Entertainment
The 10 Heaviest TV Dramas, Ranked
It can be a significant commitment to watch a television show that is relentlessly bleak because of how demanding a binge experience may be. While watching a film about serious subject material can be draining, it only requires a viewer to commit to a single story that has a resolution. Committing to watching a dark or disturbing show every week, or consuming it all if it is released at once, means that the material has to be incredibly compelling to justify the emotional punishment.
Television has become a bolder medium within recent years, so it is not a surprise that some of the most distressing dramas were made more recently when shows were allowed to include more graphic content that wouldn’t have been allowed within a more restricted era. Here are the heaviest television dramas, ranked.
10
‘This Is Going to Hurt’ (2022)
This Is Going to Hurt is one of the best medical dramas of all time because it does away with all the clichés that have become common within hospital shows. Rather than painting the healthcare industry in a positive light and overlooking the issues that doctors face, This Is Going to Hurt explored the life of an overworked, brilliant OBGYN worker (played by Ben Whishaw) who faces emotional turmoil while trying to assist his patients.
This Is Going to Hurt isn’t just a compelling exploration of the failings of the contemporary healthcare industry, but a surprisingly moving study on how bigotry and homophobia were sadly an issue in contemporary Britain. Those who love The Pitt owe it to themselves to check out This Is Going to Hurt, even though it’s not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination.
9
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
Andor is by far the darkest Star Wars story ever told, and it’s hard to even believe that it takes place in the same connected universe as something more family-friendly like The Mandalorian. While anyone with a passing knowledge of the series knew that the show was going to end on a downbeat note because Cassian (Diego Luna) sacrifices himself at the end of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it was surprising the degree to which Andor paralleled and predicted real political events.
Andor masterfully examined how a fascist, military government like the Galactic Empire could commit a genocide and dissuade any resistance groups from doing anything about it by pitting them against one another. Even if it leads to a happy conclusion in the original Star Wars trilogy, Andor puts the dark subtext of what George Lucas created into reality.
8
‘Mr. Robot’ (2015–2019)
Mr. Robot may be a wildly entertaining series because of its frequent twists and turns, but the subject material is quite heavy. The character of Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) is tormented by a traumatic past that includes abuse at the hands of his father (Christian Slater), and uses his pain to fuel a hacktivist society aimed at bringing powerful people to their knees.
Mr. Robot gets darker with each progressive season, as there are major characters that die, and other twists that may be shocking. The brilliance of what Sam Esmail achieved with the series was that he didn’t deny the corruption and unfairness of contemporary society, and explored (for better or worse) why people like Elliot were compelled to take a stand against the forces of capitalism and fascism that threatened to extinguish the rights of those who didn’t have any means to protect themselves.
7
‘The Knick’ (2014–2015)
The Knick is a very realistic medical drama from Steven Soderbergh, a filmmaker who is no stranger to making dark films. The series explores the origins of contemporary medical science during the beginning of the 20th century, and shows how hospitals were completely ill-equipped to deal with the spread of infectious diseases.
The Knick was aware of the social and political issues that were dealt with in hospitals at the time, acknowledging how racism and classism made it hard for doctors to do their work. It’s also one of the most visceral examinations of addiction ever seen on television, as Clive Owen gave an awards-worthy performance as a brilliant physician who was unable to suppress his urges. As with many Soderbergh projects, the commitment to realism is what made The Knick truly unforgettable, especially when compared to other medical dramas.
6
‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)
Ozark is the rare drama show that has a very twisted sense of humor, yet still has dramatic twists that are quite serious. What’s most remarkable about the series is that it showed no concern about the character being likable; Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) is a bad guy who is involved with even shadier members of the Mexican drug cartel, and his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) proves to be even more sinister when she becomes the “Lady Macbeth” of the series.
Ozark was frequently willing to get quite controversial by including graphic murder, torture, emotional abuse, and assault, as there seemed to be nothing off-limits. In fact, Ozark may have become so popular because it was willing to go to dark places that most dramas wouldn’t even think about going to, even during the boom of aspirational content within the streaming wars.
5
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers is about as upsetting as one might imagine based on its premise; the series explores the aftermath of an inexplicable global event in which a small fraction of the population disappeared without a trace. Although The Leftovers is a mystery that follows how the survivors attempt to seek answers when science and faith both come up short, it’s also a devastating portrayal of how hard it can be to piece back together a shattered life.
