Movies

Horror movies have gone from being low-budget and dismissed by many to a hugely successful, billion-dollar industry, and this change has actually improved the quality of the films. Older American horror movies, especially those from the 1960s to 1980s, often featured what’s called the ‘idiot plot’ – characters making unbelievably foolish choices. For example, they’d split up when being chased by a killer, or investigate strange sounds and bloodstains by going into the darkness alone. Filmmakers were more focused on creating shocking deaths than on making sure their characters acted realistically, as long as it led to more on-screen kills.

Daisy’s courageous, but risky, actions put her relationships with both Gilead and the Mayday resistance in danger. In the episode “Secateurs”, June returned with a plan to help Daisy escape Gilead completely. However, Daisy, echoing June’s own determined spirit from The Handmaid’s Tale, passionately argued that she needed to stay and continue fighting for the girls still trapped there.

As a crime drama fan, I have to say Prime Video has really nailed this idea of a shared universe – it’s something they do better than most. Instead of dusting off an old show, they created their own world starting with Bosch, a fantastic, hard-boiled detective series starring Titus Welliver. Bosch quickly became one of Prime’s biggest hits, and then they expanded with Bosch: Legacy. While both of those shows have finished their runs, the good news is this universe isn’t ending. We’re getting a spinoff called Ballard in 2025, and it’s officially been renewed for a second season, which is great news for fans like me!

The filmmakers revealed that the new movie is a direct continuation of Avengers: Endgame, signaling a return to form for the main Marvel Cinematic Universe team. After previously stating he was finished with the role, Chris Evans will reprise Steve Rogers, showing his life with Peggy Carter in the past. He’ll be joined by Robert Downey Jr., several original X-Men cast members, and, according to reports, a former Spider-Man actor. The leading idea is that Avengers: Doomsday will involve a version of Tony Stark – potentially named Victor Von Doom – attempting to control the MCU multiverse. Downey Jr. only hinted at his character’s role, stating: “New mask, same task.” This detail is particularly interesting when considering the events of Age of Ultron.

Let’s quickly rewind to get everyone up to speed. Paula, played brilliantly by Tatiana Maslany, is a captivating but troubled woman. She’s locked in a difficult custody dispute with her ex, Karl (Jake Johnson, who seems to always end up in shows with questionable titles), who has a considerable financial advantage. To their eight-year-old daughter, Hazel, Paula is the playful parent – she lets Hazel eat ice cream for dinner, doesn’t mind a little swearing, enthusiastically joins in on TikTok trends, and even coaches her soccer team.

The Backrooms, a popular online myth about endless, empty office spaces and hallways, wasn’t created by any single person. Like the legend of Slender Man, it emerged organically from online communities – starting on 4Chan and evolving through shared images and stories, becoming a collaborative storytelling project. Now, a feature film called Backrooms attempts to turn this online lore into a traditional horror story, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. However, the film’s reception has been uneven, highlighting the challenge of building a full movie around an atmosphere or feeling, even a compelling one.

It’s clear that the success of The Clone Wars heavily influenced the new Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. While Star Wars’ animated series, like Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, have passionate fan bases, they generally reach smaller audiences than the live-action films and shows. Notably, both animated series are connected to the storyline of The Clone Wars.

Though Tracker introduces new faces in each episode as Colter travels, the show’s regular cast is truly special. Tracker skillfully blends self-contained cases with ongoing storylines for its main characters, aiming for a balance between episodic and serialized television. While it’s still refining this approach, the show has consistently delivered compelling characters, proving it knows what it’s doing. Over three seasons, Tracker has featured a memorable group of characters, and highlighting the best ones is a fascinating endeavor.

The shift towards open-world gameplay in the Pokémon series began with Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While it offered more freedom and exploration than previous games, its five areas were separate and distinct, preventing it from feeling like a fully connected open world.

The 2026 film Mortal Kombat II continues the story from the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie and is the fourth film in the live-action series. Director Simon McQuoid brings back the original cast – including Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Joe Taslim, Mehcad Brooks, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Damon Herriman, and Hiroyuki Sanada – and introduces new actors Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, and Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. Released in theaters on May 8th, the film has already earned over $100 million worldwide.