Emmy, Grammy and Oscar-winning singer H.E.R. is the latest of professional musicians to star in their own film, and I love that it’s for DreamWorks. The “Best Part” singer is in one of the latest 2026 movie releases, Forgotten Island, which arrives in theaters this weekend. The family-friendly adventure sees the multi-hyphenate voicing one of the leading roles of Jo, and I love that the filmmakers snuck in a little tribute to her music career.

When CinemaBlend spoke to H.E.R., she confirmed the Easter Egg for us after I thought I saw it early in the film. As she told us:

Forgotten Island follows the friendship of H.E.R.’s Jo and Liza Soberano’s Raissa from elementary school to being seniors in high school. One major part of their relationship is the charm bracelets they continue to add to as they collect memories together. During a montage where the film is showing the audience all the charms from their life thus far, you can see the lime green pick with H.E.R. on it.

So, did H.E.R. have anything to do with that nod to her work? Here’s what she said:

I love it! Plenty of animated movies, including the Spider-Verse films, are known to feature all sorts of personal Easter Eggs, so I love that H.E.R. and her fans get this little homage to the beloved artist. Forgotten Island comes from the filmmakers of the very critically-acclaimed Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and, given the care the two put into their work, I'm not surprised that they'd nod at one of their leads in such a way.

This latest animated movie is inspired by spooky Filipino folklore, and Mercado and Crawford were inspired to make it because they both have roots in the culture. Januel is Filipino American, while Joel’s wife is Filipina. In the new film, Jo and Raissa discover the titular Forgotten Island on the night before Raissa is supposed to leave their home of the Philippines for college in America.

Ultimately, Raissa and Jo meet all sorts of creatures that are synonymous with Filipino culture. The cast also includes Dave Franco as a were-aspin (half man, half aspin) named Raww, while Jenny Slate and Manny Jacinto voice demons on the island. Meanwhile, Jo Koy plays a tree giant named Datu, Ronny Chieng plays a Duwende named King Truffle Wuffle and Lea Salonga plays the terrifying manananggal, which is a vampire who can separate her top and bottom half of her body from each other.

Forgotten Island tells a fantastical story, but it's all rooted in tangible themes like loyalty and friendship. It's definitely worth the watch, and you can check it out in theaters. Also, during your screening keep an eye out for that H.E.R. Easter Egg!

There are a lot of fictional inventions in movies and TV shows, mostly in the sci-fi genre, that have since become real things. Often, it's not exactly what we saw in the movie or television show, but it's very close. Others might not be 100% possible today, but we are very close to seeing those things become a part of everyday life in the 21st Century. This is a list dedicated to all of those inventions that seemed unrealistic or fanciful to many, except the geniuses who dreamed them up in Hollywood.

Artificial Intelligence (2001: A Space Odyssey)

The HAL-9000 was a warning to all of us. A warning that we still might not heed. The computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey turns against its human creators and users to take control of the space station at the heart of the first half of the movie. It spins things into a trippy adventure for the viewer, but now, more than 50 years later, we might need to start paying attention to what director Stanley Kubrick was trying to tell us.

Lasers (The War Of The Worlds)

In the original 1953 adaptation of H.G. Wells' seminal sci-fi novel, War of the Worlds, Martians attack humanity with a type of technology that had been theorized both in sci-fi and in real life, lasers. Of course, the lasers we have aren't quite on the level of the iconic alien ships in the movie, but they've been around for decades now.

Holograms (Forbidden Planet)

1956's Forbidden Planet makes use of holograms, which at the time were completely unheard of, except in science fiction. While we don't have true holograms like this movie and many since have used, we have seen a version of holograms at concerts like Coachella and elsewhere in live entertainment. We still can't send a message like Princess Leia yet, but that can't be too far off, right?

Autonomous Vehicles (Total Recall)

Self-driving cars have been talked about for years, and in Total Recall and other science fiction, they've kind of been a staple for decades. As everyone knows now, they do actually exist, and even more are on the way in the coming years. It's not crazy to think that every car will at least have the option to be self-driving in the not-too-distant future.

Smartwatch (Dick Tracy)

Wearable tech is all the rage these days, and while Google Glass was a unmitigated commercial failure, smartwatches, like Apple Watches, are a huge hit. In fact, mine is telling me to stand up for a couple of minutes as I've been sitting here working on this list for most of the last hour. Dick Tracy used his watch as a two-way radio decades ago.

Video Communication (Metropolis)

Video phones and other software like Zoom and Google Meet have been around for a long time now. The use of it really exploded during the pandemic, and now they are a part of almost everyone's everyday life. Of course, for decades, science fiction movies and TV shows have been predicting that this would eventually be the case. One of the earliest examples came about 100 years ago in the silent film classic Metropolis.

Space Travel (A Trip To The Moon)

Hailed as one of the earliest examples of science fiction on screen, A Trip To The Moon predicted space travel and man landing on the Moon way back in 1902. The French silent film classic envisions a very lively, even dangerous Moon, which is, of course, nothing like what it is actually like, nor did the Apollo 11 Mission actually land a rocket in the eye of the man in the moon, but hey, A Trip To The Moon did foresee at least something about the future.

Lightsaber (Star Wars)

Ok, this one is a little bit of a stretch, because it's not like everyone is chopping their onions with laser knives and we aren't fighting intergalactic battles with futuristic laser swords, but lightsabers do exist on one level. According to Guinness World Records, a builder named Alex Burkan has invented something at least somewhat similar to the legendary, elegant weapon of the Jedi in the Star Wars franchise.

Cloning (The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler)

As far as we can tell, The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971) was perhaps the first movie to feature the concept of cloning. It was certainly a very early example of the idea, though the terminology used in the low-budget movie was different. We're not cloning humans (yet), and maybe we shouldn't ever be going that far, but humans are definitely cloning other species.

Androids (Alien)

Androids have been part of science fiction forever. Robots, in general, have always been dreamed up in different ways by writers and directors. One of the most iconic examples comes from the Alien franchise, starting with the original Ridley Scott movie from 1979. We don't have androids yet, to be sure, but with the combination of advancements in AI and robotics, it sure seems close.

Neuralink Brain Implants (Black Mirror)

Several episodes of Black Mirror involve a device connected directly to the brain that allows us to record everything we see or connect our consciousness to a computer program. We might be that far yet, but there does exist such a device that is implanted in a person's brain, allowing them to control a computer just by thinking up a task. Many are working on the ability to transplant our consciousness onto a hard drive, which was also the plot of a Black Mirror episode, which is a little further off, and frankly, much scarier.

Virtual Reality (Tron)

While not quite as advanced as what is depicted in the groundbreaking 1982 film Tron, immersive video games are more popular today than ever. The concept of "virtual reality" has changed quite a bit over the last few decades, with "augmented reality" taking a more prominent role. Still, at least in the gaming world, virtual reality on the level of Tron doesn't seem far off.

Personalized Marketing (Minority Report)

Personalized marketing is a reality, though it's not exactly how it is in Minority Report. This is something that has been discussed in the advertising world for decades now. My first job out of college was for a company that was trying to create personalized ads delivered to phones, and this was a decade before the smartphone was really even a thing. Still, trying to buy a pair of shoes on the web and not get bombarded with ads for more shoes.

Flying Cars (Back To The Future Part II)

Jetpacks and flying cars have been part of dozens of sci-fi stories over the years, going back many, many years. Generations of people have predicted that flying cars would be a thing by the time they become adults. We still don't have one in every driveway, but they are closer than ever, and there are definitely working prototypes.

Audio Translation (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy)

Apple AirPods now have the ability to translate foreign languages in real time. There are plenty of examples in sci-fi of this tech, but my favorite is the Babel Fish from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Sure, it's not technically new "tech" in the classic books or the adaptations, but hey, they do the translating!

Hoverboard (Back To The Future Part II)

Back to the Future II was set in what is now the past, and some of the inventions are closer to reality than others. The most coveted invention in the movie is the hoverboard. There have been a few products over the years that have called themselves hoverboards, but the closest one to the film is one Tony Hawk rode back in 2015, which was, coincidentally, the year that Marty travels to in the future.

Voice User Interface (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri are just two examples of voice interfaces that have been predicted by everything from Star Trek to 2001.

Smarthomes (The Illustrated Man)

In a segment from this anthology of Ray Bradbury-inspired segments called "The Veldt," a couple finds that their parental authority is being undermined by their technologically advanced home. More recently (if the 1980s are "recent"), it was also seen in The Running Man.

Smartglasses (Back To The Future Part II)

Back to the Future II actually predicted quite a bit of tech that has become a reality. For example, Marty McFly Jr. owns a pair of glasses that allow him to watch TV anywhere. Sure, Google Glass bombed, but that won't be the tech industry's last attempt to make smartglasses work.

Synthetic Meat (Eraserhead)

Lab-grown meat, like Impossible Meat, has a long history in science fiction and other works of fiction. It made a memorable (and very bizarre) appearance in director David Lynch's debut feature, Eraserhead, in 1977.

AI-Generated Art (Her)

Spike Jonze predicted a world in which books, music, and movies would be "created" instantaneously with a computer program in Her. Even though this is one of the more recent additions to this list, the world is chock full of AI art today, for better or (mostly) worse.

Biometric Payment (Back To The Future Part II)

In Back To The Future Part II, Biff uses a thumbprint to pay his cab fare. We don't use this exact type of technology today, but we all use biometric technology to open our phones, like thumbprints and face recognition, and we use those phones to "tap" to pay for stuff on our credit cards. Combining the two is certainly possible, even if we're probably not ready to trust it.

Artificial Heart (Threshold)

The first successful artificial heart implant happened in 1982, though attempts had been made in medicine for decades. 1981's Threshold, starring Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum, was still breaking ground when it predicted, albeit by just a few months, that it was now possible.

Space Stations (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Space stations, like the one seen in 1969's 2001: A Space Odyssey, were first inhabited just a couple of years later, first with the Soviet station Salyut 1 in 1971, followed shortly by the United States' Skylab in '73. There have been various versions ever since.

The Metaverse (Ready Player One)

When Mark Zuckerberg first announced the Metaverse, I couldn't help but immediately think of Ready Player One. So far, we haven't been escaping to a virtual reality, but it honestly doesn't seem that outlandish that the dystopian future the movie predicts could easily come true. Let's hope that the real version has as many Easter Eggs as Ready Player One has, at least.

Milk Engine (Phil Of The Future)

In one episode of the sci-fi Disney Channel series Phil Of The Future, Phil and Keely build a pudding-serving machine powered by an engine that runs on milk, which causes his father to fear their 22nd-century origins will be revealed since that invention will not exist for decades. However, efforts to convert lactose into ethanol fuel actually started in 2023. It's not here yet, but it's not far off, it seems.

Tablets (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Though they are called "newspads" in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the devices that the astronauts use to watch the news are basically iPads or tablets.

Robot Vacuums (The Glass Bottom Boat)

In the 1966 rom-com The Glass Bottom Boat, Bruce (Rod Taylor) owns a "gizmo" company, and one of his (many) inventions looks basically like what you expect the prototype of a Romba to look like. It's a little robot vacuum that seems too silly to be true, but we know there is nothing silly about them these days! Well, they are a little silly, but they sure are convenient!

Bionic Limbs (The Empire Strikes Back)

Here's one that everyone remembers, Luke Skywalker's bionic arm in The Empire Strikes Back. Of course, similar arms (and other limbs) exist today, though they don't look as real as Luke's does.

Digital Billboards (Blade Runner)

In Blade Runner, the future looks very much like the present in at least one way: billboards. Giant digital billboards were still not the norm back when the movie was released in 1982. Today, they are everywhere from Times Square to highways in Iowa. They are everywhere. And they are annoying as they are in Blade Runner.

Commercial Space Travel (2001: A Space Odyssey)

2001: A Space Odyssey sure got a lot of stuff right when Kubrick made it in the late '60s. Commercial space travel, for example, was the norm in the movie. While we are not quite at the same level today as they were in the movie (and Pan Am is long gone), we do have space tourism these days, so long as you're a tech billionaire or Katy Perry. One day, the rest of us might be lucky enough to do it too!

Self-Tying Shoes (Back To The Future Part II)

Once again, Back To The Future Part II comes through with an invention that we have today; this time, it's self-tying shoes, or as Marty calls them in the movie, "power laces." They actually come from Nike, too! All in all, it's impressive how many times old sci-fi movies managed to predict the future. Mostly in good ways, too.

Genres are helpful—until a movie comes along that throws the rulebook into the fire. Some films are so inventive and wildly ambitious that slapping a single label on them feels like an insult. These movies blend tones, mix storytelling traditions, and challenge expectations at every turn. Whether mashup horror and comedy, sci-fi and romance, or animation and noir, these 32 films break free from traditional classification, proving that the best stories often refuse to fit into a box.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

The plot of Everything Everywhere All at Once sounds absurd when you hear it out loud. It’s sci-fi, but it’s also a family drama. It’s one of the best action movies in recent memory. It also happens to be an absurdist comedy with a scene that breaks my heart every time I see it–I still can’t look at rocks or googly eyes the same. It’s a meditation on existential dread wrapped in kung-fu spectacle. The Daniels crafted something that shouldn’t work but does—an emotional, high-energy, genre-blending rollercoaster where nihilism and love collide in the best way possible.

Donnie Darko (2001)

A suburban teen, time travel, existential horror, and a man in a creepy rabbit suit—Donnie Darko refuses to be pinned down. Is it a psychological thriller? A coming-of-age story? A horror film with sci-fi elements? Richard Kelly’s cult classic is all of these things, a moody, enigmatic puzzle box that continues to haunt viewers decades later, an easily one of Jake Gyllenhal’s best movie performances.

The Princess Bride (1987)

What other film can balance fairy tale fantasy, satirical comedy, swashbuckling action, and heart-melting romance without breaking a sweat? The Princess Bride is a book-to-screen adaptation that is as good, if not better than the novel it's based on. It’s a love letter to classic storytelling while also poking fun at its conventions. It’s pure magic—a film that can make you laugh, cheer, and cry, often within the same scene.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, one of his best movies, refuses to let fantasy be an escape. Instead, it interweaves a fairy tale with the brutal realities of war-torn Spain. Part fantasy film, dripping in historical drama and a dash of horror. Del Toro blends all three into something chillingly beautiful, proving that sometimes the scariest monsters are human.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

A hard-boiled noir detective film… with animated cartoon characters running wild? Who Framed Roger Rabbit defies expectations by fusing classic film noir aesthetics with Looney Tunes madness. It’s part mystery, part slapstick comedy, part technical marvel, entirely unclassifiable, and, in retrospect, not very appropriate for children.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Since finishing up his tenure as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliff has made some weird movies, and none are as odd as Swiss Army Man. Think Cast Away with a farting corpse–as a stranded man befriends a farting, talking corpse with Swiss Army knife-like powers—if that sounds like nonsense, that’s because it is pure absurdist genius. It’s an iconic buddy comedy, an existential drama, and a surprisingly heartfelt film about loneliness, self-worth, and the strangeness of human connection.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is one of the best science fiction movies of the 90s, sure, but it’s also a campy, over-the-top, French space opera that veers into comedy, action, and cartoon levels of insanity. It’s a spectacle of pure creative energy, filled with outlandish characters and visual madness that make it impossible to categorize.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an unholy blend of campy B-movie horror and glam rock musicals. It embraces its genre-defying weirdness with open arms. It’s more than a film—it's an experience with some of the catchiest songs committed to screen.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

A movie about a portal into John Malkovich’s mind that turns into a psychological drama about identity, obsession, and control? Spike Jonze, in his directorial debut, and Charlie Kaufman turn an absurd premise into something deeply unsettling yet darkly funny, making Being John Malkovich one of the strangest films ever made and one of the best flicks of the 1990s.

The Shape of Water (2017)

If you mix a Cold War espionage thriller with a creature feature and, of course, a fairy tale romance, you’ll get an idea of what The Shape of Water is. Guillermo del Toro masterfully stitches these elements together into a haunting, poetic, and profoundly weird film. A love story between a woman and an amphibious creature shouldn't work, but in del Toro’s capable hands, the movie becomes unforgettable and deserves all its Oscar wins.

Hook (1991)

Though much maligned since its release, Hook is easily one of Robin Williams's best performances. It tells a compelling father-son story mixed with whimsy and is a family-friendly swashbuckler. However, at its heart, it’s a deeply melancholic story about rediscovering lost youth.

Spirited Away (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is an intoxicating blend of myth, folklore, and childhood wonder, defying any easy categorization. The film operates on dream logic, shifting between the whimsical and the nightmarish, crafting a world that feels both hauntingly strange and intimately familiar. It’s one of the very best adventure family movies out there.

Fargo (1996)

The Coen Brothers have a habit of making films that exist in the gray area between genres, and Fargo might be their greatest balancing act. It’s a crime thriller, a dark comedy with some of their funniest quotes, and a bleak meditation on human nature. The film is full of violence and tension, yet it never loses its absurd sense of humor—often in the same breath.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

At first glance, The Cabin in the Woods is one of the best horror movies of the 2010s, but the deeper you go, the more it mutates into something else entirely. It works as a love letter to and a brutal deconstruction of the horror genre, blending meta-comedy with genuine scares. It starts like a standard slasher film, but by the end, it’s an apocalyptic fever dream that leaves you questioning everything you know about horror storytelling.

Gremlins (1984)

Is Gremlins a horror movie? A dark comedy? Is it a Christmas film or just Christmas-themed? The answer is all of the above. Joe Dante’s chaotic creature feature shifts wildly between tones, sometimes feeling like a heartwarming holiday classic and other times diving headfirst into gruesome horror. It manages to be both gleefully silly and genuinely unsettling—making it impossible to fit neatly into one category.

The Pagemaster (1994)

The Pagemaster refuses to commit to a single identity. Though it loomed large in my childhood, its unwillingness to commit to a single genre could be why it has such an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score. While it’s positioned as a children’s film about the power of books, it blends so many visual and storytelling styles that it becomes something else entirely. This surreal, hybrid experience feels both nostalgic and oddly experimental.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China is an action movie that plays like a comedy, a kung-fu film that satirizes kung-fu films, and a supernatural adventure that revels in its own ridiculousness. It gleefully subverts action hero tropes, making its protagonist more of a bumbling sidekick–with some of the greatest Kurt Russel quotes–than a traditional lead. Its genre-bending nature has made it an enduring cult classic.

Her (2013)

Her straddles multiple genres while remaining profoundly intimate and personal. Yet again, Spike Jonze takes a premise that could have been used for satire—a man falling in love with his AI assistant—and turns it into a heartbreakingly sincere exploration of modern relationships. It’s futuristic but deeply human, making it impossible to categorize.

Last Action Hero (1993)

On the surface, it’s an action movie but also a deconstruction of action movies. Last Action Hero arguably came out at the wrong time, as it revels in Hollywood excess while poking fun at its clichés, blending over-the-top action with meta-commentary way ahead of its time. It’s self-aware, chaotic, and often refusing to be boxed into a single category.

Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading is classic Coen Brothers chaos—a film where every character thinks they’re in control, yet none of them have any idea what’s actually happening. It plays with the tropes of espionage thrillers, only to reveal that the stakes are laughably low, making it a darkly hilarious puzzle box of a movie. Also, it has one of the best Francis McDormand performances ever.

Men in Black (1997)

It’s a sci-fi film, but it’s also a buddy-cop comedy. It’s a blockbuster, but it has the sharp humor of a satire. Men in Black blends alien conspiracies, action-packed spectacle, laugh-out-loud comedy, and one of the scariest aliens committed to celluloid into something effortlessly entertaining. It thrives in its refusal to take itself too seriously, making it one of its era's most unique sci-fi films.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is unapologetically Tim Burton at his best. An oddity that defies easy classification. It’s equal parts whimsical and tragic, blending a monster movie's aesthetics with the romance's tenderness. The film’s visual style is pure fantasy, yet its emotional core is deeply human, making it one of Burton’s most enduring works.

A Ghost Story (2017)

A Ghost Story is a slow, meditative exploration of time, grief, and existential loneliness. It also tells the story of a spiritual being who walks the earth in a bed sheet. This story challenges everything you expect from a ghost story, stripping away jump scares and supernatural lore in favor of long, lingering shots and quiet, contemplative storytelling. It’s haunting, but not in the traditional sense—more of a melancholy whisper than a scream in the dark.

La La Land (2016)

A musical, but one that subverts the tropes of the genre. La La Land embraces old Hollywood spectacle while refusing to follow the standard “happily ever after” formula. It’s nostalgic yet modern, blending reality and fantasy in a way that feels both dreamlike and achingly real.

The Lobster (2015)

The Lobster is so uniquely bizarre that it exists in a separate genre–the genre of Yorgos Lanthimos. Lanthimos takes an inherently ridiculous premise—that single people must find a partner or be turned into animals—and turns it into something deeply unsettling, bleakly funny, and weirdly moving.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie far better than its bombing at the box office would lead one to believe. It is a wonderful stop-motion movie, but it's also unmistakably Wes Anderson, as the filmmaker blends the time-consuming animation with his signature aesthetic. It feels like a classic children’s storybook brought to life, yet it carries an undercurrent of existential angst that makes it resonate just as strongly with adults.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

No movie influenced 90s cinema quite like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. This unpredictable film intertwines multiple narratives, with Samuel L. Jackson as the standout performer. The movie redefined nonlinear storytelling by skillfully blending brutal violence, humor, and unexpected poignancy.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Another Charlie Kaufman brainchild, Eternal Sunshine, takes a high-concept premise—erasing painful memories of lost love and toxic relationships—and turns it into an achingly beautiful meditation on heartbreak, fate, and human connection. It’s as cerebral as it is emotional, making it one of the most uniquely structured love stories ever told.

Prey (2022)

Prey is not just another Predator movie; it’s a historical survival thriller and an Indigenous-led action film that reinvents the franchise. By removing the excessive machismo of earlier movies and setting the story in 1719 around a young Comanche warrior, Prey transforms into a compelling tale of resilience and culture. Amber Midthunder emerges as a standout new face in the lineage of final girls in horror.

Aliens (1986)

James Cameron cranked Ridley Scott’s slow-burn terror into an all-out war film, proving that a sequel doesn’t have to repeat its predecessor. Aliens retains the dread of its predecessor while injecting explosive, military-driven spectacle, making it a rare hybrid that succeeds as both a nerve-wracking horror movie and a high-octane action thriller.

Coraline (2009)

It looks like a children’s fantasy film, but Coraline, while being one of Laika’s best movies, is pure nightmare fuel. A dark fairy tale with horror undertones, the film walks the tightrope between whimsy and dread. Its stop-motion animation is gorgeous yet eerie, and the story—about a young girl lured into a seemingly perfect world with sinister secrets—feels like something pulled from the pages of an old gothic ghost story.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

A coming-of-age story drenched in comic book and video-game aesthetics? Scott Pilgrim vs. The World should have been a hit, with its pure kinetic energy, blending pop culture, music, and self-aware humor into a hyper-stylized spectacle. Edgar Wright expanded his abilities as a filmmaker, creating a film that’s part arcade game, part indie rom-com, and wholly unique in its execution.

It’s usually good practice never to judge a book by its cover, metaphorically and literally, but sometimes it’s perfectly acceptable to pass such judgment based on a name. That definitely goes for TV shows as much as anything, with lists of the greatest of all time are populated mostly with traditional, down-the-line titles, with some clever gems in the mix.

On the grass-isn’t-greener side, however, there exist a host of TV properties whose names are so awkward, misguided, or downright terrible that it’s a wonder droves of people allowed them to go from concept to finished product without a drastic title change.

H8R

The concept here seems coherent enough: famously derisive celebrities have face-to-face experiences with their biggest naysayers. But not even host Mario Lopez’s ageless dimples should have sold anyone on the SMS-specific title H8R.

Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place

A prime example of a great '90s comedy that inspires viewers to completely give up saying the whole thing before finishing — but not in a way that leads to any nifty abbreviations or acronyms — Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place is the rare series that actually altered its official title after two seasons to Two Guys and a Girl. Which is somehow exactly the same amount of terrible without going all-in on the kitschiness.

S#*! My Dad Says

Anytime TV shows try for names with screwball punctuation, it's annoying. This adaptation of Justin Halpern's social media feed-turned-book kept the censored swear word approach that works well enough in print, but was more or less impossible for anyone to talk about without first hesitating and checking to see if kids are around.

Jake and the Fatman

Looking beyond the body-shaming element of this ‘80s crime drama title, I get hung up on William Conrad’s D.A. J.L. McCabe having the nickname “Fatman” as one word instead of two, and yet the title isn’t Jake and Fatman. Nobody’s calling him “THE Fatman.” How is there a break in logic within just these four words?

VR.5

One title trend that got old immediately was adding "2.0" to any kind of product's remake or upgrade, but I at least understand it. Why Fox's virtual reality-centered thriller added a decimal point in between an abbreviation and a number is beyond me, though, and I can think of at least 3.5 conversations that should have led to a better title than VR.5.

It's Like...You Know

ABC's It's Like...You Know seemed immediately destined to end up in a DVD box set of shows named after cringe-worthy phrases with minuscule shelf lives along with the (fictional) projects That Just Happened and Sure Thing. Not! Can you imagine how much combined time could have been saved if we removed all the pauses people had to take during that needless ellipsis?

Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search

This is a spinoff title that should come only after a handful of competition series of lesser importance, such as Not Overly Impressive Coyote Ugly Search, Middling Example Coyote Ugly Search, and Excellent Coyote Ugly Search But With Mild Limitations before any could really earn the distinction of being the Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search. Also, "ugly search" rolls off the tongue like a square tire.

Haggis Baggis

TV Title Rule #39: If your show name instantly brings to mind Scottish dishes made from sheep organs, please try again. And if it absolutely necessarily has to, then at least don't have the second word rhyme with the first, making it sound like a rejected James Bond villain.

2ge+her

MTV's boy band satirical TV movie and episodic spinoff 2ge+her gets its name from the core fictional group, and I appreciate it being purposefully bad. But when the joke maybe isn't funny enough to justify applying for copyrights, that's a sign to go with a different name. For what it's worth, the more simply stylized title 2Gether inspires 50% fewer eye twitches, but there are other alts, 2GE+HER or 2Ge+Her, where the twitches don't stop.

How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest of Your Life)

This shortlived 2013 series sounds like the opposite of a self-help book, and one that I'd happily leave on the shelf. It does work well for sitcom plotting, but by the time you're finished saying it, it's the end credits.

Episodes

Big picture, I can understand that Episodes is not the most sinfully dreadful moniker. But there's something that I don't think David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik were thinking about when they created this Friends follow-up for Matt LeBlanc: I shouldn’t have to live in a world where “the latest episode of Episodes” exists as a phrase. It's like a novel called Chapter of the Book. "Did you read the latest chapter of the book Chapter of the Book?"

Gay, Straight, Or Taken

I'd be willing to give this reality dating-ish show a lot more credit if the three choices in the midst of the title were all on a similar circuit of competing concepts. But being "taken" isn't on the same scale as being gay or straight. Not even if we're talking about the Liam Neeson movie franchise. I guess the name Gay or Straight? Additionally, Single or Taken is more cumbersome, but at least it keeps with logic.

Wild West C.O.W. Boys Of Moo Mesa

A forgotten Saturday morning cartoon series inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' popularity, but with a less successfully descriptive title, Wild West C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa boasts a mess of a name. "Wild West Cowboys" is redundant, while the fictional location of Moo Mesa doesn't mean anything to newcomers. And the acronym just confuses things further, especially after learning that "C.O.W." stands for "Code of the West." (Everything is more or less forgiven thanks to the character name Warden Gordon Boredon.)

Canada's Worst Handyman

As a concept, I'll never fully understand the pleasure of watching people do tasks they aren't proficient at. But even within that limited avenue of programming that seems like it MIGHT be entertaining, I'm not sure determining Canada's Worst Handyman would ever rank above anything else. Maybe Lithuania's Worst Contrabassonist.

Scott Baio Is 45...And Single

Even if I cared about Scott Baio's romantic life with all of my heart, that wouldn't outweigh the part of me that thinks TV series should be titled in a way that isn't irrelevant as fact a year later. We'll even set aside ellipsis complaints here just to focus on how dumb an exchange it would be to say, "Scott Baio Is 45 ," and have someone say, "No, he isn't," and then respond with, "No, the TV show." Terrible way to spend a day, that.

Hairy Bikers

For a show about motorcyclists with follicles whipping in the wind, Hairy Bikers is on point. For a show about two dudes messing with food, Hairy Bikers tests the limits of my gag reflex. Si King and Dave Myers are great, to be sure, but if I'm an alien who lands here and has just picked up the English language, I'm never giving them the time of day thanks to that name.

Platypus Man

During the height of stand-up comedian Richard Jeni's popularity in the early 1990s, he landed his own sitcom on UPN that was based on his 1992 HBO special that was also called Platypus Man. Two big mistakes here. First, there shouldn't be two different things named Platypus Man, period. And second, at least ONE of them should be about a mutant creature who's bipedal but duck-billed.

T.H.E. Cat

This 1960s drama starred Robert Loggia as a reformed cat burglar named Thomas Cat, which already makes the title a little too cutesy. But amidst all the acronym-heavy titles of the era like Man from U.N.C.L.E., it's baffling on top of baffling that all the other words of the alphabet fell short of meeting the high promise of T.H.E., which just stood for his full name of Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat. T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E.

101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow

I suppose I might have had a bigger issue with 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow as a title if the UK series had remained on the air long enough to go beyond the total number of ways promised in the name. But that just speaks to the insanity of instantly limiting a project's capacity through name alone. And if we're rolling our sleeves up, I think "gameshow" as one word is silly. There, I said it.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter

This comedy starring Jaime Pressly is bringing the inside voice into the outside, but regardless of whether or not the parental sentiment is actually true, this is one of those TV titles that just prompts embarrassing situations during conversation. Such as if a friend quietly asks what you watched the previous night, but you have earbuds in and so you don't realize that you're yelling your answer "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" in front of all those other parents at the fundraiser.

Barry'd Treasure

I’m a pun-lover from day one, but even I wince a little at the title of Barry Weiss’ Storage Wars spinoff. Barry’d Treasure is admittedly spot-on when it comes to describing the show in as few syllables as possible, but I think just calling it Barry’d Treasure would tick all the same boxes, minus “Make audiences kinda hate saying the title.”

Whew!

How does one even pronounce this show when talking about it? Like “woo” in the style of Ric Flair, or with the full exasperation of having just escaped a harrowing encounter? Or maybe like the first two syllables of a police siren. "Wee-oo." Or maybe we just don't talk about it.

Shasta McNasty

UPN's lineup of shows with awful names is perhaps topped by the comedy Shasta McNasty, where the one thing that could have possibly saved it was if it focused on brilliant scientists who figured out how to reverse climate change in a way that people could repeat successfully in real life. Instead, however, it's about a trio of rap-rock "musicians," and Jake Busey looks like all of The Offspring.

American Horror Story

Despite being arguably the most successful and accolade-deserving horror anthology series of all time, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's American Horror Story sounds like the grocery store brand equivalent of the better option, such as Fruit Spins or Marshmallow Magic. The fact that it spawned Crime and Sports spinoffs is just insulting.

Rubik, The Amazing Cube

Long before Barbie came around and turned that toy into a blockbuster, the beloved puzzle toy Rubik's Cube was adapted into an animated series that wasn't centered on creator Ernő Rubik, but rather was about an anthropomorphized version of the cube itself...and it's also named Rubik? Issues abound.

What Would Ryan Lochte Do?

Olympian swimmer Ryan Lochte was a legitimate pop culture phenom thanks to the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games and quickly found his way back out of the zeitgeist due to the Lochtegate controversy and later suspension. But for a brief window in 2013, E! aired five less-than-stellar episodes of a show whose title would be used in a far jokier manner years later, What Would Ryan Lochte Do? Hopefully not be another TV show.

The Law And Harry McGraw

A spinoff of Murder, She Wrote — the rare TV show title whose inherent clumsiness is perhaps its biggest strength — Jerry Orbach's The Law and Harry McGraw sounds more like a Dr. Seuss-ian introduction to courtroom personalities rather than a serious TV show.

13: Fear is Real

I get that 13 is the number most associated with horror and spooky stuff, and that stating something directly can often make that sentiment feel more powerful. But on a scale from 1-10, 13: Fear Is Real gets a negative 13.

How’s Your Mother in Law?

A Chuck Barris game show hosted by Wink Martindale with comedian “defense attorneys” such as Richard Dawson, George Carlin and Nipsey Russell? Sounds fantastic, assuming the title isn’t some kind of general inquiry about a spouse’s parent, which seems like a very easy notion to adhere to. And yet How’s Your Mother-In-Law? made it all the way to airing with this comedy stereotype of a title.

Farmer Wants a Wife

In terms of laying out exactly what its premise is from horn to hoof, Farmer Wants a Wife does the trick. But when it comes to sounding smart and using articles in front of nouns, this ranch-adjacent dating series is not outstanding in its field.

I Want To Work For Diddy

Getting a chance to work alongside a major celebrity might seem like a dream to some people, but something not so dreamlike is the title I Want to Work for Diddy, which sucks as a name even without thinking about Sean "Diddy" Combs becoming embroiled in controversies and legal issues. Like if there was a Jeopardy! ripoff called I Want To Win a Lot of Money for My Trivia Knowledge.

Terriers

A one-season show that often makes "Canceled Too Soon" lists, Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James' excellent neo-noir caper Terriers is perhaps the prime example of why good TV shows need to make 100% sure they're called something catchy and at least mildly related to the subject matter. FX marketed Terriers with doggy imagery, despite the fact that this is a show about amateur P.I.s of the human persuasion.

It's a tale as old as time, one person's love for another goes unrequited by the other. Sometimes there are societal pressures, sometimes the time just isn't right for one person, and sometimes they just aren't that into the other person. Here is our list of heartbreaking examples of unrequited love in movies.  

Past Lives

2023's Past Lives was a gem. The Celine Song written and directed romance story tells the story of two kids living in South Korea who never seem to have the right time to let a romance bloom from their friendship. In the end, the audience is left wondering what could have been, right along with the characters. 

Love Actually

There is no better example of unrequited love on film than that scene between Andrew Lincoln and Kiera Knightly in Love Actually. You know the one. After realizing he is in love with Juliet (Knightly), Mark (Lincoln) goes to her door and lays his cards out, literally, in the form of posters with his feelings written out for her to read. She is briefly entranced, but both realize they'll always only be friends. 

Casablanca

It's just never the right time for Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) in Casablanca. It's one of the greatest unrequited love stories ever told on film as these two seemingly soul mates are stuck remembering a magical time that they could never recapture. In the end, they do the right thing, make the correct decisions, and know that they will never be together. They will always have Paris. 

(500) Days Of Summer

(500) Days Of Summer is pretty much the classic version of the unrequited love story. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) start a casual relationship that Summer is completely honest about... at least at first. As Tom falls in love, Summer tries to keep it casual until it all comes to a head and Tom is left brokenhearted. 

Rushmore

Wes Anderson's 1998 classic Rushmore is one of the more uncomfortable examples on this list. High school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) becomes infatuated with a teacher (Olivia Williams) while his classmate Margaret (Sara Tanaka) falls in love with Max. Both are rebuffed by their crushes and it gets messier from there. 

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is not a smart man. He is a loyal man, though. That loyalty means that from a young age, he is in love with Jenny (Robin Wright). At no point in the many incredible events of his life does he ever fall out of love with his childhood best friend. Jenny, on the other hand, while loyal to Forrest in a way, lives a very different life and rebuffs Forrest throughout it, at least until the very end of her tragic life. 

Brokeback Mountain

One of the greatest examples of societal pressures leaving two lovers unable to find the love they crave with each other is Brokeback Mountain. Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) are passionate about each other, but their community would never accept their love, so they are forced to deny it and it creates an absolutely heartbreaking scenario. 

The Royal Tenenbaums

We'll admit, that this is one of the weirder, and frankly, more disturbing examples of this list. Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson), you see, is in love with his sister, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow). It makes for some very uncomfortable moments, to be sure. It's obvious a love that is rightly forbidden. Sometimes you shouldn't root for the couple to get together. 

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby is the ultimate example of how destructive unrequited love can be. Gatsby, played in the Baz Luhrmann movie by Leonardo DiCaprio, has long regretted asking Daisy (Carey Mulligan) to wait for him. Instead, she marries George (Jason Clarke) and things get very tragic as a result. 

Lost in Translation

Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johannson) are two people stuck in happy marriages who meet in a Tokyo hotel. Though they quickly bond during a night out on the town with each other, things remain pretty awkward. Neither seems to know what to do and as a result, nothing romantic happens. At least until the very end of the movie when they finally share a kiss and leave the end open. So maybe this one works out?

Pretty In Pink

Another classic example of love unreturned is poor Duckie (Jon Cryer) in Pretty In Pink. Duckie will do anything for Andie (Molly Ringwald) and while she is forever grateful for Duckie's loyalty and friendship, she is in love with Blaine (Andrew Shue). Famously, she chooses Blaine at the end, leaving some fans of the movie upset. 

Doctor Zhivago

Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and Lara (Julie Christie) have one of the greatest love stories of all time in the classic Doctor Zhivago. Unfortunately, war and other romantic commitments mean they never have a chance for that "happily ever after). 

There's Something About Mary

The thing about Mary (Cameron Diaz) is that everyone is in love with her. It's hard to say whose love is the most unrequited here because there are seemingly dozens of men left in the dust by her in There's Something About Mary. Obviously it finally works out for one of them, Ted (Ben Stiller) but then what about the rest? What about Brett Farve? He did nothing wrong! 

Great Expectations (1998)

1998's Great Expectations retells the classic Charles Dickens novel set in modern-day New York City. Finn (Ethan Hawke) falls in love with Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow) but she is evasive and, frankly, mean, about it. She leads him on and uses him to make her fiancee jealous. He never forgets her and eventually, years later, his love is returned. 

