Amazon first announced Neagley in 2024, and while it’s taken a bit of time to finally make its way onto the 2026 TV schedule, the series officially premieres on September 16. While Frances Neagley has been a stand-out character in Reacher and has proven just how capable she is alongside Alan Ritchson's nomad, it’s clear there's more to explore with the character than the flagship episodes allowed for. So for both fans and Maria Sten, the Neagley spinoff is both needed and welcomed.

What makes Neagley so interesting is the fact that she’s infused with an authentic combination of vulnerability and toughness. She can beat up the worst of the worst villains, take a quiet moment to acknowledge her palpable loneliness, and then follow it all up with a laugh-worthy line that highlights her sense of humor. And Sten herself is the perfect choice to step up as the lead of her own show. Yet somehow, she’s one of the few instances of a Black woman leading an action series. The actress told Entertainment Weekly what that feels like:

With Neagley, Sten is joining the ranks of fellow Black actresses Angela Bassett with 9-1-1 and Sonequa Martin-Green with Boston Blue, and hopefully more to come in the future. The former dancer who was crowned Miss Denmark Universe in 2008 is excited about the opportunity the new series is providing, but there’s also pressure that comes with taking on new responsibility. The tremendous success of Reacher, having already been renewed for Season 5, isn’t something that can ever be predicted, but thankfully it means that we do get to learn more about Neagley and what makes her tick.

Frances Neagley, as well as Maria Sten, is a force of nature, so watching her in action is reason enough to tune in. But having the focus on her means that we’ll get to learn much more about who she is when she’s not with Jack Reacher and how her past has informed her present. We know that Neagley will follow the former military protégé as a P.I. in Chicago, laser-focused on demanding justice when a childhood friend is killed. And as she pursues the truth with her own team of misfits, we’ll get to see what it’s like for her to live with haphephobia, or the fear of touching or being touched. It sounds like the perfect balance of kick-ass action and character development. Sten further explained:

Luckily, we don’t have long to wait to see what’s in store for Jack Reacher in Season 4 of his own series and for Frances Neagley in hers, and you can watch both with an Amazon Prime subscription. With a new world of her own and new characters inhabiting it, Neagley could continue to live alongside Reacher for many seasons to come.

As an LGBTQIA+ ally, I’m always looking to better understand (and support) my brothers, sisters, and nonbinaries.

One way that I try to do this, small as it may be, is to introduce people to entertainment that features people all across the rainbow. Not too long ago, I talked about the Macaulay Culkin-led Party Monster, which features gay culture. I also covered Velvet Goldmine, which circles around bisexuality. Well, today, I want to focus on asexuality, and I bring you none other than the 1962 horror cult classic, Carnival of Souls.

Now, while asexuality is never directly mentioned in Carnival of Souls, I think there’s a case to be made that it’s actually (accidentally or not) in the film, and here’s why.

Mary Shows No Desire Whatsoever To Sexual Advances, And Even Seems Annoyed By Them

I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Carnival of Souls. Even though I love it, it’s often not considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, unless you’re talking about indie horror movies, to which it’s highly regarded. The plot concerns a woman named Mary (Candace Hilligoss) who seems to be the sole survivor of a car accident after her two female friends and she go flying off a bridge during a drag race.

Mary wanders out of the water, all ghoulish-like, after a search party looks for the three of them. She moves on from her traumatic experience the best she can by heading to Salt Lake City and taking on a job as a church organist. She rents out a room near the church, and ends up having a creepy male neighbor named John (Sidney Berger) who immediately hits on her. She’s immediately put off by him.

Now, you might think that this doesn’t directly spell “asexuality.” However, it’s how she’s put off by John that paints this possible picture. She’s frequently haunted by strange visions, and goes on dates with John just so she won’t be alone.

But, once on these dates, it’s not just that she doesn’t have any attraction to him. It seems like she wouldn’t have any attraction to anyone, both male and female. She’s mostly aloof with pretty much everybody in the movie, and seems to want to be left alone, but also wants to fit in with people. In the end, she just seems…distant, and she doesn’t quite know why.

Mary Even Acknowledges At One Point That "I Don't Belong In The World...Something Separates Me From Other People."

At one point in the film, John gets sick of Mary because she can’t seem to make up her mind. She says she wants to be with him, and you can tell that she’s making an effort, but it’s entirely forced. It’s not forced for his sake, but rather, for her own. Throughout the film, she visits a doctor, who admits he’s not a psychiatrist, and tells him that she doesn’t belong in the world, and that something separates her from other people.

Now, this of course has to do with the narrative itself, as similar to The Sixth Sense, Mary really might not be of this world anymore following her accident. However, looking deeper into the narrative and how Mary is distant with everyone - especially those who wonder why she isn’t romantically involved with anybody - you could make a case that she is really speaking to how she doesn’t understand why she isn’t attracted to anyone, and that she’s always just been that way, for as far back as she can remember.

That’s important, because this movie isn’t queer-coded, as we never get a sense that Mary might just like women like Shirley MacLaine’s character in The Children’s Hour. Instead, Mary feels socially, and romantically, distant with everybody.

And, for a movie from the ‘60s, where women were typically always viewed as a romantic interest, Carnival of Souls is that rare movie that, even if it wasn’t intending to do so, still manages to create asexual subtext, which I think is pretty cool.

Throughout her career, Cara Delevingne has never been one to limit herself as an actress or a model. It could certainly be argued that the English star’s vivacious spirit is what’s helped endear her to so many. Aside from her work, Delevingne has also been open about aspects of her personal life, including her sexual identity. Now, given her status as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the fan-favorite star is making history, thanks to her recent Playboy Magazine cover. And, in doing so, she also makes a bold fashion statement.

Playboy announced this week that the always fashionably dressed Delevingne (33) had been named as the publication’s summer cover star. The issue cover was shared on the outlet’s Instagram page, and it shows the Life in a Year star sporting plunging latex peplum corset. Delevingne also notably doesn’t wear bottoms in the image, instead opting to cover her private area with her hand, which seems to be a way of winking at the camera. Take a look at the work that went into making the stunning magazine cover and insert photos for yourself with the video below.

While the cover is impressive on its own, it’s more meaningful when considering that Delevingne is now the first out lesbian to appear on the cover of Playboy’s print publication. This comes after singer Kehlani – another member of the LGBTQ+ community – appeared on the magazine’s digital cover back in 2021. Overall, this latest cover marks yet another step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in a form of media coverage. Kudos to all involved, including Delevingne, of course.

Aside from that aspect of this cover, though, it also seems as though it marks a very personal moment in Delevingne’s career. It’s noted within the caption of the IG post that the Suicide Squad alum “has spent over a decade being looked at—model, actor, musel.” With that, “ she's the one calling the shots” now, and that’s further signified by another career milestone she’s poised to hit. This summer, Delevingne will mark the release of her debut studio album, which is set to be released this August.

Cara Delevingne really knows how to make an impression and has done so in a myriad of ways over the years. Fashion is one such way that she’s managed to draw people’s attention, as she did in 2023 when she wore a red dress from Elie Saab to the Oscars and was also paid six-figures to sport Bulgari jewels as well. And, in 2025, she wore a sparkling silver gown from Tamara Ralph Haute to the Academy Museum Gala.

While parts of Delevingne’s life have certainly been glamorous, some aspects haven’t, and she hasn’t shied away from discussing them. In 2022, she made headlines after paparazzi snapped photos of her apparently having a personal emergency in the presence of Margot Robbie, a friend of hers. Delevingne addressed the situation in 2023, explaining that she “hadn’t slept” amid that situation and merely thought “[she] was having fun.” Still, in retrospect, the starlet summed all of that up as a “reality check” that made her realize she was in a “bad place.”

The London native also lost her Studio City home to a fire in 2024 and lost many of her possessions as a result.. However, she still expressed gratitude even in the midst of feeling “heartbroken.”

Such candor from the Planet Sex star is much appreciated, and her eagerness to break down barriers for the LGBTQ+ community is as well. And, based on a number of the comments under her Playboy cover, it seems like she definitely has admirers in her corner. Here’s to history and this new chapter in Cara Delevingne’s life and career.

These days we can name a ton of same-sex couples that have graced our TV screens, including the recent phenomenon of Heated Rivalry. Back in the 1990s, LGBTQ+ representation in popular movies and TV was very thin. But, one series that was embraced by gay audiences was Xena: The Warrior Princess for the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. There’s one way Universal Television said “no” to one thing about the opening titles that might feed into the romantic ambiguity.

Xena may have never officially been a TV show with a lesbian couple, but viewers were all in on the idea. And, now we know that the creators even played into the relationship between Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor’s characters. Xena and Gabrielle famously shared a kiss, co-parented Xena’s daughter and in the finale they decided they’d be together for eternity. But, there’s one line the studio wouldn’t let the TV show cross – they weren’t allowed to be featured side-by-side in the opening credits. Per creator Robert Tapert, when speaking to Entertainment Weekly:

Xena: The Warrior Princess debuted on TV in the fall of 1995 and went on for six seasons until its finale aired in June 2001. During its run, producer R.J. Stewart recalled hearing about Xena nights becoming a popular event at gay bars around the country. But, Universal Television was apparently worried that showing the main characters next to each other was a bridge too far. As Tapert added:

Interestingly enough, the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle didn’t start as an intentionally queer storyline. When Xena was being developed, having Gabrielle as her sidekick was simply “the first person that came to mind”, per the creator. As the series started to become important to queer audiences, Stewart said they started to “ride the subtext whenever it [made] sense.”

