Most filmmakers today rely on delivering a big, last-minute twist that takes the story to a whole new level. And there’s no denying that the approach has worked for several blockbusters. However, this formula of saving everything for the last five minutes and hoping that the audience will forget the slow burn that came before it is getting a little old. Everyone loves a jaw-dropping final reveal, but the best films know that the key to success is to keep twisting.

Great thrillers operate on the principle that tension must be sustained, so the audience has no reason to look away. Classic bait-and-switch that doesn’t serve as a gimmick, but as a storytelling tool that works to deepen the narrative. Here is a list of seven thrillers that do exactly that and are packed with plot twists that keep the viewers wanting more.

7

‘The Invisible Guest’ (2016)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The Invisible Guest is a film that wastes no time placing the audience right in the middle of absolute chaos. The story follows businessman Adrián Doria (Mario Casas) after he is accused of murdering his lover in what looks like an impossible crime, with only a few hours to build his defense. As Doria recounts the events leading up to the crime, the narrative quickly turns into a series of conflicting versions of the truth where nothing is really as it seems. The film thrives on its unique structure, where every piece of information casts doubt on whatever came before it.

Every time the audience feels like they’ve pieced things together, the story shifts, and they are pulled right back into uncertainty. The twists don’t come as sudden shocks, but quiet realizations of how carefully the protagonist has been constructing his reality. The Invisible Guest is essentially just one long conversation, but it never feels static because of how everything can change in the blink of an eye. By the time everything finally falls into place, the audience is already itching to rewatch the whole thing and analyze everything with a completely different perspective.

6

‘Fight Club’ (1999)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Fight Club is a masterpiece that completely rewired Hollywood despite not performing well at the box office. The film, directed by David Fincher, follows Edward Norton as an unnamed narrator who is an insomniac office worker trapped in a life that feels increasingly hollow. However, that changes when he crosses paths with charismatic soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), who lives by a radically different philosophy. Their strange friendship quickly takes a turn as the two start an underground fight club where men seek meaning through pain and rebel against a system where they are reduced to cogs in a machine.

Soon enough, though, the club starts growing into something far more dangerous, and the introduction of Project Mayhem transforms this personal rebellion into full-blown organized violence. What’s even more unsettling is how the narrator’s perspective becomes increasingly unreliable, and the film starts blurring the line between reality and fantasy. Fight Club is a masterclass in storytelling, especially with how meticulously it builds toward the final reveal. The film doesn’t rely on last-minute shocks because it carefully weaves its plot twists into the story from the very beginning. Beneath all this, though, Fight Club is a sharp critique of masculinity, which is why it still feels relevant over two decades later.

5

‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Some films use plot twists for shock value, but The Sixth Sense uses them with purpose and intention like no other. The film is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s most influential works and explores a kind of horror that feels disturbingly real to the audience. The story follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), who takes on a troubled young patient, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who claims he can see dead people. Malcolm approaches the situation as a case study in trauma, but slowly, Cole’s fears start to feel disturbingly real.

The dynamic between the two characters is the heart of the story and grounds the film in something deeply human while leaning into the supernatural. Cole’s encounters with spirits become increasingly unsettling, but Malcom encourages him to listen to them instead of resisting, and that completely reshapes the young boy’s understanding of his own ability. The plot twists in The Sixth Sense hold real, emotional meaning. Every little twist is building toward Cole’s eventual transformation, and this deliberate framing elevates the film from a straightforward psychological thriller to something that feels far more intimate.

4

‘The Game’ (1997)

Image via PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

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The Game, directed by Fincher, is best described as a ruthless mind trick that takes its audience for a ride that just gets wilder. The film follows a wealthy investment banker, Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), who receives an unusual birthday gift from his estranged brother. He is invited to participate in a game that promises to change his life. At first, the whole thing feels like an elaborate prank, but soon enough, Nicholas begins to experience strange interruptions and coincidences that throw him into a constant state of paranoia. The protagonist and the audience are never quite sure of what is real and what is just part of the game, and this is where the film’s sense of tension comes from.

The Game escalates in a way that feels both methodical and overwhelming. Slowly, Nicholas is stripped of everything and everyone he once relied on because the game works on dismantling the very identity he built his life around. The twists here aren’t just narrative surprises. Instead, they serve as steps in breaking the protagonist down and forcing him into desperate situations. The Game is an immersive experience that invites the audience to actively experience how scary it feels to lose control. That’s exactly why it continues to outshine most modern thrillers even now.