La La Land

La La Land is a classic example of two people never quite syncing up romantically when they clearly have a passion for each other. For one reason or another throughout the movie, the time never quite works for Seb (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone). They were just destined to be apart. 

Les Misérables

Les Misérables includes one of the most famous examples of unrequited love in Western storytelling. Eponine, played by Samantha Barks in the 2012 adaption of the musical, is in love with Marius, but he doesn't return the feelings and as a result, she gives one of the most stirring performances of a song on film with "On My Own."

Roxanne

Steve Martin's underrated comedy Roxanne is loosely based on the famous play Cyrano de Bergerac. Like Cyrano, Martin's character, C.D., has everything going for him, but his unnaturally large nose holds him back from professing his true love for Roxanne (Daryl Hannah). 

My Best Friend's Wedding

The title says it all. My Best Friend's Wedding is another classic example of how things happen between two close friends who maybe want more, but never take the leap and realize it's too late when one or the other moves on. It's a hard moment for everyone involved. 

Chasing Amy

There are a lot of problematic things in Chasing Amy that we don't need to get into here. Despite those problems, the story is still, at its heart, a story about a man (Ben Affleck) in love with a woman (Joey Lauren Adams) who doesn't reciprocate that love. She has no obligation to, but that doesn't make it less heartbreaking in the end for Affleck's character, Holden. 

Once

Missed connections, or bad timing, is the tale told in Once. Two musicians with an obvious connection both artistically and romantically never connect on the latter for a myriad of reasons and though both seem to want it to happen, life and fate keep them apart. It's a sad, and actually somewhat heartwarming story. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) is like almost every high school in some ways. We've all had crushes in high school that go unfulfilled, but Lara takes things to an extreme, writing letters to all the crushes she has, and it's a lot. The letters are never meant to be read by the intended recipient but kept only for her. When the letters get out, things get very messy with love triangles and lots of hurt feelings. 

The Remains of the Day

James Stevens and Sally Kenton (Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, respectively) are servants in stately English country estates who have a very complicated relationship that seems like it should be more than it is. Sally is especially in love with James, but he refuses to let her in. There is regret on both sides in the end, though nothing ever comes of their love. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) just can't get over his ex, Sarah (Kristen Bell). When he finds himself stuck in the same Hawaiian resort as Sarah and her obnoxious new boyfriend, played by Russell Brand, things go from bad to worse. He obsesses over Sarah and is blind to the fact that Rachel (Mila Kunis) is the much better romantic option. Eventually, he realizes the choice is clear. 

Edward Scissorhands

Poor Edward (Johnny Depp) in Edward Scissorhands. He never really has a chance to find true love, despite his obvious attraction to Kim (Winona Ryder). She too, reveals her love to him, finally, but both realize it can never happen between them and they part forever. 

The Last Of The Mohicans

Like many classic stories of unfulfilled love The Last Of The Mohicans sees Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Cora (Madeleine Stowe) unable to truly be happy together because of the circumstances of their time and place in history. It's not that they don't try, it's that war and society won't allow them to live happily ever after. 

West Side Story

There is no more classic example of forbidden love than Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Many versions of Shakespeare's classics have been told on film, and West Side Story is one of the greatest of them all. Two people caught between their love for each other and their loyalty to their gangs find it impossible to be together in one of the most tragic stories ever told. 

An Affair to Remember

A tragic missed connection fouls up what could have been an amazing romance between Nickie (Cary Grant) and Terry (Deborah Kerr) in An Affair To Remember. For once, the stars align and it seems two lovers, caught in unhappy relationships, will ditch their partners to be together but fate intervenes tragically and it seems they will never end up happy. Or will they?

He's Just Not That Into You

So, do we really need to explain how this one works? The title alone tells you everything you need to know, right? He's Just Not That Into You is a movie with an all-star cast whose characters are in a lot of messy relationships and there are unrequited feelings all around. 

One Day

Dexter (Jim Sturgess) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) spent 20 years flirting with the obvious. They are great friends and at times, each one wants more, but it's never at the same time. 

Her

Well, this is one of the weirder ones here, for sure. Her is an unrequited love story about a man, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who is in love with a computer program with the voice of Scarlett Johansson. It's easy to see why things don't work out here, right?

Broadcast News

Broadcast News is an underrated classic from the '80s that despite a myriad of Oscar nominations, seems to be almost forgotten these days. That's too bad because it's a great movie. In the movie, there is a pretty messy love triangle between the three main characters, though none end up together. None of them seem particularly happy about it, either. 

Paper Towns

Unrequited high school love is something most people are familiar with and Paper Towns tells a fairly straight forward version of the classic tale of the socially awkward kid in love with the popular kid. Even though it's not the most original of stories, it's told in a great way and is a surprisingly sweet movie. 

The 2024 Summer Olympics have finally come to an end in Paris and, now, it is time to pass off the torch to Los Angeles, which will be hosting the international athletic competition in 2028. The United States hasn’t hosted the events since 2002, when the Winter Olympics was held in Salt Lake City. To celebrate, the athletes heading to America in four years, stars from the states celebrated in the most American way possible, with help from Tom Cruise. The movie star made an epic stunt entrance in Paris to wave the Olympic flag. I've been watching it on repeat but, aside from that, many across social meda are focusing on a different part of the moment.

If America is going to do something, it’s going to be big. For those who missed it, the Mission: Impossible icon entered the Olympics Closing Ceremony stadium by jumping down from the top while attached to a rope. When he landed, he shook everyone's hand as he made his way to the stage, where he was handed the Olympic flag and then took off on his motorcycle. The broadcast then cut to footage of the Top Gun star riding through Paris before riding onto a ramp in a plane. The actor took a skydive out of the plane and into Hollywood, signaling a true passing of the torch. You can see his entrance in the Instagram clip below:

The Opening Ceremony in Paris was fantastic in its own way, but it’s hard to get more epic than Tom Cruise. Having a quintessential American movie star be handed an Olympic flag is so true to America, and with his stunts he showed his own athleticism. So it may not be hard to understand why this entire sequence is so rewatchable. While Cruise may have been spotlighted, many have zeroed in on the singer H.E.R. who was absolutely shredding a guitar solo while Cruise made his Parisian entrance. Fans were thrilled to see her a part of such an epic moment and thought she was the key element. You can see some of the comments below:

• H.E.R. was the highlight of all that!
• But that guitar player too… damn. Stole the scene imo. 👏
• Can we also recognize HER for the amazing guitarist she is
• HER is so incredible. She deserves to be there!! She made Tom look better ❤️
• I love the guitarist.

A lot of fans surely knew H.E.R. was an incredible singer, with hit songs like “Could've Been” and “Slide,” but many were surprised at how talented of a guitarist she was. The solo was incredible, and it didn’t look like she was breaking a sweat. While Tom Cruise’s stunt performance showed one element of American talent and ability, H.E.R. showed another, showcasing to the world the superb musicianship of American artists. She’s from California herself and was an excellent choice to represent her home state at the ceremony. The Grammy winner is also a major reason why this entire sequence was worth checking out.

The Paris Olympic Games were some of the best in recent memory, featuring sports moments that will be celebrated and replayed for years to come. There were several celebrities having a blast and cheering on their country, and this will probably be multiplied when the events are held in LA. The USA ended up taking home more medals than any other country this year, but let’s see if we can keep up the streak when the athletes are competing in their home country. With talents like Tom Cruise and H.E.R. leading the way, anything is possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check out that massive entrance and guitar solo again.

Fans can see Tom Cruise doing more impossible stunts like this one in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, which is now streamable with a Paramount+ subscription. We may have to wait another four years before we see the Olympic athletes take Los Angeles but, in the meantime, you can revisit some of the best Olympic moments of 2024 now with a Peacock subscription.

Of course, most viewers focus on the Academy Awards’ big four – Best Actor, Actress, Director, and Best Picture. However, Best Original Song crept up in the last four decades to become a coveted prize for music’s top stars, as seen by pop superstar Billie Eilish picking up her second Oscar this year. It is often a missing piece in a music superstar’s EGOT quest.

Black musicians have racked up many nominations in the category since it was first presented in 1934. The special list includes everyone from music legends like Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, and Ray Parker Jr. to contemporary icons like Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and The Weeknd. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated into an avalanche of Black Best Song winners, with only seven total winners. The low win tally almost ignores Black music’s contribution to film.

Some excellent winners captured the hearts and minds of moviegoers, critics, and pop culture. So, here are the five best Oscar-winning songs by Black musicians to check out during this Black Music Month.

"Theme From Shaft" - Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes’s “Theme from Shaft” was a notable musical change upon its release in 1971 to set the tone for the blaxploitation classic Shaft. The title song was considered one of the earliest disco songs.

The iconic tune came to fruition after Hayes was promised an audition for the title role, which he lost to Richard Roundtree. The film’s director, Gordon Parks, contributed to the song’s lyrics, and the theme blended soul and funk with live instrumentation and arrangement by Hayes and Johnny Allen, which drew inspiration from late soul singer Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.” The song’s lyrics tapped into John Shaft’s coolness, courage, and sex appeal with famous quotes like “a bad mother---” and “you’re damn right!”

While “Theme from Shaft” is considered one of cinema’s best opening songs, it didn’t start that way. Originally, it was a typical film opener before it and Shaft’s popularity took off, forcing Stax Records to release it as a single. The film’s theme was successful in both the US and UK, reaching the Top 5.

After winning Best Original Song at the 44th Academy Awards, Hayes became the first Black person to that award and a non-acting award. He also became the first person credited as a writer and performer of an Oscar-winning song. The late singer and actor has been cited as the first theatrical performance at the awards ceremony. The “Theme from Shaft” won two Grammys – Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Original Score. The hit song’s replay value and impact garnered placement on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Songs and in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

"I Just Called To Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” came at the height of the singer-songwriter’s popularity when the rom-com it appeared in, Woman in Red, was released in 1984. The soundtrack song ended up becoming one of Wonder’s biggest hits.

The best-selling song was one of multiple tunes Wonder wrote, produced, and sang for the film’s soundtrack. It was the epitome of early 1980s post-disco R&B with the Grammy winner programming most of its synth-filled production. Sounding like a surprise phone call between lovers allowed it to play like a tender, romantic letter filled with love and optimism. Unfortunately, the song’s success led to Wonder’s former songwriting partner, Lee Garrett, suing him over credit, which ended up being dismissed.

“I Just Called to Say I Love You” was released as the film’s first single and became an immediate international hit, landing in the Top 2 in most countries. It became the music icon’s best-selling single to date.

The Motown legend became the second Black man to win Best Original Song (at the 57th Academy Awards). Before winning the Oscar, Wonder won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. He was nominated for three Grammys, including Song of the Year.

"Glory" - Common And John Legend

“Glory” by Common and John Legend was tailor-made to capture the emotions and heaviness exemplified by the civil rights biopic Selma when released in 2014. The anthemic song touched on the themes of the past and present.

The big, cinema anthem came about when co-writer Common was cast as civil rights leader James Bevel in the film. It came together after Legend and rapper Rhymefest hopped on board to co-write the civil rights song. In the spirit of Martin Luther King and the nonviolent marches, the music echoed the past and present civil rights movements with its blend of conscious hip-hop and old-school soul music courtesy of Legend’s music production. It captured the song’s lyrics around the Selma to Montgomery marches’ connection to present-day civil rights efforts. The single came at a crucial time in American history after the unrest of the 2014 Ferguson protests.

“Glory” stood out as the lone single from the Selma soundtrack. It became a minor US and international hit. The disappointing chart success didn’t mar the song’s impact, however.

The Grammy-winning duo won the Best Original Song Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards after their touching performance. Before winning the Oscar, Common and Legend won Best Song prizes at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. They followed up those wins with three Grammy nominations, winning Best Song Written for Visual Media.

"Fight For You" - H.E.R.

“Fight For You” by H.E.R. channeled the tension around the life and assassination of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton for Judas and the Black Messiah when it was released in 2021. The recording was an award-season underdog.

The heartfelt cinematic anthem came together after director Shaka King requested the Grammy winner to write for the biopic, wanting something “contemporary with echoes of 1968.” It was specifically crafted to be the film’s main track, which she co-wrote with Tiara Thomas. The civil rights song blended soul and R&B music, drawing inspiration from Curtis Mayfield and the genre’s vast history. The music production from the singer-songwriter and D’Mile brought to life the lyrics around the film’s examination of racism, police brutality, and inequality. Much like “Glory,” the single came at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and a renewed focus on other issues faced by Black Americans.

“Fight for You” served as Judas and the Black Messiah’s first single. The protest anthem became a minor US hit.

The Grammy-winning artist won Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards, considered an Oscar upset by many critics. H.E.R. was nominated for multiple awards, including the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. She racked up three Grammy nominations on the music side, winning Best Traditional R&B Performance.

"Flashdance... What A Feeling" - Irene Cara

Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling” took over pop culture when it was released in 1983 as the first offering from one of the best dance movies, Flashdance. The huge pop tune became one of 1983’s biggest singles and one of the first post-disco dance hits.

The uplifting pop anthem started as a strict Giorgio Moroder production with aid from British pop singer Keith Forsey. Irene Cara joined the production after Moroder asked her to follow a request from Paramount Pictures for a big-name performer for the title track. She only agreed after stipulating she could only perform a song she wrote, which she did with Forsey. The soundtrack single drew from early 1980s dance-pop and post-disco with Moroder’s genre-defining music production. The lyrics were influenced by a film scene where the main character finds musical inspiration while dancing.

“Flashdance… What a Feeling” was originally pushed as a minor single for film promotion purposes before its commercial release, due to the film and song’s surprising popularity. Soon, the huge tune became a worldwide hit, landing within the Top 10 or 20.

The late singer and actress won Best Original Song at the 56th Academy Awards, becoming the first Black woman credited with writing and performing a song to win the award. Cara won the Best Song Golden Globe as well. She racked up multiple Grammy nominations on the music side, winning Best Female Pop Performance. The song’s impact and popularity garnered a placement on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Songs and joined the National Recording Registry.

The above songs have affected film and culture in a way that is still felt today. This year, Grammy winner Jon Batiste received his first Best Original Song nomination for American Symphony’s “It Never Went Away.”

While our next awards season hasn’t started yet, there’s no better time to look up potential Best Original Song nominations. Of course, glance over our 2024 movie schedule to see potential Oscar-worthy films coming down the pipeline.

Here lies the hopes and dreams of “happily ever after.” While we often go to the movies to see couples ride off into the sunset, it doesn’t always shake out that way. Across Hollywood history, there’s been tons of matches made in heaven, but right now we’re going to focus on those memorable break-ups we’re still not over, and may never get over. But hey, sometimes a truly great break-up in a film can be relatable, cathartic and as we'll see, really big break-ups can lead to even better results later on. Or, the break-up in and of itself is the happy ending. Either way, breakups are part of life, so let the tears pour for these ill-fated couples.

SPOILERS ahead! 

Mia & Sebastian, La La Land 

One of the best finales to a movie is arguably Damien Chazelle’s La La Land ending. After Emma Stone’s Mia and Ryan Gosling’s Sebastian fell in love in the musical comedy, their relationship ultimately falls apart after Mia is cast as the lead in a movie being shot in Paris. After Mia nails her audition, we catch the couple five years later, where both of them have found success in their fields, but are no longer together. In an emotional scene, Mia comes across Sebastian’s booming jazz club and he plays their song as the movie imagines what could have been if they stayed together. 

Joel & Clementine, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is not only one of the greatest breakup films out there, but the best movies of the 2000s, too. As we learn during the film, Kate Winslet’s Clementine decides to go through a trial procedure to forget her ex Joel after their breakup, which involves an argument that goes wrong regarding their thoughts about children. Within the movie’s apt meditation on breakups, the Eternal Sunshine ending has Joel and Clementine deciding to give each other another shot, knowing full well the outcome could play out the same between them this time. 

Joe & Summer, (500) Days Of Summer 

When (500) Days Of Summer opens, it warns its audience that they are not about to see a love story, but even so, it’s easy to still get swept up in the couple’s romance. While the 2009 movie is told through the eyes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Joe, where he paints Zooey Deschanel’s Summer as the villain, the pairing operates as an interesting commentary on how people can idolize the other and ignore the signals that point to the other not being the right person for them. The breakup in this movie is sad, until Joe gets a poetic second chance with a woman aptly named Autumn. 

Daniel & Miranda, Mrs. Doubtfire 

Mrs. Doubtfire is one of the best Robin Williams movies, especially because of how it handles the realities of divorce. Throughout, the movie follows Williams’ Daniel as he disguises himself as a character named Mrs. Doubtfire in order to spend more time with his three children amidst his separation from Sally Field’s Miranda. Sadly, by the finale, the parents do not get back together. However, the breakup makes way for a sweet message for those who can relate.  

 Annette & Sebastian, Cruel Intentions 

In 1999’s Cruel Intentions, Ryan Phillippe’s Sebastian breaks things off with Reese Witherspoon’s Annette in an especially emotional scene that leaves Annette by herself in absolute tears over him. The whole thing is the result of a bet Sebastian makes with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Kathryn, where his winnings would be getting her in bed. But, once Sebastian goes to Kathryn to cash in, he learns she had been two steps ahead of him the whole time. This movie definitely lives up to its name! 

Ted & Joanna, Kramer vs. Kramer 

One classic breakup movie we’re not getting over anytime soon is Kramer Vs. Kramer, which centers on a couple’s divorce proceedings and how it affects their young son. Starring Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman as the couple, the drama brings a grounded perspective about how marriages can fall apart and how figuring out custody between parents can be a harrowing process. 

Gale & Dewey, The Scream Movies

In between the scares of the Scream movies, a sweet romance blossomed between Courteney Cox’s journalist character Gale Weathers and David Arquette’s Deputy Dewey Riley. However, in 2022’s Scream, we learn that the couple split up due to Gale’s aspirations to live in New York City and Dewey’s substance abuse issues. What makes this breakup a real stab in the chest is when Dewey is killed off later in the movie. 

Theodore & Samantha, Her

Can you fall in love with someone’s voice? That’s certainly true for Her’s Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix) once Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) comes into his life. He and the artificially intelligent virtual assistant hit it off during Spike Jonze’s critically acclaimed sci-fi film, but it’s not to be forever. In the end, Samantha chooses to join other AIs once her operating system seeks more knowledge outside of him. 

Ennis & Jack, Brokeback Mountain 

Ang Lee’s 2005 film Brokeback Mountain sees Jake Gyllenhaal’s rodeo cowboy Jack and Heath Ledger’s ranch hand Ennis falling in love in secret before leaving their relationship to live typical heterosexual lives with wives and kids. While they reconnect years after their first encounter, they never have a chance to really live happily with one another, and they have an especially tragic ending to their story by the time the movie concludes. 

Han Solo & Leia Organa, The Star Wars Movies 

One of the most iconic couples in movie history is Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa, who famously said the lines “I love you,” with “I know.” Unfortunately, when the Star Wars movies continued in 2015 with The Force Awakens, we learned that the couple had parted ways after having issues with losing their son Ben Solo to the Dark Side. Sadly, Han Solo also dies at the hands of Ben as well. 

