By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

Shortly after Louis C.K.’s aptly titled 2017 special, 2017, made waves, he all but disappeared from the limelight. After publicly acknowledging the several sexual misconduct allegations that were made against him, he made himself scarce, and that was appropriate given the circumstances. While I don’t approve of the behavior that rightfully landed him in hot water, I was still bummed to hear the news because his specials leading up to the controversies are among my all-time favorites. I also don’t follow celebrity gossip too closely, so when the news broke, it took me by surprise.

His decade-long run from 2007 to 2017 is a masterclass in stand-up comedy, and his five-season run with his semi-autobiographical sitcom, Louie, was what I always considered to be a perfected version of the Seinfeld formula. And then, for a while, there was nothing. At least nothing that was widely available outside of his personal website.

While his latest special, Ridiculous, marks his return to Netflix, and I think it’s a solid follow-up to 2017 on the streaming giant, it pales in comparison to the run of lesser-known specials he released between his Netflix stints: Sincerely Louis CK, Sorry, Louis C.K. at The Dolby, and Back to the Garden.

It’s not that Ridiculous is a lackluster effort on C.K.’s part either. I think the issue is that if you haven’t been following his career closely and are only familiar with the material that’s available through Netflix, you have about a decade’s worth of blanks to fill, and he’s also that much older. His delivery is, as you would expect, more subdued, and his sense of humor is more morose than ever. It’s still classic Louis C.K., but he’s now very aware of mortality, especially his own as he approaches his 60s.

Ridiculous Is A Total Bummer

Don’t let the subheader fool you because Louis C.K.’s comedy has always been depressing, and that’s a feature, not a bug. When he was regularly belting out hour-long specials, there was a sense of energy and momentum that sucked you in because he was apparently at the top of the world, and there was no real indication that he’d ever have to pump the brakes. The sense of self-loathing came off as played up for comedic effect because he, and everybody else, knew he was in the freakin’ zone. It was an epic run that nobody can deny.

And then nothing for a while, unless you were on his mailing list and paying close attention.

With Ridiculous, Louis C.K. comes off as humbled, older, and wiser, but also more cynical than ever. Most of his bits center around aging, placing his father in a retirement home with the help of his siblings, dating at 58 years old, and how the puffy bags under his eyes are so big that he has tan lines from them. If you’ve been out of the mix for a while, it’s jarring because in 2017 he had a bounce in his step and a relatively positive outlook on life, all things considered. You don’t see much of that in Ridiculous, but it’s also not coming from a “woe is me” kind of place.

It’s the same brand of humor you’re used to if you enjoyed his specials in the aughts and 2010s, but it also brings the same feeling you get when you haven’t seen a distant relative in a long time and, when you finally meet up, time has clearly taken its toll. I think that’s what was most jarring for me while watching Ridiculous.

A Return To Form, But The Form Has Changed

That is all to say that Louis C.K. is still doing what he does best in Ridiculous. But without the context of the self-released specials that bridged the gap between his Netflix runs, I could see this being a rough watch for the reasons above. If you were drawn to C.K.’s cynical humor back in the day, you’ll feel right at home here.

The problem is that his comedy is often confessional, or hinged on exaggerated versions of his own life, and without filling in the blanks from those lost years, you may feel like you’re missing out. It’s not that the humor is particularly high-brow or complex, but it is cumulative. Jumping into Ridiculous as a follow-up to 2017 will leave you wanting more, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to support him directly by purchasing those self-released specials.

Louis C.K.: Ridiculous is a Netflix Original and can be streamed with an active subscription.

Brandi Glanville still hasn’t forgotten about her vaginal rejuvenation surgery after becoming a mom.

“I was with Dr. [David] Matlock. He was the pioneer for the surgery,” Glanville, 53, claimed on the July 2 episode of her “Unfiltered” podcast. “He was the original doctor to do it.”

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said she had “the actual surgery” in 2009 before suggesting women today have more non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation options.

“That was the only way I could stop f***ing my ex-husband was to be a virgin again,” she explained to podcast cohost James Maas about her decision to get the surgery. “You know, I spit out two kids and [Eddie Cibrian] made a comment like, ‘It’s not what it used to be.’”

Related: Brandi Glanville Recalls Buying a ‘New Vagina’ With Her Ex’s ‘Amex’

Brandi Glanville has Dorit Kemsley’s back as the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star navigates her divorce and drama with PK Kemsley. The former cast member, 53, defended the current Housewife, 49, after Dorit came to blows with her costars during the Thursday, April 2, episode of the reality show. “Leave Dorit alone!” Brandi wrote via X […]

Glanville and Cibrian — who share two sons — were married in 2001 but split in 2009. While Glanville remains single, Cibrian went on to marry country singer LeAnn Rimes in 2011.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, vaginal rejuvenation is a broad term for procedures that address the look or feel of one’s vagina. Many patients can choose from both surgical and nonsurgical options today, including CO2 laser and the orgasm shot.

