Movies

The settings in these anime aren’t just pretty to look at—they draw you into their worlds. Initially, they appear magical or delicately beautiful, but as the story unfolds, you realize there are hidden rules and a darker side. What seems like a colorful, mysterious fantasy world is often built on ancient suffering, which eventually taints even the most beautiful aspects. These anime always remain visually stunning, but the beauty and the horror are deeply intertwined.

Jenna Ortega has a strong connection to Netflix thanks to her popular roles in shows like You and Wednesday. Wednesday is particularly successful – it’s one of only a handful of Netflix series to achieve a significant milestone. Netflix reports that Wednesday, Stranger Things, and Bridgerton are the only shows to have multiple seasons appear on the platform’s list of most-watched series.

Streaming services have revived several classic shows, including One Day at a Time, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and even Star Search. They also turned the British show Black Mirror into a huge international hit. Plus, they reimagined Sabrina the Teenage Witch as the darker, more dramatic Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

There’s a huge number of fantastic sci-fi movies available, and it can be tough to know where to start. To help you choose, here are five lesser-known, but truly excellent, dark sci-fi films that deserve your attention before anything else.

Anime often feature tournament storylines, and some shows even have multiple tournaments that connect to each other. While these arcs are full of action, a truly great martial arts competition needs more than just fighting. The best ones are carefully crafted to build excitement, create compelling rivalries, and tell a story through each match, making them stand out from the rest.

As a big fan, I’ve really enjoyed how Wednesday manages to be something the whole family can watch, but still has that cool, slightly mature vibe that teens love. Season two definitely leaned into the darkness, and honestly, it worked! Even though viewership dipped a little from its initial peak, critics loved that the new season was a step up – the mystery was cleverer, and it felt less…polished, in a good way. Apparently, the show is going to keep going in that direction for season three, as the characters get older and move beyond high school, which I’m totally here for!

The game NTE became available worldwide on mobile, PC, and PlayStation 5 on April 29, 2026. Fans immediately praised the Japanese-inspired, open-world action role-playing game after its launch. However, as players spend more time in the large city of Hethereau, it’s becoming clear that some of the game’s references to anime appear to be quickly and carelessly made, rather than genuine expressions of appreciation.

To mark the ten-year anniversary of Captain America: Civil War, the Russo brothers explained why they altered Spider-Man’s origin story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically removing the death of Uncle Ben. Joe Russo shared that Spider-Man was a beloved character growing up, and he connected with the idea of a young person facing immense responsibility. He believes that responsibility could be established through a tragic accidental death and the resulting feelings of loss and pressure, which would capture the essence they were aiming for.

In a recent interview, Jenna Ortega didn’t hold back when discussing the issues surrounding the latest Scream movie. She agreed that Scream 7 wasn’t a strong film and even suggested the reported box office numbers were inaccurate. She also felt it was inappropriate for other actors from the Scream franchise to participate in the sequel.

The new film, Mortal Kombat II, focuses on Johnny Cage, a character who first appeared in the original 1992 game. The first movie in 2021 centered around a new character, Cole Young, but his story is quickly resolved in the sequel, suggesting he wasn’t a popular addition. Despite leaning on a classic character, Mortal Kombat II seems unsure of its direction. It tries to move away from the over-the-top style of the 90s Mortal Kombat movies, yet its most energetic scene is a recreation of a memorable fight from that era – a flashy sequence with spinning kicks and a Van Damme-inspired split. Now reduced to signing autographs, Johnny complains that audiences want something more realistic and serious. The filmmaker seems to interpret this by creating a visually dark and muddy film, with confusing fight scenes and a very serious tone when exploring the backstory of the character Kitana.