genres it tackles, and is a highlight for the series. It unpacks a little by way of substance, by making the Godzilla series have some ties to folk tale sort of things, and through it exploring certain traumas around World War II that linger, yet it’s also extremely entertaining and approachable (at least as much as the recent Godzilla Minus One, though that one did ultimately have more crossover appeal, internationally speaking).
3
‘Dead Alive’ (1992)
Sam Raimi was mentioned before, as someone who made a fair few great horror movies before moving on to bigger (and maybe not entirely better, aside from Spider-Man 2) things later on. The same can be said for Peter Jackson, whose low-budget horror movies mostly come from his first few years as a feature film director, all before he became legendary to most by helming The Lord of the Rings (2001– 2003).
Of his smaller horror movies, the best is Dead Alive, which is called that in America, but referred to sometimes as Braindead in other parts of the world. If your brain is genuinely dead, then you can’t experience it, sadly. But if you’re more, uh, braintired, then Dead Alive/Braindead is very much worth watching. It is a broadly funny, kind of silly, and very much over-the-top zombie movie that quite gleefully doesn’t try to be much more than sheer entertainment for 103 minutes, which it thankfully very much succeeds at doing.
2
‘Gremlins’ (1984)
The least scary movie here would have to be Gremlins. It would be a bit intense if you watched it when you were a kid, and it is pretty dark how it feels so much like a family movie before things go off the rails. Though if you watch it when you’re an adult, you won’t be too alarmed by it going off the rails. Gremlins is more successful as a comedy than it is a horror movie, because it feels more into being silly.
There is Gremlins 2: The New Batch as well, which feels even less worthy of being called a horror movie. So, Gremlins is being snuck onto here, even with it only just being a little horror-related. It’s a fantastic monster movie where the monsters are much tinier than what you’ll find in the majority of monster movies out there, and it works so well as a Christmas film, too (even more so than the previously-mentioned Terrifier 3).
1
‘Grindhouse’ (2007)
There is another epic-length movie Quentin Tarantino was involved with that’s also kind of two movies in one (Kill Bill), and that whole bloody affair is probably better than Grindhouse, but also, it’s not a horror movie. Grindhouse more or less is, even if Planet Terror (directed by Robert Rodriguez) has more by way of horror elements than Death Proof, which is Quentin Tarantino’s segment.
Death Proof is more of a thriller, and then it’s got one fantastic action sequence near the end, though the central villain there does feel like he’s out of a horror movie. Planet Terror sees Rodriguez doing a tongue-in-cheek and ludicrously gory zombie film (of sorts), and it’s pretty glorious. There are also fake trailers for “horror movies” that didn’t exist, included in the overall cut of Grindhouse, with a bunch of those movies ultimately actually getting made: Machete (2010), Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), and Thanksgiving (2023).
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If you’re bored with your sundresses lately, we hear you. But that doesn’t mean you’re itching for a new one. Thankfully, fashion girls in Cannes, London and Greece found the perfect summer alternative, and it’s much more original than another basic frock.
These flowy jumpsuits are just as breezy as dresses, and right now, they’re even trendier. Whether you’re searching for a casual beach outfit or something to wear to the office, you’ll find it below. Our favorites from Nordstrom, Quince and more scream ‘European rich mom,’ yet start at just $8!
17 Loose, European-Looking Jumpsuits — From $8
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The heist movie genre is one of cinema’s most undeniable pleasures. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a crew of professionals (or lovable amateurs) execute an elaborate, impossible plan against equally impossible odds. The genre offers a unique medley: the tension of the setup, the precision of the execution, the inevitability of the double-cross, and the catharsis of the escape. Some of the best heist movies out there have that inevitable and beloved “gathering the crew” montage—arguably the best part of any heist movie.
For every Ocean’s Eleven or Heat that becomes a cultural touchstone, there’s a plethora of heist films that slipped through the cracks and remained in the “forgotten gems” category; although they likely didn’t get the blockbuster marketing push, time has been kind to them, and they remain underrated. From the first frame to the last, the forgotten heist movies that are perfect from start to finish deliver the tension, the twists, and the catharsis that they promise.