Dani & Christian, Midsommar

We’re not over this breakup in particular because of how traumatizing it is to experience! Ari Aster’s Midsommar tells the story of a couple, who are strained as is but their vacation to a Swedish midsummer festival really becomes the cherry on top of its demise. The festival is a front for a pagan cult recruiting and the couple cement their breakup when Christian is stuffed inside a bear and burned alive whilst Dani watches in horror and becomes the newest crowned member. 

Rick & Ilsa, Casablanca

An especially classic breakup in cinema is the one between Humphrey Bogart’s Rick and Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa at the end of 1942’s Casablanca. It’s about former lovers who reunite years after an affair. While one might expect their reunion to lead to the pair rekindling their love, Rick surprises Ilsa at the end of the movie by deserting her as she boards a plane because he feels she would be better off with her current fiancé. 

Peter Quill & Gamora - Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

One of the sweetest couplings in the MCU once belonged to Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill and Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, who met during the events of the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Sadly for the pair, Thanos’ plot to destroy half the universe caused a major rift between them (quite literally) when Thanos sacrificed Gamora to get the Soul Stone. There seemed to be a silver lining for the couple in Vol. 3 when Gamora returned, but during the final Guardians of the Galaxy movie’s ending, the pair went down separate paths. 

Celeste & Jesse, Celeste and Jesse Forever 

2012’s Celeste and Jesse Forever is a rather ironic title considering Rashida Jones’ Celeste and Andy Samberg’s Jesse don’t get a happily ever after. The movie is about high school sweethearts who marry young and decide to separate years later. Despite their separation, the former couple insist on remaining best friends, making for some funny and rather awkward situations between them. Ultimately, the couple need to let go and move on from each other. 

Gary & Brooke, The Break-Up

After Jennifer Aniston had starred in numerous romantic comedies over the years, the Friends actress changed things up with 2006’s The Break-Up alongside Vince Vaughn. The comedy follows a longtime couple that decides it's not working between them but refuses to move out of their condo. A lot of funny things go down when they become roommates following the breakup. While it could have been a setup for a sweet rekindling, they ultimately stay broken up. 

Oliver & Elio, Call Me By Your Name 

Call Me By Your Name is about 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) who meets a handsome doctoral student Oliver (Armie Hammer) while spending the summer in Italy in 1983. The pair strike up a passionate love affair over the course of the sunny months, but sadly for Elio, it was only a fling. At the end of the film, Elio sits tearfully by the fireplace in winter as he learns Oliver has since become engaged. 

Nora & Hae Song, Past Lives 

Past Lives, which was such a powerful 2023 movie that it became one of the 2024 Oscar nominees for Best Picture, is about two childhood friends who cross paths on multiple fronts throughout their lives. Greta Lee plays Nora, a Korean woman who has to say goodbye to her best friend Hae Song (Teo Yoo) as a kid when her family immigrated to New York. As adults, Hae Song visits Nora in the Big Apple, after she’s already been married. There’s a sense that the couple missed out on something special, but as the ending illustrates, they’ll have to perhaps wait for their next life to see their lives align. 

Rhett & Scarlett, Gone With The Wind

One of the most tragic love stories in cinema is certainly 1939’s Gone With The Wind between Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara. With the backdrop of the Civil War behind it, the sprawling epic brings together Rhett and Scarlett during the war’s dire circumstances, leading to their marriage and the birth of their daughter Bonnie Blue. However, when Scarlett’s initial crush Ashley comes between them, Rhett leaves her under the morning fog glow and she is heartbroken. 

Noah & Allie, The Notebook

A particularly sad breakup in the movies comes via 2004’s The Notebook. When the movie begins, two teens, Allie and Noah (Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling) from the opposite side of the tracks fall in love. However, Allie’s parents put a rift between them and they don’t see each other for years. Little does Allie know that after their breakup, Noah wrote to her every day for an entire year and her mother kept them from her. Lucky for this romance, it ends in a happy (yet very bittersweet way) down the road. 

Jerry & Dorothy, Jerry Maguire

In 1996’s Jerry Maguire, which is one of Tom Cruise’s best performances ever, the actor’s character of Jerry and Renée Zellweger’s Dorothy have an incredibly grounded and quite sad breakup scene when they realize they don’t want the same things anymore. The sequence really tugs at the heartstrings because Jerry had started to bond with Dorothy’s young son Ray since their marriage. 

Alice & Dan, Closer

In 2004’s Closer, Jude Law’s Dan leaves Natalie Portman’s Alice heartbroken when he confesses he’s been cheating on her. As she protests the breakup, he admits he’s “selfish” as she cries in his arms. She asks him to make tea, but while he’s preparing it she jets out the door and he never sees her again. 

Nicole & Charlie, Marriage Story

Breakups are always more difficult when children are involved. In 2019’s Marriage Story, audiences get a chance to see the pitfalls that come with divorce as a successful theater director Charlie (Adam Driver), and his wife and actress Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) go through the motions of ending their marriage. 

Bernadine & John, Waiting To Exhale 

In 1995’s Waiting To Exhale, Angela Bassett’s Bernadine, who is the mother of two kids, has spent much of her adult life shelving her career aspirations to raise her children. So we really feel the sting when she finds out that her husband of eleven years has been cheating on her with his bookkeeper and plans to divorce her. Of course, Bernadine gets her revenge by sending her ex’s car up in flames. 

Peter & Sarah, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Sometimes the worst breakups are about the timing of it all, and we’re definitely not over this super awkward one in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In the 2008 comedy, Kristen Bell’s Sarah dumps her longtime boyfriend Peter (Jason Segel) while he’s butt naked in their apartment. Then, they both run into each other in Oahu where Peter runs into Sarah and her new man, Aldous (Russell Brand). It’s funny as a movie, but gosh this is a nightmarish scenario! 

Danny & Debbie, About Last Night

In the 2014 movie, Michael Ealy and Paula Patton’s Danny and Debbie relationship blossoms and then falls apart during the movie’s runtime. It all comes to a head during a New Year’s Eve party that leads Debbie to move out. Thankfully, in the case of this movie, the pair do makeup by the end of the film! 

Katie & Hubbell, The Way We Were

1973’s romantic drama The Way We Were, had Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford playing lovers amidst their experiences with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Despite their differing opinions, they fall for each other, get married, and have kids. Their different beliefs ultimately drive them apart, but at least they get an epic kiss goodbye at the end.  

Dean & Cindy, Blue Valentine

Marriage is hard work. In 2010’s Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling depicted a rather grounded couple’s story in a narrative that impressively plays with timelines. The working-class romance is a tragic one that puts the spotlight on how ego can be the pitfall of a once passionate love.  

Emma & Adele, Blue Is The Warmest Color

French award darling Blue Is The Warmest Color had us messed up following watching Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos’ Emma and Adèle fall in love only to fall apart. The 2013 movie follows the two women across many years as they become closer, only for some major blemishes in their relationship to lead to an emotional breakup that changes them forever. 

Julianne & Michael, My Best Friend’s Wedding

There’s something romantic about marrying your best friend, as Julia Roberts’ Julianne hopes to do during My Best Friend’s Wedding, but her motivations are so crossed. Throughout the movie, she tries to break up Dermot Mulroney’s Michael with Cameron Diaz’s Kim, but ultimately she realizes Michael is not the one for her. It’s still a sweet wedding as another one of her BFF’s surprises her at his wedding and they dance the night away. 

Su & Chow, In The Mood For Love

There’s nothing quite like the romantic tension that Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung created in 2000’s In The Mood For Love. The movie is about two Shanghainese expatriates Su and Chow, who are already married, but fall into an emotional affair with one another as they learn of each being cheated on by their spouses. However, the tension never explodes into the affair we want it to as the movie ends with Chow confessing his love in a hole in a temple wall rather than to Su. 

Ben & Janine - He’s Just Not That Into You

He’s Just Not That Into You is one of those romantic comedies that follows a series of intertwined couples played by A-list actors. The most cutting arc in the movie is perhaps as Jennifer Connelly’s Janine realizes her husband Ben (Bradley Cooper) has been cheating on her with his yoga instructor Anna (Scarlett Johansson) amidst her slaving over house renovations for their place. After a particularly awkward moment between Ben, Janine, and Anna, Janine figures it all out and sends Ben packing. 

Evan & Kayleigh - The Butterfly Effect 

In 2004’s science fiction thriller, The Butterfly Effect, Ashton Kutcher plays Evan, a man who learns he can travel back in time and alter the past, present, and future. Sadly for Evan, as he discovers this power, he is met with the reality that his love Kayleigh (Amy Smart) often has traumatic fates if he is with her. By the end of the movie, he has to use his powers to make sure they are not together and she never even knew him. What could be worse than a breakup that the other person doesn’t even know about or experienced? 

So much heartbreak!! To keep it rolling, check out the TV breakups we're not over yet next! 

Sometimes things just don't work out. In the movie world, a lot of money is on the line, and that makes some decisions very difficult. On occasion, that means recasting a role for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it's as simple as everyone agreeing that things just aren't working artistically. Sometimes it's worse, like when an actor gets in trouble off-screen. Here is our list of notable times a movie role had to be recast. 

Marty McFly (Back To The Future)

One of the most famous incidents of a role being completely recast comes from the production of Back to the Future. The movie was originally being filmed with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly when they decided to pull the plug and reset with Michael J. Fox in the lead role. There is a belief that at least one shot with Stolz remains in the movie, but the other scenes shot with Stoltz had to be reshot when Fox took over the role. 

J. Paul Getty (All The Money In The World)

In one of the most infamous recasting situations in history, All The Money In The World had to do major reshoots for the movie after dismissing Kevin Spacey from the lead role of J. Paul Getty. Spacey was in a lot of trouble that doesn't need rehashing here, and the production brought in Christopher Plummer to fill the role. It affected not only the lead role but the supporting roles around it as well, so it had to be a very hard decision to make. 

Paddington (Paddington)

When Paddington was first announced, Colin Firth was to be the voice of the beloved bear. Unfortunately, things just didn't work and Firth and the production mutually agreed to part ways after principal photography had wrapped. Future James Bond star Ben Whishaw stepped in and re-recorded all of the voice parts for the bear. 

Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Aliens)

It's hard to image anyone but Michael Biehn as Hicks in Aliens, but he was not the first actor in the role. James Remar, of The Warriors and Dexter fame, was originally cast, but he was arrested during production and fired. Biehn stepped in and the rest is history.

The Predator (Predator)

Kevin Peter Hall, who stood 7'2", played the titular Predator in the first two movies of the Predator franchise, but originally, that role belonged to the "Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme is said to have hated the suit and was unhappy with the role, so he left the production. 

Lenina Huxley (Demolition Man)

Just a few days into production, Lori Petty split from the cast of Demolition Man. Direct Joel Silver chalked it up to creative difference, though Petty has said that she and the film's star, Sylvester Stallone, simply weren't working well together. Petty was replaced with Sandra Bullock and it helped launch her to superstardom. 

Marlin (Finding Nemo)

William H. Macy was Disney's first choice for the role of Marlin in Finding Nemo. The veteran actor had, according to the DVD commentary, reportedly recorded almost all his dialog for the part when the studio decided to go a different direction, artistically and brought in Albert Brooks to take over. 

Marianne Peters (Army Of The Dead)

One of the more dramatic revamps came from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Chris D’Elia was originally cast in the role that would eventually become Marianne Peters in the movie. D’Elia was fired from the production after facing serious accusations from women and Tig Notaro was hired to fill the role, completely changing the gender of the character. 

V (V For Vendetta)

James Purefoy was the first actor hired to play the masked V in V for Vendetta, but he reportedly wasn't happy about wearing the mask during production and left the film, though he has strongly disputed that and has explained that he left the production over creative difference. Hugo Weaving was hired to take over and the rest is history. 

Christof (The Truman Show)

Talk about a "what if", Dennis Hopper was originally in the role of Christof in The Truman Show. It's not exactly a total miscasting, but instead of the calm, calculating villain that Ed Harris played, it was sure to be a more unpredictable character, as Hopper was so good at playing. 

Captain Benjamin Willard (Apocalypse Now)

Apocalypse Now is one of the most notorious film shoots of all time. One part of that was the recasting of the lead role. Martin Sheen is brilliant as Capt. Willard, but Harvey Keitel was originally in the role. Director Francis Ford Coppola apparently wasn't happy with Keitel's performance and dismissed him a few days into filming. 

Captain Queenan (The Departed)

Martin Sheen was not the first actor hired for the role of Queenan in the The Departed. Director Martin Scorsese originally went with Irish actor Gerard McSorley in the role. Soon after filming began, though, the legendary director had a change of heart and laid McSorley off, bringing in Sheen. 

Eli Sunday (There Will Be Blood)

It is simply impossible to imagine anyone other than Paul Dano in the role of Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. His performance is simply breathtaking. He wasn't the original actor to film for the part though, that was an actor named Kel O’Neill. O'Neill was let go after shooting began and Dano replaced him. 

Wolverine (X-Men)

Can you even believe that Hugh Jackman almost wasn't Wolverine in the X-Men franchise? It's unfathomable today, but it's true. The part was originally supposed to be played by Dougray Scott, but an accident on the set of Mission: Impossible 2 left him unavailable for the part and the rest is history. 

Dirty Harry (Dirty Harry)

Clint Eastwood's delivery of the line "do you feel lucky" has become one of the most iconic lines in cinema history, but that line almost went to Frank Sinatra, of all people. Sinatra was, according to Eastwood, the studio's choice for the role, but he turned it down because he reportedly couldn't hold a gun, for some reason. 

Tuffnut Thorston (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World)

For the first two How To Train Your Dragon movies, T.J. Miller voiced Tuffnut Thorston. In the third, however, the voice role was done by impressionist Justin Rupple. Rupple was brought in to recreate the comedian's voice after Miller was fired off the movie due to a slew of legal accusations against him. 

Sabretooth (X-Men)

This is a case of an actor being replaced between films in a franchise, rather than on set. In the first X-Men film, Tyler Mane played Sabretooth, but he was recast in an artistic decision by Liev Schreiber, because, according to Mane, he was a better fit to play Wolverine's brother. 

Alex Magnussen (Next Goal Wins)

Next Goal Wins, by director Taika Waititi, is a delightful film that had to replace one of its stars for not-so-delightful reasons. The role of soccer executive Alex Magnussen was originally played by Armie Hammer, but due to numerous legal allegations, Waititi replaced Hammer with Will Arnett. 

Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins was not everyone's favorite, though from what she's said in the past, it sounds like it was her choice not to return to the role. When it came time for the second film in the Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight, Holmes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes. 

The Tin Man (The Wizard Of Oz)

One of the more famous examples of an actor being replaced in a film was that of the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard Of Oz. Future Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen spent weeks on set, covered in the silver makeup for the role and, it turns out, the paint dust made him very sick and it landed him in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley, but can still be heard singing in the movie at times. 

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is perfect. How different would it have been had it been Leonardo DiCaprio? We almost found out. According to the film's writer, Guinevere Turner, DiCaprio backed away from the part after Gloria Steinem convinced him to turn down the violent role.  

Jack (Don't Worry Darling)

The details are murky over what happened with Shia LaBeouf leaving the production of Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. The director claims he was fired, but LaBeouf says he quit. Ultimately, it doesn't matter why, as the great Harry Styles replaced him. 

Samantha (Her)

Samantha Morton brought her name and her voice to the computer in Spike Jonze's Her, but in post-production, Jonze had a change of heart and recast the voice role, with Scarlett Johansson taking over. 

Shrek (Shrek)

In one of the more tragic recasting situations, the late Chris Farley, who had already recorded much of his part, died during the production of Shrek. Farley was replaced by a fellow SNL alum, Mike Myers, and his portrayal is brilliant. 

Meg Altman (Panic Room)

Director David Fincher's Panic Room originally starred Nicole Kidman as the protagonist Meg Altman alongside the character's daughter played by Kristen Stewart. Only a couple weeks into production, Kidman had to drop out after being injured on the set. She was replaced by the great Jodie Foster.

Zee (The Matrix Reloaded)

Zee in The Matrix Reloaded was originally played by Aaliyah, but tragically, the singer died in a plane crash before production was completed. Another singer Nona Gaye, stepped into the role and most of the part had to be re-shot. 

Victoria (Twilight)

In the first Twilight movie, Victoria was played by actress Rachelle Lefevre, but just as filming began for the second film in the series, according to Lefevre, she was unceremoniously dropped from the role. Production had even picked up her option for the role before production started. Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Lefevre in the role of Victoria. 

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series)

Sometimes casting decisions aren't controlled by anything except fate. Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series is a sad example of that. The great Richard Harris played the role of the schoolmaster in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and intended to continue playing the part, but fate stepped in and Harris died before production began on the third film. The equally great Michael Gabon took over for the remainder of the series. 

Tony Shepard (The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus)

Heath Ledger died during the production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but he wasn't really replaced, per se. Instead, director Terry Gilliam hired three friends of the late actor to fill in as Tony in a kind of magical way within the confines of the story, having to rewrite it somewhat. Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp stepped up to help complete the film and play the role of Tony. 

Jack Salmon (The Lovely Bones)

In a sentence that is hard to believe, Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because of his looks. According to Gosling, director Peter Jackson was unhappy that the actor had gained 60 pounds specifically for the role. Miscommunication in pre-production left both actor and director not knowing what the other had planned, so just as the film was supposed to start filming, Gosling was dropped and Mark Wahlberg stepped in. 

Chico Tyrell (The Lords Of Flatbush)

Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere have one of the most infamous feuds in Hollywood history and it dates back to 1974 and the film The Lords Of Flatbush. According to Stallone, the feud began when they were working together on the film and Stallone asked Gere not to eat some chicken near him. Gere ignored Stallone, got some grease on the Rocky star's pants, and shortly after was fired from the film. Gere was replaced by Perry King.

Aragorn (Lord Of The Rings Series)

Actor Stuart Townsend pulls no punches when he talked about being fired from the set of the Lord Of The Rings movies to EW (via Irish Independent). Right before principal photography was to begin after he'd spent months preparing for the role, he was fired by the production and, according to him, wasn't paid for his work. He was replaced by Viggo Mortensen in the role of Aragorn. 

It's not easy to replace an actor at the last minute, or even well into the game, but sometimes it needs to be done. There are a lot of reasons why movies replace actors in roles, but in most cases, it seems to be for the best. 

While all forms of art require imagination, the genre of science-fiction is one in which it is especially crucial. Films in this category envision entire worlds of a bright (or dark) future or one inhabited by lifeforms of a greater intelligence — much like the filmmakers who created some of the following films that earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of more than 90%. The following are some of the all-time greatest sci-fi movies that won over most critics, according to the review aggregator site.

Aliens (1986) - 98%

The debate over which of the first two (and arguably best) Alien movies is the greater installment only gets hairier when you see that they both have a 98% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Regardless, writer and director James Cameron’s Aliens — featuring Sigourney Weaver’s Oscar-nominated return as Ellen Ripley — is the best to watch for fans of action movies.