While Stewart recalls that he used to say he’d leave their sexuality “up to the fans,” these days he thinks “they’re definitely gay now.” There was talk about Xena getting a TV reboot back in 2015, until it was officially cancelled in 2017. If NBC were to come back around to this idea, how cool would it be if Xena and Gabrielle were an item this time around?

This year marks the 25 year anniversary since the Xena finale, and it’s definitely great to look back at how far LGBTQ+ representation has come. Still, there’s not really an action series with two queer women leading on the 2026 TV schedule right now, and that’s a darn shame! Anyone else ready to start the Xena and Gabrielle reboot campaign?

Usually, when people refer to the best war movies of all time, they focus on war flicks that take place during their respective conflicts.

However, some war movies are actually about the aftereffects, like First Blood. Well, another such film is one of the best war movies ever to win Best Picture: 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives, directed by William Wyler and starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, and Dana Andrews, just to name a few.

Actually, there's one other actor I'd like to highlight, and that's because he's the only person in Academy Award history to win two Oscars for the same performance, and that man is Harold Russell.

Harold Russell's Character, Homer, Lost His Hands, Just Like The Actor Himself

The story of how Harold Russell made his acting debut in The Best Years of Our Lives is an interesting one. Russell lost his hands while teaching how to detonate explosives in the Army during World War II, and he was later given mechanical hooks. Always one to help, Russell was featured in a short film from the American Army titled Diary of a Sergeant, which showcased his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital.

Well, William Wyler saw Diary and wanted Russell for his movie, even though Russell had no prior acting experience. His role as Homer is one of three returning soldiers from the Second World War, but his story might be the most potent, given his struggles with his new hands, since he lost them in the war.

In fact, it was so potent a role that not only was he awarded an honorary Oscar for “bringing aid and comfort to disabled veterans through the medium of motion pictures,” but he also ended up winning the Best Supporting Actor Award, too, making him the only actor in Academy history to win 2 Oscars for the same performance. Now that’s something.

Homer Struggles With Losing His Independence Due To His Disability

To watch somebody with a disability is eye-opening, since the first gut reaction for many of us is to often look away. In our heads, we do this because we don’t want to make the disabled person uncomfortable, but in truth, we ourselves are likely uncomfortable, and we turn our heads because we don’t know what else to do.

This is Homer’s life ever since he returned home from the war. Once a former athlete in high school, he struggles with things he once found simple since he has mechanical hooks. You can tell that he’s embarrassed when he’s around other people, as some of them do look away. When he’s alone, he gets angry since he can no longer be independent like he once was.

As I said, it’s eye-opening to watch somebody who truly struggles with their disability, and there is nothing you can do but sympathize with them. It’s a hard watch, but I’m sure an infinitely harder experience to live through.

Homer Also Struggles When It Comes To Romantic Relationships

A while back, I wrote about how much I love the movie CODA, but one aspect I didn’t mention was how impactful the love story was in the background. There are actually three love stories going on. There are the parents, who are both deaf; there is our protagonist (Emilia Jones), and the boy she’s crushing on, and both of them can hear. Then you have the protagonist’s brother, Leo (Daniel Durant), who’s deaf, but is dating somebody who can hear.

I bring this up because this is probably the most difficult relationship in the film, but they make it work, even though Leo has doubts about its future given his disability. Well, in The Best Years of Our Lives, we have a similar story.

Homer was literally dating the girl next door named Wilma (Cathy O’Donnell), and he doesn’t think their relationship will last once he gets back. In fact, he’s even expecting her to leave him, but she doesn’t, and they ultimately end up getting married. That said, it’s only once he learns to accept his disability that he can truly find peace within himself, and I think that’s a wonderful message–a wonderful message, and a wonderful movie.

I’ve got to be honest. I saw Supergirl last week, and I’ve nearly forgotten that I sat in a theater for almost two hours viewing it. That’s not the kind of impression I wanted the newest DC movies to leave me with, and I’m not surprised by the movie’s big box office drop this past weekend. Especially because it’s yet another comic book flick for the girlies, and another example of big studios not giving female superheroes the same kind of fanfare as their male superhero counterparts. Let’s talk about it.

I Have A Theory About What Makes Superhero Movies Good... Supergirl Didn’t Pass

Now, I didn’t think Supergirl was as bad as some critics did. I thought Milly Alcock was awesome as Kara, and I liked getting to know her and going on the adventure she has in this movie. It’s a three out of five – right down the middle for me. What I didn’t like was the villain and a lot of the script decisions. And, I have a theory about what makes a superhero movie good: a superhero is only as good as its villain. Seriously, think about it and tell me it's not true! I think the only time where this hasn't been the case is the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and those guys fit more into the anti-hero archetype.

Supergirl had a very one-dimensional villain in the form of Krem of the Yellow Hills. Sure, he was in the Woman of Tomorrow comic book the movie adapts, but I’d argue the filmmakers could have had a lot more fun and creativity when bringing the pirate assassin to the big screen. I found Krem to be very boring, and in turn so was the movie itself at times. The disappointment I feel regarding Supergirl I feel is sadly a familiar feeling in the genre, especially in movies starring women.

Why Supergirl’s Weak Villain Really Bothers Me

Sadly, we’re in a time when there've been hundreds of big-budget superhero movies and only a few have been led by women. Like, what's up with that? And I don’t think a single one has had a well-written villain. Let’s do a little role call: Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Birds of Prey… are we still talking about any of the big bads in these movies? I’m certainly not.

To me, it feels like there’s an undercurrent of “Wait, let’s not give the female-led superhero movie a good villain and save them for the other superhero movies people care about” stench to it. Supergirl is just as cool as Superman is, and yet she was given the villain no one has ever heard of?

I really hope that the next time a women-led superhero movie is greenlit, one of these studios takes a chance on a truly great villain to put head-to-head with our protagonist because I need this trend to stop... like now and prove my point wrong.

Thankfully, Milly Alcock has another chance to really shine (and possibly punch Lex Luthor) in Man of Tomorrow alongside Superman; I just think Supergirl deserved a much better opponent in her own movie.

July is Disability Pride Month, and along with it serving as a reminder for more of us to check out all the great movies starring people with disabilities, there are so many ways those with these identities have contributed to Hollywood films behind the scenes. One story that I just learned has to do with the making of Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT, a 2026 movie release from earlier this year. I just found out the movie assembled an entire team of disabled employees to loop the film. Don’t know what “looping” is? Neither did I until I came across their story.

The Cool Way Sony’s Goat Made History For People With Disabilities

GOAT is basically an underdog sports movie told creatively in a fictional world where co-ed predator animals play together in something very close to basketball called Roar-ball. And the animated movie, which is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription, featured the first-ever all-disability loop group to work on a major studio film, per Variety.

I had never heard about this before, but a loop group supplies the voices in the background of a scene that needs it. And since GOAT primarily takes place at Roar-ball games, there was a lot of looping to do. Nic Novicki, the founder of this groundbreaking loop group, said this about how the job can cater to anyone:

Novicki and The Disability Loop Group had been trying to get on a feature film for years, and GOAT was the first opportunity for them to finally do so. I love how the movie itself is about an unexpected character (a goat) who gets to play in the big leagues, and behind the scenes, a group of people with disabilities got to work all together to provide a necessary service for the film.

I Had No Idea What Looping Was Before Learning This Story

Not only did The Disability Loop Group achieve something new in Hollywood worth celebrating during Disability Pride Month, but the story itself taught me about one aspect of filmmaking I didn’t know about before. Here’s Novicki’s explanation of the loop group’s job:

While a live-action movie might have ambient sound that can be recorded on location if a basketball game was part of a movie – GOAT had to start from scratch. The loop group had to take the time to help create the world of the movie through constructing things like chants, background chatter, crowd energy and reactions. It sounds like a meticulous job, and a fun one, and I’m happy I know about it now.

The disabled are still underrepresented in movies and TV, and this story is a small but cool example of some of the unsung jobs and people in Hollywood we don’t highlight enough. Congrats to The Disability Loop Group. I hope we hear about them getting more work in future movies and/or TV shows.

Deadpool doesn't have a new movie on the 2026 movie calendar, but the Merc with the Mouth still found a pretty perfect way to show up for Pride Month. The character has always made sense in that space. In Marvel Comics, Deadpool is canonically pansexual, with writers and creators describing his attraction as unrestricted by gender. So seeing the real Dancepool bring that red-suited chaos to San Francisco Pride feels less random and more like the franchise wandering exactly where it belongs.

Nick Pauley, the dancer who performed as Dancepool in Deadpool & Wolverine, shared a video from the parade on his verified Instagram account. The clips show him in the red-and-black suit dancing, posing and generally causing delightful sidewalk confusion. You can see the post below.

The footage is exactly as joyful as it sounds. Pauley is in full Dancepool mode, working the crowd from the street as fans cheer from behind the barriers.

In a second video post, which you can see below, Pauley shared a montage of some of his best parade moves. That includes dropping into a pose on the Muni tracks while a SAG-AFTRA group marches behind him. Elsewhere, the crowd can be seen waving, filming and clearly losing it a little. Because yes, seeing Dancepool casually break out moves during Pride is the kind of crossover that makes perfect sense once it is happening in front of you.

Pauley captioned the second clip, “Absolutely soaking wet,” which also feels right. Pride parade energy plus Deadpool suit plus full-body dancing in the street is not exactly a low-sweat situation. That costume may look superhero-cool on camera, but I cannot imagine it is the most breathable thing to wear while performing in the middle of a sunny San Francisco street. The man earned every drop.

