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Despite low box office numbers, «Stillwater» did reasonably well with critics. Looper’s review of «Stillwater» mentions several positive attributes, including its inability to be nailed down to simple pretenses. «What really elevates ‘Stillwater’ is that, much like the character of Bill, every time you think you’ve got a handle on things the unfolding story shifts,» wrote Larry Carroll. One person who isn’t singing the movie’s praises is Amanda Knox herself, who takes issue with how «Stillwater» presents Allison Baker.

Knox posted a lengthy thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, denouncing the film, partly due to the filmmakers profiting off her case and not even consulting her. «Stillwater» may be fictional, but many mentioned Knox and the case when discussing the movie. Knox wrote, «By fictionalizing away my innocence, my total lack of involvement, by erasing the role of the authorities in my wrongful conviction, [director Tom] McCarthy reinforces an image of me as a guilty and untrustworthy person.» 

This appears to be connected to the ending of «Stillwater.» Without getting into spoilers, the finale complicates what really happened with the murder. Understandably, Knox wouldn’t want her case to be portrayed with shades of gray when she fought so hard to clear her name. People watching «Stillwater» on Netflix should remember that while the film draws from the Knox story, it’s entirely separate and fictional. 

Not to jump too far ahead, but given the expansion of the Ghostbusters home base and its occupants, are we finally seeing what the franchise has been aiming for since the 2016 film «Ghostbusters: Answer the Call?» Both that ill-received entry and «Ghostbusters: Afterlife» were released under the «Ghost Corps» label established in 2015 to handle all projects linked to the original film. The aim was to build a cinematic universe as Sony delved further into this world through new movies, TV shows, and more. «Frozen Empire» seems like it will lay significant groundwork toward this goal.

Beyond being a paranormal research center where Winston says ghosts are allowed to «hang out» while they’re being studied, the lab in the trailer is also the workplace of the newest Ghostbuster employee, Lars Pinfield (James Acaster). We see him in several scenes, handling traps and foolishly grabbing the satanic snowball at the center of the latest mess. In addition to his slip-up with the cursed item, Lars is shown amid all the new equipment and other employees of the apparently healthy business.

Besides wearing an altered version of the iconic logo that swaps the warning band for a cog variant (Is Lars in the engineering department?), there’s also a black van and Janine using a wristband-like gun instead of the classic Particle Thrower. Ultimately, it’s clear our heroes are back in business, and we can’t wait to see them get to work when «Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire» arrives on March 22.

With a better living situation around the corner, Izi becomes separated from his neighbors’ suffering in «The Kitchen.» This includes turning his back on Benji. However, he recognizes the error of his ways and goes back, but this coincides with police raids stomping out the last remnants of rebellion. Izi and Benji are trapped in the former’s apartment while police bang against the door. It seems bleak, but there’s a sliver of optimism as Benji asks if Izi was his true father all along. While Izi doesn’t definitively respond, he does seem to nod. The screen cuts to black just as the police break down the door. 

It’s easy to see why some viewers felt unsatisfied with the ending of «The Kitchen.» It leaves many questions unanswered, including the ultimate fate of the two main characters. However, that was the filmmakers’ intention, showing how there are no easy answers to issues of economic disparity. While many criticized the film’s conclusion, some took it for what it was. X user @meshisland still loves the movie: «‘The Kitchen’ was beautiful and heartbreaking. The ambiguous ending, with the approaching fear, makes it even harder. [W]hile [I]’d like to imagine they aren’t separated, the reality is authority works hard to tear communities apart. [I]’d like to imagine they’d find each other again.»

Love it or hate it, «The Kitchen» has gotten people talking. And if you need something else to watch following the abrupt finale, you can get started on «Top Boy» on Netflix, which also stars Kane Robinson.

James Gunn has at least partially laid out the first phase of DC’s new universe, and Bats isn’t at the top of the list. The first two projects will be an animated adaptation of the cult comic «Creature Commandos,» followed by the live-action «Waller,» a series focusing on Viola Davis’ ruthless government bureaucrat. Then, Gunn’s new Clark Kent will make his debut. After another three projects — «Precinct Earth,» «The Authority,» and «Paradise Lost» — Batman is set to officially enter the DCU in «The Brave and the Bold.» With «Superman: Legacy» set for a July 2025 release, it could be some time before audiences see a reimagined take on the Caped Crusader. 