Arrival (2016) - 94%

To call Arrival one of the greatest alien invasion movies of all time is major oversimplification, and not just because it has a staggering 94% score on RT. Director Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning adaptation of Ted Chiang’s short story, “Story of Your Life,” is an astonishingly inventive and hopeful meditation on how human beings interact disguised as a story about struggling to understand our extra-terrestrial visitors.

Back To The Future (1985) - 97%

All it takes is a look at Back to the Future’s 97% RT score (out of 89 critic reviews) and 94% audience score (out of more than 250,000 user reviews) to understand why it is considered one of the best time travel movies of all time. However, if you want specifics, director Robert Zemeckis’ iconic ‘80s classic boasts brilliantly charming performances from Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, a remarkably clever plot involving Marty McFly meeting his parents as teens in the 1950s, and Alan Silvestri’s rousing score, to name a few highlights.

Brazil (1985) - 98%

Monty Python member Terry Gilliam went on to become known as one of cinema’s most audacious and unique visionary filmmakers, and Brazil is, perhaps, his most audacious and unique film (which is really saying something). The 98% of critics who praised this bizarre Oscar-winner about a disillusioned bureaucrat whose wild daydreams begin to come true especially admired its cheekily comic twist on more dour, Orwellian themes.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1997) - 94%

In Steven Spielberg movies, you may find aliens that are kind (E.T.) or volatile (War of the Worlds), but the visitors from Close Encounters of the Third Kind lie somewhere in the middle. As its 94% RT score will show, this fantastic tale — with timeless special effects and one of John Williams’ best Spielberg movie scores —  “is important” and really “means something.”

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) - 95%

At its best, science-fiction is used as a valuable tool for reflecting on our current society or delivering a much-needed message, and one of the smartest and most influential examples to come out the 1950s’ B-movie era is The Day the Earth Stood Still. Even modern critics that contributed to its 95% score on RT regard this story of an alien (Michael Rennie) and a robot addressing the human race with an urgency for peace as a timeless classic of great importance, perhaps now more than ever.

The Endless (2017) - 92%

At 92% on RT, The Endless remains the highest-rated film yet by the inventive filmmaking duo of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, who also lead the cast as brothers revisiting the cult they escaped from years ago. Without giving too much away, if you are a fan of time loop movies, you do not want to miss this one.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 99%

While most films about aliens involve human beings suffering a tragic fate at the hands of malevolent creatures, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an entirely different breed (even if the original idea for it was much darker). Steven Spielberg’s story of a lonely boy befriending a lost creature from another planet captured the hearts of critics (99% on RT) and audiences alike, and still inspires people of all ages to this day.

The Fly (1986) - 93%

The key to a great movie remake is to take the original concept and twist it in a way that makes it stand firmly on its own, and David Cronenberg’s reimagining of the 1958 sci-fi classic, The Fly, is a quintessential examples. With a 93% critic score and an 83% audience score on RT, this terrifying romantic tragedy about a scientist (Jeff Goldblum) slowly transforming into a fusion of man and insect will surely leave you afraid, very afraid.

Forbidden Planet (1956) - 96%

Not many people realize this, but Forbidden Planet is actually an epic, high-concept, sci-fi retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Perhaps that is why this story about a crew of space travelers who find a world inhabited by only a doctor and his daughter is still so highly acclaimed to this day, boasting a 96% on RT, currently.

Ghost In The Shell (1995) - 95%

At 95% on RT, Ghost in the Shell is one of the most acclaimed Japanese anime films of all time. The story of a cyborg who begins to ponder her own humanity while tracking a man who hacks the brains of part-human, part-machine hybrids is an astonishing visual treat and may be more relevant today than ever.

Godzilla (1954) - 93%

Truly the king of the monsters, Godzilla is the face of countless classics — only a few of which have exceeded 90% on RT, including the one that started it all. Originally called Gojira, what has earned Ishirô Honda’s seminal blockbuster a 93% on RT is not just its hair-raising, larger-than-life thrills, but its post-war social commentary.

Gravity (2013) - 96%

Alfonso Cuarón won his first Best Director Oscar for this intense Sandra Bullock movie that proves you do not necessarily need nefarious otherworldly creatures to make outer space terrifying. Yet, it was mostly its immersive cinematography and seamless special effects that earned Gravity a 96% on RT out of 362 reviews.

Her (2013) - 94%

It barely seems fair to call Her a science-fiction movie, because humans have become so attached to technology that the idea of falling in love with an AI is not so far-fetched. Perhaps that is why 94% of critics on RT found themselves so moved by the romance between Joaquin Phoenix’s divorced love letter writer and Scarlett Johansson as his digital personal assistant, in writer and director Spike Jonze’s not-too-futuristic, Oscar-winning dramedy.

The Host (2007) - 93%

Not to be confused with 2020’s Host — which is actually one of a few horror movies above 90% on RT — this creature feature would also count as one of the best Korean horror movies in recent memory, let alone of all time. Boasting an impressive 93% on RT, The Host proves that Academy Award-winning Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is, among many other genres, also a master of sci-fi.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) - 92%

While the first (out of many) cinematic retellings of Jack Finney’s seminal, paranoia-fueled novel remains the highest-rated adaptation so far, this 92% rated version is one of the most celebrated thrillers of the 1970s. Also one of Jeff Goldblum’s best movies, if there is anything that Phillip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers specifically has over the original 1956 classic it's a bolder approach to its bleak concept and hopelessly eerie tone.

The Iron Giant (1999) - 96%

One of the most underrated animated movies of its time — with underwhelming box office returns to prove it — The Iron Giant is, luckily, remembered today as a smart, heartwarming, and thrilling classic, with an impressive 96% RT score and 90% audience rating to show for it. Vin Diesel gives one of his best performances as the voice of the titular, gargantuan extra-terrestrial robot in the film that paved the way for director Brad Bird to become one of Pixar’s greatest icons.

Looper (2012) - 93%

Rian Johnson is a master of subversion — not just in how he crafts stories that keep audiences on their toes, but in the way he turns a certain genre on its head (such as film noir) by fusing it with an entirely different genre (such as sci-fi), like he does with Looper. Most of the 93% of positive critic reviews on RT agree that its already amusing concept — a mafia hitman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wrapped in a cat-and-mouse game with his future self (Bruce Willis) — is elevated by its top-notch performances.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - 97%

It is rare when the fourth installment of a decades-old franchise ends up being its most acclaimed chapter among both critics and audiences, but with a 97% critics score and 86% audience rating, that is the case for Mad Max: Fury Road. This dazzling, non-stop trek through a surreal desert landscape sees Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron at their best, and fully realizes George Miller’s maddening post-apocalyptic vision, making it the best of the Mad Max movies, easily.

Metropolis (1927) - 97%

If you have ever been curious about getting into silent films, a good choice to start would be Fritz Lang’s visually stunning, highly influential utopian drama. Even though H.G. Wells himself did not seem to care for it in his New York Times review, Metropolis has a fresh 97% rating out of 138 critic reviews and a 92% audience score that solidifies it as one of sci-fi cinema’s finest, nearly a century later.

Repo Man (1984) - 98%

While Repo Man was certainly not a hit when it was first released — it only made $129,000, according to Box Office Mojo — it is now regarded as one of the most underrated films of 1984. Certified fresh on RT with a 98% score, the bizarre satire stars Emilio Estevez as a punk-turned-repossession agent pursuing a Chevrolet Malibu that he discovers is carrying something truly out-of-this-world.

The Road Warrior (1981) - 95%

While the original Mad Max had some amusing sequences and served as a fitting backstory for the titular anti-hero, the sequel is the film that would come to visually and tonally define the franchise and most post-apocalyptic thrillers to follow. Critics like Roger Ebert recognized that The Road Warrior is relatively thin on plot, but grand in magnetic, high-energy action, resulting in 95% on RT — making it the second highest-rated in the franchise below Fury Road.

Snowpiercer (2013) - 94%

Rarely has the post-apocalyptic genre ever been so brutal, so claustrophobic, so imaginative, and thought-provoking than with Bong Joon-ho’s electrifying adaptation of Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette’s graphic novel. Chris Evans gives one of his best performances as a caboose passenger leading a revolt against the wealthy inhabitants of a self-sustaining bullet train in an uninhabitable Earth in the 94% rated Snowpiercer.

Stalker (1979) - 100%

Andrei Tarkovsky was an artist of extraordinary talent, from the stunning scope of his films’ visual aesthetic to the depth of their highly audacious stories. The movie considered his magnum opus — backed by a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes — is Stalker, which is a transfixing odyssey through maddening darkness in pursuit of one’s greatest desires. 

Star Trek (2009) - 94%

The highest rated installment of the Star Trek movies on Rotten Tomatoes is not the one you might have assumed. J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot, starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, has a stellar 94% rating and is one of just two to fall within the 90% - 100% range.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - 93%

With the release of an ambitious, wide-scale, interplanetary adventure unlike anything the world had seen before, George Lucas changed the world of cinema as we know it forever. The very first chapter of the Star Wars saga (in order of release, that is), sits at a 93% critics score and a 96% rating among audiences on RT, only further proving its stunning appeal.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 94%

Critics and audiences are in pretty close agreement over what is the best Star Wars movie. Certified fresh at 94% with 97% of fans showing their love on RT, The Empire Strikes Back remains one of the quintessential examples of how well a sequel can surpass its predecessor.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - 93%

Continuing a saga as revolutionary and widely worshipped as the Star Wars franchise is no easy task, but director J.J. Abrams pulled it off in the eyes of critics and most fans. Star Wars: The Force Awakens — which brings back fan favorite characters and introduces new ones — may only have an 85% audience score, but with a 93% critic rating, is tied with A New Hope as the series’ second-highest rated film on RT.

The Terminator (1984) - 100%

Some fans of James Cameron’s time-spanning, technophobic franchise may agree that Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the best of the series, but that is not what the stats say. The terrifying cat-and-mouse game that started it all and made Arnold Schwarzenegger a massive star, The Terminator, earns a rare 100% on RT.

Wall-E (2008) - 95%

There are so many great Pixar movies, that it is hard to choose which one deserves to be called the best, but there is a strong case to be made for the 95% rated Wall-E. One-part dialogue-free one-man show, one-part heartwarming romance, and another part bold, foreboding satire, this story of a cute little robot tasked with cleaning up a desolate earth gives you a lot to think about and even more to feel.

Do you agree with the critics that these are the best sci-fi movies cinema has offered yet?

Spoilers ahead for Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on ABC.

Beauty and the Beast stands as one of the most beloved and critically-acclaimed films from the Disney Renaissance after debuting in 1991 and going on to become the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In honor of the original movie hitting its 30-year anniversary, ABC produced a special that combined live-action performances with animated sequences from the actual movie, with Grammy- and Academy Award-winning singer/songwriter H.E.R. playing Belle and Grammy/Tony/Emmy nominee Josh Groban as the Beast. 

The songs were almost all from the original 1991 movie (with one coming from the 2017 live-action remake), and fans of the animated classic could spot some changes that ABC made to iconic musical numbers, like what The Little Mermaid Live did back in 2019. As a millennial who watched Beauty and the Beast many, many times in the ‘90s, I could basically speak the dialogue along with the 30th anniversary special’s cast and caught some big and some small changes. Keep reading for a breakdown of what changed and what remained true to the original tale as old as time!

"Prologue"

The prologue that revealed the Beast’s backstory and set up the love story was musically almost identical to the one from the 1991 movie, but the presentation could hardly be more different. The lyrics were accompanied by live-action performers acting out what was being said, complete with an ensemble of dancers, a pre-Beast version of the prince, and the Old Beggar Woman-turned-Beautiful Enchantress. While the stained glass version worked well in animation, the choreography set the 30th anniversary special up as a stage musical as much as a movie. (Beauty and the Beast actually did become a stage musical that has run off and on since 1993.)

"Belle"

Visually, ABC's “Belle” was never going to perfectly recreate a little French town on the Disney lot, but the lyrics were almost entirely unchanged, with the only important exception being the bookshop owner being played by a “madame” instead of a “sir,” with that “madame” actually portrayed by original voice actress Paige O’Hara. H.E.R. made it clear that she could make Belle her own, and I was convinced by Joshua Henry as Gaston from his first note in this song. Throw in paper-eating sheep played by adorable children and composer Alan Menken playing the piano, and it was a fun number!

"Belle (Reprise)" 

The reprise of “Belle” was the first musical number of the production with major departures from the 1991 film. While Belle did go into a meadow to sing about her hopes and dreams as expected in the special, she was joined by a bunch of other women and girls in similar costumes for a dance number. It was a change better fit for a stage musical than a movie or TV show, but I took it as a representation of how many people the character has impacted over 30+ years. Plus, it ended with H.E.R. on the ukulele, which definitely was new! 

"Gaston"

Now, I know that Gaston is pretty scary as a Disney villain who could actually exist in real life as opposed to an evil lion acting out Hamlet, but he gets some of Beauty and the Beast’s catchiest songs, and his first was lyrically unchanged from the movie. Joshua Henry was an ideal Gaston from the jump, and Rizwan Manji showed off his version of LeFou in “Gaston.” Surprisingly, one of the most elaborate numbers from the movie not involving magical furniture was pretty perfectly translated to live-action. Plus, it’s not every production that can add a Broadway-worthy dance break to a song and make it better, but the 30th anniversary special pulled it off!

"Gaston (Reprise)"

Again, I know that Gaston is the bad guy and concocts a pretty despicable plan in “Gaston (Reprise)” with his plot to have Maurice imprisoned so that Belle will marry him, but this song is such a self-aware villain number that it’s half evil and half funny. It’s bigger and campier in the ABC production than it was in the animated movie, with a bit of slapstick that wasn’t originally there. It wasn't quite as much fun as "Gaston," but since the characters just don't seem actually dangerous yet, Gaston and LeFou harmonizing on “No one plots like Gaston, takes cheap shots like Gaston” never fails to make me laugh. 

"Be Our Guest"

If you want an elaborate number that does involve magical furniture, look no further than “Be Our Guest,” with Martin Short as Lumiere the candelabra! To the 30th anniversary special’s credit, it didn’t just fall back on using the animation and skipping a live-action version of this altogether. Obviously, it had to be much smaller-scale than the 1991 movie that didn’t have to worry about pesky things like gravity and inanimate objects, but between the costuming, choreography, and directing, it was a fun number. Again, this was  perfectly suited for a stage musical, but didn’t pack as much of a punch as in animation. 

"Something There"

“Something There” once again brought out some adorable children to play animals, and that’s hardly the only change. The lyrics that were the internal monologues of Belle and the Beast in the film were sung out loud, and this was the song that really showed the mismatch of having an expressive Belle opposite played by H.E.R. opposite an expressionless Beast mask. Josh Groban’s face peeked out from under the Beast’s ribcage from time to time, and the singing was great, but this love song would have worked better to sell a romance if the Beast was actually anthropomorphic like the movie. The lyrics remained the same, though!

"Beauty And The Beast"

Adapting “Beauty and the Beast” was bound to be tricky, with Shania Twain replacing the late Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts to recreate an absolutely iconic scene from the Disney pantheon. After “Something There,” I was nervous about watching H.E.R. try to dance with a partner who couldn't show any emotion. Ultimately, I liked that the ABC special just showed the scene from the movie on a screen behind Shania Twain singing, with Alan Menken playing the piano next to her. The tribute to Angela Lansbury at the end was a lovely touch, with the lyrics staying the same. And I didn’t have to watch Josh Groban try to waltz in his Beast costume!

"The Mob Song"

Gaston’s third song is much scarier than the first two! The villain riles the French villagers into a murderous frenzy in “The Mob Song,” and I wondered going in if ABC was going to soften lyrics like “We’re not safe until his head is mounted on my wall” and “Kill the Beast!” for broadcast. Those remained as originally written, but production changed the rather gruesome line of “We’ll lay siege to the castle and bring back his head!” by cutting the line short at “castle.” Notably, that line is included in the soundtrack currently available on Spotify, so Joshua Henry did record it. 

LeFou has more to say and is campier in the ABC special as opposed to the movie, and I think that I might be physically incapable of saying anything negative about Joshua Henry as Gaston. He was very good at being very bad, and seemed to be having fun with his cape. The special also includes women in the murderous mob marching to the castle in a departure from the film, but keeps the “save your children and your wives” and "fifty Frenchmen can't be wrong" lines.

Beauty And The Beast (Reprise)

“Beauty and the Beast (Reprise)” definitely had the most changes from the movie to the special. A chorus sang the reprise in animation while Belle and her now-human prince danced, whereas H.E.R. donned a version of Belle’s famous yellow dress and walked up to a microphone to sing with a maskless John Groban for a duet. Then, all bets were off when H.E.R. left the stage and came back playing the electric guitar! The rest of the cast came out for a final bow, and it was a completely nontraditional Beauty and the Beast ending that nevertheless worked for what this production was. 

Honorable Mention: "Evermore"

There was one other song in the ABC production that I didn’t mention here, and that’s because this was a special celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original and not the fifth anniversary of the live-action version starring Dan Stevens and Emma Watson. “Evermore” came from the 2017 live-action movie. Still, Josh Groban sang it for viewers tuning in to this special, and I’d say that it was a great addition even though it wasn’t part of the original. 

If you missed the special when it aired on December 15 on ABC, you can find Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The original film and 2017 live-action remark can be found on the Disney streamer as well!

Coming to ABC this Thursday before landing among Disney+’s December releases is an exciting tribute to Disney’s iconic Beauty and the Beast for its 30th anniversary. The TV special stars H.E.R. as Belle and Josh Groban as her Beast. Ahead of its premiere, the first image of the Beast in costume has been released and it’s wild. And of course, the internet has thoughts.

While all the other promo images have greatly shown Josh Groban as his human self wearing prince-like capes, we finally know how the production will be handling his beast form. Check out the first look, per Entertainment Weekly: 

Rather than Josh Groban wearing face prosthetics, the singer, who previously lent his voice to the live-action movie, is set to perform inside a massive Beast puppet. Groben was reportedly “not expecting” the new vision for the character crafted by Emmy-winning costume designer Marina Toybina. Apparently “his mouth was open” when the costuming choice was shown to him. Groban then learned to operate it for Beauty and the Beast. Following the costume reveal, Twitter is sounding off with comments such as this: 

This is either going to be an incredible new version of Beast, or a disaster. It looks like Josh Groban will live inside this puppet and operate it as he also sings in the 30th-anniversary celebration. Here’s another reaction: 

Gundam as in those Japanese giant robots. This Beast doesn’t necessarily look like the Disney animated version, but hey neither does H.E.R., who will play the first Black and Filipino Belle in this Beauty and the Beast. It is exciting to see this production taking creative liberties with its version. Looks like it will pay homage to the classic and bring a little something new. While, there is some confusion from the internet, a lot of people are into it too, like this person who posted:

Along with H.E.R. and Josh Groban playing the leads, two entertainment icons are in supporting roles for the tribute. Martin Short will play Lumiere and Shania Twain will be Mrs. Potts. Additionally, Hamilton star Joshua Henry will play Gaston, David Alan Grier will play Cogsworth, Jon Jon Briones will play Maurice, Rizwan Manji will be LeFou, Leo Abelo Perry is going to be Chip and Rita Moreno will narrate. Another Twitter user said it best: 

Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration will premiere on ABC on Thursday, December 15 at 8 p.m. ET before becoming available to catch with a Disney+ subscription the next day on December 16. 