In the longer caption accompanying the first post, Pauley said he was grateful to celebrate love in his favorite city and honored to walk with his fellow SAG-AFTRA members. He wrote:

That gives the whole thing a sweet little family layer underneath the red suit and hip action. Dancepool might be turning Pride into his own portable stage, but Pauley is also returning to a city that shaped him, celebrating his union and sharing the day with his dad. That is the kind of context that makes the goofy video land with a little extra warmth.

Of course, Marvel fans know why seeing Dancepool in the wild hits so hard. Deadpool & Wolverine opened with that now-famous *NSYNC “Bye Bye Bye” sequence, and while plenty of casual viewers may have assumed Ryan Reynolds did all the dancing, Pauley was the performer bringing those moves to life behind the mask. The bit became one of the movie’s most talked-about sequences, because nothing says “welcome back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe” like Deadpool desecrating a grave and serving boy-band choreography.

Since then, Pauley has embraced the Dancepool love, and fans have happily followed. His Pride appearance feels like a natural extension of that. The real Dancepool showing up at San Francisco Pride is every bit as fabulous as advertised, and I am absolutely here for it.

Deadpool & Wolverine is streaming with a Disney+ subscription, along with the rest of the Marvel movies in order. There is no word yet on whether Dancepool could return in a future Marvel movie. However, there have been plenty of rumors about Deadpool possibly showing up in Avengers: Doomsday when it hits theaters Dec. 18, or in next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars. We will have to wait and see how that shakes out. Sorry, not sorry for the dance pun.

Three years ago, when Nimona came out, I was so excited to watch it. It was being lauded as one of the best Netflix movies of 2023 (which was a particularly strong year), with a poignant message of acceptance — especially for the LGBTQ+ community and others who have experienced discrimination. Shamefully, I never got around to it, and Nimona fell further and further down my watch list. However, thanks to Pride Month and the trusty Netflix algorithm, it recently popped up again, and after finally watching it, I can’t stop thinking about one particularly powerful message.

First, a quick plot recap to get us all caught up: Nimona is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson (but is very different from the source material). The plot centers around Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight who is falsely accused of killing the queen and teams up with the titular shapeshifter to prove his innocence. The animated flick is filled with humor, heart, action and quotable lines like, “Arm-chopping is not a love language.” And while that’s a good message, it’s not the one that stuck out to me.

I Loved the LGBTQ+ Representation In Ballister And Ambrosius’ Relationship

These days it’s not quite as rare to see queer couples on TV and in movies, but there’s still not enough representation — particularly in family movies. In fact, back before Netflix saved Nimona from cancellation, there were reports that Blue Sky animators felt “pressure” from Disney to remove a same-sex kiss. Thankfully, there were no such issues at Netflix, because Ballister’s relationship with Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) is so important to the movie.

Not only does it normalize queer relationships in a beautiful way, but their history together added so much depth to the central conflict, with Ambrosius being the one tasked with hunting down Ballister following the queen's murder.

As much as I love that Nimona put a gay couple front and center in the plot, it was Nimona herself who really made an impact on me.

Nimona’s Shapeshifting Was Such A Beautiful Metaphor For Living Your Truth

When Nimona first floated the idea of teaming up with fellow outcast Ballister to clear his name (in exchange for making her his sidekick), the disgraced knight didn’t realize quite what he was getting into. However, once he experienced her shapeshifting into a whale, ostrich, gorilla, rhinoceros, etc., he struggled to accept her because he couldn’t define her:

• Ballister: What are you?
• Nimona: I’m Nimona.
• Ballister: So you’re a girl and a rhino?
• Nimona: I’m a lot of things.

I really appreciated that Nimona never apologized for who she was; she never felt forced to define herself. There was no fantastical story, no lore behind her shapeshifting. Nimona was born that way, and she consistently brushed off Ballister’s attempts to put her identity in a box (with more patience than he deserved).

I think this is so important, especially for younger people who may be struggling with their identity or sexuality or any other issue, because Nimona not only gives them permission to be themselves, but she shows several examples of what they can say to people who pressure them to do otherwise. Sometimes, for instance, she used humor to deflect a narrow-minded question:

• Ballister: Can you just be you, please?
• Nimona: I don’t follow.
• Ballister: Girl, you.
• Nimona: But I’m not a girl. I’m a shark. *chomp chomp* Hey, you ever put your head in the mouth of one of these?

That leads me to the conversation that had me applauding in my living room — one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

If You Take One Thing Away From Nimona, I Hope It’s This

The scene that stuck with me from Nimona is when the shapeshifter and Ballister are riding the train, and he asks her one more time to be “normal,” and instead of brushing it off or making a joke out of it, Nimona challenges him:

• Ballister: Can you please just be normal for a second?
• Nimona: Normal?
• Ballister: I just think it’d be easier if you were a girl.
• Nimona: Easier to be a girl? You’re hilarious.
• Ballister: I mean, easier if you look human.
• Nimona: Easier for who?

YES! Nimona knows that if a person or group of people or society is telling her to act or look a certain way, it is for their own comfort, not her benefit, and she doesn’t owe them that.

I think there are obvious LGBTQ+ parallels to be made here — I’ve specifically seen a lot of references to the trans experience — but I also think it’s bigger than that. Autistic people or those with ADHD may not act like others expect them to, and people with disabilities, different looks and different attitudes can be left out for not masking or conforming to societal “norms.”

I often tell my daughters to “Take up space,” and that they deserve to be in the room as much as everyone else, but I’m sure I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Nimona does in this scene and throughout the movie. Basically it's that you don’t have to make yourself small or change who you are to make other people more comfortable.

In fact, at Ballister’s suggestion that life would be easier if she only presented as a girl, Nimona tells him it’s actually the opposite — that she actually feels worse if she doesn’t let all of her different shapes show through.

Now that I’ve finally discovered the beauty of Nimona, I’ve actually watched it multiple times, and I could go on about the other quotes I love from this movie (“They grow up believing that they can be a hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different. And I’m the monster?” What a gift this movie is.).

I’m sad that it took me this long to finally discover Nimona, and if you haven’t seen it (or haven’t seen it in a while), do yourself a favor and fire up that Netflix subscription. You can also check out some more upcoming LGBTQ+ movies we’re looking forward to.

June is Pride Month, and there are plenty of LGBTQ+ folks and their allies who are looking for queer stories to watch. While not exactly a queer rom-com, folks with an HBO Max subscription were recently treated to the streaming release of Harry Lighton's Pillion. I was excited to watch the steamy movie from my home, and it really made the Fifty Shades movies look as wholesome as When Harry Met Sally.

I wanted to see Pillion in theaters, but was too busy back in February when it arrived in US theaters. I was shocked by its sexual content and its portrayal of a dom/sub relationship, as well as its graphic nudity. Overall, I'm surprised this movie was even able to be made and given a wide theatrical release.

Pillion Was Way Steamier And NSFW Than I Thought

Pillion wasn't what I expected, which is very much a compliment. I was hooked on the movie the minute Alexander Skarsgård's Ray entered the film and began to train Harry Melling's Colin as his submissive. In many ways, it felt like the audience was in Colin's POV, getting more invested methodically from their meeting at a bar to them eventually engaging in a committed relationship. Just not the one you typically expect from queer love stories on film.

Indeed, Ray makes it clear to Colin that they are not in "love" the way most relationships play out. Instead, he's in complete control, telling Colin what to wear and having him serve him in and out of the bedroom. And while it's undeniable that Skarsgård's character is easy on the eyes, the actual reality of the dom/sub dynamic is intense and more than I assume most people would be able to handle. There's also a ton of nudity, including close-up shots of Ray's (prosthetic) penis, which has the potential to be a big shock.

For instance, Colin must shave his head and sleep on the floor while Ray sleeps on his comfortable bed. He also cooks all his meals and gives up complete control over his own body when the two are sexual. I couldn't help but think of how PG-13 the Fifty Shades movies were in comparison; I mean, Dakota Johnson's Anastasia would never put up with Ray's demands.

As a queer person, I'm at least partly aware of how these dom/sub relationships work. But I think it's pretty remarkable that Pillion was filmed and released, and is now streaming on a major platform like HBO Max. I have a feeling that straight folks out there might be in for a ton of surprises is they decide to give the movie a try because they love True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård and want to check out a relatively new release. As for LGBTQ+ audiences, I think this movie is a perfect Pride watch, and is more than just steamy scenes.

Pillion is streaming now on HBO Max as part of the 2026 movie release list. Just beware: the movie is definitely not suitable for work.

2009's Jennifer's Body has gone from a box office flop to a cult classic in the decade and change since it hit theaters, and is one of actress Megan Fox's most iconic roles. While the marketing misdirected audiences, the horror comedy (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription) has aged super well. And the actress recently gave some Jennifer vibes while talking about being a bi icon. Let's break it all down.

Jennifer's Body is a movie folks love to revisit, thanks to its funny dialogue, thrilling kills, and unique tone. It also helped to make Megan Fox an LGBTQ+ icon, and during an interview with InStyle Magazine, she opened up about the feedback she's gotten from queer folks over the years. In her words:

How sweet is that? Clearly Fox loves hearing from LGBTQ+ fans, and knowing that she had even a small part in people's coming out journey. Leading the Jennifer's Body cast is at least part of the reason why, especially thanks to her iconic make out session with Amanda Seyfried in the movie. Plus, lots of queer moviegoers have a particular love for the horror genre as a whole.