But it might be wise to hold off on introducing a new Batman while simultaneously trying to launch an entire cinematic universe. While they are considered Elseworlds stories, Warner Bros. has two cinematic Gotham City-set franchises running; Todd Phillips’ «Joker» and Matt Reeves’ «The Batman» have upcoming sequels. Introducing a third Bruce Wayne immediately could prove confusing or overwhelming for audiences already suffering from superhero fatigue. 

Gunn had ample experience working with multi-franchise-spanning projects at Marvel. He has shown an aptitude for slowly expanding a roster of heroes with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, so he probably knows what he’s doing here. Batman’s appearance will hopefully be worth the wait, as long as Gunn hasn’t lost his touch for developing super-teams.

The definitive edition of «Too Late» is also notable for its publication by Grand Central Publishing, which is the same company that published «Verity.» Previous releases were self-published, so this new release now effectively functions as its most official version. Die-hards, then, might want to double-dip even if they’ve read the book before, whereas readers new to the story now have easier access thanks to its wider availability.

Nevertheless, the fact that «Too Late» performed so well in the Kindle store in particular is likely a symptom of the fact that it’s a re-release. «It Ends With Us,» its sequel «It Starts With Us,» and «Verity» all hold spots on Amazon’s list of its top 100 best-sellers regardless of format, whereas «Too Late» is absent from that list. It’s those readers who double-dipped that are most likely contributing to the success of «Too Late» in the Kindle store specifically, not necessarily interested in owning a second physical copy of the book but intrigued by the changes to the original story. All in all, «Too Late» is a big hit with readers in 2024, whether they’re reading the novel for the first time or not.

Emma Stone lost the Oscar in 2019 for best supporting actress to Regina King in «If Beale Street Could Talk.» There’s nothing wrong with losing to an equally dynamic performance, and there’s a chance Stone could take home her second Oscar for «Poor Things.» However, it appears her primary competition in that category is Lily Gladstone for «Killers of the Flower Moon» this year. Regardless of what happens, Stone has firmly established herself as one of the most talented performers of her generation, able to move deftly between comedic and dramatic performances, sometimes bringing elements of both into the same project.

«The Favourite» is filled with exceptional acting, with Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman all receiving nominations at the 2019 Academy Awards. However, Stone earned a great deal of acclaim, with critics honing in on her work. Petr Navovy of Pajiba called attention to her performance in particular: «Emma Stone gives what is quite simply the performance of her career. Weaponising that easygoing charm and those huge expressive eyes of hers, Stone manages to hoodwink everyone, both onscreen and off.» For Time, Stephanie Zacharek wrote, «Stone’s Abigail is a captivating, wanton minx —she gets some of the movie’s dirtiest, funniest gags, some of them consisting of little more than an astutely arched eyebrow.»

From «The Favourite» to «Poor Things,» Emma Stone is proving herself to be one of the most versatile actors working today. And it’s promising to see «The Favourite» garner more attention on the Netflix charts among far more mainstream fare like «The Super Mario Bros. Movie.» 

You’ve both had lead roles in movies. When you take a smaller role, how do you make the most of that? How do you make the most of a limited screen time?

John Cena: I think everybody’s got a different perspective.

Ariana DeBose: For me, it’s not about screen time. It’s not about the quantity that’s there. I don’t care how many lines I have. It’s more about the quality of the role or the director I get to work with. What sandbox am I playing in? So I never look at anything in regards to size, because to be honest, there are no small parts. Every part matters in the context of storytelling.

Cena: Yeah. I take a philosophy from WWE. I’ve been the first match, I’ve been the middle match, I’ve been the main event, and I’ve been everything in between. I think knowing what your objective is and knowing where you fall in the scope of the show in WWE terms helps. Just do the best you can with what you’re given and realize that the world does not revolve around you. So if you can make your presence and your opportunity impactful without going into business for yourself, so to speak, that’s a good day for everybody. The director’s going to have a great time on the cut and edit, you’re gracious enough to the other performers, and you understand the scope of field and the entire story. You don’t have to overreach. You don’t have to always try to add, add, add. Just do well with what you have and do the best with what you have and be coachable.

John, I read in the production notes, you were talking about how much you really wanted to work with Matthew.

Cena: Yes.

So the experience in your head, how did it match up to the experience in real life?