Though relegated to only voice-only performance, Scarlett Johansson's role as the sultry voice of the A.I. Samantha in Spike Jonze's 2013 critically acclaimed hit film Her is perhaps one of the actress' most underrated parts outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Johansson and Phoenix share palpable chemistry and convincingly play the part of two souls loving and learning from one another, even though one is confined to a human body. At the same time, the other is an operating system. Though the two actors play off each other nicely on screen, apparently, behind the scenes, things didn't go so smoothly, especially when it came time to do the voice work for their sex scene. 

The award inning actress appeared on Dax Sheppard's Armchair Expert Podcast, where she discussed everything from being sexualized at a young age to working with Billy Murray–which sounds hilarious if you're a fan encountering the eccentric actor, but not so much if you're a coworker. The conversation gets fascinating when Scarlett tells a story of upsetting Joaquin to the point the actor walked out during the audio recording session of their sex scene. The actress explains she was uncomfortable hearing her voice, especially performing something so intimate, so she decided they should "get dirty" to help loosen the tension. The actress went on to say:

While talking dirty was a way for the Lost in Translation actress to overcome her fear of recording the intimate scene, it was a technique that Phoenix didn't appreciate. The Joker actor had already shot the scenes in real life and found the recording booth audio session uncomfortable. Johansson goes on:

Johansson goes on to share, between Phoenix getting upset with her and the grueling demands of Jones as director, the part was one of the most challenging of her life and is a role she has not gone back to watch. Despite the challenges in the movie's production, the actress doesn't seem to harbor any resentment, and seems pretty understanding of the actor's plights at that moment. The star continues:

It's good Joaquin returned after having a chance to calm down. It would have been unprofessional for him to leave the actress to do the scene alone. 

For now, Johansson's time in the MCU has ended, and the actress explains why she's fine moving on from her role of over a decade. However, considering how much she loved her time as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel world, never say never to her return in the future. The actress can be seen next in Wes Anderson's romantic comedy-drama Asteroid City.

As for Phoenix, the actor is set to return to a confirmed Joker 2, and here are 6 quick things we know about it. Joker is streaming no for anyone with an HBO Max subscription. 

For all of your film-going plans in the coming months, you can look at our 2022 Movie Release Schedule.

Grammy-winner H.E.R. has been making strides in Hollywood to expand her thriving career into acting. Being cast as Belle in ABC’s live-action Beauty and the Beast showed she was ready to take the next step. Of course, the television role leans into her background as a musician. Not only will her musical pedigree be on display but her culture might be a factor as well. The Beauty and the Beast actress discussed playing a Black and Filipino Belle in the ABC live-action musical.

Taking part in the live televised musical seems like a labor of love for the recording star. The Oscar-winner spoke with ET about what she’s doing to prepare for the live Beauty and the Beast. 

Merging her musical stylings with the traditional Broadway-style Disney musical could be an interesting match. Updating the sound without subverting the beloved compositions will be nice to hear and see on TV. Knowing she’s so hands-on with the production shows how committed she is to making the best live production.

Her casting marked a shift in Belle’s appearance just like Halle Bailey’s Little Mermaid casting. H.E.R. will be the first Black and Filipino woman to play the iconic character. The musician spoke about how her mixed heritage will influence her portrayal:

Bringing her cultural heritage to the classic Disney film will be a refresh on the beloved Disney princess. She’ll represent a group never highlighted before in a Disney production. It makes you wonder what instruments and production she will bring to the televised musical. H.E.R. will follow in the footsteps of fellow Grammy-winner Toni Braxton, who played the strong young woman on Broadway in the 1990s.

Pulling out Belle’s strength through music and words will be an homage to the well-read young woman from the 1991 animated film. Fans got to see the character’s independence and determination via Emma Watson in the 2017 live-action film. So, it’ll be interesting to see the televised musical tap more into that side.

Along with starring in the televised live-action musical, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician is set to make her big-screen debut as part of The Color Purple cast. She’ll star as Harpo’s second wife Squeak alongside Halle Bailey and American Idol alum Fantasia Barrino. She previously played herself in the Netflix family comedy Yes Day. Maybe starring in both productions will jumpstart the singer-songwriter’s acting career.

Of course, working in film and television is nothing new to the R&B singer. Her credits have mostly come from her music contributions to projects like Netflix’s We the People and the Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah. The latter scored the Oscar for Best Original Song for her song “Fight for You.”

H.E.R. won’t be the only musician on the live televised musical, as Josh Groban will play the Beast and country music icon Shania Twain is in talks to play Mrs. Potts. Beauty and the Beast will premiere on ABC on December 15. In the meantime, check out what upcoming TV premieres are happening this Fall.

ABC is slowly but surely starting a trend of adapting classic animated Disney films into live-action musical specials. Just a few years ago, the network recreated The Little Mermaid for a live TV special starring notable names like Auliʻi Cravalho and Queen Latifah. Now, the alphabet network is circling a live adaptation of Beauty and the Beast and is casting the production as we speak. And it would seem that the show has found its Belle in the form of an A+ talent.

ABC’s Beauty and the Beast has tapped award-winning singer and songwriter H.E.R. to play the role of Belle, according to TVLine. This move makes the songstress the first Afro-Latina performer to ever portray a Disney princess. The musician, whose actual name is Gabriella Wilson, seems pumped to be stepping into the shoes of one of the House of Mouse’s most beloved characters. In a statement, she expressed her gratitude for the opportunity:

As the star mentioned, the production is being helmed by Hammish Hamilton, known for his extensive work with music videos. John M. Chu, who’s currently adapting Wicked for the big screen, serves as executive producer. Chu released a statement of his own on H.E.R.’s casting, in which he praised the star and explained just what made her the right fit for the book-smart Disney princess: 

It goes without saying that the 25-year-old singer definitely has the chops to take on the movie’s lovable tunes. To date, she’s won four Grammy Awards, including one for Best R&B Album in 2019. In 2021, she also won the Best Original Song Oscar for Judas and the Black Messiah's “Fight for You.” 

Like The Little Mermaid Live! before it, Beauty and the Beast will feature live-action segments that are blended with scenes from the Oscar-winning 1991 animated film. Said approach should help to create a production that remains dynamic for live audience members and the folks watching at home. It’s also likely that not all of the songs from the film will be included in the production, so one has to wonder which ones will make the cut, aside from the namesake tune.

It makes sense that Disney and ABC would want to continue this trend of bringing beloved classics to the stage. The Little Mermaid Live! dominated in the ratings when it premiered in 2019. One of the things that can probably be attributed to its success, aside from brand recognition, is the star power. Casting Moana’s Auliʻi Cravalho as Ariel was a solid decision, and things were surely bolstered by Queen Latifah’s Ursala casting. Plus, Chef Louis was played by John Stamos, who had a Prince Eric mix-up on air.

We’ll have to wait and see how joins H.E.R. on this latest musical venture, though it’s likely the producers are eyeing some major names to join the star. And it’ll be most exciting to see who plays the Beast to her Beauty.

Beauty and the Beast will premiere on ABC on December 15th. Those who want a taste of what they can expect from the musical can stream The Little Mermaid Live! with a Disney+ subscription.

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Okay, let’s be honest – there’s nothing juicier in a romance film than forbidden love. You just want these two characters to live forever and ever together, but there’s always something that’s stopping them from getting that happiness, whether that be their social class, their families, technology – anything can tear these people apart.

While you could spend your time watching some of the best movies on Amazon Prime or the best movies on Netflix, there are plenty of amazing forbidden love films out there that you can watch right now. From the classic story of Romeo and Juliet to the structured class system in Titanic or to more modern tales like Brokeback Mountain. There are pickings for anyone who wants to enjoy a great love story that might not end so great – even though that’s what makes it good.

Romeo and Juliet/Romeo + Juliet (1968/1996) (Paramount+/Hulu)

I mean, do I even need to explain the story of Romeo and Juliet? I feel like we’ve all read it at least once in high school. But, regardless, Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two lovers from two different families, who fall for each other instantly, but because of the hatred the two families have for each other, they are forbidden from being in love, and must find a way to somehow be together.

The original adaptation from 1968 is a great version of the classic story, but I’d say that the one Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio star in is a good version as well. It gives it more of a modern flair and has a great cast. Regardless of which film you choose, you’ll be entertained.

Stream Romeo and Juliet (1968) on Paramount+.

Rent Romeo and Juliet (1968) on Amazon.

Stream Romeo + Juliet (1996) on Hulu.

Rent Romeo + Juliet (1996) on Amazon.

Carol (2015) (Tubi)

In Carol, an up-and-coming photographer in New York City develops an intimate relationship with an older woman in the 1950s.

Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol is a great forbidden love story because not only is it a tale of different classes, but of a forbidden sexuality that wasn’t easily accepted back in the 1950s. Both of the stars were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances, and they were rightly earned. If you haven’t watched this film yet, be sure to check it out.

Stream Carol on Tubi.

Rent Carol on Amazon.

Titanic (1997) (Starz)

Titanic is the story of Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater, two passengers from vastly different social classes who end up meeting and falling love on the legendary Titanic voyage back in 1912, who try to survive once the ship begins to sink.

Is the love story real? No, it’s completely fiction. But, with how Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play it, it feels real. The movie became one of the biggest films of all time and has an enduring legacy which will be hard to beat. The romance is sweet yet steamy, and the effects/sets of this ship are to die for. It’s a great addition to the forbidden love stories we’ve grown up with. James Cameron definitely knows how to make big-time films.

Stream Titanic on Starz.

Rent Titanic on Amazon.

The Great Gatsby (2013) (HBO Max)

You know, this is the third forbidden love film Leonardo DiCaprio has popped up on during this list – I’m beginning to see a trend. The Great Gatsby is another adaptation of the novel of the same name, telling the story of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire in the Roaring Twenties who has everything in the world except the one person he wants the most.

While this isn’t personally my favorite adaptation of the novel, I do like DiCaprio as Gatsby and think he fits the role nicely, and the forbidden romance that does happen is sweet for the time it occurs. Plus, the sets in The Great Gatsby are outrageous. I mean, you literally are going to have to re-watch this film because I swear, you will miss something with how much is going on.

Stream The Great Gatsby on HBO Max.

Rent The Great Gatsby on Amazon.

Warm Bodies (2013) (Cinemax Go)

I bet you didn’t think you’d see a zombie movie on here. In Warm Bodies, a zombie strangely saves a still-living girl from an attack, and after that, the two form a relationship that might change the entire zombie world.

Is it weird that it’s a literal zombie and a human being together? You betcha. But, that’s what makes this film so quirky and fun. It knows the premise is ridiculous and silly, but they play into that and actually create a really sweet forbidden love story, one that ends actually quite nicely and not in the horror show you would expect from a zombie film.

Stream Warm Bodies on Cinemax Go.

Buy Warm Bodies on Amazon.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) (Starz)

Moving away from zombies, we take a look at Edward Scissorhands. In this classic film starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder in one of her best films, we learn the story of Edward, a man who was created by an inventor but was left with scissor hands after the inventor died. An Avon representative, who sees that he is lonely, ends up taking him home to stay with her family.

I have to admit, while Edward scared me when I was a kid, re-watching the film as an adult hits differently. There’s just something about the chemistry between Depp and Ryder that makes their love so believable, despite him being a literal death machine with his “hands.” The story is sweet and full of moments that you’ll remember, with that great forbidden love storyline that you’ll love.

Stream Edward Scissorhands on Starz.

Rent Edward Scissorhands on Amazon.

Her (2013) (AMC+)

Her is not the sort of forbidden love movie that probably couldn't have been made when 1968's Romeo and Juliet was. In Her, we follow Theodore Twombly, a man who ends up developing a relationship with Samantha, an artificially intelligent virtual assistant that is personified through a female voice.

When I tell you this film is weird, I mean it, but at the same time, it’s interesting. It’s such a different love story and so strange that you won’t be able to turn away. The performance of Joaquin Phoenix is fantastic, and even the voice over work of Scarlett Johansson is exceptional in this movie. While the romance isn’t what you would expect for a typical movie like this, it’s a new type of story that is full of twists and turns and definitely original.

Stream Her on AMC+ through Amazon.

Rent Her on Amazon.

Brokeback Mountain (2005) (Peacock)

In Brokeback Mountain, a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly form a connection, which follows them throughout their lives, filled with joy, trauma, love, and heartbreak.

Brokeback Mountain is the male version of Carol. Both of them take place in times where loving someone of the same gender was not easily accepted, and both have very compelling stories that will enthrall you from the moment you turn on your TV. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal have amazing chemistry, and even Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams are awesome in their supporting roles. The movie is fantastic all-around and definitely worth your time if you’re into forbidden romances. It’s a bit sadder than most, but most certainly worth the time.

Stream Brokeback Mountain on Peacock.

Rent Brokeback Mountain on Amazon.

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019) (Amazon Rental)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is about a painter who, in the 1800s, is hired to paint the wedding portrait of a young woman. During their sessions, however, an attraction begins to grow, turning into an affair.

I honestly love Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Out of every single one on this list, this is one of my favorites because while the story is fantastic for fans of forbidden love, with all the tension and romance that you could expect, the cinematography in this film is outstanding. Not only that, but the costumes and sets fit perfectly for the era and look fantastic. The two lead actresses, Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenel, work wonderfully together and paint a great love story. (See what I did there?)

Rent Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Amazon.

West Side Story (1961) (Amazon Rental)

I can’t have a forbidden love list without mentioning West Side Story. In 1950s New York, several Italians (the Jets) and Puerto Ricans (the Sharks) are in opposing gangs who are fighting for territory in the city. However, when Tony, an Italian, and Maria, a Puerto Rican, fall in love during a dance, their relationship is threatened by the high stakes of the two gangs, constantly fighting.

First off, this is a musical and the songs are so catchy you’ll be singing for days. You’ll be dancing to “America” one moment and then crying during “Somewhere” the next. The dancing is also iconic as well, choreographed by the legendary Jerome Robbins. Plus, this is an iconic forbidden love story that has everything you could want. Plus, with West Side Story by Steven Spielberg coming out soon, you might as well watch the original first.

Rent West Side Story on Amazon.

With the new West Side Story a part of the 2021 movies, I’m going to need to catch up on my forbidden love stories before it comes out. Which one of these films could possibly be your favorite? And, hopefully, now you have the chance to watch some awesome forbidden love movies you might have never seen before.

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To help bring in one of the biggest shopping events of the year, Amazon is hosting The Prime Day Show, a three-part immersive experience featuring three of today’s most successful artists. Starting Thursday, June 17, 2021, the online retailer-turned-media giant will give its users access to performances from Billie Eilish, H.E.R., and Kid Cudi, each of which combining a concert experience with detailed storytelling and visuals inspired by Paris, The Dunbar Hotel, and even outer space.

But with the big event right around the corner, you might want to know where, when, and how you can watch The Prime Day Show streaming. As a last-minute catch-me-up, we’ve provided a quick yet comprehensive breakdown of each performance and how you can watch the special musical experience both with and without an Amazon Prime account.

How To Watch The Prime Day Show Streaming

Starting Thursday, June 17, 2021, you will be able to watch Billie Eilish bring a Parisian neighborhood to life in a musical tribute inspired by the Grammy Award-winning artist’s admiration of a long gone era of the City of Lights, H.E.R. pay tribute to the Los Angeles Black culture of the 1930s and 1940s in a recreation of the famed Dunbar Hotel, and watch as Kid Cudi connects with the International Space Orchestra to create an experience that defies sight, sound, and space.

There are a few ways to watch each of these experiences, which range anywhere from 25 to 27 minutes in length. The easiest way to go about doing this is to watch The Prime Day Show on the Prime Video app, the Amazon website, Twitch, and IMDb TV. The concert experience will be available to all Amazon customers for 30 days upon its release.

Stream The Prime Day Show on Amazon.

Do You Need An Amazon Prime Account To Watch The Prime Day Show?

An Amazon Prime membership is not required to watch The Prime Day Show 2021, but you will be required to have an Amazon account in order to take in the immersive experience. Doing so is fairly simple and is completely free. All you will need to do is go to the Amazon website, click on the “Start Here” link in the “Account” section, and create an account to start taking advantage of special concert and everything else the online retailer has to offer.

When Do The 2021 Prime Day Deals Start

While The Prime Day Show kicks off Thursday, June 17, Amazon’s annual Prime Day event (which is now two days, by the way and set up for Prime members) will get underway Monday, June 21 and will run through the June 22, giving the online retailer’s Prime members unparalleled access to epic savings on more than two million deals site-wide.

A Prime account gives you access to thousands of the best movies on Amazon, music streaming, and all other sorts of perks that make it a subscription worth keeping, even after the thrills and deals of Prime Day wear off.

Sign up for Amazon Prime.

Adele is not singing the blues this week. The Grammy-winning singer (and avid Beyonce fan) will be hosting an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, and she had the best reaction after landing her first-time hosting gig on the sketch comedy show. Suffice it to say that Adele was incredibly excited as she started shared her feelings about landing the fast-approaching gig.

A lot of viewers tuned in to watch Adele’s Grammy most recent performance back in 2015. Five years later, a similar number will undoubtedly watch her host Saturday Night Live for the first time. Regardless of who tunes in, Adele is still incredibly psyched to add hosting the sketch comedy to her SNL resume. She took to Instagram to celebrate the news with a fantastic post, saying:

Am I the only one who thought about “Rolling in the Deep” when Adele mentioned diving into “the deep end” for her Saturday Night Live hosting duties? Probably not. The good news is that Adele agreed to do the metaphorical diving, and she is pumped about H.E.R. being the musical guest. Having previously turned down the Super Bowl halftime show, Adele does not jump at every opportunity that comes her way, but this is one opportunity she was keen to take on.

Adele’s hosting duties come as fans are still waiting for new music from the singer. Her last album came out five years (half a decade) ago in 2015, which she was promoting for that year's performance. Despite a new record not materializing since that time, Adele has remained an integral part of pop culture. It will be the first time in a while that fans have seen Adele outside of her Instagram, where she has shared pictures of her new looks.

Does this hosting gig mean new music is not too far behind? Saturday Night Live tends to be a platform where artists promote new material. Could Adele be about to make a surprise album drop announcement? Earlier this year, Taylor Swift took fans by surprise with just such a release. If there is any surprise news, Saturday Night Live would be the perfect venue where it could be announced.

Otherwise, Adele could just want to have fun by hosting it, period. Either way, it is going to be an exciting Saturday night. As Adele mentioned, the U.S. is in the midst of presidential election season. Whether or not Adele gets to take part in a parody with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump or Jim Carrey’s controversial spin on Joe Biden remains to be seen, but I'm interested to check it out.

Check out the full Instagram post below!