3

‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)

Image via Amazon Studios

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The Handmaiden is not for the weak, but every second of the film is a masterclass in control and deception. The story is set in Japanese-occupied Korea and follows young pickpocket, Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), as she is hired to serve as a handmaiden to the secluded heiress, Lady Hideo (Kim Min-hee), as part of an elaborate scheme to steal her fortune. At first, the narrative unfolds like a typical thriller as Sook-hee carries out her duties. However, the deeper she is pulled into Hideo’s world, the more unstable the plan becomes. The story unfolds in three parts, and the film keeps revisiting key events from different perspectives to reveal new motives, hidden dynamics, and secrets that completely reframe everything the audience thought they knew.

This structure drives the story forward and forces the viewer to keep reassessing every little detail. The film’s plot twists are closely tied to its themes of performance and identity. The characters are constantly deceiving each other, but in doing so, they are actively constructing roles depending on whatever the situation demands. The Handmaiden’s visual aesthetic mirrors this narrative through mirrors and obstructed views. This is a film that keeps rewriting its own reality and demands the viewer’s full attention to drive the point home. By the end, the twists and turns start feeling inevitable rather than shocking, but that’s the entire point.

2

‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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Another Fincher masterpiece on the list is Gone Girl. The film begins with a familiar missing-person mystery, but quickly takes a much more disturbing turn. The story follows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), who becomes the prime suspect when his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) suddenly disappears on their anniversary. The whole thing turns into a media spectacle where the public has already decided that Nick is guilty. The narrative follows the events leading up to the disappearance through alternating timelines and Amy’s diary entries. Everything the audience sees paints the picture of a marriage that has slowly fallen apart.

It all makes perfect sense until Fincher shifts the perspective, and Amy’s perfectly constructed story begins to fall apart. Most thrillers save the big twist for the climax, but Gone Girl reveals Amy’s elaborate scheme halfway through. That shifts the story from a simple whodunit mystery to an intense psychological battle between two people. Gone Girl is the definition of a postmodern thriller, where the plot isn’t essentially leading to a resolution. The film keeps layering twists throughout its runtime and constantly keeps the audience on their toes. Nothing is ever as it seems in Gone Girl, and that uncertainty is the film’s driving force.

1

‘The Prestige’ (2006)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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The Prestige is Christopher Nolan at his absolute best. The film mirrors the structure of a magic trick and rewards the audience for paying attention every step of the way. The story follows rival magicians Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), whose professional competition slowly spirals into a dangerous obsession where they will go to any lengths to outdo each other. The plot unfolds through a fragmented, non-linear structure. This constant shifting between times, perspectives, and even unreliable narrators makes it almost impossible to grasp what is real and what isn’t.

The film actively works to misdirect the audience and presents things as true, only to later pull the rug from under them. The twists in the film aren’t confined to just a single moment, but are a continuous part of the story. Each revelation adds more context to the narrative and pushes the characters into unsettling territory. The Prestige doesn’t just tell a story about illusion — it embodies the illusion — and that creates a viewing experience like no other.

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The Prestige

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Release Date

October 20, 2006

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130 minutes

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Sponsored content. Us Weekly receives compensation for this article as well as for purchases made when you click on a link and buy something below.

There’s an unwritten rule in the weight loss medication world: you can have a low price, or you can have a company you trust. Pick one.

It’s a rule the industry loves, because it lets everyone off the hook. The expensive programs justify their prices with words like “premium” and “concierge.” The cheap ones cut corners on support and hope you don’t notice until you’ve paid. And patients are left doing the miserable calculus of how much peace of mind they can afford per month.

Which is why what’s happening at RxPros.com has people doing a double take.

The lowest prices in the industry. On paper, that should be a red flag.

Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re the first thing that seems too good to be true:

• Compounded Semaglutide: $89.97 per month
• Compounded Tirzepatide: $119.97 per month

If you’ve been shopping around, you know how far below the market that is. Most telehealth GLP-1 programs advertise semaglutide in the $150 to $300 range and tirzepatide anywhere from $180 to $500, and that’s before the fine print. Many charge separate membership fees.  Many bill your provider visits on top. And nearly all of them use the industry’s favorite quiet trick: raising your monthly price every time your dose titrates up, so the number you signed up for lasts exactly one or two months.