Cena: Just like seeing «Argylle,» when I read the script, the experience in my head, the expectations are exceeded when I see the movie. Matthew is a rare individual and I am so attached to his passion for filmmaking, and then after meeting him, his acumen, his business acumen, he sees stuff from a different floor and it’s great to get him spinning [the] web because it’s like everything that comes out of his mouth is something you can use and apply to your life. He’s a great person to know and a great person to work with.

At its best, «Argylle» calls to mind swashbuckling romances like «Romancing The Stone» and «Jewel of the Nile,» teaming Howard’s Elly with real-life spy Aidan, played by a reliably charismatic Sam Rockwell. After a chance meeting on a train, he is presented as both a quirky and «realistic» counterpoint to Elly’s fanciful hero, as well as her entry point into the dangerous world she has heretofore only written about. There’s a big, messy plot about how her needing to complete her new book is connected to the rogue spy syndicate headed by Bryan Cranston’s nefarious Ritter.

The movie is its most engaging when it focuses on the chemistry between Howard and Rockwell, mining comedy from her fish-out-of-water antics and his unpredictable presence. When it’s firing on all cylinders as an off-kilter romcom, Matthew Vaughn seems to be making good on his promise that «Argylle» would be similar to the «Kingsman» films in genre only. But the more narrative detritus that gets piled on and the more he cavalierly revisits the style and tone of those pictures, it becomes harder to see this as anything other than a slight retread gussied up in tricks to pretend it’s something it’s not.

That level of subterfuge may be fine for a government operative going undercover in the pursuit of national security, but it’s less fun to watch a movie masquerading as a better movie that doesn’t really exist. There’s entertaining work from Catherine O’Hara as Elly’s mother, an eclectic cadre of soulful needle drops, and some truly humorous time spent with Cavill and John Cena from inside the fictional exploits of Elly’s books. It’s just that the movie’s few strengths are all elaborate feints designed to keep the audience guessing about the next big reveal or twist, leaving little to actually hold onto or care about. 

Sam, I wanted to start with you. How did both playing a spy and also subverting the idea of a spy perhaps make this more intriguing to you than a conventional action thriller?

Sam Rockwell: He uses me as a device to the unorthodox, the realistic spy, so to speak. It’s kind of like Albert Brooks and William Hurt in «Broadcast News,» and so that juxtaposition between me and Henry is really helpful.

Henry, you’re playing the heightened, idealized version of Bond and all those types of literary spies, but what’s the trick for maybe trying to humanize him a bit, to the extent that you can?

Henry Cavill: Well, do you really want to humanize Argylle too much? The idea is that he is an idealized, as you say, heightened version of a spy, or the trope’s turned up to 11. I did try to provide some softer elements because it’s not the only role he serves. He also serves as a…

Rockwell: Sage.

Cavill: A crutch, a crutch for another character. I don’t want to give away too much, but [it’s] also a hindrance, I suppose, that that person is discovering themselves at the same time. It’s an interesting turn, actually. I think Matthew’s executed pretty well on that — Matthew and Jason [Fuchs, screenwriter].

How much of the action did each of you get to do on the set, and how far did you each push it before they said «okay»?

Rockwell: They wanted us to do as much as we could. They tested us out and drove us around a little bit.

Cavill: There’s a couple of little things which we didn’t do. There’s a wall moment which they were like, «No, we don’t want you doing that in case you end up with a splinter in your eye or something.» But otherwise, we’re doing all the fighting. It’s all there.

Rockwell: We’re doing the kung fu fighting, for sure.

In 2011, «Star Wars» blogger Rod Hilton created the Machete Order as an alternative viewing experience for those who consider Luke Skywalker to be the central character of George Lucas’ galactic fantasy. Hilton believes that the strongest narrative is achieved by excising «Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace» and by watching the remaining installments in the following order: IV, V, II, III, and then VI. By placing Episodes II and III between V and VI, Darth Vader’s condensed backstory serves as an extended flashback. The Machete Order gained even more steam when Luke Skywalker returned in the sequel trilogy, so much so that a USA Today article slotted all three new episodes onto the end of Hilton’s fan-canon.

The Machete Order’s popularity, however, doesn’t prove that Luke Skywalker is a more logical contender for the title of main character than Darth Vader. It ignores an entire film, frames two others as a flashback, and there’s no pretending that Episodes VII, VIII, and IX are about the man who fought his father. Those stories belong to Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley). The most reasonable explanation is that Episodes I through IX lack a central figure. Instead, they feature a central bloodline.

