Entertainment
Three Hours of ‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Left Me With More Questions Than Answers
Three hours wasn’t enough to understand Silent Hill: Townfall, but it was enough to convince me that’s exactly the point. The best Silent Hill games have never been interested in handing players easy answers. More than just asking you to survive the monsters lurking in the fog, they ask you to question the people around you, the places you’re exploring, and sometimes even the protagonist you’re controlling. Every revelation tends to create even more questions, leaving players to debate symbolism and hidden meanings for years after they’ve finished the game.
That’s a difficult balance to strike. Lean too far into ambiguity, and a story becomes frustrating. Explain too much, and the psychological horror loses its power. After spending roughly three hours with Silent Hill: Townfall during a recent hands-on preview, I’m optimistic that Screen Burn and Konami have found that balance. By the time my session ended, I was unsettled, fascinated, and more than a little confused about what I’d just experienced. Instead of wanting immediate explanations, I wanted another three hours to find them myself. If that feeling sounds familiar, that’s because it’s exactly what I (and many other fans) want in a Silent Hill game.
‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Makes St. Amelia Impossible To Ignore
Set in the fictional Scottish coastal town of St. Amelia, Townfall immediately distinguishes itself from previous entries while still feeling unmistakably Silent Hill. It’s the first mainline game to fully embrace a first-person perspective, a shift that could have easily felt like the series chasing modern horror trends. Instead, it makes every empty street, abandoned storefront, and fog-covered shoreline feel eerily personal on a level Silent Hill has never accomplished before. Simply walking through St. Amelia became one of my favorite parts of the preview, because the town is stunning. Thick fog rolls over the waterfront while weathered buildings hint at decades of economic decline. Every environment is dense with detail, rewarding players who slow down long enough to actually look around instead of sprinting toward the next objective.
That authenticity isn’t accidental. During a roundtable interview at the event, writer and director Jon McKellan explained that the team chose Scotland because they wanted to build a place they genuinely understood. “You write what you know,” McKellan said, adding that Scotland’s coastal towns naturally share many of the feelings associated with Silent Hill: isolation, creeping fog, and communities struggling to survive. He even went as far as calling the town itself the story’s main character. That philosophy is immediately apparent during the opening hours. Rather than rushing from set piece to set piece, Townfall encourages players to absorb the atmosphere while searching St. Amelia for clues surrounding the disappearance of Zoe. The result is a feeling of slowly peeling back layers of a place that’s actively hiding something from you.
The CRTV Is the Best New Mechanic in a ‘Silent Hill’ Game in Years
If St. Amelia is Townfall‘s greatest character, the handheld CRTV is its most compelling gameplay addition. The portable device serves multiple purposes throughout exploration. Players tune into different frequencies scattered throughout the world to uncover hidden signals, reveal clues, and solve environmental puzzles that gradually point Simon toward Zoe’s whereabouts. It never feels like a gimmick. Instead, the CRTV becomes central to how you interact with the world. Finding the right signal often means discovering pieces of the narrative you otherwise would have missed, making exploration feel consistently rewarding. Even better, it doubles as an important survival tool by helping identify nearby threats before they find you.
That single mechanic naturally reinforces Townfall‘s emphasis on caution. Barging into every new location is something I rarely do when it comes to a new game, but even more than normal with Townfall, I found myself slowing down, checking frequencies, scanning my surroundings, and planning how to move through each area safely. The CRTV creates tension without relying on cheap jump scares because you’re constantly aware that something could be nearby even if you can’t see it yet. And if you ignore the CRTV, there will be jumpscares as well. The puzzles themselves also strike a satisfying balance. They’re rooted in the narrative rather than abstract logic tests, asking players to interpret information they’ve discovered instead of just matching symbols or pushing blocks around. While I heard other attendees mention getting stuck during certain sections, I never felt the game crossed into being unfair.