The Leftovers is immensely affecting because of how strong the performances are, as none of the science fiction components make the characters any less dramatically authentic. While some of the show’s fans interpreted its final episode, “The Book of Nora,” to be slightly optimistic, there are so many distressing and disturbing moments sprinkled throughout the entirety of The Leftovers that it is certainly not for the faint of heart.
4
‘Six Feet Under’ (2001–2005)
Six Feet Under set a precedent for HBO’s ability to tell compelling drama shows that weren’t tinged with a crime element. While it could have felt like a more traditional family melodrama, Six Feet Under presented a grim (albeit occasionally funny in a dark way) examination of the lives of a family that owns a funeral home.
There’s a major death in every episode of Six Feet Under, and the range of reactions that they inspire leads to some of the show’s most interesting insights about the facets of human nature. Nonetheless, even the most life-affirming moments in Six Feet Under wrestle with the inevitability of death, with the show’s finale “Everybody’s Waiting” being a standout because of a perfect montage that shows the fates of all of its characters in the weeks, months, years, and decades afterward.
3
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
The Wire has been praised by real journalists, politicians, and law enforcement officials because of how realistically it portrayed the realities of the drug trade. Creator David Simon was a former reporter for the crime beat in Baltimore for well over a decade, and used his experience to inspire a powerful, searing look at the ways in which drug-related crime impacted local communities, trade, politics, education, and reporting. The Wire was relevant when it first started airing, and it feels even more important today.
The Wire dealt with harrowing issues such as the neglect of children, drug addiction, violence against unhoused people, and abusive tactics utilized by cops. While viewing all five seasons in their entirety is a rewarding experience because of the many great characters, The Wire is nothing but an authentic depiction of the world as it is, and not what one may want it to be.
2
‘Top of the Lake’ (2013–2017)
Top of the Lake is an unusual drama series that had an unexpected continuation when creator Jane Campion decided to develop a second season many years after the first installment had been thought to be a miniseries. What was most surprising about the renewal of Top of the Lake was that it was hard to imagine how the series could be sustainable with such a dark premise; the series frankly deals with a murder investigation involving a young woman, and does not shy away from issues of sexism, abuse, and trauma.
Top of the Lake has a realistic approach to storytelling that may be familiar to those who have seen Jane Campion’s films. While the first season of the show at least has some catharsis in its ending, the second (which was subtitled Top of the Lake: China Girl) is almost unwatchably bleak.
1
‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)
The Shield was groundbreaking television because it served as an alternative to the ways that law enforcement had been depicted in the media up until that point in time. While cops had traditionally been presented as sympathetic and honorable, The Shield presented the ultimate anti-hero in Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), a corrupt member of the Los Angeles Police Department who uses his position as the leader of Strike Force to wield dangerous authority without ever being subjected to serious repercussions by his superiors.
The Shield presented complex and thoughtful ethical debates because there were instances in which Mackey’s extreme tactics were necessary to take down even more loathsome villains. However, the arc of the show ultimately leaned in a tragic direction, resulting in one of the bleakest, most unsparing finales in television history, with the haunting finale episode “Family Meeting.”
The Shield
- Release Date
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2002 – 2008
- Directors
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Guy Ferland, Scott Brazil, Clark Johnson, Dean White, Stephen Kay, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, D. J. Caruso, Nick Gomez, Paris Barclay, Peter Horton, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Philip G. Atwell, Terrence O’Hara, Billy Gierhart, Brad Anderson, Craig Brewer, David Mamet, Davis Guggenheim, Frank Darabont, Gary Fleder, John Badham, Leslie Libman, Michael Fields, Scott Winant
- Writers
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Shawn Ryan, Glen Mazzara, Charles H. Eglee, Kim Clements, Kevin Arkadie, Gary Lennon, John Hlavin, Lisa Randolph, Reed Steiner, Angela Russo-Otstot, Diego Gutierrez, Ted Griffin, Elizabeth Craft, Emily Lewis, Jameal Turner, Renee Palyo
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In one week, Scream 7 will slash into cinemas, unveiling the latest installment to hail from the 30-year-old franchise. With the story set around Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, the project marks a return to the original film series after having gone off in a different direction in 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI. So far, the marketing team has made it abundantly clear that the masked killer known as Ghostface will have a new target in his sights — Sidney’s teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May). Helmed by Kevin Williamson, who created the slasher universe and served as the scribe on the first, second, and fourth films, the new movie promises to delight fans of the original while also throwing in a group of new characters into the middle of the massacre.