The fact that Megan Fox was doing this interview while holding a lighter was particularly noteworthy, given how she famously burned her tongue with one during Jennifer's Body. Later in the same clip she spoke about her favorite title she's been given from LGBTQ+ fans. In her words:

I mean, what's not to love? Fox identifies as bisexual herself, so this moniker must feel particularly significant. She's also played queer characters before, so I'd say she definitely qualifies as a bisexual icon. You can see the clip of her explaining this below:

Was anyone else waiting for her to burn her tongue in the middle of this clip? Just me? Sorry, but I just can't get Jennifer's Body out of my head. And that's what makes it such a cult classic.

Jennifer's Body is streaming now on Peacock. Megan Fox's recent credits include Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and Overcompensating, and we'll have to see what comes next for the 40 year-old actress.

Spoilers ahead for Leviticus.

The summer is usually a great time for scary movies, and both Obsession and Backrooms have crushed at the box office. We've got another horror movie in theaters now just in time for Pride Month: director Adrian Chiarella's Leviticus. The movie is a moving and chilling queer story, and its ending leaves audiences with some questions. Luckily Naim actor Joe Bird spoke to CinemaBlend about his take on the film's conclusion.

Leviticus' reviews have been rather positive, with critics praising its scares and emotional narrative. The movie follows two young gay boys in Australia, who are cursed and then attacked by a violent entity that takes the form of the person they're most attracted to. The movie's final shot shows Naim and his love interest Ryan (Stacy Clausen) choosing to stay with each other when leaving their conservative town... despite the entity still being out there. As you can see in the video above, I asked Bird what he thought of the movie's ending, and he told me:

I love this perspective. The messaging of Leviticus' ending is something that will likely ring true for plenty of LGBTQ+ folks out there. Because while there are plenty of terrifying and hateful forces in this world, many of us decide to push forward and find happiness regardless. In this way, the horror movie serves as an allegory about the coming out experience, and overcoming the dangers of homophobia.

Later in our conversation Joe Bird, who also starred in the terrifying horror movie Talk To Me, went on to share more about why the ending of Leviticus is such an important message. In the 19 year-old actor's words:

Points are made. While Naim and Ryan will likely still have to look out for the dangers of the entity when they're alone with each other, it's much better than the alternative. And since the young lovers are going through the same struggle, they'll be able to understand each other in a way any new people in their lives will not. I personally would love to see a Leviticus sequel sometime in the future.

Most of the best horror movies have something original to say, and Adrian Chiarella's new release is no exception. Its release during Pride Month have given it additional emotional weight. Luckily there's plenty of queer joy in the movie's 88-minute runtime, in addition to its scary moments.

Leviticus is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Lots of LGBTQ+ cinephiles love horror, so I imagine that the discourse about its ending will only get louder as time goes on.

SPOILERS are ahead for Girls Like Girls, now in theaters!

When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, we’re used to changes from the source material freaking out fans. But sometimes a different take on the same story for another medium is exactly what the story needs. For example, Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls movie is missing one key moment from the novel's (and music video’s) ending; there’s actually a very specific reason why.

Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls vision all started with her 2015 pop anthem of the same name. She then turned the song into a music video that went viral and had fans calling for a movie about the video's pair, Coley and Sonya. Since then, she’s been working on adapting it for the big screen, but before that, she turned it into the New York Times bestselling YA novel. Now it's finally here, as one of 2026’s movie releases, and she's “proud” of how she adapted things – even though one unexpected change came up during post-production. In our interview with Kiyoko, she said this of the ending:

Kiyoko is talking about the fight that breaks out between Coley and Trent, whom Sonya has had an on-again, off-again relationship with, in previous iterations of the story. The writer/director even filmed the fight on the set of the latest LGBTQ+ movie, but ultimately decided that she wanted to center the conclusion of the film on its coming-of-age lesbian relationship rather than another guy. As she continued:

Girls Like Girls is Hayley Kiyoko’s first time directing a feature film after spending years helming her own music videos and trying to turn the pop anthem into a movie. When it comes to book adaptations, it’s not very often that the author is also the director. How cool is it that she trusted her gut to tell the story slightly differently and make the kind of changes that felt right for the film all this time later?

Without the violent moment becoming a focal point of Sonya and Coley finally becoming girlfriends, the movie ending is more about Sonya trying to accept her queer identity and Coley being there for her. The last scene is a sweet poolside moment between them instead. Trent is still very much part of the Girls Like Girls movie, but Coley doesn’t need to fight him to get the girl this time, and that's a change the director loved.

June is Pride Month, and there are plenty of folks seeking out LGBTQ+ stories to experience as a result. While we were treated to RuPaul's new comedy Stop! That! Train!, there's an upcoming horror movie with queer themes coming out as well: Adrian Chiarella's Leviticus. The movie follows two young gay teenagers who are tormented by a supernatural entity that takes the form of the person they're most attracted to. I thought the movie was an allegory about the dangers of conversion therapy, but the filmmaker offered me another POV.

While it remains to be seen if Leviticus ends up becoming one of the best horror movies of the year, I personally loved the new Australian scary movie. As you can see in the video above, I got the chance to speak with actor Joe Bird (who starred in Talk To Me) and director Adrian Chiarella ahead of the movie's release. The filmmaker spoke more about wanting to explore homophobia via horror, telling me:

Actress Mia Wasikowska plays the mother of Joe Bird's protagonist Naim, who has a "Deliverance Healer" try and cure her son's homosexuality. While she means well, this ceremony is what summons the entity that haunts the boys throughout Leviticus' 88-minute runtime. She thinks she's helping her son, which is yet another way that homophobia can sometimes manifest itself out in the real world.

Over the past few years there's been a ton of discourse about the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in movies, and Leviticus pivots between showing young queer love and having its heroes stalked by a presence that looks like the person they're attracted to. Later in our conversation, Chiarella spoke more about this new type of horror villain, telling me:

Same-sex attraction can often inspire homophobia, whether its in microaggressions or more insidious things like conversion therapy. In that way Leviticus tells a story that's universal, while bringing a wholly originally horror movie to theaters. Both Obsession and Backrooms have been crushing at the box office this summer, but Adrian Chiarella's new movie is the perfect Pride scary movie for queer fans of the genre (of which there are many).

Leviticus hits theaters on June 19th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to see if this becomes another instant horror classic. Personally I loved what Adrian Chiarella brought to the table, and found its story moving as a queer person myself.

On the 2026 movie schedule, it feels like a film can come from anywhere. A YouTube creepypasta can become Backrooms, A24’s highest-grossing movie, or a man with a large forearm tattoo can inspire Maggie Gyllenhaal to make The Bride!. In the case of Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls, it’s been a long time coming for the singer ever since her music video of the same name went viral. CinemaBlend talked to the first-time feature writer/director about the “challenging” process of turning her lesbian pop anthem into a grounded coming-of-age movie, and wow, what a journey it's been!

How A Music Video Inspired The Girls Like Girls Movie

On June 24, 2015, Hayley Kiyoko released the “Girls Like Girls” music video, which went viral among the queer community for representing a lesbian love story between Coley and Sonya without sexualizing them. The video is frequently cited as a popular “lesbian awakening” touchstone that has also amassed 163 million views over the past 11 years. Check it out below:

Kiyoko took a cinematic approach to the video at the time, and fans instantly took notice. When I asked the pop star if she was thinking about making a movie on the set back then, she said this:

Thanks to tons of fans calling out their desire for the concept of Girls Like Girls to become a full-blown movie, it’s a film today. But there’s over a decade between the music video and this project being one of the latest LGBTQ+ movie releases.

Why It Took 10 Years To Become A Movie

Since Girls Like Girls became a hit song and music video, Hayley Kiyoko has been busy earning the title of “Lesbian Jesus” among her fandom as she kept making music, going on tour, and ended up helming a bunch of her own videos after her 2015 debut. But the Girls Like Girls movie never left her to-do list. As she continued in our interview:

Kiyoko finally found the right partners in Focus Features and big-time Hollywood producer Marc Platt, who has also been behind movies like Legally Blonde, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Drive, La La Land and the Wicked movies. As she added:

Hayley Kiyoko now joins the few game-changing women directors who broke through industry norms to realize a unique vision. There aren’t enough movies with lesbian characters, and the Girls Like Girls film is a rare instance of Hollywood giving them center stage.

Why Hayley Kiyoko Never Lost Hope

A decade is a long time to stick to a vision, but that can very much be a popular story when it comes to impassioned filmmakers trying to make a different sort of movie. When I asked her what’s kept her going as a loud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community across her career, she said this:

Before Girls Like Girls became a movie, Kiyoko turned it into a YA novel, making it one of the new book-to-screen adaptations, as well. The novel became a #1 New York Times Bestseller, perhaps assisting the case for a Girls Like Girls movie. Kiyoko also recently released a lesbian period novel called Where There’s Room For Us in November. As she also told us:

A movie idea can certainly come from anywhere, but it needs the right kind of drive to get made, and Kiyoko had it! Girls Like Girls finally hits theaters this Friday, June 19.

June is pride month, with LGBTQ+ people and their allies celebrating how far the community has come, while coming together in solidarity for future battles. Some folks like to watch content that tells queer stories during this time, and there are a number of Netflix shows that have great gay representation. But I think that one of the streaming service's first shows is especially worth a watch: Lana Wachowski's Sense8.

Those with a Netflix subscription were treated to two seasons of the show before Sense8 was cancelled back in 2017. But fans campaigned for more, especially after the wild cliffhanger that Season 2 ended on. Eventually Netflix green lit a finale movie, which wrapped things up in an epic and moving way. And I think that it's the perfect show to watch for newbies during Pride Month, or re-watch for longtime fans like me.