Combat Feels Great, Which Makes ‘Townfall’ Even Scarier
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Image via Konami Digital Entertainment -
Image via Konami Digital Entertainment -
Image via Konami Digital Entertainment
One of the biggest surprises from the preview was how polished combat felt. The opening hours primarily encourage stealth, with developers explicitly advising players not to come out swinging. After experiencing the demo firsthand, that’s advice worth taking. Enemies are genuinely intimidating. Melee combat carries satisfying weight, while a later sequence showcasing firearms demonstrated that gunplay feels just as natural and intuitive. Controls are responsive, animations are clean, and I never found myself fighting against the mechanics. Ironically, that’s exactly why combat works. Even though fighting feels good, I rarely wanted to do it. Every encounter carried enough danger that avoiding confrontation usually seemed like the smarter decision. The monsters never become disposable obstacles, preserving the vulnerability that has always defined Silent Hill at its best.
The creature designs also made a strong first impression. Without spoiling specific encounters, one massive figure briefly emerging through the fog prompted me to scribble one very scientific observation in my notebook: “What in the Cloverfield fuck?” When I repeated that reaction during the roundtable, McKellan laughed before joking that it was “a good reference.” Humor aside, he also explained that the team’s approach to monster design intentionally prioritizes psychology over gore. Every creature represents something tied to the story, though those meanings may not become apparent until much later in the game. The team wanted monsters that remain unsettling because they still feel strangely human beneath their impossible appearances, not just deliver excessive violence. That restraint comes across during the preview.
‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Understands Questions Matter More Than Answers
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the preview came after I set the controller down. During the roundtable, I asked McKellan and Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto what they hoped players would be thinking about after finishing the game.
“I want them to feel something. I hope it gets people to think about things, and just take a moment to kind of take in what they’ve just played and the stories… I hope that people take the time to unpack it. Take a moment to actually consider what they’ve done and discuss it with someone else and have a different opinion.”
I think McKellan’s answer perfectly captures why Townfall left such a strong first impression on me. I left my preview with countless unanswered questions. I don’t fully understand Simon’s role in St. Amelia. I don’t know where the story is ultimately heading. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I saw disappearing into the mist. Normally, uncertainty after three hours might concern me. Here, it left me eager to keep playing. If the full game can maintain that delicate balance between mystery, atmosphere, and genuinely satisfying gameplay while delivering answers worthy of the questions it’s asking, Silent Hill: Townfall could become one of the series’ strongest entries in the series. After three hours in St. Amelia, I’m ready to go back into the fog.
Silent Hill: Townfall releases September 24, 2026.
- Released
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September 24, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Annapurna Interactive, Konami
- Franchise
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Silent Hill
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Influencer Sara Gilson’s late estranged husband Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey will reportedly not be given a funeral by his ex-wife and children after allegedly killing Gilson and himself.
Duffey’s ex-wife, Stephanie Ramsay, told TMZ on Wednesday, July 29, that their five children were responsible for making any decisions about his funeral and burial under Oklahoma law. Per Ramsay, Duffey’s children felt he was not deserving of any memorial so he will be cremated and his remains will be placed in a family plot.
In her interview, Ramsay recalled that Duffey repeatedly threatened suicide during their marriage, including warning that he would “take [her] out with him” if he ever followed through. Ramsay had sole custody of the former couple’s five children following their split. (Ramsay confirmed that she initially started dating Duffey when she was 15 and he was 20.)
On Saturday, July 25, it was reported that Gilson and Duffey were found dead in their Oklahoma City home after a fatal shooting on Thursday, July 23.
Influencer Sara Gilson’s ex-husband, Lyle Landers, allegedly “begged” her to leave her estranged husband Shawn Duffey before the couple’s apparent murder-suicide. “She had been stuck in a relationship where domestic abuse seemed ‘OK,’” Landers, 46, claimed in an interview with People published on Sunday, July 26, of his ex-wife, with whom he shared two kids, […]
Police later disclosed that 911 dispatchers received a call on Thursday from “a juvenile caller advising his step-father had shot his mother.” (Gilson is survived by two children from a previous relationship.)
The alleged murder-suicide plot took place following a tumultuous month where Gilson and a mother of a 15-year-old girl both took out separate orders of protection against Duffey.
Gilson was advised to take the action by local authorities after they received a report on June 10 from a local mother that Duffey had inappropriately touched her 15-year-old daughter. (Duffey was reportedly a youth basketball coach for the girl’s team.)
The petition accused Duffey of “child abuse” after a fellow basketball coach “observed through a window” that Duffey was “kissing and fondling” the minor on June 9 during private meetings.
This other coach alerted the girl’s mother, who alleged that she later found that Duffey was “sending inappropriate messages” to her daughter and offering her money to keep quiet.