Speaking of those newcomers, the ensemble list backing Campbell in Scream 7 includes Asa Germann (Gen V), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Joel McHale (Community), Mark Consuelos (Riverdale), Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans), Celeste O’Connor (Madame Web), Ethan Embry (Empire Records), Michelle Randolph (Landman) and Mckenna Grace (Five Nights at Freddy’s 2). But they won’t be the only faces in Ghostface’s deadly path, as a multitude of characters from the previous films will also be making their return, with Matthew Lillard, Courteney Cox, Scott Foley, David Arquette, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown confirmed to be in the mix.
Where To Stream All Six ‘Scream’ Movies for Free
With so many characters and stories weaving in and out of the plot of Scream 7, it might be a little bit hard to keep it all straight. Luckily, audiences can now head over to Pluto TV to stream all six of the Scream movies completely free of charge. As if its impressive docket of content wasn’t enough, the streamer is offering fans the opportunity to go on a trip down memory lane and have a six-film movie night that will jog your memory of the entire franchise. While we might not yet fully understand exactly how Williamson and his team will be bringing the deceased characters played by Arquette, Lillard, and Foley back, a nice refresher is just what the Scream-obsessed fan in your life ordered.
Will Scream 7 round out the franchise and mark the end of the film series? While it doesn’t seem overly likely, there’s always a chance that this could be the last one. Regardless, get a jump on the story by heading over to Pluto TV and streaming all six Scream films for free.
- Release Date
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December 20, 1996
- Runtime
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112 minutes
- Writers
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Kevin Williamson
- Producers
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Bob Weinstein, Cary Woods, Cathy Konrad, Harvey Weinstein
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Get in, fashionista! We’re going shopping for Rachel McAdams‘ dress, a.k.a. the cutest iteration of the anti-jeans trend. Her latest denim-colored dress style is sleek, timeless and seriously slimming, and we found a version that takes it up a notch. Not only is our pick flattering, but it’s also buttery-soft and stretchy. Seriously, it’s a dream!
After receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, McAdams beamed as she headed to Jimmy Kimmel Live — and her polished midi, coupled with bright white heels and a chic handbag, made her shine even brighter. This understated dress style is a luxurious alternative to denim, especially since it totally feels like loungewear.
Like McAdams’ pick, the Newshows midi dress features buttons down the front, long sleeves and a classy collar. It even has a similar split hem! However, the dresses differ in comfort. McAdams’ look has a stiff, blazer-like construction, whereas the Amazon twin is mega stretchy, almost like a second skin. Whether you’re running errands or having a board meeting, you’ll be as cozy as you are classy.
Everyone wants to feel like a Parisian rich mom — and a cool one, at that. Luckily, all it takes are the right outfit pieces, and we’ve nailed down their style to a tee; it turns out, they don’t sacrifice comfort for class. Their elevated favorites are secretly so cozy, and we found 19 pieces […]
We also need to talk about the fact that the budget-friendly alternative is so flattering. The front buttons and ribbed-knit material visually elongate the torso, making you appear instantly taller and leaner. Better yet, this bodycon midi is fitted at the top and looser toward the legs, so you’ll have a snatched, defined waist from every angle.
Shoppers can’t get enough of the fit, feel and wear-everywhere style. One happy reviewer noted this dress was “forgiving,” while another said it “helps hide bulges.” One person summed it all up and wrote, “The ribbed knit material is soft, stretchy and hugs your body in all the right places. [It’s] warm without being too heavy. I love that this dress can be dressed up with heels or boots for a night out or worn casually with sneakers or flats. It’s incredibly versatile.”
Reviewers wear this sweater dress for daytime errands and formal events alike, so don’t be surprised if you rock it nonstop. It’s the easiest way to look sophisticated, rich and put together on the daily, from grocery trips to in-office days. You may just ditch your scratchy jeans for good!