‘The Bank Job’ (2008)
Jason Statham built a career on being the most reliably entertaining action star working today, but The Bank Job is a reminder that he can do more than throw punches; he can carry a real thriller. Directed by Roger Donaldson and loosely based on the real 1971 Baker Street robbery, the film is set in London and follows Terry Leather, a small-time used-car dealer and petty crook who’s offered what sounds like a simple job: tunnel into a bank vault and empty out the safety deposit boxes inside.
Terry, of course, quickly learns that nothing about this job is simple. The boxes in the bank turn out to hold secrets tied to British intelligence and the royal family, secrets powerful people are willing to kill to protect, and the film spends its runtime escalating from a straightforward heist into a genuine conspiracy. Statham gives one of his most restrained performances here, anchoring the chaos with a working-class charm that never crosses the line into camp, and Donaldson’s sharp, grimy-glamorous period cinematography keeps the whole thing feeling dangerous. It’s the type of tight thriller that explains why Statham became a star in the first place; it’s also the most popular title on this list, making it easy to overlook how good it is.
‘Quick Change’ (1990)
Bill Murray has one directing credit to his name, and almost nobody talks about it, which is a genuine shame given how much Quick Change still feels relevant and rewatchable (though Geena Davis’ account may not deem it as such). Murray also stars in the film, playing Grimm, a New Yorker who’s had enough of the city and decides to rob a midtown Manhattan bank while dressed as a clown, alongside his girlfriend Phyllis (Davis) and best friend Loomis (Randy Quaid). The premise sounds like a singular, sketch-worthy gimmick, but the film uses it as a launchpad into even bigger, widespread chaos.
Quick Change stands out among similar movies of its class by making the robbery the easy part of the story. The real ordeal is getting out of New York City afterward, as the trio gets tangled in bureaucratic nonsense, rotten luck, and the sheer chaos of the five boroughs just trying to reach the airport. The film gleefully subverts heist-movie conventions, finding comedy in the most mundane obstacles possible rather than shootouts or double crosses. Murray’s deadpan delivery is razor-sharp, and the supporting cast — Jason Robards, Tony Shalhoub, and Stanley Tucci — is impressive. Quick Change flopped at the box office, grossing about $15.3 million against a $17 million budget, but it’s since become a cult favorite that only gets funnier with each viewing.
‘The Score’ (2001)
Some casts are so stacked they sometimes tend to feel like a marketing gimmick; on paper, The Score looks like exactly that: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett, and Marlon Brando are first billing here, and for each of them, the 2000s were a defining era in many ways (for Brando, in particular, this turned out to be a final screen role). Directed by Frank Oz, The Score is a straightforward “one last job” story; De Niro plays Nick Wells, a veteran safecracker who’s ready to retire and run his Montreal jazz club full-time, until his fence, Max (Brando), talks him into one final heist: stealing a priceless scepter locked inside the city’s customs house.
The issue is that Nick has to work with Jackie (Norton), a brash young thief with an inside connection to the building and an agenda nobody else is quite sure about. The film builds its tension almost entirely out of that pairing, with Norton’s unpredictable energy keeping both Nick and the audience off-balance long before the actual robbery starts. Oz wisely lets the performances carry the suspense rather than leaning on flashy set pieces, which makes the film feel more grounded than most heist movies from the same era. Made on a $68 million budget, it grossed around $114 million worldwide, which is a solid if unspectacular return for a film that deserves to be remembered as more than a novelty gathering of cinema legends.
‘Grand Slam’ (1967)
Of everything on this list, Grand Slam is by far the most obscure; it’s an Italian-Spanish-German co-production most audiences today have never heard of, let alone seen, which, if anything, only strengthens its case as a forgotten gem. Edward G. Robinson stars as Professor James Anders, a mild-mannered American teacher living in Rio de Janeiro who, after decades of watching a diamond company from across the street, decides he’s bored enough to plan the perfect crime. He recruits a team of international specialists, played by Janet Leigh, Klaus Kinski, and Robert Hoffmann, to pull off the theft during the chaos of Rio’s Carnival.
The structure of Grand Slam is flawless; the actual robbery unfolds with stunning precision, closer in spirit to the greatest heist film of all time, Rififi, than any particular shootout-heavy caper. The real tension shows up only afterward, in the paranoia and slow-building distrust among a crew that no longer needs each other after a done deal. With a score by Ennio Morricone and location work that makes full use of Rio’s skyline and streets, Grand Slam earns a place alongside the genre’s best. It’s lean, stylish, and proof that a heist movie’s characters matter as much as its vision.