Sense8 Is Queer AF, And Is An Empowering Watch For Pride Month

Sense8 is a fascinating sci-fi story, where eight strangers scattered across the planet suddenly are given a unique psychic connection to each other. They can "visit" with each other and speak, or can inhabit each other's body. Their connection gets deeper as more episodes go on, and with the group (called a Cluster) are able to experience their individual lives and their "siblings" at the same time. The show was shot across various countries, and is a visual treat.

The series originally introduces a few queer characters. First and foremost there's Jamie Clayton's Nomi, an American trans woman who is hacktivist with impressive skills on the computer. Then there's Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) a closeted Spanish actor who is trying to keep his same-sex relationship a secret for the sake of his career. Both of these stories are handled with care by The Wachowskis, who are trans women themselves that came out in the 2010s.

As The Cluster harness their psychic connection get to know each other, the characters fiercely stand up for their LGBTQ+ siblings, including action sequences and gun fights. The Wachowskis put their signature sensibilities for action into the show, in addition to the sweet, character-driven stories. Eventually the lines of sexuality begin to fade away among The Cluster, including a number of "psychic orgies", where the characters have sex simultaneously across multiple countries.

The show includes moving coming out scenes, standing up to transphobia and bigotry, as well as the main cast accepting each other unconditionally. And Sense8's finale movie takes things even further with crazy action, a wedding, and (yes) one more wild psychic orgy. I give the show a re-watch every few years, and I think June might be the perfect excuse to it another go.

Sense8 is streaming in its entirety over on Netflix. While the show ended too soon, it's impact is still very much felt by those who followed The Cluster.

As an LQBTQ+ ally, I'm all about gay rights, and “trans lives matter.” I love when we get to see representation of gay characters in film, especially when they're played by people who are actually in the LGBTQ+ community, because I think all forms of diversity are wonderful.

With that said, one part of the rainbow that I don't think I've seen nearly enough of in my own personal movie viewing is bisexuality, which is why one of my favorite movies is the 1998 musical drama, Velvet Goldmine. The film also scratches another one of my itches as it's also a music movie, which is one of my favorite genres. So, if you can find it, here's why you should check out Velvet Goldmine.

Velvet Goldmine Is Essentially A Story About A Famous Rock Star...Without That Rock Star's Blessings

If you're a fan of music from the ‘70s, then you can probably tell from the title of this film who it’s, well, let's just say an homage to, since it's the title of one of David Bowie’s most memorable songs. You see, according to an article from GQ, the director, Todd Haynes, wanted to make a David Bowie biopic, but Bowie refused, and even floated the idea of suing.

So, Haynes changed all of the characters’ names and made some of them composites. For example, instead of Bowie, we get a character named Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who is very Bowie-esque. Rather than Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, we get an amalgamation of both stars in Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor).

The film itself is kind of like Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters if you’ve ever seen that movie (and if you haven’t, you should) as the film is broken up into vignettes that make up an overall whole that is Brian Slade’s life. It’s a fascinating approach, and great stuff if you’re a fan of Glam Rock, and Bowie in general.

The Narrative Follows A Bisexual Protagonist, And How That Impacted His Life

Okay, so this is a pretty great movie when it comes to LGBTQ+ themes, since there are homosexual and bisexual themes throughout the film. We’re actually introduced to the story through a journalist named Arthur Stuart played by Christian Bale. Stuart is writing an article about Slade’s mysterious death, and interviewing people who knew him along the way.

However, through Slade’s androgyny and overt sexuality, we learn that Stuart himself drummed up the courage to come out when he was younger, so he has a personal connection to Slade’s work. This is important, since we learn as much about Slade’s character weaving in-between relationships, and also get a sense of Stuart’s own sexuality.

Slade, you see, starts off married to a woman named Mandy (Toni Collette), but easily falls in love with Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor). And, the great thing is, the film shows that bisexuality is a great thing, since you get the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, Slade gets a bit TOO much of what he wants, which ultimately leads to his downfall. But, I do love seeing bisexuality celebrated, because I consider them the lucky ones, as I’m just a humdrum, heterosexual male. Oh, well.

It's A Great Film, Especially For How It Deftly Portrays A Fluid Sexuality

My favorite decade is the ‘70s, both in movies and in music, so this film really resonates with me since that’s the period that it’s mostly focused on. I especially love Glam Rock, and I think it would have been really cool if Bowie was actually in this film (hell, he’s been in other movies).

However, my favorite thing about the film is just how well it explores sexual fluidity, just like Glam Rock itself. Velvet Goldmine is a film that is as much about the music as it is about the culture, which is really cool, since it’s celebratory in more ways than one.

So, if you can find it, check out Velvet Goldmine. While finding it on physical media may be tricky, you can rent or buy it on digital on Amazon. Come for the music, stay for the androgyny.

I feel like everyone has to have a show that was canceled after one season that they just can’t let go of, and every year, it’s hard to fathom the list of series that were either axed or ended. I have a list of them that includes My Lady Jane, which Amazon canceled, and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, and it’s that second show that we’re going to focus on today. That’s because, during Pride Month, the streamer has been advertising this supernatural mystery, and now I need them to bring it back.

Netflix Is Hyping Up Dead Boy Detectives In Its Pride Section

Seeing as it’s June, it’s time to celebrate Pride on the 2026 TV schedule. Of course, various new releases are doing that; however, Netflix’s “Celebrating Pride” section highlights a slew of content that has come out over the years.

This selection, which you can view with a Netflix subscription, specifically features Dead Boy Detectives – a lovely fantastical mystery that follows two ghost detectives and features a prominent storyline about one of them coming out in Season 1. And the series that came out in 2024 is featured in the “Shows the Critics Love” section alongside the show adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, the beloved YA romance Heartstopper and the raunchy yet lovely comedy Sex Education.

Truly, Dead Boy Detectives fits nicely among this list – which also includes Grace and Frankie, Young Royals and Orange Is the New Black, among others – because it’s a wonderful and well-made series, like the aforementioned shows. However, the difference is that while all those other projects got more than one season, this one, which has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, by the way, got canceled immediately.

Dead Boy Detectives Is A Wonderful LGBTQ+ Show That Should Live On

For those who might not know, Dead Boy Detectives centers around Edwin and Charles, two boys who died when they were very young and decided to become detectives in their afterlives. Edwin, specifically, is a closeted gay man, and in Season 1 of the show, there’s a big storyline centered around that and him coming out to his friend, Charles (whom he is also in love with).

In those first few episodes, the show explores identity, internalized homophobia and self-acceptance in a beautiful and gentle way, all while maintaining a fun and entertaining storyline.

However, because of its cancellation, we never got to see how these characters continued to grow. We never get to know if Edwin and Charles get together or if they stay supportive platonic friends. We never get to see more of the other lovely queer characters in this series. And we won’t get to go on another mystery with these wonderful boys.

So, yes, it’s a shame that Dead Boy Detectives was canceled after Season 1. It had so much potential to expand and grow, specifically with its LGBTQ+ storylines, and I’m really bummed it never got the chance to. However, as Netflix has noted, you can still very much watch Season 1 to celebrate Pride Month.

In the last few years there has been a ton of conversation about the power of representation in Hollywood. That include Asian representation, and there have been some major steps forward thanks to a number of acclaimed projects like Crazy Rich Asians, Everything Everywhere all at Once, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (the latter of which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription). But Simu Liu recently called out the "hate campaign" that can often come when an Asian actor ends up finding fame. Let's break it all down.

Liu has been open about how Shang-Chi was a big deal for representation, and his career has been thriving ever since. But the 37-year-old actor recently took to Threads to speak about a trend involving actors of color getting hate after their big break. In his words:

After referencing lies and that came his way after booking the title role of Shang-Chi, Simu Liu got honest about a pattern he's feels he sees over and over again with actors of color in Hollywood. He's not the only actor to speak out about how the internet can indeed be "insane," and it sounds like he's seeing the source of his trauma repeated for other actors.

While he didn't name names in his Threads post, many fans think that Liu is referencing the recent controversy surrounding Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams. The show was wildly popular for those with a HBO Max subscription, and catapulted Williams and Connor Storrie into megafame.

Recently though, he's been the subject of backlash thanks to a photo from his teen years that resurfaced showing him with a swastika drawn by someone on his head. This was apparently during an event in High School where other students drew on him. Sources maintain he "deeply regrets" the event, as well as the photos finding their way online.

Of course, we've seen the Internet come at a number of Asian actors. For instance, Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran faced intense racist backlash after debuting in The Last Jedi, resulting in her leaving social media and going into therapy simply for being cast. That's not counting other actors of color who have faced similar hate online after achieving career success.

Simu Liu will (finally given that sequel talk) reprise his role as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for Hudson Williams, we'll have to see if his career is negatively affected by this new controversy.

Romantic comedies are my comfort food, even if my own beliefs on romance and love are a bit jaded. The warmth of a silly rom-com can improve my whole day. Additionally, some of the best romantic comedies of all-time are some of my favorite movies. Therefore, I was extremely excited to watch You, Me, & Tuscany.

Halle Bailey’s charm blew me away in The Little Mermaid, and Regé-Jean Page was very sexy and charismatic on Bridgerton. I knew they would bring rom-com gold in You, Me, & Tuscany. Additionally, I always want to support Black-led romantic comedies, because we need more of them.

It was a fun and delightful romantic comedy, but it was surprisingly empowering as well.

Warning: You, Me, and Tuscany spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

You, Me & Tuscany Is Also Anna's Love Story With Italy

Anna (Halle Bailey) hops on a plane to Italy because she saw an opportunity. She didn’t do it to chase a man. While there, Anna discovers it is the place that has been calling her heart. Sometimes our homes are not where we’re born but where we’re reborn. It’s the places where we most feel like we belong.