Get the Newshows Bodycon Sweater Dress for $40 on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Not what you’re looking for? Shop other dresses on Amazon and don’t forget to check out Amazon’s Daily Deals here!
I’m a comfort connoisseur, but I don’t shell out triple digits for cashmere sweaters. That said, everyone thinks I do, since I wear cozy, high-end-looking styles on repeat. These 17 quiet luxury sweaters nail the aesthetic; these options appear identical to pricey wool yet start at just $10. Understated and luxe, these sweaters channel serious […]
Love it or argue about it for three straight hours — The Green Knight is one of those movies that refuses to leave your brain. Now, A24’s hypnotic medieval fantasy will be available to stream for free this March, giving audiences another chance to revisit (or finally experience) one of the studio’s most divisive releases.
Directed by David Lowery, the film reimagines the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain with a moody, surreal twist. Dev Patel stars as Gawain, the reckless nephew of King Arthur who accepts a mysterious challenge from the towering, otherworldly Green Knight — a decision that sends him on a haunting journey through temptation, fear, honor, and self-doubt. The cast also includes Alicia Vikander in dual roles, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, and Ralph Ineson as the unforgettable Green Knight.
Upon release, the film sparked intense debate. Some praised its slow-burn atmosphere, philosophical depth, and painterly visuals. Others found its deliberate pacing and ambiguous ending frustrating. Either way, it became one of A24’s most talked-about projects — the kind of fantasy epic that feels more like a dream than a blockbuster.
Is ‘The Green Knight’ Worth Watching?
Collider’s review stated that The Green Knight was a darkly beautiful, hauntingly philosophical reimagining of the Arthurian legend — and a crowning achievement for director Lowery. Rather than delivering a straightforward tale of knightly triumph, the film unfolded as a meditative exploration of honor, mortality, and the uneasy space between glory and goodness. Patel’s performance was singled out as essential to the film’s power, grounding the mythic material in vulnerability and sincerity.
“The Green Knight is an astounding film, rich in its visuals, its storytelling, and its themes. For a filmmaker who is constantly challenging himself and finding humanistic values no matter the genre, The Green Knight is a crowning achievement for Lowery, and one that demands to be seen. It is a challenging film, but one where those who choose to meet those challenges and engage with the material will be richly rewarded from a story that has stood the test of time, and with a film that I believe will do the same.”
The Green Knight will stream for free on Kanopy next month.
- Release Date
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July 29, 2021
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Director
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David Lowery
- Writers
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David Lowery
- Producers
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Aaron L. Gilbert, Macdara Kelleher, Edmund Sampson, James M. Johnston, Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jason Cloth, Theresa Page, Tomas Deckaj, Anjay Nagpal
Viral Stuffed Monkey
People Going Bananas on Ebay After IKEA Sells Out
Published
An IKEA plush toy is officially swinging into resale madness … cause TMZ has learned some sellers are asking for serious cash after the retailer sold out.
The frenzy started after viral photos showed Punch, a monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, clutching IKEA’s DJUNGELSKOG orangutan plush for comfort. The sweet moment blew up online, and shoppers rushed to grab the same stuffed sidekick.
Now? It’s a flipping frenzy. A quick scan of eBay shows listings as high as $350, with others going for $269.99, $240, and well over $100 … a huge markup from the toy’s original $20 IKEA price. Some sellers are even tacking on hefty shipping fees, pushing totals even higher.
IKEA saw a sharp spike in demand over the past several days, particularly in Japan, the United States and South Korea. We’re told stores in those regions are actively working to restock after inventory was wiped out.
Javier Quiñones, CEO and CSO of IKEA U.S. and now Commercial Manager at Ingka Group, tells TMZ … the orangutan plush has long been one of the retailer’s most sought-after toys, but Punch’s viral story has given it “a little extra love.”
TMZ has also learned … after seeing the social media buzz, IKEA Japan reached out directly to the zoo. Last Tuesday, the company donated several soft toys, including additional orangutans and storage items, to enhance areas for children visiting.
As for Punch, IKEA says it sincerely hopes he’ll eventually feel comfortable around the other monkeys and won’t need the plush for reassurance.