“Once during an out of town tournament, when the whole team including myself were staying at the same hotel, [Duffey] got her [daughter] to come to his room [and] he touched her inappropriately,” the petition read.
Sara Gilson and Shawn Duffey mrsgilson/Tiktok
Gilson’s separate order of protection required Duffey to immediately leave their home and stay at least 100 yards away from her through at least August 24.
On July 11, Gilson went public with allegations of pedophilia against her estranged husband. She followed a TikTok trend where people pretend to be interviewed for a Netflix true-crime documentary — though, in her version, she wrote that she was “preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband, who I just found out is a pedophile.”
“I wish I was joking,” she added.
Weeks later, police officers were sent to Gilson’s home after receiving an emergency call where dispatchers heard a woman screaming and “what sounded to be a gunshot.”
“A few moments later, the E911 Center received another 911 call from a juvenile caller advising his step-father had shot his mother,” police said in the statement. “The juvenile caller was calling from a nearby neighbor’s home.”
Their statement concluded, “Investigators continue to work this investigation, although they advised it appeared to be a murder/suicide event.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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Thomas posed for a photo with his on-screen mom, Patricia Richardson, and brother, Taran Noah Smith, in a sweet reunion photo.
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There’s never a boring moment in Jennifer Lawrence‘s wardrobe, and her latest sneaker style is a prime example. Instead of plain white kicks, the actress opted for comfy, eye-catching ballet sneakers, and we found the look on sale for only $30.
While cycling through the city, Lawrence wore a simple black tank top, sporty track pants and split-toe ballet sneakers. What makes her outfit work is the balance. Her sporty track pants are mega casual on their own, but the ballet-inspired footwear adds an elevated twist.
Get the Coollulu Mary Jane Ballet Sneakers for $30 (was $43) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
If the split-toe silhouette feels like too much of a bold commitment, these Coollulu ballet sneakers are a softer entry point to the same energy. They feature a rounded toe, hook-and-loop closure and instep strap for that Mary Jane flair. We also love the sleek suede and vegan leather accents that make the shoes transition well from summer to fall.
If you’re tired of sneakers, sandals and even basic ballet flats, we feel you. But Anne Hathaway‘s latest shoe choice might inspire you to try a new take on an old trend. The actress wore rich-looking woven flats that somehow screamed ‘Hamptons’ and ‘Manhattan’ at the same time, and we found the luxe look for […]
And in case you missed it, these stylish slip-ons are also mega comfortable, too. They’re designed with padded insoles and an anti-slip bottom, so they’re perfect for long walks, even if it’s raining outside.
One shopper called them “fancy sporty shoes,” and we couldn’t have put it better!
Another happy reviewer who wore them on an international trip was stunned by their comfort and quality. “I recently hiked the rainforest in Australia and took these bad boys along. I think these are amazing travel shoes because they held up through hiking, sightseeing and airport terminals,” they wrote. “I like this look because it’s feminine and can be matched with anything from dresses to biking shorts.”
These trendy shoes fall firmly in polarizing-yet-chic territory, but with Lawrence’s approval, they lean way more chic. Slip them on with a dress, jeans or track pants, and her cool-girl energy is yours!
Get the Coollulu Mary Jane Ballet Sneakers for $30 (was $43) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more chic sneakers, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
If you’ve been eyeing a $600 pair of sandals, same, but nothing can justify the price tag for something you wear for three months of the year. That said, if you want to look like you dropped triple digits, these 13 luxe-looking sandals nail the assignment. Nobody at brunch will be able to tell the […]
Influencer Jordyn Woods has broken her silence on the rise of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, saying the revolutionary drug that’s taken over Hollywood has halted progress in the body inclusivity movement.
In a new interview, Jordyn Woods, who rose to fame in the early 2000s through Kylie Jenner and the rest of the Kardashian clan, has been open about body image before, even starting her own activewear line that features a range of sizes for every woman.
Jordyn Woods Doesn’t Seem To Be A Fan Of The Ozempic Trend: ‘Everyone’s Skinny’
Woods, 28, spoke with Bustle about everything under the sun, from her relationship with NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns to the recent rise in GLP-1s for weight loss.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, GLP-1s are medications that help lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss.