Anna feels this way in Tuscany. The decision to travel there proves to be one of her best and smartest decisions because her life begins to change. She gains confidence, starts to cook again, finds a great support system, and falls in love.

You, Me, & Tuscany feels like a women's empowerment movie, but not in the traditional way. It also made me wonder how many other romantic comedies skew in this direction. We see women change in rom-coms, but sometimes it’s just to impress a man. Anna’s change came from within and had nothing to do with Michael (Regé-Jean Page). Her falling for him is almost a side effect of coming into her own in this new place.

Romantic love is a result of her learning to love herself again, and create a life she loves.

I Appreciate That Her Being Behind In Life Was Because Of Tragedy, Not Just Lack Of Motivation

In some ways, You, Me, & Tuscany is a movie about mourning. It’s not as profound as some of the other movies on that topic, but you feel it in the movie’s DNA. Anna’s life is in arrested development because she made the sacrifice to put her life on hold to take care of her mother. This then led to her giving up her dreams.

She became a visitor in other people’s lives, without growing or expanding her own. Anna is also still grieving her mother because she is not fully living the life her mother wanted for her.

Some movies show characters like Anna in a judgmental way. They don’t explore the circumstances or mental tolls that led to them not fulfilling their full potential. I never viewed Anna as a loser character or someone who can’t get their life together.

She was always a grieving daughter who still misses her mother. Anna is treated with care, concern, and compassion by You, Me, & Tuscany screenwriter, Ryan Engle. It’s because of her mother’s death that the film feels more enriched and kind. It’s never a romantic comedy that cracks jokes at Anna’s expense. It lets her find her way without judgment.

You, Me, & Tuscany’s gentle approach to Anna may also have been because it is directed by a woman, Kat Coiro. I hope more of the upcoming movies directed by women are just as kind to their female leads.

The Film Is Very Much A Found Family Movie As Well As A Rom-Com

The found family trope is also quickly becoming one of my favorites. We need more movies celebrating unconventional families. You, Me, & Tuscany is a lot like one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping. That movie involves Sandra Bullock’s Lucy bonding with the family of her fake fiancé. Adding a family dynamic element to a rom-com often endears it to me.

Lucy falls in love with this family, and Anna does the same. These people embrace her, encourage her, and make her feel welcome. After losing her mother, having such a welcoming family likely really helps Anna get more comfortable with her grief. She will always miss her mother, but now she may have a family to give her some of the love and support she lost.

Anna's Story Isn't Completely Filtered Through A Black Lens, But I Think The Little Nods To Black Culture Make It Better

Color-blind casting is fine. However, I prefer when TV shows and movies make sure to adjust the film to the character’s ethnicity and race. Anna complains about her roots getting messed up because of the rain. Regè-Jean Page had to suffer for the rain scene, but Halle Bailey’s edges didn’t need that fate.

You, Me, & Tuscany is an important movie because it has two Black leads. It’s rare to see a mainstream romantic comedy with one Black lead; we see two even less. Films like this open the door for more films starring Black people. Representation matters. It helps open the door for future generations to feel seen and embraced by society and pop culture.

You, Me, & Tuscany didn’t have major box office success, however, if the movie does well when it becomes available on a major streaming service, it could still be considered a success. This could help encourage more studios to support Black-led romantic comedies. I hope it does really well when it’s on your favorite streaming services. We need more Black joy movies.

You, Me & Tuscany's Happy Ending Is Anna And Michael Getting Together, But Also Her Career Dreams Coming True

Anna and Michael are together by the end of You, Me, & Tuscany. However, the focus is more on her helping with the family’s restaurant, surrounded by her new family. She gets her happy ending, but it’s not just about Michael and her dating. A huge part of it is the fact that her original dream has come true. She is a successful, talented chef in Tuscany.

She created a life that would make her mother proud. The guy is a part of the dream, but not the dream. It leaves the film on an empowering note that many women and girls can take inspiration from. It’s bellissimo.

Rent or buy You, Me, and Tuscany on Amazon.

My two favorite shows of all time are Breaking Bad and The Wire, and I sometimes wonder which series is better.

On one end, you have Breaking Bad's breakneck pacing and its fascinating characters, and on the other end, you have The Wire's stellar world-building and its nuanced, almost literary host of characters. While I might give Breaking Bad the slight edge, what's giving me pause is one character in particular from The Wire, and that's Omar Little, played by the late, great Michael K. Williams.

Omar, you see, is still one of the best gay characters ever written for television. Sure, the actor himself wasn't gay, but Williams’ commitment to playing a gay character should be remembered forever. Here’s why.

One Of The Best Things About The Wire Is That The Toughest, Most Feared Character Was A Gay Man

“Oman comin’!” Thus is the introduction that Omar would get whenever he’d be walking down the street, whistling, and everyone would run. This is the kind of introduction that you’d see bad guys in the best Western movies get. Plus, with his shotgun, duster, and bulletproof vest, you’d think Omar Little was the most villainous character in the entire series.

However, he wasn’t. In fact, even though he’d shoot people dead, he was the GOOD guy. At least, from a street-level, vigilante perspective. Omar, you see, would rob the drug dealers, and then sell the drugs to other, rival dealers. He also wouldn’t go after civilians, and only administered pain to those who brought pain to the neighborhood or to himself. More importantly, though, to this article, he was also openly gay.

Throughout the series, he had a number of boyfriends. Some, like Brandon (played by Michael Kevin Darnall), were ride or die, even enduring torture without giving up Omar’s whereabouts. Others, like Dante (Ernest Waddell), took much less of a beating, and sang like a canary. Even so, Omar was unmistakably gay and unmistakably feared, and I just love that The Wire, available with an HBO Max subscription, could showcase such a compelling gay character.

I Also Love How Omar Didn’t Into Fit Any Stereotypes…Even Though Other Characters Tried To Make Him Fit Into Them

In the first season, Omar, his lover, Brandon, and another member of Omar’s stick-up crew robbed Avon Barksdale’s safe house, which put a bounty on Omar’s head. However, once Barksdale learned that Omar was gay, he doubled the bounty since he hated knowing that a gay man ripped him off. In every way, Barksdale had issues with Omar because he was gay, and he had no idea how difficult it would be to have him killed, since he initially perceived that gay men were weak.

However, Omar was anything but weak. Cunning, charismatic, and even conniving at times (He could lie on the stand with no compunction), Omar was such a marvelous character because he didn’t fit into any stereotypes, and many of his enemies underestimated him due to stereotypes.

So, even though Michael K Williams played a number of great characters in his lifetime, I think there’s a reason why he will always be remembered for this one iconic role.

In The End, There Still Hasn’t Quite Been A Character Like Omar On Television

I love how we now have a lot more gay characters (actually portrayed by queer actors, no less), but I still don’t think we’ve quite had a character like Omar Little since his debut in 2002.

In a lot of ways, Omar can’t be replicated. The Wire was a show about a lot of things, but its main focus was the city of Baltimore itself. Yet, even with its massive cast and its many themes, Omar is probably the most recognizable character in the entire series, with his homosexuality being at the forefront.

In that way, Omar was a one-of-a-kind presence, and still, to this day, one of the greatest gay characters in television history.

I am a simple woman: I watch any movie starring Rosamund Pike. Ladies First stars Sacha Baron Cohen and Pike. Therefore, it was a must-watch for me, and I overall enjoyed it. Like many of the film’s critics, I think it could have done a few things better, but Ladies First’s heart is in the right place.

It’s a movie that uses multiverses to tell the story of a man coming to understand his privilege. I wish it were more similar to some of the best movies about multiverses, because then its messages may have been a little stronger. Nonetheless, unfortunately, Ladies First covers some topics of gender equality that remain relevant.

Warning: Ladies First spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

Ladies First Acts As a Reminder That Gender Equality Is Still An Issue Today

Damien (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a misogynist who cannot see women beyond sex objects. He then gives one of the most self-involved, out-of-touch-with-reality speeches ever put to film. He believes life is now harder for him as a heterosexual, white male. He believes society now caters to the marginalized to become more politically correct. The thing that makes Damien’s speech hard to watch is that so many men actually believe this nonsense.

They think the world now makes things harder for them, despite proof that white men still dominate many fields, and sometimes it’s the main criterion to obtain a powerful position. You almost believe that movies such as Ladies First shouldn’t exist anymore. Surely people have evolved past that reductive way of thinking? Many men cannot think of women just in terms of what they can do for them, right?

You can find many podcasts, influencers, books, or articles written by men with these ideas that women are inferior and so deserve fewer opportunities. Thankfully, it’s not as normalized as it was in the past. Additionally, many men disagree with this behavior and thought process. It’s not a common thing, but still too popular for people who cannot understand beyond their own worldview. They relate to Damien and men like him in Ladies First.

It Made Me Think Of Similar Movies & Wonder If They Still Work In Modern Times

Ladies First isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s a remake of a French film called I Am Not an Easy Man. What Women Want, 9 to 5, Hidden Figures, and many other great movies that may be ideal for something such as Women’s History Month often deal with the idea of tyrannical men who undervalue and dismiss their female employees or just exhibit sexist behavior. Damien fits right along with many of these men.

It takes something drastic for them to understand their problematic behavior. I have seen What Women Want, 9 to 5, and Hidden Figures. I know Hidden Figures still holds up as an excellent movie celebrating inspiring Black figures. It also highlights gender equality in a very fascinating way. I rewatched 9 to 5 a few years ago, and I believe it still works and is still very funny. It’s one of the best movies of the 80s for a reason. Now What Women Want is a movie I saw so long ago, and now I have no clue if it holds up.