Until then, one monkey’s comfort toy is cashing in big.
By Robert Scucci
| Published
One of my favorite I Think You Should Leave skits involves a burnt-out cop named Detective Crashmore, portrayed by the late, great Biff Wiff, who doesn’t even care if he dies “because everything has sucked lately.” He kicks down doors and pumps rooms full of lead before rattling off catchphrases like “You f****** suck!” He’s overtly angry, constantly butts heads with his commissioner, and arms himself to the teeth with comically large weapons before getting back to business after tragedy strikes.
While there’s no definitive way for me to prove it, I have reason to believe that Rutger Hauer’s Harley Stone in 1992’s Split Second was the inspiration for Detective Crashmore, because it’s basically the same character, aside from the fact that Split Second isn’t meant to be a parody.
Billed as a dystopian buddy cop science fiction action horror film, Split Second is an over-the-top exercise in swift and brutal justice, as our hero searches for answers in a string of serial slayings that have eluded him for years. While Split Second isn’t necessarily a comedy, Rutger Hauer’s cigar-smoking, coffee-swilling, gun-blasting Harley Stone is so deadpan in his badassery that I can’t help but imagine Biff Wiff studying this movie while preparing for the Tim Robinson sketch I love so much.
“He’ll Need Bigger Guns”
Set in 2008 London, Split Second wastes no time establishing Harley Stone as a hardened homicide detective who shoots first, asks questions later, and operates so firmly in his own lane that nobody can keep up with him or keep him under control on their best day. Coming in hot after his suspension is lifted, Harley is forced to let rookie officer and psychologist Dick Durkin (Neil Duncan) tag along on his investigations and report on any unstable behavior that he exhibits.
Fortunately for Harley, his insane theory about a serial killer ripping the hearts out of its subjects is proven correct, allowing Dick to brush aside any psychological concerns he may have originally had. All they know is that the killer’s activity is linked to lunar cycles, and may have origins in the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or occult.
Haunted by the case because the killer claimed the life of his partner, Foster McLaine (Steven Hartley), matters are complicated for Harley when his widowed wife, Michelle McLaine (Kim Cattrall) reenters his life and becomes one of the killer’s targets. With no solid leads to pursue, but every single comically large gun known to man at his disposal, Harley embarks with Dick on a blood-soaked quest to find the killer and end his reign of terror once and for all, making sure there’s plenty of collateral damage along the way.
Extreme Buddy Cop Energy
Harley and Dick are the ultimate odd couple in Split Second, and their chemistry works better than it has any right to. You don’t get the usual fighting-over-the-radio-station trope here, but watching Dick slowly transform from idealistic rookie to chain-smoking, gun-toting, coffee-chugging badass under Harley’s influence is such a satisfying payoff. As they close in on the killer, they move as one in their efforts to keep Michelle safe and finally crack the case that has been tormenting Harley for years.
Split Second’s violence is my favorite kind of violence because it’s so gratuitous you can’t take it seriously. Blood is bright red and splatters everywhere, hearts are theatrically ripped from chests, pentagrams are carved into bodies, and coffee cups get chugged and tossed with reckless abandon. It’s pulpy and melodramatic, but played completely straight, which makes it impossible not to fall in love with these characters. They’re so accustomed to living in this world that everything they do feels second nature, with zero pretension.
A total VHS-era classic, Split Second is one of those movies you throw on simply because it’s so over-the-top in every conceivable way that you can’t help but love it. Marketed as “Blade Runner meets Alien,” it doesn’t really play like either film, but it’s unique enough in its execution to have real staying power as the low-budget B movie it was always destined to be.
As of this writing, Split Second is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
Prime Video’s 56 Days threw in a surprise twist — and some book changes — that shifted the trajectory of the show.
Based on Catherine Ryan Howard‘s novel of the same name, 56 Days follows couple Oliver (Avan Jogia) and Ciara (Dove Cameron) as they start an intense relationship after meeting in a supermarket. Their romance is questioned after an unidentifiable body is found in a bathtub.
In addition to Jogia and Cameron, Megan Peta Hill, Dorian Missick, Karla Souza, Patch Darragh, Kira Guloien and Celeste Oliva make up the cast. Jesse James Keitel, Matt Murray, David Klein and Alec Albert also appear in the show.