It’s important to speak with a trusted medical professional before getting any procedure.

This isn’t the first time Glanville has spoken out about her vaginal rejuvenation surgery. In her debut memoir Drinking and Tweeting, which was released in 2013, the Bravo star discussed the “pretty intense surgery” that cost nearly $12,000.

“A brand new vagina would be an Eddie-free vagina,” she wrote. “I understand that, to many of you, this may seem like an extreme measure to cut someone out of your life. But I’ve always been an extreme kind of girl, with extreme emotions.”

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Glanville continued, “I decided that since Eddie had ruined my vagina for me, he could pay for a new one. A week after the vaginal rejuvenation surgery, he was on the phone screaming, ‘What the f*** cost you $12,000? Did you get a nose job?’ I responded simply, ‘Yes. A nose job.’ And I hung up.”

The best-selling author has also been open about the highs and lows of her plastic surgery procedures. Glanville previously shared her struggles with a face parasite, which she thinks could’ve been a result of her breast implants rupturing and infecting her body.

She continues to document her health battles through her open and honest podcast.

Certain thrillers well and truly avoid overstaying their welcome, since it is a genre where the movies classifiable as such can benefit from being snappy. It keeps the pace fast, when there aren’t really minutes to waste, so you’ve got a bunch of iconic thrillers that clock in with sub-90-minute runtimes, for instance, like Rope, Run Lola Run, and Perfect Blue, plus too many that clock in at under two hours to count.

Epic movies, on the other hand, don’t necessarily waste time, but they tell bigger stories and generally take up more time than your average thriller. Yet there are some great epic thrillers out there, including the ones below, which are some of the very best. There are epics that are thrilling without necessarily being thrillers (like The Lord of the Rings and Lawrence of Arabia), with a movie having to be marked as a thriller on Letterboxd to be included here, just for consistency’s sake.

10

‘The Towering Inferno’ (1974)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Disaster movies tend to benefit from runtimes that aren’t too crazily long, because films about people trying to survive such things are generally straightforward. Something like Titanic works, with a 3+ hour runtime, because a good chunk of that movie isn’t focused on the disaster itself… but still, that movie’s not really a thriller, even with the second half being thrilling. If you want the best disaster movie that does feel like a thriller, and it has an epic runtime at the same time, there’s always The Towering Inferno.

This one’s long because there are a ton of characters in it. The premise itself is simple, since there’s a fire during the opening party for a skyscraper, and people inside the building have to fight to survive while people outside the building try to contain the fire and rescue those inside. It’s very much of its time, since disaster movies like this were all the rage, back in the 1970s, but of that decade’s (many) blockbuster-level disaster movies, The Towering Inferno is the best.

9

‘Dragged Across Concrete’ (2018)

Image via Lionsgate

For reasons that are somewhat hard to understand, Heat doesn’t really get described as a thriller in most of the places you might expect it to (not IMDb, Letterboxd, or Wikipedia), so here’s Dragged Across Concrete instead, which is another heist movie with an epic-length runtime. This one does tend to get labeled as a crime/thriller film, and it’s about two police detectives being suspended and then themselves getting wrapped up in a heist.

What it does thematically is interesting, breaking down the barriers between two groups who are usually on “opposite” sides of the law in some pretty brutal and eyebrow-raising ways. It’s also as violent as you’d expect it to be, with a title like Dragged Across Concrete, and the director (S. Craig Zahler) who was behind the infamously grisly Bone Tomahawk (which is a great Western, to be fair, albeit definitely not something for everyone).

8

‘Spies’ (1928)

Image via UFA

It’s not quite as good as Metropolis, but Spies is another epic-length silent movie by Fritz Lang that holds up incredibly well for something that’s nearly 100 years old. Like how Metropolis was very influential on the sci-fi genres, Spies can be seen as incredibly forward-thinking in the spy and thriller genres, being about complicated relationships between different spies and people tied up (seemingly) with some kind of espionage-related operation.

Spies is about 2.5 hours long, and it’s also non-stop with its general chaos and willingness to thrill. By design, it’s a bit hard to keep up, but it’s also a lot of fun being taken along for the ride, and seeing Fritz Lang do things so much earlier than most filmmakers were able to. Spies is very underrated, much like Woman in the Moon, which was a return to sci-fi for Lang, and another epic-length movie (released just one year on from Spies).

7

‘Blood In, Blood Out’ (1993)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Sometimes, Blood In, Blood Out is referred to by the title “Bound by Honor,” but either way, it stands as easily one of the most underrated epic-length movies of its era. It goes for more than three hours, and it spans over a decade, too, being about three young men who are all wrapped up in gang conflict early in the film, and then experience various changes throughout their lives as the years go on.