RxPros does none of it. The monthly price is all-inclusive, covering the prescription, the medication, doctor’s visits, and ongoing care support in one flat number. There are no membership fees, ever. And the price is locked at every dose level, so as your treatment progresses, your bill doesn’t.

Normally, this is where a skeptical reader should ask: okay, so what’s the catch? What did they gut to get there?

Fair question. Here’s the answer, from 19,000+ people who would know.

The receipts: an “Excellent” 4.7 stars, 19,000+ Trustpilot reviews, all invited

RxPros holds Trustpilot’s official “Excellent” rating: 4.7 stars across 19,000+ reviews. That “Excellent” label is Trustpilot’s top designation, earned, not self-awarded. It is one of the largest verified review bases of any telehealth weight loss company in America, at a score most of its competitors can’t touch, even at a fraction of the volume. You can read every one of them here.

And there’s a detail on that Trustpilot profile that separates it from the review scores you see plastered on ads. Trustpilot publicly labels RxPros as a company that invites all of its customers to leave a review, positive or negative.

That distinction is everything. Plenty of companies quietly cherry-pick who gets asked for a review, which is how a mediocre operation ends up wearing a shiny score. An all-invited policy means the 4.7 isn’t a curated highlight reel. It’s the honest average of the entire customer base, at a scale far too large to stage-manage. Every experience counts, including the bad days. The score survived anyway.

Spend ten minutes in those Trustpilot reviews and the pattern is unmistakable. Customers describe approvals coming back within hours. They describe medication arriving overnight or in two days in cold-insulated packaging. And over and over, they name real human support staff who answered the phone, fixed problems, and followed up. Several Trustpilot reviewers describe switching from bigger-name competitors whose prices ballooned mid-treatment, and finding the same medication at RxPros for a fraction of the cost with better service.

That’s not what cutting corners looks like. That’s what a premium brand looks like. One that happens to refuse to charge premium-brand prices.

Legitimate, licensed, and prescription-only

The low price also hasn’t come at the expense of the clinical guardrails. RxPros is a LegitScript-certified telemedicine provider, an independent certification that vets pharmacies and telehealth companies for legal and regulatory compliance. Treatment is prescription-only: you complete an online health assessment, a licensed U.S. provider reviews your history and determines whether GLP-1 treatment is appropriate for you, and if prescribed, your medication is prepared and shipped by licensed U.S. pharmacies. Your care doesn’t end at checkout, either. Dose adjustments and provider check-ins are part of the plan, at no extra charge, for as long as you’re a patient.

So how is this possible?

The uncomfortable truth about GLP-1 pricing is that much of what patients pay elsewhere isn’t going to medicine or medical care. It’s going to bloated ad budgets, membership-fee schemes, and margin structures built around dose-based price escalation, which charge you more precisely when you’re most committed and least likely to quit.

Strip those out, run an efficient operation, and treat customer service as the product rather than a cost center, and the math works. The 19,000+ Trustpilot reviews are what happens when it works for long enough, in public, with every customer invited to say so.

See for yourself

The best part of the RxPros story is that none of it requires trust in this article. The evidence is sitting in the open. Read the reviews on Trustpilot, compare the prices against anyone in the industry, and then take the free assessment at RxPros.com to see if you qualify.

The lowest price in the industry and the most trusted name in it were never supposed to be the same company. Nobody told RxPros.

Prescription required. Treatment is only available if a licensed provider determines it is appropriate for you. Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not FDA-approved products and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. Individual weight loss results vary and depend on dose, adherence, diet, activity, and individual factors.

2026 has been a banner year for Prime Video so far, and the streamer is enjoying continued success with its latest release, Reacher. Starring Alan Ritchson, Prime Video has unleashed four seasons of Reacher in only five years, and with the fifth season already shooting, it’s a safe bet that it will be released before the end of 2027. Prime Video also brought back its hit Reacher replacement, Cross, for its second season earlier this year. The show stars Aldis Hodge, who starred as Hawkman opposite Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam, and Prime Video has already ordered a third season of the James Patterson-inspired crime show. Hellboy veteran Ron Perlman has even joined the cast of Cross Season 3, which is also expected to be released before the end of 2027.