The biggest twist on the show was the reveal that both Ciara and Oliver weren’t honest about their lives. Oliver previously went under a name but changed it after he killed a boy — and someone else took the fall. The man who was arrested for the crime was none other than Ciara’s brother.
Little Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies and You are among the best-selling books that made their way to the small screen in the form of TV adaptations. Reese Witherspoon is at the center of many of the most successful TV shows based on books, thanks to her passion for bringing fresh stories to a new […]
Oliver assumed he set up a meet cute — except it was Ciara manipulating the situation. Her plan to get revenge took a turn when she developed feelings for Oliver. Ultimately they are able to overcome the lies and end up together — with a child.
As for the body in the bathtub? That was Oliver’s therapist Dan (Darragh), who convinced Ciara’s brother to take his own life in prison and blackmailed Oliver.
56 Days featured several book changes with the location being swapped to Boston over Dublin. There is also a COVID component that wasn’t included in the Prime Video series.
“Every single thread of the story pays off,” creators Lisa Zwerling and Karyn Usher told People in February about getting the author to sign off on the shifts. “Her book gave us such a sexy, emotional thrill-ride of a show. It was hugely important to us that she was happy.”
Jogia and Cameron broke down their favorite parts of bringing the show to life.
“Ciara could be this kind of manic pixie dream girl that’s gone off the rails if it was in someone else’s hands, who didn’t really see her as a sort of a — I hate this,” Cameron told The Wrap in February. “Yes, a person.”
She continued: “I was gonna say complex, and I hate it when people use that word to define female characters. But, you know, she’s a wholly formed person.”
Cameron elaborated on her developing her character, adding, “There’s some gaps in her personality that she has sort of filled in with things that I think she needed to survive, that she ascertained and gathered from the world on her own, when she was sort of neglected as a glass child, because everything was going wrong in the family, but a true, fully formed person, and not for his consumption, right? Which is what the role so easily could have been.”
56 Days is streaming on Prime Video.
The 1980s brought us some of the best movies in pop culture history. Ghostbusters, Aliens and The Terminator are just a few titles from a long list of exceptional cinema.
This February, Watch With Us takes a look back at three ’80s movies that you should run back a second time on streamers like Prime Video and Tubi, and we ranked them.
For this list, we run the genre gamut: we’ve got horror, comedy and a scintillating erotic thriller.
At the top of our list is Hellraiser, that classic horror movie that spawned a franchise.
Reagan-era nostalgia reached its apex with Stranger Things because the 1980s are iconic for a reason. Something shifted in the pop culture landscape with the emergence of MTV and home video games, and cinema was right up there with producing defining media that has stood the test of time. So, Watch With Us put together a […]
British hedonist Frank (Sean Chapman) gets his hands on a mysterious puzzle box while traveling abroad, and when he opens it, he unleashes a portal to Hell that brings him the perfect synthesis of pleasure and pain. Unfortunately, to achieve this, his body is literally torn apart by a group of leather-clad demons. When Frank’s brother, Larry (Andrew Robinson), and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), move into Frank’s old house, they inadvertently bring Frank’s remnants back to life. Julia — Frank’s former lover — quickly becomes his servant, bringing Frank exactly what he needs to become whole again: human blood.
Before Butterball was relegated to delivering Uber Eats orders, he was one of the terrifying Cenobites in this cult classic horror from 1987. Though reaction was initially divided due to the admittedly extreme nature of the film, Hellraiser went on to become a franchise with nine sequels and a straight-to-streaming movie on Hulu in 2022. Hellraiser feels shocking to watch even in 2026 — the lurid practical effects, over-the-top performances and true thematic ambitiousness have allowed it to endure and feel fresh.
During the Great Depression, waitress Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is unhappily married to her brutish, neglectful husband Monk (Danny Aiello), who blows what little money she makes on booze and gambling. To escape the misery of her life, Cecilia seeks refuge in the movies. But when she becomes obsessed with the new film The Purple Rose of Cairo, she rewatches it enough times that her transfixion causes the lead character, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), to emerge from the screen. Initially overjoyed at fiction and reality merging, Cecilia eventually realizes that the two were never meant to mix in such a way, and she has to get Tom back into his movie world.