Woods, a size inclusivity advocate, broke her silence on the recent trend and seemed to be against the drug that’s taken Hollywood by storm.
“Yeah. We were taking some steps forward, and now I think in the Ozempic era we’re taking a few steps back. Everyone’s skinny now. The bug hasn’t caught me yet,” she said.
Jordyn Woods Isn’t Worried About Her Weight Fluctuating
Woods implied that she wasn’t interested in using a GLP-1 herself, adding that she’s aware her weight will fluctuate.
“It’s not hard for me,” she said. “My weight’s going to fluctuate. I’m going to be skinnier sometimes. I’m human.”
In 2018, Woods spoke with PEOPLE about her activewear line, SECNDNTURE, and said that she was inspired to create a more inclusive brand after falling in love with working out.
“I went through a lot of different things and working out became my therapy, especially after losing my dad,” she said. “Throughout working out all the time I realized that there wasn’t an activewear line that was super quality and affordable and size-inclusive so I decided, ‘Why not make my own?’”
Jordyn Woods Wanted To Be The Change She Was Hoping To See
For Woods, creating an activewear brand wasn’t just about making money; it was about helping other women feel comfortable in their own skin.
“I felt like there weren’t many options for clothing out there, which enhanced my tomboy-ness because I would just wear my dad’s big shirts or my brother’s big shirts,” she said. “It was discouraging to go to the mall. I knew I couldn’t find anything that would fit me or look cute.”
After Woods began modeling, though, she learned to embrace her body and everything that came with it.
“When I started modeling I gained a lot of confidence because I had to go out of my comfort zone,” she added. “And I realized that my individuality was my greatest gift and that I have this physical body and I can’t change it so you have to love it.”
Rosie O’Donnell Is Using A GLP-1 For Weight Loss
While Woods is staying away from GLP-1s for weight loss, many other celebrities have embraced them, including comedian Rosie O’Donnell.
The former “The View” moderator appeared on the “Bleep!” podcast, according to The Blast, and opened up about microdosing the popular drug to help her avoid negative side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
“I did the lowest dose for [the first] year with 2.5. Then, I did [the second] year at 5, and now, I’m just finishing year [three] at 7.5,” she said.
O’Donnell Called GLP-1 A ‘Miracle Drug’
O’Donnell, 64, has struggled with weight for most of her adult life, she said. However, once she began taking the “miracle drug” over two years ago, she said it changed everything for her.
“I’ve had trouble with my weight my whole life. I know the shame and humiliation dealt to people who are overweight,” she stated. “My kids would come home from trick-or-treating with pillowcases full of candy and hide it,” she continued. “Smart children. I’d wake up at three in the morning and go, ‘There’s a Nestlé’s Crunch bar somewhere.’ I couldn’t help myself.”
According to O’Donnell, using a GLP-1 in the right way has not only changed her body for the better, but it’s also helped her create healthier habits and quiet the “food noise” she’s battled for years.
“Mounjaro changed my life,” she said about the medication.
The Jordyn Woods Breaks Silence On Ozempic Trend: ‘Taking A Few Steps Back’ first appeared on The Blast
Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Patricia Heaton
The Everybody Loves Raymond star posted a video in July 2021, sharing an exciting milestone. “It’s July when we celebrate our nation’s freedom. Also celebrating three years of freedom from alcohol for me,” she said while on a three-mile hike. “Just wanted to share that with you. And message me if any of you are thinking about doing that, any of you are doing that now and need some encouragement or anything at all. Have a great day.”
The Middle star revealed her kids were the reason why she decided to get sober in a candid September 2021 interview on the “Heart of the Matter” podcast.
While she drank shooting the Ray Romano-led sitcom, which ran from 1996 to 2005, her drinking got worse after her four sons moved out. “I just noticed that if it was 5 p.m. and I don’t have anything to do the next day, I would start drinking automatically,” the actress said, adding that she “really started looking forward to drinking and thinking about it in a way that I hadn’t before.”
However, it was a birthday dinner for one of her sons that made her realize she had a problem.
“I was just filling my glass with red wine throughout the five or six hours that we were together. I don’t know how many glasses it was, and I felt completely sober and fine,” the Carol’s Second Act star said. “I was making a joke to the table, and I started saying, ‘You know, in our family it’s a tradition …’ And I could not pronounce the word ‘tradition.’ I tried three times, and I couldn’t say the word.”