In the same breath that George Lucas used to call Darth Vader the main character, he admitted that «Star Wars» is about family. That theme is present in all nine films, far longer than any single Skywalker retains narrative focus. Besides, LucasFilm already calls them the «Skywalker Saga,» anyway, so why not allow that to serve as an answer?

It’s vital to stress there’s no scientific backing for this trend. There’s no reason why the Oscar winner would influence voters to go in a certain direction, but it is an intriguing trend, even if there have been outliers. Obviously, «Oppenheimer» could win best picture at the Academy Awards with Joe Biden still getting a second term. But if the trend persists and an «Oppenheimer» win heralds Trump becoming president again, the result could be devastatingly foreboding.

«Oppenheimer» ends with the titular character, played by Cillian Murphy, realizing he’s invented the power to destroy the world, which is now in the hands of some of the most dangerous and volatile people imaginable — politicians. This is exemplified in the movie’s final moments when J. Robert Oppenheimer declares, «When I came to you with those calculations, we thought we might start a chain reaction that would destroy the entire world. … I believe we did.» Over the years, Donald Trump has brought up using nuclear bombs in various capacities. Some have been ridiculous, like when he reportedly floated the idea of nuking hurricanes to prevent them from reaching the United States. In a far more unsettling case, Trump stated that he wouldn’t flat-out reject the idea of using nuclear weapons in Europe. 

There’s little doubt Trump is exactly the kind of person Oppenheimer feared would get ahold of this technology, especially because there’s a non-zero chance he could actually use them during a second term. An «Oppenheimer» win on Oscar night could predict the beginning of the end, or perhaps it will be one of the few exceptions to the rule. In either case, it may be best to play it safe and hope for a «Barbie» upset come Oscar night.

Katherine Waterston has appeared in dozens of films in her career, including the likes of «Logan Lucky,» «Alien: Covenant,» and «Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.» However, she first rose to fame with a major role in the 2014 Paul Thomas Anderson film «Inherent Vice,» alongside the likes of Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, and Josh Brolin. Waterston played Shasta Fay Hepworth, who has a nude sex scene with her ex-boyfriend, portrayed by Phoenix.

Waterston admitted that she found the film’s nude scenes challenging but also that they were somewhat liberating and enjoyable. It helped that she believed in the connection between Phoenix’s character and Shasha, as well as the fact that her co-star was so comforting and a team player. «You think, ‘Oh gosh, my friend just took off all his clothes, now I’m taking off all my clothes,’ and before you know it, you’re just swimming in the water and you’re not thinking about the fact,» she told Huffington Post. «There’s maybe a moment where you gulp, but then, for me, the scene was so much fun to play that I didn’t really think about it too much.»

So how does strangulation by one’s own bra even come into play? Fisher went on to explain just that. «What happens is you go to space and you become weightless,» she wrote. «So far so good, right? But then your body expands??? But your bra doesn’t – so you get strangled by your own bra.»

Armed with that logic, Fisher came up with a perfect pitch for her eventual obituary: «Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit – so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.» Obviously, this is not how Fisher shuffled off this mortal coil, but in the years since her passing, this particular line has been fondly remembered as an example of the actress’ brilliant wordplay and quick mind. 

How did the bra debate between Lucas and Fisher end, then? As she reveals in «Wishful Drinking,» Fisher used gaffer’s tape underneath the dress to help give her some support while she was pretending to be in space (and operating under the normal rules of gravity, despite Lucas’ argument). «I used to think there should have been a contest at the end of the day for who in the crew would get to help remove the tape,» she quips in the book. «Well, I was just thinking of others. Even then, I was just giving, giving, giving.»

Since 2013, Osgood Perkins has directed a handful of well-received smaller horror films, including «Cold Comes the Night» that year, «The Blackcoat’s Daughter» in 2015, and «I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House» in 2016, among others. Audiences might have also spotted him in a recent horror hit as well as a beloved Reese Witherspoon classic.

In 2022, Perkins appeared very briefly in Oscar winner Jordan Peele’s third feature film «Nope,» which stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as a brother and sister struggling to hold onto their late father’s horse ranch who end up investigating some truly upsetting extraterrestrial incidents. Perkins shows up as Fynn Bachman, who’s directing a commercial that requires one of the main duo’s trained horses. With that said, though, a lot of people may know Perkins better for his scene-stealing supporting turn in 2001’s «Legally Blonde.»