Funny, sweet and inventive in equal measure, The Purple Rose of Cairo is a loving testament to the emotional power of movies and a compelling take on the line between reality and fiction. Everyone in the cast is superb, but Daniels shines in his breakout performance, and the chemistry between him and Farrow is warm and captivating. At a breezy and scant 84 minutes, The Purple Rose of Cairo manages not to waste a single minute of its time.
Electronics store owner Bobby Grady (John Laughlin) moonlights taking surveillance jobs, and he’s hired by a businessman to spy on a fashion designer whom he suspects is committing white-collar crimes. However, Bobby’s investigation into Joanna Crane (Kathleen Turner) reveals her dabbling in something a bit more salacious — spending her nights as a fetish sex worker named China Blue. Bobby can’t help but be intrigued by Joanna, but his pursuit of her in a sexual and then romantic manner is complicated by one of Joanna’s particularly disturbed clients: a sexually deviant priest (Anthony Perkins) who has taken to stalking her.
It’s always the right time to watch a good horror movie. But October is prime spooky season, and to stream a merely OK horror movie just seems wrong. To avoid doing the scariest month of the year dirty, Watch With Us has compiled a list of the 10 best horror movies of the 1980s, when […]
Crimes of Passion still divides audiences to this day, although its reputation has grown in more recent years, with more and more regarding it as a classic of the erotic thriller genre. The film stands out with its distinct, expressive cinematography, colorful lighting and production design, plus the melodramatic score and Laughlin, Turner and Perkins positively chewing the scenery. If you enjoy provocative works of art that are daring, surreal and uncompromising in their exploration of human sexuality, try Crimes of Passion on for size.
Steve Irwin
Happy birthday, We miss you
Published
The Irwin family is keeping the Crocodile Hunter’s spirit alive.
Sunday marked what would have been Steve Irwin‘s 64th birthday, and his family made sure the day didn’t pass without heartfelt tributes honoring the late wildlife icon.
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Bindi Irwin shared touching throwback photos of her dad and her brother, Robert Irwin, during their childhood days at the Australia Zoo. In her message, Bindi reflected how much she misses her dad and revealed her 4-year-old daughter, Grace, sweetly calls Steve her “guardian angel” … a nod to the way his legacy continues through the next generation.
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Robert also posted a nostalgic snapshot from when he was a young boy sitting with his dad, writing Steve remains a guiding light and daily inspiration in his life. It’s no secret Robert has followed closely in his dad’s conservation footsteps … and moments like this show just how personal that mission still is.
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Terri Irwin joined in on the celebration as well, sharing her own loving words about her late husband and encouraging fans to continue supporting wildlife conservation in his honor.
Steve tragically died in 2006 at age 44 after a stingray struck him while filming in Australia.
Entertainment
For 3 Seasons, This Unexpected ‘Friday the 13th’ Show Had Nothing To Do With the Classic Horror Franchise
The first time you see Friday the 13th in a TV listing in the late 1980s, your brain does what horror-conditioned brains do: It conjures a dock, a machete, and a hockey mask catching moonlight in a woodsy setting. Then Friday the 13th: The Series premieres on October 3, 1987, and takes a route that no one expected.
There, you won’t find Jason Voorhees, Camp Crystal Lake, or any attempt to recreate the films scene-for-scene. Instead, there’s an antiques shop called Curious Goods and a collection of everyday objects that behave like they’ve signed paperwork in blood. From 1996 to 1999, Poltergeist: The Legacy borrowed its name from the Poltergeist film franchise. However, that show dealt with a secret organization battling supernatural forces. In both cases, the title opens the door. What’s inside is something else entirely.
‘Friday the 13th: The Series’ Tricked Its Audience
On syndicated television, attention is currency. A title like Friday the 13th does half the marketing for you. The show was originally going to be called The 13th Hour, but the final name carried instant recognition. That awareness got viewers to sample the premiere, and what kept them engaged was the intriguing structure.
The premise is deceptively flexible: Lewis Vendredi makes a deal with the devil, the antiques in his shop become cursed, then he dies. His niece Micki (Louise Robey) and distant cousin Ryan (John D. LeMay) inherit the store, sell off the inventory, and only afterward learn what those items actually are. With the help of occult expert Jack Marshak (Chris Wiggins), they begin tracking the antiques down and locking them in the shop’s vault.