One of Prime Video’s biggest success stories in the last few years is Fallout, the sci-fi series inspired by the popular video game series from developer Bethesda. Fallout set out to tell a new story set within the existing timeline and canon instead of adapting the events of one of the games, which has proven to be a smart choice, as it allowed for the introduction of beloved new characters like The Ghoul (played by Walton Goggins) and Lucy (played by Ella Purnell). Prime Video unleashed the long-awaited second season of Fallout at the end of 2025, and Season 2 bled into the early months of 2026, but the show isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Before Fallout returns for Season 3 in 2027, the show has surged back into the global top 10 in more than 15 countries around the world. Fallout is perfect for fans of Silo and The Last of Us, as it takes elements from both shows, like vaults and post-apocalyptic wastelands, and effectively merges them for one series.

Prime Video Secured Some Big Stars for ‘Fallout’ Season 3

The biggest names to join the cast between Fallout Season 1 and 2 were Kumail Nanjiani and Macaulay Culkin, and Prime Video is continuing the trend of getting big stars in Season 3. News broke earlier this year that Aaron Paul, famed for his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, is joining the cast of Fallout Season 3 in an undisclosed role. Manny Jacinto, who recently stole the show in the canceled Star Wars Disney Plus series, The Acolyte, has also joined the cast of Fallout Season 3. Production on Fallout Season 3 is deep in the weeds, which should allow the show to return next year with no problems.

Check out the first two seasons of Fallout on Prime Video and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Season 3.

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Release Date

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April 10, 2024

Network

Amazon Prime Video

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Showrunner

Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan

Directors

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Frederick E. O. Toye, Wayne Che Yip, Stephen Williams, Liz Friedlander, Jonathan Nolan, Daniel Gray Longino, Clare Kilner

Writers

Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan

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Neill Blomkamp had an almost impossible job following District 9. His feature debut came out of nowhere, earned more than $200 million worldwide, landed a Best Picture nomination and immediately established the filmmaker as one of Hollywood’s most exciting new science-fiction voices. Naturally, his follow-up went even bigger. Much bigger. He equipped himself with an A-list cast, a huge budget and fused District 9 with Blade Runner to make this epic science fiction feature that’s exploding on Netflix once again, as audiences rediscover it 13 years later.

Elysium is streaming on Netflix, giving audiences another opportunity to revisit Blomkamp’s 2013 sci-fi epic. In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) will stop at nothing to preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium – but that doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in by any means they can. Max (Matt Damon) agrees to take on a life-threatening mission, one that could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

Blomkamp wrote, directed and produced Elysium, using the significantly larger budget to expand many of the themes he’d explored in District 9. Immigration, inequality, access to healthcare, worker exploitation and transhumanism all sit underneath the gunfire, exoskeletons and exploding mercenaries.

Who Stars in ‘Elysium’?

Elysium also stars Sharlto Copley (District 9) as Kruger, Alice Braga (I Am Legend) as Frey, Diego Luna (Andor) as Julio, Wagner Moura (Narcos) as Spider, William Fichtner (The Dark Knight) as John Carlyle, Faran Tahir (Iron Man) as President Patel, Brandon Auret (Chappie) as Drake, and Emma Tremblay (Supergirl) as Matilda.

Elysium wasn’t a blockbuster hit, especially not relative to its budget, but it was a modest success, all things considered. It opened at No. 1 domestically with $29.8 million and ultimately earned $93.1 million in North America and approximately $193.1 million internationally, giving it a worldwide total of roughly $286.2 million. Critics also felt it failed to hit the heights of District 9, while it currently has a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score from 262 reviews, and a 58% audience score.

Elysium is streaming on Netflix.

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Release Date

August 9, 2013

Runtime

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109 minutes

Producers

Bill Block

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Amazon is investing plenty in its next action superstar after acquiring the James Bond franchise for $1 billion. The casting for the new 007 is justifiably taking some time, with the new face of a massive era in both Bond and Prime Video’s history a choice that requires plenty of time and detail. Recently, producer Amy Pascal confirmed that the team’s “methodical” approach to casting should come to an end before the end of the year, sending the rumor mill into overdrive as the likes of Henry Cavill, Jack Lowden, and Callum Turner‘s names turn from whispers into shouts.