Plenty of traditional epics are set many decades ago, or even centuries, and Blood In, Blood Out does feel like a traditional epic in some ways (with how it unfolds and the amount of time covered), but then it stands out by being made about then-recent times, since it covers much of the 1970s and then the first half of the 1980s. It’s mostly a crime/drama film, but also qualifies as a thriller, standing as an ultimately very engaging watch for all of its long runtime.

6

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Since it’s recent, it’s hard to know at this stage whether One Battle After Another will endure and be a genuine classic some years (or decades) from now, but at the moment, it feels like its chances are good. Worst-case scenario is that it becomes a time capsule for the 2020s, but a very comprehensive and unusually accurate one, in terms of the conflict it explores and the general anxiety that it’s willing to depict.

There’s also a good deal of action and excitement here, especially for a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, since he hadn’t really operated in the blockbuster filmmaking sphere before One Battle After Another. It’s high on thrills, and has some great set pieces, so even with the somewhat polarizing subject matter, it doesn’t feel too hard to recommend this movie, thanks to it being so dedicated to delivering spectacle.

5

‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ (2012)

Image via Viacom18 Motion Pictures

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The runtime might intimidate some people, considering Gangs of Wasseypur is almost five and a half hours long, but it’s split into two volumes, a bit like how a certain epic about killing someone named Bill was also (at least initially) split into two. Put another way, Gangs of Wasseypur feels a bit like watching The Godfather and The Godfather Part II back-to-back, and that’s doable, considering how great those movies are.

Okay, sure, Gangs of Wasseypur isn’t quite as good as The Godfather, but it’s also not that far off, as a gangster epic. It spans a good deal of time like The Godfather saga, and revolves around one crime family seen over generations, with a particular focus on their conflict with another crime family. It’s an epic crime film while also functioning remarkably well as an unpredictable thriller, and then Gangs of Wasseypur also manages to feel pretty action-packed throughout, too.

4

‘Zodiac’ (2007)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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As a mystery film, Zodiac’s very heavy and downbeat, though it’s intense and fast-paced enough to certainly work as a thriller at the same time, with the focus here, unsurprisingly, being on the hunt for the Zodiac killer. A few different people find themselves drawn to the case, with one in particular, a cartoonist named Robert Graysmith, getting especially obsessed with finding the elusive killer’s identity, even when the murders themselves seem to stop.

About half of Zodiac plays out how you’d expect it to, and then the other half is more about obsession and uncertainty. It’s a grim and violent thriller for that first half, and then the second half is anxiety-inducing in a different sort of way, finding a good degree of terror and unease in the unknown. On both fronts, Zodiac is riveting, and stands as arguably David Fincher’s most ambitious movie to date, not to mention one of his very best efforts.

3

‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)

Image via The Weinstein Company

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With the exception of Death Proof, all of Quentin Tarantino’s 21st-century movies have been pretty much epic-length. Well, if you go back to the 20th century, actually, of his three pre-2000 movies, only Reservoir Dogs clocks in at under 2.5 hours. So, okay, sure, he likes making movies that are either epics, or flirt with being epic (like The Hateful Eight, which is long, but pretty claustrophobic and also kind of small-scale for something that’s three hours long).

Anyway, there is one other Tarantino epic that’s arguably more thrilling than Inglourious Basterds, but Inglourious Basterds, nevertheless, really can’t be left off for present purposes. It’s a World War II film about different people fighting back against German forces in Nazi-occupied France, culminating with a movie premiere that allows Tarantino to comment on movie violence while featuring a ton of on-screen violence. There’s a lot to chew on here, beyond the visceral thrills, if you feel so inclined. Otherwise, Inglourious Basterds is still just a blast at a gut level, sustaining tension for more than two and a half hours with surprising ease.

2

‘JFK’ (1991)

Image via Warner Bros.

There’s an argument to be made that JFK is a real mess of an epic, but an even better argument to be made that it’s an enthralling – and sprawling – kind of mess. It is about the aftermath of the John F. Kennedy assassination, with New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison conducting an investigation into the event, and trying to come to terms with certain discoveries he makes. And then there’s the additional challenge of trying to convince other people of some alarming things.

It’s incredibly frenzied, and compelling as a portrait of obsession over a troubling historical event in a similar way to Zodiac. Even if you don’t believe in what JFK (or director Oliver Stone) might believe, JFK remains engrossing as a film about anxiety and the sometimes futile pursuit of the truth, or even just a truth. It moves so ridiculously fast, too, so getting swept up in it all, even with the overwhelming density of things, feels surprisingly easy.