The Friday the 13th Franchise’s Silliest Kill Has a Terrifying Backstory
You won’t be making fun of it any longer.
Each episode revolves around a different object. A glove that heals by transferring illness in “Faith Healer,” a locket that resurrects the wearer at a cost in “Mesmer’s Bauble,” or other things like a music box, a camera, and a doll. The show becomes a rotating study of desire and consequence. The antiques don’t chase victims, but rather, they wait for someone to want something badly enough, putting them on the main characters’ radar.
Curious Goods Turns Human Weakness Into the Story Engine
What gives the series its staying power isn’t spectacle, but its repetition with variation. Every object offers a shortcut, the user takes it, and the metaphorical price escalates. Many times, the character possessing a cursed object must use it to kill people, often with Jack, Micki, and Ryan coming in to prevent further deaths, such as in “Crippled Inside,” or “Vanity’s Mirror.” Because the objects are ordinary, the horror slides into domestic spaces like kitchens, bedrooms, or even office desks. A cursed antique isn’t a masked killer lumbering through the woods.
Over 72 episodes across three seasons, the trio accumulates scars. Ryan changes the most, drifting from wide-eyed heir to someone who understands how heavy the work is. Micki sacrifices relationships to stay on the hunt. Jack carries a lifetime of occult knowledge like a man who knows every wrong door in town and keeps knocking anyway.
The format almost functions like an anthology, but the core cast anchors it. Their weariness builds as their vault to contain the cursed objects fills. The shop remains open, selling only non-cursed goods, like a storefront trying to look normal while containing something profoundly not.
There Is a Very Loose Connection to the Friday the 13th Franchise
Even though the show has no narrative ties to the films, the production lineage rings in the background. The series was created by Frank Mancuso Jr. and Larry B. Williams, and Mancuso had produced multiple Friday the 13th movies.
Then LeMay walked into Jason Goes to Hell: the Final Friday, and suddenly the separation felt thinner. Not because the stories connected, but because the same face carried history from one corner of horror into another. It played less like a crossover and more like an echo, proving that distant corners of horror culture can meet in subtle ways across time.
Behind the camera, other creative overlaps reinforced that sense of proximity. Writer/director Tom McLoughlin and music composer Fred Mollin worked on the films as well as the series. Even horror auteur David Cronenberg appeared in Jason X, and directed the episode, “Faith Healer.” Thus, the series carried the atmosphere of the film franchise, even while the stories walked a separate path.
‘Friday the 13th: The Series’ Is an Overlooked Horror Gem
The show ran from 1987 to 1990, producing 72 episodes. In the syndicated ecosystem of the late ’80s, that kind of episode count allowed a series to settle into living rooms and stay there. Viewers encountered it weekly — sometimes accidentally — and slowly recognized its rhythm.
As the seasons progressed, the storytelling deepened. Guest stars rotated in and out. Directors experimented with the formula. The cursed-object concept supported everything from body horror to psychological unraveling. Some episodes leaned pulpy while others lingered in moral dread, and that elasticity kept it from feeling stale. The series ended in 1990, and fans who hoped a final episode would bring Jason Vorhees and Camp Crystal Lake into the mix were sadly disappointed.
What remains is one of horror television’s strangest artifacts: a show that carried one of the most recognizable titles in slasher history and quietly built its own mythology instead. The real menace wasn’t a hulking figure in the woods, but the idea that evil could sit on a shelf, waiting for someone to believe they deserved more than fate had given them.
President Donald Trump
Man Shot and Killed at Mar-a-Lago
Published
A man in his early 20s was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service agents after breaching the secure perimeter at President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago property early Sunday morning.
The U.S. Secret Service says the incident unfolded around 1:30 AM near the north gate of the Palm Beach estate.
According to officials, the man was observed near the property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Secret Service agents, along with a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, confronted him and shots were fired during the encounter.
The President was not at Mar-a-Lago when the incident occurred. He’s currently in Washington, D.C.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Authorities tell us no Secret Service personnel or Palm Beach County deputies were injured.
The shooting is now under investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
In accordance with agency policy, the Secret Service agents involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Story developing …
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