One of her sons remarked on her inability to say the word in front of everyone. “And I was so humiliated,” she says, adding, “It shook me up. I thought, ‘That’s it. That’s it’ … It had every element that I needed. It had a logical element and had this, ‘Oh, my gosh, my sons have seen me drink too much.’”
The next day at breakfast, the Back To You actress said she told a friend, “Well, you’re the first person I’m telling this to, but this is my first day of never drinking again.”
Action fans have had plenty to feast on this year, with enough hits to keep the “best of the year” debate going for months. From high-tech military survival thrillers, revenge sagas, hard-boiled crime epics, and fun buddy adventures, the genre has delivered just about every flavor imaginable. Most of the attention has gone to high-profile releases like The Rip, The Wrecking Crew, and Alan Ritchson‘s War Machine, but some of the year’s biggest surprises have come from smaller titles. The Furious proved that point with its John Wick-meets-The Raid martial arts action, and there’s another overlooked gem that’s every bit as worthy of the conversation.
One of the year’s lesser-known action hits features a Taylor Sheridan favorite who has quietly become a favorite among fans of grounded, no-nonsense action. The narrative features a highly skilled veteran pushed past their breaking point and forced to unleash calculated violence against his enemies. Much like in the Finnish fan-favorite WWII thriller Sisu, the motivation behind the thriller is personal as the protagonist takes matters into his own hands following the kidnapping of his daughter. However, rather than the sometimes over-the-top spectacle seen in Sisu, Man of War favors the type of tactical realism and methodical combat that made Chris Pratt‘s The Terminal List an easy watch for military thriller fans.
Leading the charge is LaMonica Garrett, a face Taylor Sheridan fans will instantly recognize. He first made an impression as Thomas, the former Buffalo Soldier in the Yellowstone prequel, 1883, and then in Sheridan’s hit spy thriller Special Ops: Lioness. Military action fans may also know him as Commander Bill Cox from The Terminal List and its prequel series, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. Garrett sticks to familiar territory in Man of War, delivering another hard-hitting performance that plays to his strengths. After recently landing on digital platforms, the film has begun to reach a wider audience and is now climbing the streaming charts on Starz in multiple countries.
How Good Is ‘Man of War’?
Man of War takes viewers into the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, following Connor (Garrett), a former Navy SEAL and CIA operative who heads into the war-torn country after his daughter, an aid worker, is taken hostage by Russian mercenaries. The mission quickly becomes a one-man war as Connor encounters backstabbing and has to rely on his elite skills to fight his way through enemy territory.
Directed by William Kaufman (Sinners and Saints), the movie has already earned praise from several platforms for its relentless action and “all-out carnage,” with much of the attention directed toward Garrett’s “badass” performance. Other reviewers have also highlighted the film’s effort to show the human cost of conflict and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. The cast also includes Linds Edwards (Osiris), Andrew Howard (Limitless), Rosemary Yaneva (The Bouncer), Jason Patric (The Lost Boys), and Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick).
Man of War is available to stream on Starz. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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July 3, 2026
- Runtime
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111 minutes
- Director
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William Kaufman
It’s probably harder to come up with World War II movies that aren’t particularly intense than ones that are. If you’re making a movie about the largest and most global conflict in the history of the world, a certain level of intensity and drama is needed, with comparatively breezy films about World War II generally being older, or perhaps not as focused on conflict (and even then, classics like Casablanca and The Best Years of Our Lives are emotionally moving in other ways, without showcasing much by way of combat or on-screen violent).
When it comes to the following titles, though, they stand out for being among the most intense World War II movies of all time. There are different reasons why these movies tend to be hard-hitting, and they’re not all here because they’re especially graphic… though some are. They’re not always easy movies to watch, but they all have a purpose in being some level of suspenseful, or even harrowing.
10
‘The Dirty Dozen’ (1967)
The Dirty Dozen is one of those quintessential “we gotta put together a team” sort of movies, with the premise here involving a very dangerous mission that a group of criminals agree to take part in, because pulling off said mission may allow their potential death sentences to be commuted. Some of them are nasty enough that calling them antiheroes would still be a little too generous, and things get undeniably chaotic when it comes time to carry out the main mission behind enemy lines.