‘Logan Lucky’ (2017)
Steven Soderbergh built his reputation on the Ocean’s trilogy, so it’s telling that when he came out of a brief retirement in 2017, he chose to make Logan Lucky, which has fondly been referred to as “Ocean’s 7-Eleven.” Logan Lucky is a heist movie stripped of tailored suits and Vegas glamour and dropped into rural West Virginia instead; Channing Tatum stars as Jimmy Logan, a construction worker who’s just been laid off and decides, almost on a whim, to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race. He recruits his one-armed bartender brother Clyde (Adam Driver), his hairdresser sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and a locked-up, deadpan safe cracker named Joe Bang, played by Daniel Craig in one of the most outstanding performances of his career.
Logan Lucky steers away from the genre’s usual playbook through how it treats the characters it introduces. They’re working-class people with real financial stakes, and the film takes their plan just as seriously as it would a team of George Clooney-style professionals. The heist itself is genuinely clever, the humor is bone-dry, and Soderbergh directs with the same effortless confidence he brought to his glossier work. Made for around $29 million, it earned back roughly $48 million worldwide, a modest return the film’s critical reception never quite matched; Logan Lucky is a joyful movie that actually gets better with repeat viewing.
‘Thief’ (1981)
Before Michael Mann became the filmmaker behind Heat and Collateral, he made his feature debut with Thief, a film that already has his entire visual language fully formed: neon-soaked nights, rain-slick streets, and criminals defined more by their code than by the crimes they commit. Though Thief barely escaped the jaws of time, modern audiences remember it for its influence on later cinematography, particularly in the crime caper genre. James Caan stars as Frank, a professional safecracker in Chicago who wants nothing more than to leave that life behind and build a family. Standing in his way is Leo (Robert Prosky), his mentor and fence, who has no intention of letting his best earner walk away.
Thief is the kind of heist film that’s less interested in the mechanics of a single job than in the crushing weight of the job that forces Frank to stay trapped inside it; retirement from a life of crime is harder than he imagines, as it turns out. Tangerine Dream contributed a stunning synth score that gives the film its hypnotic, almost dreamlike rhythm, and Caan delivers one of the greatest performances of his career, portraying rage beneath a carefully maintained calm. Thief had a quiet release, but its influence far outweighed its financial gains, allowing Mann’s debut to reverberate through crime cinema for decades. It’s moody, aesthetic, and human, and it rewards anyone who sits with it.
‘Ronin’ (1998)
John Frankenheimer spent much of his career making sharp, paranoid political thrillers, and Ronin is what happens when that sensibility and his undeniable talent are pointed at the crime caper/heist genre instead. Robert De Niro portrays Sam, leading an ensemble of former intelligence operatives, played by Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgård, and Sean Bean; Sam and his crew are hired by a mysterious handler named Deirdre (Natascha McElhone) to steal a heavily guarded briefcase. What’s inside is never revealed, and the film is smart enough to know that that very mystery matters more than any answer could.
Ronin, unlike some of the other entries on the list, is primarily about the job itself, depicting the shifting loyalties of people who no longer have a country or cause, as well as the cold professionalism they resort to instead. Its car chases through Nice and Paris are still among the best ever filmed, and David Mamet’s rewrites give the dialogue a bite that most action films of the time lacked. Ronin underperformed significantly at the box office when it was released, but audiences that have seen it gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews (though critics didn’t seem as thrilled). Ronin has aged pretty well, and we could argue for it to be the best forgotten heist film on this list.
Ronin
- Release Date
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September 25, 1998
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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John Frankenheimer
- Writers
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David Mamet
Christopher Nolan is celebrating the incredible box-office performance of The Odyssey, which delivered the biggest global box-office debut of his career. The film’s success couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for the filmmaker, who suffered two back-to-back setbacks in the last few days. A recent blockbuster overtook two of Nolan’s biggest hits at the worldwide box office, pushing them down the all-time chart. The movie in question had a difficult production that reportedly saw its entire third act being revamped. It then had to brave controversies surrounding the lens with which it viewed its subject, in addition to mixed reviews.