Adele sounds positively amped to host, and who can blame her? It is an exciting time and, believe it or not, her first one ever after being a musical guest on more than one occasion. It should be a bit of a transition for Adele. She has acknowledged she is a “real homebody,” but she will not be spending her upcoming Saturday night at her house.

Adele will host this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live with H.E.R. as the musical guest. It airs this Saturday, October 24, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. In related good news, the sketch comedy is not the only series airing new episodes. For more new shows, check out this fall’s schedule.

One of scripted television's longest-running institutions, Saturday Night Live, is headed back into production and returning to the studio after its unexpected time airing with pre-taped skits from cast members' homes at the end of last season. While fans certainly admired the desire of the cast and crew to keep the good ship SNL afloat as much as possible under some trying circumstances, you can bet that viewers will be looking to see the legendary skitcom return to something much more like normal in Season 46. With new announcements on who will be hosting and performing as musical guests, it looks like all of our dreams will be coming true.

Every year brings an assorted number of wonders for those who love SNL. We tune in each week for the promise of laughs, fun surprises, wild satire, the occasional shocking (or shockingly funny) screw up and to see what kind of silliness the guest hosts (and possibly musical guests) will be roped into while trying to deliver the funniest possible show. This season will see Kenan Thompson head into his eighteenth season on the live show, further cementing his place as the longest-running cast member for SNL ever, but this promises to be a banner year for the series in other ways, as well.

This is, after all, an election year, and those behind Saturday Night Live are nothing if not truly gifted when it comes to both lampooning politicians and also casting said political figures for the show. We already know that (after sounding like he was totally done with putting in the effort) Alec Baldwin will return yet again to step into the presidential shoes of Donald Trump, a role that won him an Emmy in 2017, with former cast member Maya Rudolph reprising her Emmy-winning part as Kamala Harris.

Word also came down recently that they'll be joined by Jim Carrey, who will take over the part of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden from another former cast member, Jason Sudeikis. Who knows, with the way these special guest appearances are going, we might be treated to Brad Pitt's Dr. Anthony Fauci again. By the way, Pitt's performance also got an Emmy nod this year, so if we see a lot more special guests coming in to play real life people, I wouldn't be surprised.

Meanwhile, we do have our first announcement of who will host and act as musical guest on the Season 46 premiere of SNL, and you really can't be mad at who was chosen. So, let's get to the list of who will be handling hosting and musical duties this year! Be sure to bookmark this list, because it'll be updated when new info becomes available!

May 22 - Anya Taylor-Joy With Musical Guest Lil Nas X

Saturday Night Live will wrap Season 46 with another pair of newbies hitting the 30 Rock stage. The Queen's Gambit star and recent Golden Globe winner Anya Taylor-Joy will host, while rapper Lil Nas X will perform.

Past Episodes

October 3 - Chris Rock With Musical Guest Megan Thee Stallion

Hot! Hot! Hot! Chris Rock, of course, is another former cast member, having hit the SNL stage weekly from 1990 to 1993. The actor / comedian / talk show host has been back to lead the festivities at his old stomping grounds twice before, and is funny to his bones, so you know he'll bring his best on opening night. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion is coming off of several hits, including this summer's naughty scorcher "WAP," with Cardi B, and this will be her first time on SNL.

October 10 - Bill Burr With Musical Guest Jack White

Comedian and actor Bill Burr will make his SNL debut on October 10. The Monday Morning Podcast host was most recently seen in The King of Staten Island with Pete Davidson, and The Mandalorian, and his animated family sitcom, F is for Family, will be back for a fifth and final season on Netflix. After a bit of a shakeup, Jack White will step in to act as musical guest on the episode, marking his fourth time rocking the halls of 30 Rock.

October 17 - Issa Rae With Musical Guest Justin Bieber

The star, executive producer, and creator of the HBO hit comedy Insecure, Issa Rae, will mark her SNL hosting debut on October 17. Joining Rae on the show will be Justin Bieber, who will appear as musical guest for the fourth time.

October 24 - Adele With Musical Guest H.E.R.

Music superstar Adele makes her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live with the October 24, episode, after previously acting as musical guest way back in October 2008, and again in November 2015. Ten-time Grammy Award nominee H.E.R. (who won two of the awards in 2019) will make her debut as musical guest on the same night.

October 31 - John Mulaney With Musical Guest The Strokes

Comedian and former SNL writer John Mulaney will hit the stage to host for the fourth time on October 31. Rockers The Strokes will also perform for the fourth time.

November 7 - Dave Chappelle With Musical Guest Foo Fighters

Dave Chappelle returns for his second hosting gig, having previously hit the stage right after the 2016 presidential election. The Foo Fighters will perform as musical guests, for what will be the band's eighth time appearing.

November 14 through 28 - No New SNL Episodes

December 5 - Jason Bateman With Musical Guest Morgan Wallen

Ozark and The Outsider star Jason Bateman will return to host when the show comes back from a three-week break on December 5. This will be Bateman's second time in the job; he last hosted in February 2005. Country music star Morgan Wallen is scheduled as musical guest, after being booted off of the second episode this season when producers found out he hadn't been following their new production guidelines.

December 12 - Timothée Chalamet With Musical Guest Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Dune's Timothée Chalamet is coming to host SNL for his first time on December 12, while Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be along for their third performance.

December 19 - Kristen Wiig With Musical Guest Dua Lipa

Former cast member Kristen Wiig returns for her fourth hosting gig on December 19, with her starring role as Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 heading to HBO Max (and theaters) on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, pop superstar Dua Lipa will hit SNL for the second time.

January 30 - John Krasinski With Musical Guest Machine Gun Kelly

Everyone's favorite prankster from The Office (and star of Jack Ryan and A Quiet Place), John Krasinski, will host when the series returns for the first episode of the new year. Singer/rapper/actor Machine Gun Kelly will appear as musical guest for the first time.

February 6 - Dan Levy With Musical Guest Phoebe Bridgers

Schitt's Creek co-creator/actor Dan Levy will host SNL for the first time on February 6. Rock/indie folk singer Phoebe Bridgers appears as musical guest.

February 13 - Regina King With Musical Guest Nathaniel Rateliff

Oscar, Golden Globe, and four-time Emmy Award winner Regina King will step on the 30 Rock stage for the first time on February 13. Folk and R&B artist Nathaniel Rateliff will perform.

February 20 - Regé-Jean Page With Musical Guest Bad Bunny

Breakout Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page hosts SNL for the first time, and will appear alongside musical guest, rapper, Bad Bunny.

February 27 - Nick Jonas With Musical Guest Nick Jonas

That's right, the actor/singer, known for films like Jumanji: The Next Level and Midway, hosts the last episode of February, and will also appear as musical guest.

March 27 - Maya Rudolph With Musical Guest Jack Harlow

Former SNL cast member Maya Rudolph returns to her old stomping grounds to host for the second time on March 27. Rapper Jack Harlow will hit the stage as musical guest.

April 3 - Daniel Kaluuya With Musical Guest St. Vincent

Two-time Oscar nominee (most recently for Judas and the Black Messiah) Daniel Kaluuya will host SNL for the first time on April 3. Rock/pop performer St. Vincent will act as musical guest.

April 10 - Carey Mulligan With Musical Guest Kid Cudi

Another two-time Oscar nominee (this time for Promising Young Woman), Carey Mulligan, will also step up to host for the first time in April. Rapper Kid Cudi will appear as musical guest.

May 8 - Elon Musk With Musical Guest Miley Cyrus

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will make his debut as SNL guest host for the first episode of May, as the series begins to wind down Season 46. Musk proved to be a rather controversial choice, so we'll see how his inaugural hosting gig goes. He'll be joined by musical guest Miley Cyrus, who's making her fifth appearance as either musical guest or host.

May 15 - Keegan-Michael Key With Musical Guest Olivia Rodrigo

Emmy winner and all around funny guy Keegan-Michael Key will mark his first time hosting SNL on May 15. Meanwhile, another newcomer, singer/actress Olivia Rodrigo will act as musical guest for the first time.

Again, be sure to bookmark this list so you can stay up to date on all of SNL's latest hosts and musical guests in Season 46!

Something strange is falling over the land, though it isn’t anything to be afraid of. It’s just the season of witches, ghosts, and goblins arriving as per usual, thanks to October 2020 darkening your calendar’s doorstep. Naturally, with a new month comes some new offerings from the folks at Netflix, with the scary and supernatural represented alongside the serious and silly films that come from other genres. If you want to see what September 2020 brought with its own crop of originals and old favorites, you can head over to last month’s Netflix rundown below. Otherwise, let’s get on with the festivities, as the autumnal chill is about to hit with October 2020!

Week of October 1

Bom Dia, Verônica / Good Morning, Verônica - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/1/20

Carmen Sandiego: Season 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/1/20

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/1/20

Pasal Kau / All Because of You - NETFLIX FILM – 10/1/20

The Worst Witch: Season 4 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/1/20

A.M.I. – 10/1/20

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls – 10/1/20

Along Came a Spider – 10/1/20

Bakugan: Armored Alliance: Season 2 – 10/1/20

Basic Instinct – 10/1/20

Black '47 – 10/1/20

Cape Fear – 10/1/20

Code Lyoko: Seasons 1-4 – 10/1/20

The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) – 10/1/20

Employee of the Month – 10/1/20

Enemy at the Gates – 10/1/20

Evil: Season 1 – 10/1/20

Familiar Wife: Season 1 – 10/1/20

Fargo – 10/1/20

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma: The Second Plate – 10/1/20

Free State of Jones – 10/1/20

Ghost Rider – 10/1/20

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past – 10/1/20

Gran Torino – 10/1/20

Her – 10/1/20

House of 1,000 Corpses – 10/1/20

Human Nature – 10/1/20

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – 10/1/20

I'm Leaving Now – 10/1/20

The Longest Yard (1974) – 10/1/20

The Parkers: Seasons 1-5 – 10/1/20

The Pirates! Band of Misfits – 10/1/20

Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire – 10/1/20

The Prince & Me – 10/1/20

Poseidon (2006) – 10/1/20

The Outpost – 10/1/20

Stranger than Fiction – 10/1/20

Superman Returns – 10/1/20

Sword Art Online: Alicization – 10/1/20

Troy – 10/1/20

The Unicorn: Season 1 – 10/1/20

WarGames – 10/1/20

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – 10/1/20

Yogi Bear – 10/1/20

You Cannot Hide: Season 1 – 10/1/20

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/2/20

Ahí te encargo / You’ve Got This - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

The Binding - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Dick Johnson Is Dead - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/2/20

Emily in Paris - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/2/20

Òlòt?ré - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Serious Men - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Song Exploder - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/2/20

Vampires vs. the Bronx - NETFLIX FILM – 10/2/20

Week of October 4

Colombiana – 10/4/20

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY– 10/4/20

Dolly Parton: Here I Am – 10/6/20

Saturday Church – 10/6/20

StarBeam: Halloween Hero - NETFLIX FAMILY– 10/6/20

Walk Away from Love – 10/6/20

Hubie Halloween - NETFLIX FILM – 10/7/20

Schitt's Creek: Season 6 – 10/7/20

To the Lake - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/7/20

Deaf U - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/9/20

Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 2: Rio - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/9/20

The Forty-Year-Old Version - NETFLIX FILM – 10/9/20

Ginny Weds Sunny - NETFLIX FILM – 10/9/20

The Haunting of Bly Manor - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/9/20

Super Monsters: Dia de los Monsters - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/9/20

Week of October 11

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: Season 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/11/20

The Cabin with Bert Kreischer - NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL– 10/13/20

Octonauts & the Great Barrier Reef - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/13/20

Alice Junior – 10/14/20

BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/14/20

Moneyball – 10/14/20

A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting - NETFLIX FILM – 10/15/20

Batman: The Killing Joke – 10/15/20

Half & Half: Seasons 1-4 – 10/15/20

Love Like the Falling Rain - NETFLIX FILM – 10/15/20

One on One: Seasons 1-5 – 10/15/20

Power Rangers Beast Morphers: Season 2, Part 1 – 10/15/20

Rooting for Roona - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/15/20

Social Distance - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/15/20

Alguien tiene que morir / Someone Has to Die - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

Dream Home Makeover - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

Grand Army - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

In a Valley of Violence – 10/16/20

La Révolution - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/16/20

The Last Kids on Earth: Book 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/16/20

The Trial of the Chicago 7 - NETFLIX FILM – 10/16/20

Unfriended – 10/16/20

Week of October 18

ParaNorman – 10/18/20

Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2 - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/19/20

Carol – 10/20/20

The Magic School Bus Rides Again The Frizz Connection - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/20/20

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/21/20

Rebecca - NETFLIX FILM – 10/21/20

Bending the Arc – 10/22/20

Cadaver - NETFLIX FILM – 10/22/20

The Hummingbird Project – 10/22/20

Yes, God, Yes – 10/22/20

Barbarians - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Move - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Over the Moon - NETFLIX FILM – 10/23/20

Perdida - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

The Queen's Gambit - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/23/20

Week of October 25

Blood of Zeus - NETFLIX ANIME – 10/27/20

Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt: Season 4 - NETFLIX FAMILY – 10/27/20

Vilas: Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada / Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY – 10/27/20

Holidate - NETFLIX FILM – 10/28/20

Metallica Through The Never – 10/28/20

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight - NETFLIX FILM – 10/28/20

Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY– 10/28/20

Bronx - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

The Day of the Lord - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

His House - NETFLIX FILM – 10/30/20

Somebody Feed Phil: Season 4 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/30/20

Suburra: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL – 10/30/20

October TBD

ARASHI's Diary - Voyage - Ep 13 & 14 - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

Brave Blue World

Start-Up - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Netflix’s Movie Highlights For October 2020

While it’s not the bad movie that Adam Sandler promised he’d make after Uncut Gems’ unfortunate Oscar shut out, there’s still a playful energy to be had with The Sandman’s latest film, Hubie Halloween.As Sandler’s Hubie DuBois prepares to save the town of Salem, Massachusetts with his eccentric energy, a serious threat is starting to make Hubie look like the hero he’s always wanted to be. Though should you want your spooky season offering of choice to be more romantic and sinister, Ben Wheatley’s remake of Rebecca dresses up a classic tale of love and the ghosts of the past. Lily James and Armie Hammer bring Daphne du Maurier’s mysterious couple to life in a more modern context, and their performances look as gorgeous as James and Hammer’s period appropriate threads.

Last, but not least, Aaron Sorkin’s dramatic biopic, The Trial of the Chicago 7, finally makes its way into the world. After seeing itself change hands through helmers like Steven Spielberg and Paul Greengrass over the course of more than a decade, Sorkin finally landed the director’s chair on his own script. Depicting the trial of seven activists accused of trying to incite riots outside of 1968’s Democratic convention, this incendiary Netflix original boasts a cast that includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; among others.

Netflix’s TV Highlights For October 2020

While Hubie Halloween is a pretty big deal for some, to other Netflix subscribers that’s not exactly the sort of thrills that spooky season promises. No worries, as creator Mike Flanagan has followed up his terrifying but heartbreaking series The Haunting of Hill House with another adaptation of an old classic. The Haunting of Bly Manor takes Henry James novella, The Turning of the Screw, and for the second time this year puts a more modernized spin on its story of a governess who’s hired to watch after a pair of children in a palatial manor. Oh, and there’s also ghosts, for those of you who don’t think babysitting is horrific enough.

However, if you're looking for something uplifting and hysterical, a double threat is headed to your Netflix queue in October 2020! For those who hunger for adventure, and love the kind-hearted enthusiasm that Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal exudes, the fourth season of Somebody Feed Phil will be here to take you on the vacations you wish you could go on, with the foods that'll make your mouth water. If you like your comedy delivered in the format of an award-winning sitcom, this year's Emmy darling Schitt’s Creek takes its last bow, with the sixth and final season headed to the Netflix lineup. Brace yourselves, because it's been heard on good authority that you will cry by the end of this show's run.

Whether you want to hide under the blankets, or laugh out loud into the crisp fall air, Netflix is here to bring both sides of October to your television! Keep in mind, all titles are subject to availability and change. So if something seems to have moved, you might want to check back here and see what the schedule has to say about that. It’s hard to believe it, but the countdown to November 2020 is about to start soon. So we’ll see you back here around this time next month, when leaves won’t be the only thing we’re raking through.

As an extraordinary actress capable of tackling multiple genres with exceptional range, Amy Adams is undeniably one of our finest working actresses. As a comedic, dramatic, musical, or even sci-fi star, Adams constantly finds new ways to stand out and make an impression on the big and small screen, showcasing the vast wealth of her fine talents through several strong roles — even in some not-so-great movies. As her profile rises, we'll hopefully only continue to see more compelling and enriching performances from this great talent — though if you're a fan of the six-time Oscar-nominated actress (as well you should be), there are currently several great titles available on streaming. Here are a few movies and performances that you should check out if you love Amy Adams.

The Master (2012)

An oversexed, PTSD-stricken Navy veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) is lured into the promises of grandeur provided by a charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: In Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece, The Master, Amy Adams does wonders alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman — all of whom put forth some of the strongest performances of their respective careers. Though Phoenix's turn as Freddie Quell is revolutionary and Hoffman gives one of the most stunningly captivating performances of his tragically short career, Adams shapes an ingeniously subtle and sharply layered character who only grows richer the more you reflect on the film. She's one of its biggest puzzle pieces, and as you dissect the movie more, you can see more clearly how much she drives the ship. It's most certainly worthy of Adams' fourth Oscar nomination.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Fighter (2010)

Professional boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) tries to escape the shadow of his older half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), and strives for greatness.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: While The Fighter was Mark Wahlberg's commendable passion project, this biopic often finds the actor/producer outshined by his supporting cast, including Christian Bale, Melissa Leo (both giving Oscar-winning performances), and Amy Adams. Playing Micky's confident partner, Adams plays slightly against type by providing a sexy, mature character at a time when she was commonly associated with her child-friendly performances in Enchanted and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. The result is another electrifying performance from the terrific actress, earning her third Oscar nomination. As a David O. Russell production, the ensemble is predictably sharp, but Adams stands out and packs a wallop of a punch in this dynamic dramatic role.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Her (2013)

A lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) forms an unlikely relationship with a personality-driven operating system voice (Scarlett Johansson).

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: In Her, Spike Jonze's ultra-unconventional romantic drama, we explore the innate complexities of human relationships in an ever changing world in a compellingly original and inventive fashion. While Joaquin Phoenix's central performance understandably earned the majority of the movie's praise, along with Scarlett Johansson's voice-only role, Amy Adams' portrayal of Amy shouldn't be overlooked. As the friendly neighbor with whom our lead character finds a meaningful physical relationship, one that doesn't provide the same interpersonal fractions found in his courtship with the operating system voice, Adams really helps bring out the heart and soul of Jonze's adventurous concept. For as intriguing as the movie's central focus can be, she's the one who really brings it home in an effective way.

Stream it on SundanceNow here.