Before that rather action-packed final act, The Dirty Dozen is compelling with its set-up, too, with all the stuff surrounding the putting together of the titular team, and training for their eventually deadly mission. It’s got that reliable action movie structure first perfected in Seven Samurai, and then reused again and again since, but sometimes, when something works, it just works, and that’s enough.
9
‘Downfall’ (2004)
Set in the days leading up to Germany’s defeat in the final year of World War II, Downfall inspires an impressive amount of dread for something where the outcome is going to be known ahead of time, regardless of how much/little you know about the Second World War. It’s also called “Downfall,” so, you know… that’s what you’re in for, and it’s pretty grueling to watch.
Downfall isn’t about inspiring sympathy for those it’s about, and instead feels more like it wants to show what happened, warts and all, among the high-ranking members of the Third Reich as it was crumbling and the end was nigh. It’s a claustrophobic and extremely well-acted movie that is kind of infamous nowadays for inspiring a series of memes, but if you get past those Downfall parodies (as funny as some of them might be), you’ll probably be surprised to find a very compelling war drama here.
8
‘The Great Escape’ (1963)
Like with The Dirty Dozen, there’s quite a bit of entertainment to be found in The Great Escape, with it still retaining a good deal of intensity throughout. It’s about an ambitious escape attempt from a prisoner of war camp that’s been established specifically to be “inescapable,” housing various Allied prisoners who’ve all made escapes beforehand from more “regular” prisoner of war camps.
This plays out over a runtime that nears three hours, which might sound a little excessive, but the execution makes it work and feel engaging for all that time. The Great Escape is pretty much perfect, and probably more than just “Great.” As for “Escape,” it is escapist in the sense that there are things to be thrilled and entertained by here, all while also feeling the tension of the situation, with certain costs and hardships of war nonetheless conveyed.
7
‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ (2006)
In 2006, there were two World War II movies directed by Clint Eastwood that were released, and both were about the Battle of Iwo Jima. Flags of Our Fathers showed it from the American perspective, and much of that particular film was focused on the aftermath, and the story behind the famous photograph known as Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.
Letters from Iwo Jima is also about confronting the end, and dealing with approaching death, doing so with surprising sympathy.
Letters from Iwo Jima, on the other hand, was about the battle from the Japanese perspective, and a good deal of it was instead concerned with the lead-up to said battle, and with less time spent on the aftermath, considering how many on the Japanese side of the battle died. So, Letters from Iwo Jima is also about confronting the end, and dealing with approaching death, doing so with surprising sympathy (at least for an American-produced film) and a ton of emotion for hopefully obvious reasons.
6
‘Dunkirk’ (2017)
Before Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan had made one movie set in the past (The Prestige), but that one wasn’t really based on a true story, having mostly fictional characters. Dunkirk was a bit more faithful to history, specifically being about the Dunkirk evacuation, which really happened, though the characters are either fictional or inspired by real-life people. It’s more about the experience of the whole event from multiple perspectives, rather than honing in on the real-life people who were involved, if that makes sense.
It’s then possible to look at Dunkirk as bridging the gap between historical fiction (The Prestige) and a full-on/mostly historically accurate biopic (Oppenheimer), with Nolan’s whole filmography. Anyway, regarding Dunkirk, it’s one of his most visceral and compelling movies, being paced and edited in a way that feels continually nerve-wracking and genuinely rather unique among the many, many World War II films already out there.
5
‘Come and See’ (1985)
Some people will tell you that Come and See gets talked about too much, while at the same time, it’s not quite as famous as most of the other movies being mentioned here, so maybe there’s an argument to be made that it’s overlooked in the overall scheme of things. It kind of depends on what online spaces you’re in or not in, and that does make it hard to introduce and talk about, given some people are probably sick of hearing about it, and others are probably like, “Huh, Come and See?”
It’s a movie about a young man joining a group of resistance fighters, and then experiencing a series of utterly hellish situations as those resistance fighters try to combat German forces in Belarus. As an anti-war movie, Come and See is about as effective as they get, so calling it very intense honestly feels like something of an understatement. It’s a horrifying watch, and one of those movies where seeing it once feels like enough.