However, audiences were enthralled, pushing it to incredible success over the last few weeks. We’re talking, of course, about the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua. The film currently holds a 38% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “While Jaafar Jackson’s smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, this musical biopic mostly plays like a ‘greatest hits’ album that could’ve benefited from including liner notes to give actual insight into the icon.” However, Michael‘s audience score on the aggregator stands at a near-perfect 97%.
‘Michael’ Has Overtaken Two Christopher Nolan Movies at the Box Office
The movie has grossed over $370 million domestically so far; it recently emerged as the second film of 2026 to pass the coveted $1 billion mark worldwide, after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In doing so, Michael overtook the $975 million lifetime global haul of Nolan’s Best Picture-winning Oppenheimer, thereby becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time. And now, Michael has surpassed the lifetime global haul of another Nolan blockbuster: The Dark Knight. Released in 2008, the superhero epic broke numerous records of its own and ended its run with $1.08 billion globally. It was subsequently beaten by its sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, and the Aquaman movie starring Jason Momoa for the title of the highest-grossing movie based on a DC character. That said, The Dark Knight remains a classic of the genre, and is widely considered to be one of the best films of the 21st century. Michael is now available to rent or purchase at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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April 24, 2026
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Writers
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John Logan
- Producers
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Graham King, John Branca, John McClain
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Once any show has been on the air for five years, it will start to wobble under its own internal logic, lore, and mythology. Stargate SG-1 was on the air for a decade which means those early Season 1-3 episodes sometimes contradicts what becomes canon later. In the case of Season 1’s “Hathor,” it’s unclear why a Goa’uld Queen needs male DNA to produce more larvae. Later episodes show that it’s not needed, and they can reproduce asexually, but that’s the least of the issues with “Hathor.”
Stargate Goes Full Species
“Hathor” centers around the unearthing of the Egyptian Goddess of Love, Hathor (Suanne Braun), who emerges from a sarcophagus after 3000 years speaking English. Drawn tot he Stargate, she shows up at Cheyenne Mountain and quickly starts bringing the men within the base into her thrall. Starting with Daniel (Michael Shanks), then General Hammond (Don S. Davis), O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) is the next to succumb, though Teal’c’s (Christopher Judge) Goa’uld renders him resistant to her power.
That sets up a showdown between the men and the women (all five of them), led by Captain Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Dr. Frasier (Teryl Rothery) in the locker room where Hathor is preparing to use a hot tub to birth a new generation of Goa’uld larvae using Daniel Jackson’s juices. That’s how the show refers to it. It’s as awkward as it sounds.
The Writers Chose To Ignore The Episode
Stargate SG-1 would eventually mock “Hathor” in the Season 8 episode, “Citizen Joe,” a clip show that highlighted the ridiculousness of those early season episodes. “Hathor” was the first episode in the series where the team didn’t travel through the Stargate, and the only one written by David Bennett Carren and J. Larry Carrol. Hathor herself would come back, two more times, as a much more formidable (and better written) villain particularly in Season 2’s “Out of Mind.”
Ever since Homer introduced the concept of Sirens in The Odyssey, the “beautiful woman mind controls all men” trope is widely used in sci-fi and fantasy shows. Stargate SG-1 had no problem recycling classic tropes and often, doing them incredibly well, from time loops (“Windows of Opportunity”) to “that old man can kick everyone’s ass” (Bra’tac), but “Hathor” was a misfire.
Teryl Rothery wasn’t even able to deliver the line “there’s five women in here and we’re very lonely” while keeping a straight face. The more series re-watches you do, “Hathor” sticks out more and more like one of the worst episodes of the series. Unlike “Emancipation,” which was so bad it caused the writers to re-work Carter’s character, “Hathor” has no silver lining, other than the self-styled goddess having more character, personality, and better lines in her later appearances. Her debut episode could be erased from the timeline, and you’d still know everything about her within minutes of her second appearance.
They can’t all be winners, and with a decade of episodes to get through, Stargate SG-1 was going to have some episodes you don’t have to bother watching.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have found their post-wedding bliss overshadowed by controversy linked to their nuptials held at Madison Square Garden.