1

‘Kill Bill’ (2003–2004)

Image via Miramax Films

Another Quentin Tarantino epic, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is even more directly about revenge than Inglourious Basterds, since there were more characters in that, and a handful weren’t directly driven by revenge (or not personally driven, necessarily). With Kill Bill, though, that’s pretty much all the Bride seems to want for most of the movie, and yes, most of the movie is then about her getting that revenge.

It’s being counted as one epic here, and that can be done now that Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is more widely available as a single film that stitches the two previously-released volumes together, and makes a few alterations along the way. It’s a grand and continually rewatchable action/thriller film, with stretches of Kill Bill delivering a ton of amazingly choreographed action, and then other stretches being a bit more restrained, building tension and featuring some excellently written dialogue.

Houston rapper Judy World has died after being stabbed in the leg over the weekend. The rising artist was reportedly stabbed during a domestic incident involving her alleged boyfriend’s sister. Judy was 28.

RELATED: Newly Released Body Cam Footage Shows Karmelo Anthony’s Arrest After Fatal Stabbing Of Austin Metcalf (VIDEOS)

Judy World Passes Away Following Stabbing

The Houston Police Department received a call about the stabbing at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. The incident took place on the 11900 block of Bat Sheva Lane, according to Fox 26 Houston. Kayla Wynita Rodgers is the person who allegedly stabbed Judy World, whose real name is Krystal Jordan.

Jordan, who also went by Play Girl Judy, was reportedly on a three-way jail call with a man that she was dating. Judy was allegedly, per her mother, trying to retrieve something for him from his mother when she was stabbed by his sister. Video footage shows the man’s mother and sister near the vehicle Judy traveled in. Rodgers is in police custody, charged with manslaughter.

Judy’s Mother Witnessed The Stabbing

The rapper’s mother, Keia Jordan, was with her in the car during the incident, and she witnessed her daughter being stabbed. Judy’s daughter was also reportedly in the car. Keia said that she’d gone with her daughter to Rodgers’ residence. The grieving mother revealed that she saw the entire incident, and her daughter was allegedly stabbed with a butcher knife. Furthermore, she said that Rodgers repeatedly threatened to kill the Houston rapper before stabbing her.

“She came outside with a butcher knife,” she recalled. “She say, ‘I don’t want this b*tch over here cuz I’m finna kill her.’” 

The heartbroken mother went on to describe the moment her daughter was fatally stabbed as her voice cracked. “She ran up to my car to stab my daughter. My daughter blocked her with the door. And then she went around between me and my daughter and stabbed her in her leg.”

Keia Jordan also described giving her daughter CPR and their attempts to stop the bleeding. She said that after she asked Rodgers’ mother for the address to give the paramedics, she refused.  “‘Could y’all please give me the address?’ They told us no. And girl said, ‘I want her to die. She going to die. That’s my intention.’”

As for the manslaughter charge, Keia Jordan thinks it’s not appropriate for what happened. “They better charge her with murder cuz she did this intentionally,” she added. “It wasn’t an accident. She intentionally stabbed her.”

GoFundMe Set Up To Help With Funeral Costs

Jordan leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter. A GoFundMe is active to help the family with expenses. Additionally, a balloon release will take place on Friday, July 17 in honor of Jordan. The release will occur at 5:30 p.m. at Crestmont Park.

RELATED: Say, WHAT?! Wisconsin Parents Reportedly Arrested After Mom Allegedly Gave 1-Year-Old Whiskey & Found Baby Dead In Crib

The DC Universe continues to grow, and one familiar hero is officially joining the next chapter.

According to Variety, Xolo Maridueña is set to reprise his role as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Man of Tomorrow, marking the character’s first appearance alongside David Corenswet’s Superman in the rebooted DC Universe.

Maridueña first debuted as Blue Beetle in the 2023 standalone film, and despite the DC Universe reboot, James Gunn previously confirmed that the character would remain part of the new continuity. His return in Man of Tomorrow officially delivers on that promise and gives fans another familiar face as the franchise continues to expand.

Superman [credit: Warner Bros.]

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During an interview with Variety, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran praised Maridueña’s performance in the original Blue Beetle, explaining why the actor was always part of the studio’s long-term plans.

“What I was most impressed by is his ability with both the comedic and the emotional material. He has all the skills,“ Safran told Variety.

Safran went on to explain that Jaime Reyes is a unique superhero because the role requires balancing humor with genuine emotional weight as the character struggles to protect his family while adapting to his newfound powers.

“It’s just very evident that this is a star-making performance,”

Safran added.

While specific story details remain under wraps, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is expected to see Superman reluctantly team up with his longtime enemy Lex Luthor, played once again by Nicholas Hoult, to confront the looming threat of Brainiac. The sequel is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 9, 2027, and filming has been underway since earlier this year.