4
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
One of those movies that’s famously about Matt Damon getting home, in one way or another, Saving Private Ryan has Damon playing the titular Private Ryan, and a group of soldiers are tasked with finding him so he can be sent home after his brothers are found to have all died in combat. There’s also a very intense depiction of the Omaha Beach landing, which is a big reason why Saving Private Ryan inevitably has to get ranked among the most visceral war movies of all time.
Things don’t really slow down or get a great deal easier after that point, with Saving Private Ryan having its main characters in near-constant danger, and then there’s also a fairly large battle sequence that comes near the film’s conclusion. It’s relentless and undeniably emotional, well and truly earning the right to count itself among Steven Spielberg’s all-time best directorial efforts.
3
‘The Battle of Okinawa’ (1971)
One of the most relentlessly downbeat war movies of all time, The Battle of Okinawa could well have even Come and See beat in terms of being a World War II movie that takes no prisoners and makes you feel miserable once it’s done. You’ll feel miserable while it’s going on, too, and then just extra miserable once it’s finished. It’s a very harsh anti-war movie about the titular battle and how much devastation it came to cause.
Its focus on the Pacific Theater makes The Battle of Okinawa also potentially comparable to Letters from Iwo Jima, but that one wasn’t as despairing, even if much of it was also about loss, death, and destruction. The Battle of Okinawa is next-level depressing, and has a level of violence that’s far more upsetting and shocking than most films released around the same time that are considered groundbreaking/boundary-pushing for the violence they depicted (like, Bonnie and Clyde and The Wild Bunch look positively PG-rated in comparison).
2
‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
Inglourious Basterds walks a delicate line, in terms of being great entertainment and genuinely intense at different points, and then it does all that while being in no way describable as “delicate” in the conventional sense. It’s about vengeance in Nazi-occupied France, basically, with a few different people all trying to combat German forces in their own ways, with all parties eventually meeting for a confrontation – partly by chance – in a cinema by the time the final act comes around.
The medium of film itself is weaponized, and then Inglourious Basterds also explodes/dismantles other things, narratively and thematically, playing around with history in some rather startling (but effective) ways. It does a lot, and it does it all relentlessly at the same time, technically being one of the more entertaining movies here, for sure, yet there are long stretches of this movie that also prove almost unbearably tense.
1
‘Das Boot’ (1981)
Since it’s confined in a way that feels in line with what you might expect from a grueling psychological thriller, Das Boot stands out as arguably the most intense World War II movie ever made. Also helping it in this regard is its length, because you’re made to feel on edge for a very long runtime, with the shortest version of Das Boot still running for about 2.5 hours, and then the longer versions proving similarly tense, just for, you know, quite a while longer.
It’s set inside a German submarine, with the members of the sub’s crew having to deal with boredom, danger, and the idea that death feels particularly inescapable when you’re deep underwater and in such a vulnerable position. Das Boot is basically guaranteed to make anyone who watches it feel anxious throughout, doing for submarine warfare what Uncut Gems did for gambling addictions.
Country singer Ruston Kelly announced that he is now three days sober after recently suffering a relapse.
“I told myself back in 2021 that as long as I wasn’t using amphetamines that I would be on the right ‘clean’ journey for myself,” Kelly, 37, wrote in a poignant Instagram post about his relapse on Wednesday, July 29. “I had never been addicted to any drug other than those pills. I lumped in alcohol and THC etc initially because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do.”
He went on, “Somewhere along the way I became obstinate in my journey, that I wasn’t an ‘addict’ in the traditional sense of the word, that I was only addicted to amphetamines. ‘I’ve never had a problem with alcohol, I’ve never had a problem with XYZ’ ‘See I can be like everyone else, I can show self control, I am in control.’ I even got to the point of recent spiritual surrender and still attempted to live a lifestyle that was satisfactory to my carnal impulses because I ‘never had a problem with them.’”
Kelly — who was married to country superstar Kacey Musgraves from 2017 to 2020 — revealed that he experienced a crisis in his sobriety after a golf cart accident in June.
The “Mockingbird” singer was riding in a residential golf cart when it collided with an overgrown root, sending his cart flipping into the air. Kelly smashed his head into a mailbox and practically broke his arm “in half.”