According to a report, the newlywed couple is “disheartened” by the negative remarks and alleged “trash talking” from Kelce’s teammates over their guest list and invitations.
This claim comes after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attended the wedding of the NFL star’s ex-teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster and his bride, Laura Kruk, with sources saying the event “lifted their spirits.”
Swift and Kelce’s ceremony has proven that even the most popular celebrities still get to deal with the classic headaches that come with wedding planning.
Following months of speculation, the couple finally tied the knot at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, July 3. They also held an intimate rehearsal dinner for close friends and family the day before, but left many upset for refusing to invite them to that event.
According to the Daily Mail, some individuals in Kelce’s “circle” were displeased that they got invited to the Friday main event but not the intimate rehearsal dinner on Thursday.
A few retired athletes have even publicly shared their frustrations after failing to land an invitation to the star-studded wedding, while some of Kelce’s current teammates have reportedly taken the “trash talk” straight to the multiple group chats of Kansas City Chiefs’ players.
The Couple Is ‘Disheartened’ Over The Negative Reactions To Their Wedding Invitations
Sources close to the couple have now revealed that recent drama involving guest lists and alleged “trash-talking” from corners of their social circles has left the pair feeling disheartened.
“They are typically very good at blocking out the noise, but to have all these nasty stories coming out about his teammates being jealous and trash-talking them is pretty disheartening,” an insider told Star Magazine. “He’s got to go back to that locker room any day now, and that’s bound to be uncomfortable because clearly there’s a lot of jealousy towards him.”
“They’re finding it quite exhausting keeping up with all the rumors and all the mischief that people are making,” the source continued. “Wasting time on that sort of nonsense isn’t pleasant at any time, but especially when they are trying to enjoy their first days as husband and wife.”
Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce ‘Lifted Their Spirits’ By Attending His Former Teammates’ Wedding
Despite the background noise, Swift and Kelce have remained completely aligned and are enjoying their union just fine. Days after they got married, the couple put up a loved-up appearance for Kelce’s former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster’s wedding to Laura Kruk.
The “Bad Blood” singer dazzled in a pink strapless floor-length gown with floral brocade designs, along with her signature red lipstick, while the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wore a classic suit and tie.
The source who spoke with Star explained that the event helped lift their spirits and kept things in a lighter mood.
“They did have a wonderful time,” they noted, referring to the July 11 wedding. “That really helped to lift their spirits. It was a great reset, and so fun to be able to relive the whole wedding experience without all the pressure of being the bride and groom.”
The Chiefs Tight End Was Seen Working Out Ahead Of New NFL Season
Meanwhile, it appears the honeymoon season is over for the couple as Kelce prepares to resume the new NFL season, which starts September 9.
According to TMZ, the star tight end was seen working out for the first time since their wedding on Thursday during a training session in Florida.
Kelce was dressed in Nike shorts and a loose vest with sneakers, and held his duffel in one hand and a sports drink in the other.
He’s due to return to the Chiefs’ camp later this month, so the workout season might just be him getting himself in the mood for football again.
About Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Honeymoon Plans
The couple has largely kept to themselves in the days following their wedding, only appearing for Kelce’s pal’s wedding about a week ago.
Sources earlier claimed they were considering an “ultra-private” honeymoon with the historic San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito as their preferred location.
“They just don’t want anything getting leaked,” a source told Star Magazine. “They want to be able to enjoy this special time with total privacy.”
“There’s the option to rent out the entire property, which she’d likely want to do for privacy, and that can cost upwards of $500K for a week,” the insider explained.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Swift and Kelce enjoyed a private “mini-moon” at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana. The couple is said to have utilized major security measures, including decoy jets, to maintain privacy during their stay at the luxury mountain resort.
Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” is one of the year’s biggest film releases, continuing the filmmaker’s streak of ambitious, large-scale movies. While fans are still taking in his latest project, the director has already tempered expectations for what’s next, revealing that audiences will likely have to wait a while before his next movie arrives.
Just days after the release of “The Odyssey” on July 17, fans are already wondering when Christopher Nolan’s next project will be released. The director’s early career was marked by one- to two-year gaps between films. Since 2017, however, his releases have settled into a roughly three-year cycle.