Blue Beetle’s inclusion further reinforces DC Studios’ interconnected approach under James Gunn and Peter Safran. Rather than treating each hero as isolated, the new DC Universe is steadily bringing its growing roster together, with characters crossing between films and television as the shared universe continues to take shape.

For fans of Blue Beetle, the news confirms that Jaime Reyes’ journey is far from over. After years of uncertainty surrounding the future of the character following the 2023 film, Maridueña is officially back in action and ready to fight alongside Superman in one of DC’s biggest upcoming releases.

On 90 Day Fiance, Rasit is in a league of his own when he throws the first pitch at a minor league baseball game, but things go foul quick. Marissa Rubinetti nitpicks Edward Miguel Gomez after venting to her mom at the country club. Ashia Montgomery stands her ground in the face of questions about her future fertility. Paula Barbosa manifests family harmony ahead of the wedding with a special gift. And Catie Norboe admits she’s got to get it together when it comes to Josh Atkins. Grab some popcorn and let’s take a closer look in this recap of Season 12, Episode 10 I’m Questioning Everything.

90 Day Fiance: Rasit Strikes Out with Mallorie

90 Day Fiance couple Rasit and Mallorie have issues. The biggest being Mallorie’s relationship with an ex, Brandon. Then there’s the prenup. But they head out for a fun day at the ballpark to forget their problems for awhile. Rasit is excited. But has no idea that he will have the honor of throwing the first pitch at the minor league game. Rasit is surprised and happy to find out. In spite of never having held a baseball.

At the game, Rasit is greeted by the staff of The Rocket City Trash Pandas. Everyone is excited and Rasit gets announced before launching a decent pitch to applause. But the proud moment is short-lived when the couple take their seats. And Mallorie’s ex and friend Brandon is enjoying a cold one in the stands. Mallorie gets ready to take the seat next to Brandon but Rasit’s not having it. So there’s tension before the game even starts. Rasit takes the seat next to Brandon again referring to him as Brandy.

Rasit makes it clear he doesn’t want to be friends with Brandon and doesn’t want him around Mallorie either on 90 Day Fiance. Brandon gets up and moves when Mallorie and her friend go on a beer run. They return and Rasit is angry. He refuses his beer. And again flat out tells Brandon they will never be friends. Brandon tosses his popcorn at Rasit and dips. Rasit munches on the popcorn and Mallorie is annoyed and they leave arguing all the way home.

90 Day Fiance: Marissa’s Frustrations with Edward Grow

Marissa Rubinetti likes things a certain way on 90 Day Fiance. So when Edward Miguel Gomez is sloppy with taking out the trash, she lets him know it’s bugging her. Edward admits he wasn’t sure about some of the instructions. And Marissa suggests he not pretend to understand a word or phrase when he really doesn’t. She takes some time to vent to her mom at the country club. And her mom suggests she can’t be nice all the time in spite of Edward being a nice guy.

Later, Marissa Rubinetti and Edward Miguel Gomez head to a local park. Marissa comes clean with her frustrations. And admits doubting at times that the relationship will work if Edward can’t step up around the house. Edward is blindsided, suggesting he doesn’t have time for doubts. He needs a minute and walks away. Letting production know he’s hurt and angry at her accusations. Marissa tries to explain that they need to say the hard things if this relationship is going to make it.

Ashia Montgomery Defends Her Future

On 90 Day Fiance, Maxwell Okeke’s family worry about the ten year age gap with his fiancée Ashia Montgomery. They didn’t know before, but Ashia’s mom spilled the beans. They fear her advanced age will get in the way of them having children. Not to mention make her less likely to be submissive. Ashia explains they will actually marry sooner than later. And that fertility is personal but they’ll have options in America.

Ashia Montgomery stands her ground. She assures them it’s all in God’s plan. He brought them together for a reason. And his timeline wouldn’t be flawed. She suggests everyone hold hands and leads the families in a spirited prayer. Ashia assures the family she would never mistreat Maxwell Okeke. And he agrees. Her mom has her back as well. So, Maxwell’s mother accepts this and for now everyone is on board with the marriage.

90 Day Fiance: Paula Manifests Harmony with a Tiny Gift

Paula Barbosa and Thomas Dintino are spending time on his dad and stepmom’s farm on 90 Day Fiance. Burgers are grilled including vegan ones for Paula. Thomas’s parents don’t speak to each other. But Thomas has a relationship with his biological mom and so does Paula. They want everyone to attend the wedding. So Paula Barbosa makes a tiny suitcase with some miniature farm animals inside to extend an invitation.