Whoever the new 007 is, there’s no doubt that they will become the face of Prime Video, and likely the most famous action star on the planet. But before that time comes for Cavill, Lowden, Turner, or whoever else might be cast, there’s already a man flying that action flag for Prime Video, and he recently returned to the viewing pleasure of millions. Following a brutal third season, Alan Ritchson‘s Reacher made an explosive return last week in Season 4, Episode 1, “City of Brotherly Love,” directed by Sam Hill and written by Nick Santora.

With the promise of 30 fight sequences spread across its eight episodes, fans can expect the most action-packed installment of Reacher yet over the coming weeks, with Christopher Marquette (The Girl Next Door), Agnez Mo (Pernikahan Dini), Anggun (Cannes Confidential), Kevin Corrigan (Grounded for Life), Sydelle Noel (Black Panther), Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and more added to the cast. Already, the series has shot back to its rightful place atop the streaming charts, ranking as the most-watched series on Prime Video in both the U.S. and worldwide.

What Have Critics Said About ‘Reacher’ Season 4?

The latest season of Reacher has kept up the action show’s streak of ranking above 90% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes in every season, with the fourth installment currently scoring 94%. An adaptation of Gone Tomorrow, the 13th novel in Lee Child‘s long-running series, what exactly have critics said about the latest batch of ass-kicking episodes? For Collider, David Caballero wrote, “Reacher Season 4 stays true to itself by delivering a fistful of rageful, determined justice that will have you cheering through gritted teeth,” adding that this is “the show’s bleakest, most furious, and most demanding season so far.”

Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

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February 3, 2022

Network

Prime Video

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Showrunner

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

Cait Duffy

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Margaret Qualley let the dogs out.

Qualley, 31, went nearly barefoot at the Dog Stars premiere in London, England, on Thursday, August 20, in a pair of soleless Chanel flats. The shoes, which are going viral on social media, featured nothing but a heel and two straps that tied in bows around the base of her ankle. The actress made sure her toes were perfectly polished with black paint.

On the red carpet, Qualley opened up to Good Morning America about her unconventional look, confirming that she was indeed barefoot. “Well, I found the little Chanel [shoes],” she said while looking down at her feet. “I’m Chanel barefoot!”

The Substance star styled her interesting footwear with a Chanel dress featuring a plunging neckline, short sleeves, a snatched waist and all-over fringe details.

For glam, Qualley donned a full beat including glowy skin, manicured eyebrows, winged eyeliner, blushed cheeks and pin lops. Her brunette hair was parted down the middle and styled in soft curls.

Fans were quick to share their reactions to Qualley’s shoes via Instagram.

“I was IN LOVE until I saw the shoes,” one wrote. A second agreed, “What the helly?” Another person questioned her flats, writing, “Why bother with a shoe at all at that point?? 🤨.” One more loved her overall look, but wasn’t here for the partial-shoes: “Silly shoes, but she is sooooo incredibly beautiful!! 😍😍😍.”

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In Dog Stars, Qualley plays Cima alongside Jacob Elordi, who stars as Hig. More cast members include Josh Brolin (Bangley) and Guy Pearce (Pops). The movie follows survivors of a pandemic that travel through a post-apocalyptic land to find the origin of a radio transmission.

Qualley previously promoted the film, which is set to premiere in theaters on August 28, via Instagram.

In June, she shared a zoomed-in photo of herself, giving fans a close-up on her freckles. “Dog Stars ⭐️ 💫 in theaters August 28,” she captioned the post.

Love Island USA alum Iris Kendall opened up about beauty treatments she’s tried through the years.

“Obviously I wanna preface this by saying do whatever to your body,” she said via TikTok on Thursday, August 20. “These are just personal things that I regret.”

“The first thing that I really regret doing to myself is getting lip injections,” Kendall, 26, said, noting she got the injections at just 18 years old. “I really wish I didn’t do that. It just never fully went away. I just don’t think the injector knew what they were doing. They totally overfilled my lips.”

The reality star went on to say that if her fans want to get lip filler, she recommends finding the “right injector.”

“For me, I already had naturally plump lips, so I didn’t really need it,” she said.