“The Odyssey” is Nolan’s first movie after 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” The director admitted that his latest project pushed his physical limits and was the most challenging film he had ever done.
“I definitely hit the limits of my own stamina and everybody’s stamina, I think. I mean, it’s ‘The Odyssey,’ of course it should be difficult,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t be doing his job correctly if it was easy.
As for whether fans can expect his next film to come out in three years, he told TODAY, “Oh, at least.”
Matt Damon Received A Call About ‘The Odyssey’ Months After The Director’s First Oscar
Nolan’s idea to take “The Odyssey” to the big screen began in the early 2000s. According to Matt Damon, who portrays Odysseus in the epic film, he got a call from the director just six months after his first Oscar win.
In 2024, Nolan earned his first Best Director Oscar for the biographical drama “Oppenheimer.” The movie was nominated in 13 categories and took home seven wins.
Damon assumed that it would take at least another year before the director would start to work on his next project, but that wasn’t the case, as he learned during the call. “So I just thought we were catching up, which we did. And then he blurted out, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking of going back to work.’ And I went, ‘Wait, already?’” the actor told PEOPLE.
Christopher Nolan Made History With His Latest Film
“The Odyssey” is the first feature-length commercial film shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, which uses 70mm film stock. For Nolan, shooting the movie in the format was a dream come true. Although he had used it in sequences for his past films, “The Odyssey” was the first time he used it for the entire movie.
“I’d originally seen IMAX films in museums and theme parks as a kid and immediately thought, why aren’t they making movies like that? That was when I was 16 or 17. Now I’m about to be 56, and I’ve finally gotten to do it,” he told The New York Times.
Using the camera had its challenges, though. As cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema noted, it made a noise “like a lawn mower, diesel engine.” The problem was solved with a “soundproofing system” built for the camera.
Filming ‘The Odyssey’ Was Tough For The Cast And Crew
Nolan knew making “The Odyssey” would be tough. The director is known for favoring practical effects over CGI, and the cast and crew had to endure grueling filming conditions in pursuit of authenticity.
The cast and crew were exposed to brutal weather conditions and had to hike daily to a set located 1,000 feet above sea level to film some scenes. While shooting aboard a ship in the open sea, some supporting cast members became seasick and threw up. Instead of halting production, Nolan decided to include it in the movie. “They were really game for it. And that day ended up being fabulous as well as miserable; it yielded some of my favorite shots in the film,” the director said.
Damon noted that Nolan had the “hardest job on set,” sharing that when he felt discomfort, it helped to see the director “looking like a drowned rat, just as cold, just as wet, and never complaining.”
‘The Odyssey’ Made $51 Million On Opening Day
“The Odyssey” is on track for box office success. According to multiple reports, the film earned $51.2 million from preview screenings and its opening day on Friday, July 17, in North American theaters.
It is projected to earn $120 million on opening weekend. Furthermore, the movie has, so far, earned $137.3 million across 73 international markets.
Facing competition from Christopher Nolan‘s latest epic, The Odyssey, Disney’s live-action Moana remake has taken a steep fall in its second weekend of release. The action-adventure film opened to mediocre reviews and underperformed commercially in its first weekend, grossing less than $100 million worldwide. Of this total, only $43 million came from domestic theaters. This put the film in the same category as the superhero flops Supergirl and Joker: Folie à Deux. Both The Odyssey and Moana cost $250 million to produce, but Nolan’s epic has already grossed in three days what Disney’s remake will struggle to in its lifetime run.
The Odyssey generated around $120 million domestically and approximately $260 million worldwide in its opening weekend, representing a record debut for star Matt Damon. It also delivered the biggest global opening for Nolan, beating out The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight. The film currently holds a “Certified Fresh” 95% critics’ score and a “Verified Hot” 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator website’s consensus reads, “Reinvigorating an ancient adventure with majestic sweep and sterling work by its colossal ensemble, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey imbues myth with primal human feeling.”