Thomas Dintino’s stepmom Rini softens when she receives the tiny gift. Thomas reveals his mom is invited and they squirm. Rini suggests it will be too hard to travel for the wedding because there won’t be anyone to care for the farm. Thomas and Paula are disappointed and encourage them to try and make it. But Thomas’s dad admits the past was difficult. And he doesn’t wish to be around Thomas’s mom.

TLC Couple Josh and Catie Struggle

Catie Norboe is ashamed of her drunken behavior at her birthday party. She couldn’t keep her hands or lips to herself. And now her relationship with her 90 Day Fiance Josh Atkins is in serious jeopardy. Catie goes for a run with her friend Ryan to vent. Even though Ryan was at the center of a lot of the relationship trouble. Catie confesses she messed up. And knows she drank too much. Ryan doesn’t disagree.

He wants to know why she thinks Josh Atkins constantly forgives her. Catie Norboe isn’t sure and fears losing him. Except when she second guesses whether she should hold onto the relationship or follow the urge to live free and have fun. Ryan is supportive but suggests she take a closer look at her feelings. And be honest with herself about whether she’s really ready to commit to a marriage to Josh.

90 Day Fiance: Debby and Mido Ice Each Other Out

On 90 Day Fiance, things are quite uncomfortable between Debby Rolando and Mohamed “Mido” Fayed ever because his haunted house meltdown. Debby is clearly suffering with her trademark bangs askew as she tip toes around her own apartment. Fearing she may unsettle the moody Mido. Who sits on the couch staring at his headshots waiting for Hollywood to call. Debby breaks the ice, suggesting they go to the lake for a talk.

It doesn’t go well. Since Mido is good at playing one character. A sulking overgrown teenager. Debby tries love bombing him but it only makes him more sullen. And he suggests she stop saying it. Because he won’t say it either. Later her daughter dares come into the tense space. Mido suggests he needs rest. So she leaves them to it. But later takes her mom out for pedicures and gives her the hard truth: this is no fairytale and it’s going nowhere. Till next time!

Gothic horror is one of the most enduring subgenres. Aesthetically, it usually features decaying castles and eerie landscapes. The plots typically involve ghosts or ancient curses, the themes touch on madness and isolation, and the atmosphere is one of relentless, creeping dread.

The genre also thrives on ambiguity and emotional intensity, often keeping us guessing as to whether supernatural forces are genuinely at work or if we are merely witnessing the reflections of fractured minds. With all that in mind, and without further ado, here are the finest gothic horror novels ever written, ranked.

10

‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1890)

Image via Penguin Classics

“Each of us has heaven and hell in him.” After the handsome young Dorian Gray wishes that his portrait would age in his place, his desire is mysteriously granted. While Dorian remains eternally youthful, the hidden painting gradually reflects every cruel act, selfish decision, and moral transgression he commits throughout his life. This simple premise sets the stage for a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on the price of unalloyed hedonism. Here, outer beauty and inner desolation go hand in hand.

The atmosphere is immersive, and the aesthetic is decadent, very much channeling the Gothic mood. At the same time, The Picture of Dorian Gray still shows off author Oscar Wilde‘s talent for wit and humor. The dialogue also frequently gets philosophical, challenging Victorian ideas about beauty, morality, and identity. A brilliant statement on vanity and the misguided quest for eternal youth.

9

‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ (1962)

Image via Gauntlet Press

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of the very best books by genre legend Ray Bradbury. When a mysterious carnival arrives in a quiet Midwestern town just before Halloween, teenage friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade discover that its attractions grant visitors their deepest desires, but always at a terrible cost. Presiding over this sinister spectacle is the enigmatic Mr. Dark, who seems to feed upon human weakness and regret.

This one’s a little different, in that it relocates the Gothic sensibility to a more modern setting, yet Bradbury makes it work. In particular, he ensures that the carnival feels simultaneously magical and deeply unsettling. It embodies the Gothic fascination with temptation and hidden corruption lurking beneath beauty. At the same time, underneath the darkness, Something Wicked This Way Comes is simply a great coming-of-age story, with protagonists who feel real.

8

‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ (1839)

Image via Signet Classics

“I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow.” In this grim gem from Edgar Allan Poe, an unnamed narrator visits his childhood friend Roderick Usher at the family’s decaying ancestral mansion, only to find both the house and its inhabitants consumed by grief and tragedy. As strange events unfold, the boundaries between supernatural horror and madness become increasingly impossible to distinguish. Likewise, the crumbling mansion appears almost alive, reflecting the mental deterioration of the Usher family itself.

The setting is immersive and delectably creepy, all dark corridors, eerie silences, and storms lashing the windows. Whether readers interpret its events as supernatural or psychological, the overwhelming sense of decay and inevitable destruction never weakens. On release, this book was way ahead of its time, and it remains remarkably readable for something published in 1830. Its influence can be found in countless haunted-house stories and psychological horror novels.