@iriskendalll

My beauty regrets doing and not doing! 💄

♬ original sound – Iris Kendall

Kendall then addressed speculation of other work she’s had done, sharing that she only has Botox in her forehead, which she doesn’t regret because it’s “an anti-wrinkle preventative.”

“I just didn’t want to form those wrinkles on my forehead, so that’s why I did it,” she added.

The influencer also shared that she doesn’t have any Botox in her lower face, but normally has “strong facial muscles.”

“That’s why some things don’t move on my face,” she explained.

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Another thing she regrets is tanning without SPF. “I do have sun damage from not wearing sunscreen,” she shared. “Also, make sure you put it on your neck.”

Kendall also noted that she regrets not applying products to her neck while doing her skincare and makeup routine, as well as not “embracing” her natural brunette hair color. “Don’t get me wrong, I did love the blonde, but it was hard to maintain,” she said.

Kendall lastly shared that she regrets spending so much money on expensive skincare products and not finding her best eyebrow shape earlier.

Hayden Panettiere‘s ex Brian Hickerson was reportedly accused of drug use three days before the actress’ unexpected death at 36.

According to court records obtained by People on Friday, August 21, prosecutors accused Hickerson, 37, of continued drug use amid his efforts to expunge his domestic violence convictions. Neither Hickerson nor his attorney attended the hearing.

During the hearing that occurred on August 13, prosecutors argued that Hickerson’s petition to expunge his two felony counts of corporal injury to a spouse/cohabitant should be denied. (Hickerson was convicted in 2021 after pleading no contest in a domestic violence case involving Panettiere. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, for which he spent 13 days behind bars, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes and a five-year protective order. Hickerson also had to pay $500 in restitution.)

At the hearing last week, a prosecutor argued that Hickerson appeared “quite high on what appears to be a stimulant,” claiming he was “very clearly not sober” during a recent interview, per the outlet. The prosecutor alleged that Hickerson spoke “for 15 minutes about the abuse that’s been documented in his victim’s bestselling book, and he makes several admissions about that.” (Hickerson was interviewed by TMZ in May following the release of Panettiere’s memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.)

Related: Hayden Panettiere’s Ex Brian Hickerson ‘Inserted Himself’ Back Into Her Life

Hayden Panettiere‘s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson found himself back in the actress’ life before her shocking death. “Brian was with her at the time of her death,” the source exclusively shared with Us. “He had inserted himself into her life and was surveilling her.” According to a Greenville City Police Department incident report obtained by […]

The prosecutor also stated that Hickerson “was high and arrested at a local restaurant in West Hollywood” in August 2025.

Us confirmed that Hickerson was arrested twice within a matter of days, the first time at a bar on August 2, 2025, and again on August 6, 2025. Records show that he was cuffed at 5:14 p.m. on August 2, booked at 5:45 p.m. and released at 3:17 a.m. the following morning. On August 6, he was arrested just before 8 a.m., booked at 9:12 a.m. and released later that evening.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirmed to Us that charges for both arrests were “under the influence of a controlled substance.”

According to records viewed by Us, Hickerson did have a hearing on August 13, which was three days before Panettiere’s death. His expungement request was ultimately denied by a judge.

Following the hearing last week, the L.A. County D.A.’s Office told People in a statement that prosecutors opposed Hickerson’s petition “based on the individual’s Aug. 2, 2025, arrest” and what they characterized as his “continued demonstrable drug use.”

Us has reached out to Hickerson’s attorney and the prosecutor in the case for comment.

Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16. She was found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina by Brian and his brother, Zach Hickerson. Emergency services arrived at the scene to perform “advanced cardiac life support measures,” but the actress was pronounced dead that afternoon.

Related: Why Hayden Panettiere Hired Security When Ex Brian Hickerson Returned

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Hayden Panettiere felt compelled to set firm boundaries with ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson in the months before her death, including taking steps to protect herself. “She helped him from time to time because he made her feel guilty, claiming he was trying to turn his life around, but couldn’t because she put him in jail,” a […]

An autopsy was completed and found “no signs of trauma that would have contributed” to Panettiere’s death, per the coroner’s office. The cause and manner of her death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”

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The New York Times reported on Thursday, August 20, that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was investigating Panettiere’s death.

Brian broke his silence on Panettiere’s death in a statement shared via his attorney Sloan Ellis.

“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis told Us on Thursday. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”