“I was given fentanyl morphine ketamine dilaudid and oxycodone for 3 days leaving with a month long Rx of Percocet. I needed it for the level 15 pain but very quickly they started running out sooner and sooner,” he acknowledged. “I was chewing them in the pharmacy before I walked out the door. I was hiding how many at a time I was taking. I was complaining to the dr it wasn’t enough. It awakened something I hadn’t felt in a very long time.”
The musician ultimately decided on Sunday, July 26, that he was going to give up all substances and alcohol as a recommitment to his sobriety.
“I decided to end any chance of ruining anything good. For my soul my wife my family my art and career and my people,” he wrote. “I admitted that whether I like it or not I will forever have a substance abuse disease. ALL drugs/substances including alcohol and THC are off the table for good (working on nicotine) That if there is something that will scratch an itch I didn’t think I had, I will use it beyond excess and into addiction. I am 3 days completely clean and sober again, and intend to remain this way forever, one day at a time.”
Kelly’s confessional post received more than 7,000 likes, as of publication, with many of his friends and fellow musicians pledging their support for his sobriety journey.
“Your transparency and honesty is gonna help a lot of people 💙 It always has. Love u buddy,” singer Katie Pruitt replied in the comments section to Kelly’s post.
“Proud of you. Praying for you. Love you so much,” musician Natalie Hemby added. “Philippians 4:13 is such a powerful surrender. ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’”
Kelly has spoken openly about both his struggles and sobriety in the past, including telling Esquire in 2020 that he’d battled with addiction for most of his adult life. (Prior to his recent relapse, Kelly celebrated five years of sobriety in December 2025.)
“I’ve always had an issue with self-control in my life. I’ve been emotionally reckless at times and I’ve definitely abused myself with copious amounts of drugs and illicit materials and doing crazy things, and being wild without purpose and that is dangerous,” he explained at the time.“It could be creatively fueling, but I think what’s really helped ground me is learning the difference between creative spontaneity and emotional recklessness in everyday life. And that line had always been blurred for me and [coronavirus] quarantine was a way for me to sit back, take inventory mentally, spiritually, physically.”
Following his 2020 divorce from Musgraves, 35, Kelly tied the knot with second wife Tia Cubelic in May after proposing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in September 2025.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
After conquering Prime Video, Alan Ritchson seems to be extending his empire on Netflix. Ritchson emerged as one of the biggest stars of the streaming era thanks to the hit action-thriller series Reacher, which has aired three seasons on Prime Video. He cemented his position with this year’s War Machine, which went on to become one of Netflix’s biggest-ever original movies. A sequel to War Machine was greenlit some weeks ago, along with another action movie starring Ritchson. He will also return as Reacher in the fourth season of the Prime Video series, as well as a spin-off titled Neagley. This week, Ritchson can be seen headlining his first major theatrical action movie: Motor City.
On the eve of Motor City‘s release, one of Ritchson’s rare dramatic movies found itself atop the domestic Netflix charts this past week, according to FlixPatrol. If this isn’t all-around domination, what is? Motor City, directed by Potsy Ponciroli, also features Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and Pablo Schreiber. The movie currently holds a 66% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Aidan Kelley comparing it to the John Wick franchise and the films of Zack Snyder. In his review, he wrote that Motor City “feels like another logical step in Ritchson’s career as an action superstar, and one that will undeniably recruit even more of a dedicated following.”
Alan Ritchson Wields Considerable Star Power
However, the movie that’s currently number one on Netflix couldn’t be more different. We’re talking, of course, about Ordinary Angels. Starring Hilary Swank, the film was aimed at the faith-based demographic that took films such as The King of Kings and Jesus Revolution to major box-office success in recent years. More recently, the same audience turned out in droves to watch Young Washington, which has quietly grossed more than $40 million domestically. Ordinary Angels, like most movies aimed at faith-based crowds, received near-unanimous audience praise. The movie holds a “Certified Fresh” 84% critics’ score and a “Verified Hot” 99% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “With a dash of grace and circumstance, this sweet display of humanity is stabilized by Hilary Swank in a role that plays to the heartstrings of all Ordinary Angels.”
Ordinary Angels is streaming now on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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February 23, 2024
- Runtime
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118 Minutes
- Director
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Jon Gunn
- Writers
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Meg Tilly, Kelly Fremon Craig
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The actor explained that the original version of his now-most-recognizable character “had no flaws.”
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