7

‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (1886)

Image via Omni Publishing

“Man is not truly one, but truly two.” This archetypal ‘split identity’ story was penned by Treasure Island‘s Robert Louis Stevenson. In it, respected London physician Dr. Henry Jekyll develops a chemical formula capable of separating the opposing aspects of his personality, allowing his darker impulses to emerge in the violent and increasingly uncontrollable figure of Edward Hyde. Through the investigations of lawyer Gabriel Utterson, readers gradually uncover disturbing clues and piece together the mystery.

Although often remembered for its famous twist, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has a lot more to offer than just that. On top of the compelling plot, it powerfully captures Victorian anxieties surrounding repression and the need to appear respectable. Indeed, Hyde embodies the darker instincts that civilized society attempts to suppress but can never entirely eliminate. The book’s central metaphor has become so deeply embedded in popular culture that “Jekyll and Hyde” continues to symbolize humanity’s divided nature.

6

‘The Turn of the Screw’ (1898)

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“I was giving pleasure, if he had his way.” In The Turn of the Screw, a young governess accepts a position caring for two orphaned children at an isolated country estate, where she becomes convinced that malevolent spirits are attempting to corrupt her young charges. Yet no one else appears to share her certainty. Every ghostly encounter can be interpreted either as genuine supernatural activity or as evidence of the governess’s deteriorating mental state.

Author Henry James uses this ambiguity to create a palpable sense of dread and unease. In other words, rather than relying on overt scares, James allows suspicion and uncertainty to accumulate until even ordinary interactions become deeply unsettling. The isolated country house becomes a pressure cooker of emotional repression. Ultimately, although relatively lean at about 200 pages long, this book is layered and complex, lending itself to endless analysis and interpretation.

5

‘The Shining’ (1977)

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“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us.” As with Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Shining proved that the Gothic tradition could still work in a modern setting. The main character here is Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer hoping to rebuild his life after struggles with alcoholism. He accepts a job as winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel, where he and his family soon discover that the hotel’s violent past still lingers within its walls, exerting a sinister influence over anyone who stays there.

The Overlook’s corrupting influence feels like a homage to The Haunting of Hill House. Like the ancestral mansions and castles of earlier novels, it possesses a disturbing sense of history, as though every dark thing that happened there continues echoing through the present. It’s unclear where the hotel’s influence stops and the character’s inner demons begin. Indeed, Jack’s substance abuse issues were inspired by some of Stephen King’s own experiences.

4

‘Frankenstein’ (1818)

Image via Oxford University Press USA

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” Frankenstein is a Gothic masterpiece, as well as one of the foundational works of science fiction. Obsessed with unlocking the secrets of life itself, Victor Frankenstein succeeds in creating a living being from assembled body parts. Horrified by his own achievement, he abandons his creation, setting in motion a tragic cycle of rejection, revenge, and unimaginable suffering.

The aesthetic is Gothic to the core, all towering mountains, icy wildernesses, violent storms, and decaying laboratories. Countless books and movies since have borrowed from it. This could have just been a simple horror story, but Mary Shelley instead uses the premise to explore profound questions around scientific responsibility and what it truly means to be human. The book remains a cautionary tale about man’s hubris and tendency to create inventions it cannot control.

3

‘Rebecca’ (1938)

Image via Hachette

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” Before Hitchcock made it into a masterful film, Rebecca was a great novel. After marrying the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter, an inexperienced young woman moves into his magnificent country estate, Manderley. There she discovers that the memory of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, continues to dominate every room, every servant, and every aspect of the household, particularly through the unsettling devotion of housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.

Writer Daphne du Maurier cleverly uses Gothic conventions to delve deep into emotional insecurity. The unnamed narrator constantly compares herself to Rebecca’s seemingly perfect legacy, creating an atmosphere where psychological pressure becomes every bit as terrifying as physical danger. Likewise, Manderley itself feels haunted not by ghosts but by memory. Every revelation gradually reshapes readers’ understanding of the characters while deepening the tension.

2

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (1959)

Image via Penguin

“Whatever walked there, walked alone.” One of the great masterpieces of 20th-century horror. In The Haunting of Hill House, Dr. John Montague invites a small group of volunteers to investigate the paranormal reputation of Hill House, a mansion long associated with unexplained deaths and supernatural disturbances. Among the guests is Eleanor Vance, whose loneliness and vulnerability make her particularly susceptible to the house’s mysterious influence.

Author Shirley Jackson steadily crafts this simple setup into one of the finest haunted-house stories of all time. The writing is rich throughout, making you feel like you can really see Hill House and feel its coldness. What’s also amazing is how little ghostly activity there actually is in this book, yet it still feels so scary. You’re constantly waiting for something terrible to happen, even when things seem calm.