It feels the most similar to Ladies First, so very curious if it offers insightful commentary on gender equality, or totally misses the mark. Ladies First made me want to review films similar to it to see if they aged well and how relevant or irrelevant they are to today’s landscape.

I Actually Enjoyed Ladies First's Romance, But Feel Conflicted About It.

I don’t believe I have ever watched Sacha Baron Cohen in a romantic comedy. Therefore, I wasn’t expecting him to have some of the romantic lead charm. He does. Rosamund Pike and he have instant chemistry as Alex and Damien. You almost want them to get together, despite how repulsive Damien is at times.

However, this is nowhere near one of the best rom-coms of all time for many reasons. The main being that Damien never earns her love or trust. It also appears that he only sees her as a real person (in the alternative universe) when they become intimate. He realizes that he likes her, so he doesn’t want to take away an opportunity.

It makes his final decision feel a bit disingenuous, almost as if he’s doing it to eventually win her over romantically. Additionally, there are so many moral dilemmas when an employee sleeps with their boss. Damien doesn’t tell the lawyers that they slept together, and it’s treated as a noble deed. However, Alex should be reprimanded for sleeping with an employee, just as a male boss should be, especially if coercion is involved. It isn’t in this case, but it’s a gray area when corporate romances happen.

I enjoyed Alex and Damien’s romance because of their chemistry, but the nature of it felt a bit off-putting because of the power dynamic and boundary issues.

The Movie Effectively Showcases The Awfulness Of Certain Male Archetypes

Damien has 0 likeable traits at the start of Ladies First. He doesn’t really become that likable by the end of it either. He just becomes more tolerable. Damien is portrayed and written as an extreme example of this type of behavior, but it still exists. Too many men act and think like Damien. They are just as unlikable as him.

Men like him lack self-awareness, so they could see the character’s behavior and not realize the connection to their own behavior. However, it’s nice to see men like this mocked and reprimanded in movies, instead of celebrated in some spaces. We need more criticism of this type of man.

Damien's Character Growth Was A Little Unbelievable, But I Think That Doesn't Matter

Damien spends most of Ladies First trying to steal Alex’s job. He still has the mentality that he deserves it, but never truly demonstrates why. He just engages in a petty competition. The film itself points out that Damien still doesn’t understand that this is not his birthright as a man.

He only truly starts to grow and change when he and Alex have sex. He then makes the decision not to tell about this intimacy. If he did, he would have gotten what he wanted. Once Damien arrives back in his world, he immediately finds Alex and gives her what she wants. This leads to Alex and the company’s success.

I am never fully convinced Damien learned his lesson, but I think we need to see Alex have success. Ladies First isn’t a movie that’s going to change lives, but you never know what may inspire someone. Women and girls seeing Alex’s success may inspire or encourage them to stand up to their bosses, go after their dreams, or take on a challenge at work. It could also inspire men to be better bosses, more open, or stand up and be beside and behind women. Even silly movies can become powerful to the right audience.

What draws me to a captivating biopic (which there are many) is its ability to make me look at an artist in a new way. It’s the film’s capacity to make me feel like I understand the person now. I felt that way after watching Michael.

Obviously, these movies are filtered through the lens of the filmmaking team behind them, so they can’t possibly fully capture the truth of someone’s life. That’s why the criticism about Michael excluding important details is valid, but these things will likely be addressed in the next movie. Therefore, I viewed the film less as an all-encompassing look at Michael Jackson’s life and more as a movie about the journey of an artist.

Warning: Michael spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

The Film Emphasizes How Big It Was For Him To Succeed As A Black Musician At The Time

One of the most important scenes in Michael shows Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson) demanding that MTV play his videos. At first, Walter Yetnikoff (Mike Myers), president of CBS Records, is hesitant to put Michael’s videos on MTV. That was not how things worked at the time. Black artists weren’t shown on MTV. Michael and his attorney, John Branca (Miles Teller), get their request

It helps him and the network. This scene acts as a reminder of how hard it was for Black artists to receive the same amount of attention and respect. It also emphasizes how Michael was a revolutionary artist of his time. He paved the way for other Black artists.

It Shows How Being Different Helped And Hurt His Life

Michael is shown as a bit of an odd person. Something many great music biopics highlight is that the subject doesn’t think and behave like an average person. They are musical geniuses, and that makes them fascinating. It’s their uniqueness that transforms them into brilliant creatives, but it also sometimes makes them outcasts.

Michael shows that the “Billie Jean” singer doesn’t really have a childhood. The other children treat him differently because of his early fame. As an adult, he doesn’t have many friends besides his family. Michael is a sensational musician because he doesn’t think or operate like others.

What makes him a well-respected and celebrated artist doesn’t translate to much success in his personal life. Many highly successful artists probably deal with the same things: feelings of isolation, loneliness, and misunderstanding. We have already seen many biopics showcase these themes, but it doesn’t make them any less impactful.

The Film Encourages People To Not Follow The Traditional Path

It’s part of human nature to want to find people who understand and appreciate you. It’s a lonely feeling when you’re meant to walk the world alone. Therefore, many conform to society standards. They don’t want to stand out or be too different. This could lead to rejection. Michael shows the pop artist not finding many individuals who get him, but he becomes globally adored. That can’t replace the feeling of belonging, but it can make people feel important enough to continue to create.

It shows them that they matter to this world. Michael may make struggling artists see that they’re capable of greatness if they stay true to themselves. The people meant to find them will, whether that’s a tribe of individuals, fans, or a single person who adores someone without limits and conditions.

Michael was one of the must-see upcoming music biopics, and it delivered. Now we want a Janet Jackson movie after the Michael sequel. We need more of the Jacksons’ stories.

Catch the box office smash Michael at a theater near you.

So, I feel like I blinked and now I’m already on Season 3 of Parks and Recreation again. I was overwhelmed one day and decided to watch an early episode of the show, and have since continued the rewatch on other nights where I just want to decompress. This time around, I’m feeling reflective about how this show and some other series like it have been there for me like a funny friend in times when I've needed it.

How Parks And Recreation Has Helped Me With My Mental Health

Like so many people, I found Parks and Recreation on a streaming service years after it’d already been on the air. I was actually in my freshman year of college when I decided to watch it. Looking back, I was dealing with a lot of uncertainty over living away from home and practically starting my life over for the first time. That year, not only did I watch every season of Parks and Recreation, but I also got through all of another perfect long-binge show, Friends, too.

In retrospect, that was kind of a lot of hours by myself. But I also had a great freshman year. I literally met the core group of college friends who I don’t go very long without seeing over a decade later.

Even so, it's interesting to think about how having comedy shows in my routine was giving me the dopamine hits I needed to help get through a difficult transition period. I didn’t even really know I was dealing with mental health issues or how to treat them back then, which I’ve since had my own journey with, and still, I go back to comedy as medicine, and I think I always will.

Why It’s My Perfect Comfort Show

I’ve gone back and watched the show quite a few times over during moments where I’ve needed more levity. This time around, I’ve been thinking about how much I’m enjoying Parks and Rec, but I don't really “need” to the degree that I used to. I have a lot more tools that help me with my mental health than the citizens of Pawnee. I find myself very grateful for the time when it was there for me, and that it can be there for me again whenever I need some extra laughs in my life.

Clearly, I’m not alone. Everyone's got their comfort on TV – whether it be scary movies, reality TV shows or whatever. As I rewatch Parks and Recreation, I’ve asked myself, “What is it about it?” One thing I really love is Leslie Knope and her endless strength and optimism to fight for what she believes in at work. Similarly to her, I have an idealistic sensibility, and watching her personality clash with her reality, where things absolutely do not go how she envisions them, not only makes for hilarious moments but is really cathartic for me as well. Then there's the found family of it all. It's so fun to see these characters who are inherently different despite it all get along. It's kind of utopian in a way.

But, honestly, there’s so much I love about Parks and Rec still. I’m loving the slow-burn romance between Leslie and Ben and all the platonic friendships in it. They feel like my family and friends in a sense because it’s been more than a TV show to me, and I think that’s really special.

In the past year, we witnessed a movie become a phenomenon in the form of KPop Demon Hunters. While it looked to be just another release to check out with a Netflix subscription when it first released in June of last year, it wasn’t long before it became a global sensation – between its catchy music, heartfelt storyline and boundary-pushing animation we’ve been seeing a lot lately from Sony Pictures Animation. But there’s something the movie doesn’t get enough credit for: its trio of women characters.

KPop Demon Hunters of course revolves around a trio of friends, Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who make up the girl group HUNTR/X, which secretly protects the world with the power of their song. Co-writer/director Maggie Kang recently made this point to Deadline about crafting these baddies:

Now that it’s almost been a year since KPop Demon Hunters came out and we’ve seen the kind of impact it’s had on audiences, I think it’s going to be one of those rare game-changing women-led movies we’ll be talking about for years down the line. Rumi, Mira and Zoey certainly feel like genuine people who are imperfect and resilient all at once.

In Kang’s new interview, she said that while the characters being “beautiful, badass and strong” was important to her, the fact that they could be “really funny and even stupid” was equally on the wishlist. As she added:

There’s something so lovely about seeing these ladies chowing down food in the least dainty way possible, lounging around in comfy clothes and zero makeup and having difficulties they don’t always know how to handle. I know I certainly didn’t have realistic female characters like this in the animation space (...probably not at all if I think hard enough) when I was growing up, so it’s really lovely to see that happen in KPop Demon Hunters.