Alongside Witherspoon as the bubbly lawyer-to-be Elle Woods, Perkins appears as David Kidney, a fellow first-year student at Harvard Law School. When David introduces himself, he shares the fact that «for the past 18 months, [he was] deworming orphans in Somalia» — but eventually, his character actually becomes vital to Elle’s law school journey. Not only is he seen helping her study, but Elle returns the favor when a girl rejects David, pretending that they spent a night together and he ghosted just to make that other girl way more interested. Finally, David assists Elle as she prepares to represent accused murderess Brooke Taylor-Windham (Ali Larter) as a humble law student. Perkins doesn’t have the biggest role, but «Legally Blonde» fans certainly remember him fondly.

While «The Forever Purge» is seeing quite a bit of success on Netflix, it’s difficult to pin down just why exactly it has gotten such a substantial second wind. However, there are several potential contributing factors that may have something to do with its newfound popularity.

For one thing, «The Forever Purge» had an uncharacteristically weak box office run when it first released, suggesting that a solid portion of audiences who watched previous entries didn’t see it. That lackluster turnout may have to do with the struggle of theaters amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but whatever the case, the availability of the film on a streaming service as prominent as Netflix may have proven enticing for those who missed out on it the first time around.

Then, there’s the matter of the increasing popularity of both the cast and crew behind «The Forever Purge.» There were recognizable names attached to the film when it first released, as mentioned prior with «Yellowstone» stars Josh Lucas and Will Patton. However, other actors from the project have also gained more attention in the ensuing years, such as Tenoch Huerta from his role in «Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.» Of course, production company Blumhouse has also skyrocketed in recognizability due to recent high-profile projects like «Five Nights at Freddy’s» and «M3GAN.»

Whatever the case for its delayed success, the recent popularity of «The Forever Purge» may be just what «The Purge» needs to spark interest in production of another entry. After all, producer Jason Blum has already weighed on the future of the franchise — and fans will likely find the possibilities exciting.

How much of Alfie [the cat] was Chip [Vaughn’s family cat] and how much did Chip refuse to do and leave to the CG team?  Also, did Chip make any unreasonable contractual demands knowing that he could possibly get away with it since you’re his owner?

Possibly. So as we know, well, Chip’s become a much bigger deal than I would’ve ever imagined, but Chip is my daughter’s cat. So the only demands were my daughter’s demands, which was candy. So she got more candy each week, specifically a crunchy bar. And I’m a dog person with a capital D, right? So it was very strange. And the cat is definitely my daughter’s cat and I was always like, «Hey Chip, how are you doing?» That was enough for me. And then Chip and I bonded making this movie and he was — I mean, look, I’m not allowed to throw cats off roofs. I probably would if I could because it’s a cat, but I’d say 95% of the movie really is Chip. I think because he was the family cat, he was really relaxed, so I could put him here and he wouldn’t have the need just to run off or stare.

The problem [with] animal trainers, you have the damn animal and it just looks at the bloody trainer. So the eyeline’s always wrong. And I’d say, «I need dogs and I need it to look at that, not look this way, waiting for the treat.» And Bryce is brilliant with cats, so they bonded and I even gave Bryce a cat as a wrap present. The cousin of Chip’s now lives with Bryce.

«Argylle» opens in theaters on Friday, February 2.

While the plot for «Queenpins» may sound somewhat outlandish, it’s actually based on the true story of three women who pulled off a similar scam in real life. In 2012, Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson were arrested by police in Phoenix, AZ, where they were found to have $25 million in fake coupons.

In the end, Fountain and Johnson testified against Ramirez, and she ended up in prison for two years. All three women were also ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble. Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, who co-wrote and co-directed «Queenpins,» told The Hollywood Reporter that they discovered the news reports while «[taking] deep dives into the internet to try to find stories that are interesting and unique and haven’t been told before.»

As they were doing research, they stumbled upon the premise of their movie on a coupon blog. «We called the detective in Phoenix and talked to him, and he talked about how it was a legitimate case and really happened and the impact that scam has on our economy,» Pullapilly explained.

If the idea of a crime comedy about counterfeiting coupons appeals to you or you want to see what all the hype is about regarding the popular Netflix offering, «Queenpins» can currently be viewed by anyone in the United States with a standard subscription to the streaming service.