Here’s How Much the ‘Moana’ Remake Has Grossed at the Global Box Office
Meanwhile, the Moana remake plummeted by 70% on its second Friday and by around 55% on its second weekend. It grossed approximately $18 million domestically in its sophomore frame, pushing its running total to just over $80 million. Globally, Moana has amassed more than $170 million so far. Starring Dwayne Johnson and newcomer Catherine Laga’aia, the movie arrives just 10 years after the animated original, which gained incredible popularity on streaming. The relatively short window between the original and the remake is being viewed as the biggest reason behind the new film’s underperformance. Moreover, a sequel to the animated hit titled Moana 2 was released just two years ago. The remake currently holds a 31% critics’ score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The sea calls to no one in this underwhelming new version of Moana, an endeavor that solidifies its animated predecessor as the superior adventure.” Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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July 10, 2026
- Runtime
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120 Minutes
- Director
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Thomas Kail
“Full House” star Jodie Sweetin has been candid about her struggles with sobriety over the years, revealing that she first started drinking alcohol at the age of 14 before sharing that her interest in substances eventually spun out of control. Now, in a new interview, the “Fuller House” actress is revealing how her co-star, John Stamos, supported her on the difficult journey toward recovery while also staying on the straight and narrow himself.
While appearing on the “Dory Jackson Interview” podcast, Sweetin, 44, opened up about how Stamos’ support and kind words helped keep her in check as she pursued sobriety.
“John and I really, really connected in a lot of ways over [sobriety],” she said on the most recent episode. “We have been there to celebrate each other’s big successes and milestones, and I am so glad that I got to be an example of attraction rather than promotion, which is a big principle in recovery.”
Stamos and Sweetin’s relationship dates back to the ’80s, when they both booked leading roles in the ABC sitcom “Full House,” which ran from 1987 to 1995. They reunited on screen for the Netflix reboot, “Fuller House,” from 2016 to 2020.
According to Sweetin, she’s learned a lot about herself throughout her sobriety journey. “[The principle is] don’t beat people over the head. Just be the result of all of your work, and chances are, people that are looking will find you,” she said.
The Last Time Jodie Sweetin Touched A Drink
Elsewhere in the interview, the mom of two opened up and revealed that the last time she even touched an alcoholic drink was in 2011, adding that it’s been a “journey.” She explained that she began a 12-step program and engaged in work outside the program, such as therapy, to help guide her. Sweetin described the feeling of being untethered to alcohol as “very freeing.”
“You get the opportunity to become a different person, and once you start actually liking that person, it becomes really hard to go back and continue destructive behavior,” the actress said. “You kind of go like, ‘Oh, wait, hold on, I want to take care of this little person inside here and see what they’re capable of.’ And I’ve been really fortunate to be able to do that.”
Jodie Sweetin Struggled With Alcohol During Her Teenage Years
Sweetin previously opened up about her addiction to alcohol in a different interview, revealing that it all began for her when she had her first drink at co-star Candace Cameron Bure’s wedding when she was 14. In another interview, she said that she leaned on alcohol as a teenager to help her relate to those around her.
“I had this weird, I’ll say, I had this, particularly after the show ended, like, in high school, there was this strange feeling that I had, because everyone assumed I was quote unquote a TV star. So, like, you know, the rumor before you would even start at a school was like, ‘Oh, she’s a stuck-up b-tch,’” she said.
Sweetin attempted to shed that label by outdrinking her peers and taking harder drugs, per The Blast.
Stamos Recalls The Moment He Knew He Had To ‘Straighten Up’
Stamos has also dealt with substance abuse, and he even made headlines in 2015 when he was arrested for an alleged DUI. Stamos went on to seek treatment in a rehab center and detailed the moment in his memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me.”
He told PEOPLE in 2023 that he realized he was drinking too much and that it was partially caused by the people he was hanging around. “I had that DUI and I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I’ve got to straighten up,’” he said. “That’s when I was confusing the universe because I’m not a bad person, but I was doing crappy things.”
What Helped Stamos Stay Focused On His Well-Being?
Thankfully for Stamos, he was able to lean on his sister and his “Fuller House” co-stars for support throughout his journey. In addition to them, Stamos credited his wife, Caitlin McHugh Stamos, and their son, Billy, for holding him tightly even when he felt he let them down.
“They have kept me on this path because going down the road of being sober and taking care of yourself, everybody tries. Everybody does it. You could get going for a little while. Then, it’s like, ‘I can drink again,’” he said. “So it’s staying on the path is what they mostly do for me.”
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