1

‘Dracula’ (1897)

Image via Archibald Constable and Company

“The blood is the life.” Dracula is the definitive Gothic horror novel, practically spawning the entire vampire genre by itself. The story begins with the young solicitor Jonathan Harker traveling to Transylvania to assist the enigmatic Count Dracula with a property transaction. In Dracula’s shadowed castle, Harker discovers that his host is an ancient vampire preparing to bring unimaginable horror to England. The Count’s influence spreads, and Professor Abraham Van Helsing undertakes to stop him.

Here, Bram Stoker brilliantly combines nearly every defining element of Gothic fiction: a sinister castle, ancient curses, forbidden knowledge, supernatural evil, crumbling traditions, thinly-veiled sexual repression, and an atmosphere saturated with dread. Then there’s also the book’s epistolary structure, composed of journals, letters, newspaper articles, and telegrams, which went on to be influential. All this makes for a chilling and deeply compelling story of light versus darkness and superstition versus modernity.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

Did you know that Christian Slater, Val Kilmer, and Verne Troyer starred in a 2002 direct-to-video heist film called Hard Cash? I do, because it’s streaming on Tubi, and that’s where I live when I’m seeking out entertainment. It tells the story of a botched robbery that spirals far beyond out of control before pushing into increasingly ridiculous territory as matters continue to escalate.

The talent involved in Hard Cash is what’s most baffling because everybody brings the goods, but the story beats themselves are so far beyond saving that it’s a bit of a chore to slog through. The action sequences are low budget, and the dialogue is wooden at times, but there’s still enough charisma to keep you interested well into the third act.

I can’t in good conscience say that Hard Cash is a terrible movie because it isn’t. But it pains me to see how much potential is wasted on what could have otherwise been a solid crime comedy. In an alternate reality, I imagine a fully realized version of this movie that’s far superior to what we ended up getting: a high-stakes kidnapping story involving one man’s shot at redemption and going legit, with a healthy amount of comic relief hanging in the balance to keep things light when the going gets tough.

Instead, we get… this.

Immediately Makes No Sense, And Continues That Way

What’s most troubling about Hard Cash involves the logistics we’re supposed to get behind. When convicted thief Thomas Taylor (Christian Slater) gets released on parole, he’s immediately up to his old tricks and finds what he thinks is the perfect job: robbing an off-track betting office owned by mobster Bo Young (William Forsythe). He uses his paramedic job as a front to get close to the operation, which makes absolutely no sense. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re just getting out of prison, it’s highly unlikely you can immediately fall back into this line of work.

I’m not saying criminals can’t be rehabilitated, contributing members of society who work these kinds of jobs, but the timeline here doesn’t add up by any stretch of the imagination. At least, there’s no scenario I can think of where a convicted felon immediately starts working as a first responder, regardless of their vocational history before getting thrown behind bars.

The money from the robbery ends up being marked, meaning a money laundering front needs to be set up. Working with his old crew, Thomas lays low and figures out his next move, but matters get complicated quickly when corrupt FBI Agent Mark C. Cornell (Val Kilmer), who had similar plans to rip off Bo, decides the best course of action is to kidnap Thomas’ daughter Megan (Holliston Coleman), who had been living under the care of Paige (Sara Downing), Thomas’ girlfriend, until his release.

What we get from this point forward is essentially a montage of misguided decisions, corruption, betrayal, and running from the law. Every once in a while, Verne Troyer’s Atilla, who’s working in collusion with the Russian mob (that’s a whole other can of worms), pops out of a suitcase with a gun because the Russians are also after the same stack of cash everybody else wants.

Oh, What Could Have Been

Hard Cash goes off the rails once it’s established because there are simply too many cooks in the kitchen. We have an ex-con trying to save his daughter from a corrupt FBI agent who’s after the same money he stole from a mobster, which is also the same money the Russians are after. Right in the middle of it all is a sweet little girl who doesn’t want her dad to steal anymore. In my mind, this is perfect “comedy of errors” territory, but the problem is that the film plays everything completely straight.

In a parody or straight-up action comedy context, Hard Cash could have thrived because the entire plot is inherently insane, and it should have leaned into that energy whenever the opportunity presented itself. There’s comic relief here, sure, but for a movie reportedly made for less than $5 million, Hard Cash would have benefited from embracing the camp instead of trying to establish itself as a balls-to-the-wall action thriller.

While I really want to rail on Hard Cash for failing to meet its potential, it remains a fun, action experiment that earns its keep thanks to the talent involved. Its biggest failing is that it doesn’t know what lane to stay in, and its attempts at seriousness are constantly undermined by the comedy it should have embraced.

As of this writing, you can stream Hard Cash for free on Tubi.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.