The Muppets (2011)

Muppet superfan Walter, along with his two human friends (Jason Segel, Amy Adams), must reunite the Muppets to prevent an evil oil mogul (Chris Cooper) from taking down a lifelong treasure.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Following an extended down period for the generation-jumping brand, The Muppets (2011) marked a triumphant return for the lovable felt fellows, anchored by Jason Segel's winning sincerity as both an actor and screenwriter, along with James Bobin's bubbly direction and Amy Adams' charming performance. As Mary, an elementary school teacher in a long-time relationship with Segel's non-committal Gary, Adams isn't given as many chances as her co-stars — human or otherwise — to shine here, but her character is radiant with the film's beautiful beating heart that helps this meta-return avoid too many bouts of melancholy. Plus, she gets to sing!

Stream it on Disney+ here and Starz here.

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

To pay for her son's private school tuition, a determined mother (Amy Adams) starts a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service with her unreliable sister (Emily Blunt).

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: As a late '00s Sundance dramedy, Sunshine Cleaning doesn't stray too far beyond formula, but it's benefitted nicely by its central two performances from Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Both comedically and dramatically, these two actresses provide the goods — with Adams, in particular, showcasing her versatile talents in this prominent leading role. Her sibling dynamic with Blunt is engrossing and investing, allowing the characters to find their emotional truths despite the screenplay's habit of favoring indie cliches. And Adams often matches her character's determination, providing a nicely layered performance which helps the emotional beats hit as they should. She really shines (pardon the pun).

Stream it on Tubi here, PlutoTV here, and Hoopla here.

Vice (2018)

A darkly satirical biopic detailing how Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) became the most powerful Vice President in U.S. history.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: As both a darkly seething biopic of a political figure from our recent past and an unapologetically biting political commentary, Adam McKay's Vice is scattershot and broad-reaching in its approach. Its presentation is punchy and sense of indignation is impassioned, but outside of its squared attack against former Vice President Dick Cheney, it's not entirely focused in its execution, favoring several different filmmaking tones and methods to visually and narratively communicate the depths of Cheney's depravity. While the film itself is flawed, there is no denying the excellence of its central performances. While Christian Bale's transformative turn received the lion share of the praise, Amy Adams' Oscar-nominated Lady Macbeth-esque portrayal of Lynne Cheney is similarly terrific.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Doubt (2008)

Based on John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Doubt follows a Catholic school principal's (Meryl Streep) moral quandary whenever a sister (Amy Adams) informs her that the priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) may have an ambiguous relationship with a troubled student (Joseph Foster).

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Extraordinary plays don't always make the smoothest cinematic transitions, but Doubt does a tremendous job of capturing the livewire dramatic intensity of its original source material through its outstanding cast, including Meryl Streep, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, and Amy Adams. While Adams' supporting performance isn't as explosive as the ones from Streep and Hoffman can be, Adams' second Oscar-nominated performance brings a quiet dignity and an emotional reckoning that drives home the film's troubling thematics.

Stream It On HBO Max here.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

A cat-and-mouse game between a seasoned FBI agent (Tom Hanks) and a successful young con man (Leonardo DiCaprio) who swindles millions of dollars by posing as an airplane pilot, a doctor, and more.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Admittedly, in this pre-fame role, Amy Adams doesn't get as much screen time as some of her famous co-stars. But in typical Amy Adams fashion, she certainly made the most of every minute she's in during this Steven Spielberg picture. As Brenda Strong, a braces-wearing hospital worker whom Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) falls for while posing as a doctor, the talented young actress brought a bright presence to this enchanting crime film, with this role serving as a fine introduction for her future as one of Hollywood's most valued A-list actresses. Looking back, she was clearly meant to be a star.

Stream It On SundanceNow here.

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

A wealthy art gallery owner (Amy Adams) finds herself haunted by a novel written by her first husband (Jake Gyllenhaal), finding parallels to their former relationship.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Director Tom Ford's sophomore feature was notably polarizing upon release, baffling audiences and earning a mixed reception among critics. While the movie's bleak, nihilistic approach left some audiences cold, Ford's craftsmanship as a filmmaker was continuously impressive, bringing out marvelous performances from his starry A-list cast, including Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, to name a few. Some people were more receptive to the novelistic side, in which Ford dramatizes the intense book read by our lead character, but there's something oddly compelling about the cold demeanor of the movie's real-world side, guided with compelling intrigue by Adams' searching, intuitive, and sometimes darkly funny performance.

Stream It On HBO Max here.

Junebug (2005)

An art dealer (Embeth Davidtz) travels to North Carolina to meet her new in-laws, challenging their equilibrium in the process.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Though her talents weren't ever denied, it wasn't until 2005's resonant Sundance dramedy Junebug that Amy Adams' extraordinary acting skills were finally recognized, earning the first of six Oscar nominations to her name. While Adams' work in this suburban indie is remembered more so than the movie itself, director Phil Morrison makes a tenderly evocative arthouse ensemble piece with healthy bouts of heart and humor. The dialogue is bright, the characters are nuanced, and the performances are winning, but Adams undeniably steals the show, providing the observant wit and warmth that turns this little indie charmer into a winner. No matter how big or small the movie, Adams always found a way to make it count.

Stream It On SundanceNow here.

Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian (2009)

Security guard Larry (Ben Stiller) infiltrates the Smithsonian Museum in an attempt to rescue Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Octavius (Steve Coogan) following a shipping mishap.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: While it's not the performance that she'll likely be remembered for, Amy Adams steals the show as Amelia Earhart in this family comedy. Providing a plucky, charmingly persistent take on the missing aviation pioneer, the Academy Award-nominated actress brings lots of spunk and goodwill to this blockbuster sequel, resulting in an entertaining comedic performance that — you guessed it — soars.

Stream It On Starz here.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

A small-town beauty pageant turns deadly when someone will go to any lengths to win.

Why It's A Good Option for Amy Adams Fans: Though it wasn't a critical or commercial hit upon release, Drop Dead Gorgeous has since become a cult favorite, particularly thanks to its excellent performances from its entertaining cast, including Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, and Amy Adams in her film debut. Right off the bat, Adams had the chops, providing some of the movie's biggest laughs and showcasing her early talents in this supporting turn. While many audiences would recognize her acting prowess in the decade to follow, it was clear to this movie's admirers that she was ready for stardom — even if Hollywood wasn't too quick to recognize it. It was only a matter of time.

Stream It On HBO Max here.

What are your favorite Amy Adams movies? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

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As a vigorously committed and authentically soul-searching thespian who is capable of delivering astonishingly vivid and shockingly powerful performances, Joaquin Phoenix remains one of our finest working actors. Though he was finally recognized as such for his Oscar-winning work in Joker, Phoenix has delivered many astounding, confounding, and engrossing performances throughout his accomplished career — many of which you watch now through several streaming services. If you love Joaquin Phoenix, be sure to check out these movies made accessible through various different platforms.

The Master (2012)

An oversexed, PTSD-stricken Navy veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) is lured by the grand promises of a charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: As a ravaged, uncontrollable hurricane of chaos on a warpath of self-destruction, one who doesn't care if other people get caught up in his storm, Joaquin Phoenix is a transformation in The Master, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's opaque-yet-mesmerizing character study exploring the ambitions of a man damaged by his country who seeks personal redemption and acceptance through ill-gotten means — particularly when a charming huckster promises milk and honey through his dubious, self-inflating, cult-like haven. It's a firecracker performance, exploding with rage and frustration, but it's also filled with soft bits of humor and intrigue, like a child watching an unknowable world in awe. It's incredible character work. In my view, it's Phoenix's finest hour.

Stream It On Netflix here.

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

A traumatized veteran-turned-mercenary (Joaquin Phoenix) is hired by a local politician (Alex Manette) to find and rescue — through any violent means necessary — his daughter (Ekaterina Samsonov), who was kidnapped by a human trafficking network.

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Based on the excellent novella by Jonathan Ames, You Were Never Really Here is a haunting and perceptive examination of trauma, grief, depression, and violence — both reverberating and present — featuring yet another mesmerizing Joaquin Phoenix performance. As the internalized loner who uses brutality to bring some sort of justice back into the world, Phoenix evocatively showcases the struggles of battling PTSD and how it distorts the mind and ravages the soul. It's compelling in its refinement, providing another soulful characterization of a man battling evil forces that follow him or wrestle inside him.

Stream It On Amazon Prime here.

Her (2013)

In the near future, a lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) enters a relationship with a personality-driven operating system voice (Scarlett Johansson).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: In Spike Jonze's romantic sci-fi drama, Joaquin Phoenix faces an unusual challenge: he must fall in love with a computer's voice and convince us that it's a believable, authentic, zestful, and investing relationship. It poses an unorthodox task for the hard-working actor, one that Phoenix approaches both soulfully and sweetly, providing a new-age relationship that's smart, intriguing, insightful, and telling in our tech-driven era. While it's a fascinating premise, it easily could've fallen flat through a less capable actor. Thankfully, Phoenix is more-than-fit to play our lonesome mustachioed protagonist, providing the right amount of wistfulness and realism to avoid overindulging in quirkiness. Instead, Phoenix finds humanity in a story about falling in love with a machine.

Stream It On SundanceNow here.

Joker (2019)

A mentally-unstable failed comedian (Joaquin Phoenix) descends into madness and anarchy, inspiring a counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in a decayed Gotham City.

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Joaquin Phoenix became the second actor in history to win an Oscar for playing a variation of DC's most famous arch-villain, The Joker, though Phoenix found a way to make the well-played role his own by providing a very Scorsese-influenced take on the killer clown, resulting in an intriguing dissection at what turns an unbalanced man into one of the greatest villains in comic book history. Through the film's intentionally grounded approach, Phoenix dives head-long into the character's twisted psyche, becoming fully immersed in the depravity of this broken man. It's not his very best performance, but it's easy to see why it's the one that turned him into an Academy Award-winner.

Stream It On HBO Max here.

Two Lovers (2008)

A Brooklyn-based bachelor (Joaquin Phoenix) is torn between his beautiful new neighbor (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the family friend that his parents want him to marry (Vanessa Shaw).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: In his third collaboration with writer/director James Gray, Joaquin Phoenix gives an intriguingly melancholy, effectively restrained, and emotionally honest performance in 2008's excellent Two Lovers. In this appealingly old-fashioned romantic drama, one that explores this character's neurological complexities through rich acting, smart writing, and commendable direction, Phoenix provides one of his sharpest, most astute performances, finding the layers and depths of this troubled man's mental state in an engrossing character-driven fashion. While Gwyneth Paltrow and Vanessa Shaw are also outstanding, it's really Phoenix's show. It's a shame that I'm Still Here's performance art antics took attention away from this quietly soulful picture.

Stream It On Tubi here, Pluto TV here, and SundanceNow here.

I'm Still Here (2010)

A faux-documentary exploring Joaquin Phoenix's self-sabotaging journey to quit acting and become an aspiring rapper.

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: The lines between reality and fiction are often blurred in Casey Affleck's I'm Still Here, a ruminative (and often navel-gazing) performance art piece that explores the life of a soul-searching celebrity on the brink of personal and professional decline. As it was filmed, Phoenix never publicly broke character, opting to let people believe that "Joaquin Phoenix" — a shaggy, thick-bearded, morally-astray version of the professional actor — was, in fact, the real Joaquin Phoenix. Only after the movie screened at film festivals did they admit otherwise. His career and public image were temporarily tarnished in the process, but it also produced one of Phoenix's finest and most personal performances (and, perhaps, "performance") of his continuously-impressive career.

Stream It On Dox here and Hoopla here.

Walk The Line (2005)

A musical biopic chronicling the life and legacy of Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) and his romance to his future wife, June (Reese Witherspoon).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Though Walk The Line follows many of the hard-wrought cliches of famous musician biopics, to the point where it was the primary source of ridicule in the underrated parody, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, it's hard to deny the power of Phoenix in this portrayal of one of the greatest musicians who ever lived and walked these plains. Having never sung or played guitar prior to taking on this role, Phoenix does a marvelous job of embodying the celebrated country/folk/rock/gospel singer, while not shying away from the complexities of his real-life character. It's ultimately stronger than the movie itself, but Phoenix's Oscar-nominated lead performance is nothing short of electrifying.

Stream It On HBO Max here.

The Sisters Brothers (2018)

An infamous pair of sibling assassins (John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix) chase after a gold prospector (Riz Ahmed) and his accomplice (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: As a couple of traveling brothers who leave a trail of blood in their wake, Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly aren't exactly the type of gunslingers you'd expect to find in a western. Yet, each of them adapts into their roles nicely, providing a funny, engaging, and ultimately moving portrait of America as a country where comfort is desired but hustling is the way of the land. Balancing its weighted bouts of open-pasture drama with rewarding moments of dark comedy, the results didn't exactly make a splash when The Sisters Brothers rolled into theaters. That's a shame because it's quite a lovely picture. You should give this one a shot.

Stream It On Hulu here.

Mary Magdalene (2019)

Seeking refuge, Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara) discovers a sense of purpose through a radical movement led by Jesus Christ (Joaquin Phoenix).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Through its tempered, ponderous, and often methodical approach, 2019's Mary Magdalene didn't secure a wide audience — particularly through a prolonged shelf life with multiple delays. Though it can lack a sense of momentum or forward drive to make this reinterpretation as reverently compelling as the filmmakers find the biblical story itself, this religious drama from Garth Davis (Lion) is aided nicely by its lead performances from real-life couple, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. The latter's performance, in particular, is quite intriguing in its own right. Phoenix hunts for the humanity in this revered figure and explores the fine complexities of his short-lived morality — particularly as he's in the midst of being mythologized.

Stream It On Showtime here.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

A historical biopic documenting the efforts of hotelier Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) to save the lives of more than a thousand refugees during the Rwandan genocide.

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: There's no denying that Hotel Rwanda is Don Cheadle's movie. The actor's Oscar-nominated performance is an impressively accurate portrayal of the real-life figure, filled with compassion and care, and Cheadle provides a lovely authentic portrayal. But the movie is also filled with many strong supporting performances, including Sophie Okonedo (who was also Oscar-nominated), Nick Nolte, and Joaquin Phoenix. As Jack Daglish, an American journalist covering the Rwandan genocide, Phoenix provides a vocal and prominent supporting turn, but it's safe to note that the revered actor stays strictly in the supporting character range. Nevertheless, Phoenix makes the most of his limited screentime, providing another strong performance to this standout ensemble.

Stream It On Amazon Prime here.

Parenthood (1989)

Parenthood follows a midwestern family that faces various struggles in their day-to-day lives, including the highs and lows that come with parenting.

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Before there was the show, there was the film. Joined by co-stars like Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, and Keanu Reeves, Joaquin Phoenix gave one of his earliest and most charming performances as Garry, a moody, withdrawn kid who has recently entered puberty, in this acclaimed Ron Howard-directed dysfunctional family comedy. Where else will you see Reeves teach Phoenix about masturbation?

Stream It On Showtime here.

The Immigrant (2013)

In 1921, a Polish immigrant (Marion Cotillard) is tricked into prostitution by a deceptive theater manager (Joaquin Phoenix).

Why It's A Good Option For Joaquin Phoenix Fans: Collaborating with James Gray for a fourth-and-currently-final time, Joaquin Phoenix gives a complex and unsettling performance in this acclaimed period drama — one that, once again, showcases his great talents for playing disturbing and challenging individuals in complex and compelling ways. While his movie mostly flew under the radar upon release, especially as more time passes, it's been hailed as a classic-in-the-making of the previous decade.

Stream It On Tubi here and PlutoTV here.

In addition to all these titles, it's also worth noting that We Own the Night is available on Starz and Signs is currently on HBO Max. What's your favorite Joaquin Phoenix performance? Let us know below!

Chris Pratt rose up the ranks to leading man status with Guardians of the Galaxy, after years of playing supporting roles in some of the best movies of the 2000s and all-time great sitcoms. That MCU blockbuster then led to the actor becoming an A-list superstar at the forefront of a variety of big films throughout the last several years. 

While some might be quick to downplay his success, he has certainly proven himself in several roles. A dynamic actor who can bring an earnest, enjoyable giddiness to many parts, including his long-running work on NBC's Parks & Recreation, the star has given us a number of charming characters in many high-profile projects. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, we should note a few honorable mentions. These include his brief-but-memorable role in Wanted, as well as his supporting turns in Jennifer's Body. Also, Everwood, where he appeared in nearly 100 episodes, as well as his work on The OC. Now, let's get into it!

10. The Magnificent Seven - Josh Faraday

Following the enormous success of 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt found himself scoring a number of additional A-list gigs, including Jurassic World, Passengers, and an ever-growing presence in the MCU. Among those high-profile roles was 2016's The Magnificent Seven, based on the 1960 movie of the same name, which found him working alongside top talents like Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, and more in the starry ensemble. 

While this remake didn't reach the ranks of the original, nor does it even compare to Seven Samurai, one of the best samurai movies ever made, it was an enjoyable studio picture that saw the action star riding on his charisma and star power as John Faraday, one of the members of the titular crew. Will it be remembered among the great westerns of today and yesteryear? Likely not, but it proved he could hold his own in a high-profile ensemble.

9. Zero Dark Thirty - Justin

When it comes to the elite, now famous Navy task force, Seal Team Six, best known as the trained operatives who killed Osama Bin Laden, it can be easy to make it about the group's efforts and forget about the humanity found therein. In Zero Dark Thirty, the screenplay doesn't dive too deep into their personalities, as the focus is primarily on the task-at-hand. 

But, through the strong performances of the talented ensemble, we got a sense of who these men are — or, at least, how they were meant to be perceived. As Justin, Pratt doesn't get a lot of screen-time as the tough guy (though you can see more of him as a similar character in The Terminal List), but he makes the most of it in Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning drama. He allows Justin to be seen as wise-cracking solider, even filled with moments of skepticism, before he helps pull off this brave, incredible operation with his five other Navy Seals.

8. Moneyball - Scott Hatteberg

One of the keys to a really solid Chris Pratt performance is a gentle, even vulnerable sincerity and a disarming Midwestern-esque charm. Certainly, as we will detail throughout this article, that's something that often stands out in his better performances, and that's notably the case with Moneyball. 

The excellent 2011 sports drama didn't give him a huge role, but it gave him a crucial one. As Scott Hatteberg, a middling baseball player who is still key to the Oakland Athletics' analytics-driven program, he plays up his humble sweetness to appropriately winning success, resulting in an underdog performance that helps to drive the film towards its rousing final moments. His performance really helps the film hit home.

7. The Five-Year Engagement - Alex Eilhauer

A few years after he became a dependable comedic actor, he earned one of his biggest, most prominent film roles in 2012's The Five-Year Engagement. As Alex Eilhauer, the romance-loving best friend of the lead (played by co-writer Jason Segel), Pratt's character finds himself quickly marrying his sweetheart, Suzie (Alison Brie), all while our lead protagonists (including Emily Blunt) find themselves in the extended engagement of the title. 

In a role that's not too dissimilar from Andy Dwyer, he didn't necessarily stretch himself here, knowing full well that he was there as the "best friend" character. Nevertheless, he made the part his own, stealing a few scenes throughout and providing a constant stream of laughs in the altogether pretty solid, subversive studio rom-com.