And the cherry on top is that KPop Demon Hunters isn’t an underrated movie. It’s the most viewed Netflix original movie and dominated the award season including two Oscar wins. Kang reflected on its success by saying this:

Maggie Kang certainly accomplished something massive by creating these well-rounded characters who are both strong and silly. And now we can look forward to our sequel questions eventually being answered as the filmmaker works on the followup that she said she wants to be “fresh, surprising and original”. We’re so curious what HUNTR/X will be up to next!

I remember when the Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once first came out, and it absolutely blew my mind.

What surprised me the most about the film: OTHER people were blown away by it, too. Because, similar to how I'm always surprised that my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, is considered a national treasure (Surprised because his writing is so WEIRD), I'm also still shocked at just how much audiences loved EEAAO, because like Vonnegut, the movie is so different from anything else out there.

So, if you’ll allow me, here are a couple of other reasons why I'm still amazed that EEAAO was such a hit.

I Love That Such An Unconventional Immigrant Story Was So Big

There are plenty of conventional immigrant stories. The Godfather (especially its partial prequel, The Godfather, Part II) is a sprawling, albeit simply told, immigrant story. The coolest gangster movie ever made, Scarface, is a simply told immigrant story, too. The Don Bluth classic, An American Tail, is an immigrant story featuring animals, which is unique in a sense, but also conventionally told.

Then, you have Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is probably the most unconventional immigrant story ever made. It's actually a story of three generations of Asians. Michelle Yeoh plays the matriarch and the middle of the Asian-American immigrant experience. She runs a laundromat and is being audited by the IRS, and soon goes on a multiversal journey to find the best version of herself…sort of. And that's the thing about this movie: since it’s an absurdist, martial arts comedy, it plays with several different ideas.

Her daughter, played by Stephanie Hsu, doesn't really care about the Asian-American experience. In fact, she doesn't really care about anything at all since she's a nihilist. Her mother, however, feels a bit confined by her heritage, as she feels she has to live up to enormous expectations set by her father, played by the legend, James Hong.

In the end, it's a story about the Asian-American immigrant experience…and everything else in between. I still blows my mind that so many people of different races vibed with it, given the fact that it's so weird and also so in tune with the Asian-American experience.

The Movie Is Also Further Proof That Creative Filmmaking Is Still Alive And Well

Another thing that utterly blows my mind about EEAAO is that people totally fell in love with a movie whose pure appeal was its creativity. With sequels and remakes feeling like the norm these days, it makes my heart glad that a movie as creative and bold as EEAAO could be embraced by so many people…for the most part anyway.

I know some people detest this movie; I feel like they detest it for the same reason that people detested my beloved Sinners, and that’s because they think it’s “super overrated.”

I love that it found an audience that is so passionate about the film that they’ll stand by it and say that it deserved the hype. A big reason for this passion is that it's so rare that a movie can be this creative, and this DIFFERENT, and still be a movie that won tons of awards like Best Picture.

Because in a landscape where so many studios seem not to want to take major risks, EEAAO still seems like an anomaly, as it feels like both a cult movie and a massive blockbuster at the same time, and I still just marvel at that fact. Even all these years later.

My mother-in-law and wife LOVE Korean television, and they both watch a lot of it on Netflix. My father-in-law? Well, he’s pretty big into a lot of things, but his preferred Asian entertainment is Japanese movies.

I’m the one in the family who’s trying to get everybody into Indian cinema because I think it provides something that you can’t find anywhere else. And thankfully, it’s not too hard to find because there’s a lot of great Indian content available on a Netflix subscription.

In fact, it might be a little daunting if you’re just getting into the medium. So, if you want to learn more about the great Indian selection that you can find on Netflix, then you’ve come to the right place!

Whether You Like Bollywood or Tollywood Cinema, Netflix Has You Covered

What is Tollywood cinema, you ask, and how is it different from Bollywood? Well, essentially, Tollywood is Southern India cinema. The “Tolly” in Tollywood is for Telugu, which is the language spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Bollywood, on the other hand, is primarily centralized in Mumbai, which used to be called Bombay, hence the “Bolly” in Bollywood. Bollywood movies are spoken in Hindi, which is the most spoken language in India, whereas Telugu films are spoken in Telugu.

When it comes to Tollywood cinema, I suggest you start with RRR, and then move on to Kalki 2898 A.D. (a dystopian Indian sci-fi film? Yes, please!). For another awe-inspiring, albeit more grounded experience, I suggest Shyam Singha Roy, which involves a director, plagiarism, and reincarnation. Yes, all in one film. It’s something else.

As for Bollywood, there’s a whole section dedicated to the famous Kapoor family, and I suggest the violent revenge thriller, Animal. For an engaging sports drama, I’d also recommend Toolsidas Junior, which deals with the sport of snooker. And the highest- grossing Hindi film of all time, Dhurandhar, which is a spy thriller, is also on the platform. Really, you can start anywhere, but those are my recommendations. Now, on to the long-form content!

Netflix’s TV Selection Is Also Quite Impressive

I never knew how gritty Indian storytelling could be until my coworker directed me to some of the great dramas on the platform. One such program is the police procedural, Delhi Crime. There are currently three seasons, and each one focuses on a different event. The first season’s storyline centers around the 2012 Delhi gang rape case, and the third season’s storyline focuses on human trafficking. Truly heavy stuff.

Mai: A Mother’s Rage is another hard-hitting series about a mother who, after witnessing the death of her daughter after getting hit by a truck, learns that it was actually murder, which sets the mother off on a path of vengeance. Seriously cool stuff.

The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984 is a harrowing story about bravery in the face of a factory leak of hazardous gas that is compelling to the end of its four-episode run. So, yeah, you have a wide selection here as well!

Long Story Short, If You Want To Get Into Indian Entertainment, Then Netflix Is A Great Place To Start

Everybody’s always telling me how Netflix has a great anime selection, or excellent original programming, or great documentaries, but I never hear anybody raving about the stellar Indian selection Netflix has, and that’s why I had to write this article.

Because Netflix truly does have a great selection for the casual fan, and it’s a great place to start if you’re new to Indian entertainment.

So, with everything listed here, where are you going to start? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives hit theaters last weekend, bringing with it a combination of family-friendly comedy and heart. The movie is a mixture of Knives Out and Babe, with a group of sheep attempting to solve the murder of their shepherd (played by Hugh Jackman). While on paper this project might seem like a kids movie, it featured a wildly moving narrative about loss. And I think that the new release is essential viewing for anyone struggling with grief.

I've previously written about losing a friend recently, and the way that movies have been able to touch me as a result. I didn't expect to be moved by The Sheep Detectives, but the book-to-screen adaptation ended up being a touching meditation on grief. And I think that anyone who is struggling with those feelings should see the mystery dramedy... especially if they've specifically lost a friend.

Be warned, there are some spoilers ahead.

The Sheep Detectives Perfectly Described My Feelings After Losing A Friend

The trailer for The Sheep Detectives showed how the narrative kickstarts when Hugh Jackman's character, George, ends up mysteriously dead. While Julia Louis-Dreyfus' sheep Lily vows to solve his murder, the rest of the flock would rather push their feelings down. You see, the sheep are able to will themselves to forget painful memories, which is exactly what they want to do in order to spare themselves from the knowledge that George was gone forever.

This instinct is something that plenty of folks who have experienced loss might understand. Sitting in those feelings of grief can be difficult, so it might sound easier to try and bury them. But as Lily learns throughout The Sheep Detectives' 109-minute runtime, being honest with your feelings and honoring the dead's impact on your life is what keeps them alive.

Reviews for The Sheep Detectives have praised the way the movie's emotional story was handled. And since it's a family-friendly movie, I think its messaging about grief has the potential to be really helpful for young people in the audience. George's passing starts this, but when one of the sheep also dies throughout the course of the movie, the story gets even more emotionally impactful. Once again, Lily must decide to live in her grief, rather than forcing herself to forget about the late member of her flock.

Obviously, The Sheep Detectives is a comedy at its heart, and it's chock-full of funny sheep gags and funny beats. That helps to buoy the movie's brisk runtime, while also opening the door for its deeper messaging. May is mental health awareness month, which makes the timing of this movie's release feel even more significant. I found myself weeping in the theater as I watched its story about grief, and felt affirmed in the way that it encouraged me to stay present in those feelings IRL... even if it can be difficult at times.

The Sheep Detectives is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. You don't have to be dealing with grief to enjoy the movie, but I think it'll make those who are feel seen.

It might be hard to believe, but it’s been 10 years since the best Star Wars movie (in my humble opinion), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, came out. In those years, there STILL hasn’t been a cooler character than Donnie Yen’s warrior monk, Chirrut Imwe, in the Star Wars universe.

I mean, yes, you COULD argue (if you want to) that The Mandalorian, which is getting a new movie pretty soon, is a cooler character, but I beg to differ. Chirrut Imwe is just so badass, it makes me want to cry. And, I’m talking Highlander levels of badassness. So, here are just a few reasons why Chirrut Imwe is still the coolest Star Wars character in recent years.

For One Thing, He’s Blind Like Zatoichi And Can Still Kick Everybody’s Ass

Do you like samurai movies? If you answered yes, then you’ve just got to love the blind swordsman, Zatoichi. There have been several different movies and spin-offs based on the character (Including an American version starring Rutger Hauer called Blind Fury), and the concept of a blind swordsman just never gets old.

In that way, how could you not love Chirrut Imwe? While he doesn’t have a sword, he does carry around a Uneti-wood staff and a lightbow, and he uses them with aplomb. Instead of being able to see where the attacks are coming from, he pricks up his ears and listens for them.

This makes him the most memorable character in a line of memorable characters, and it’s no wonder that Donnie Yen plays another blind character in the John Wick series. He’s just too good!

He Also Doesn’t Have The Force, But He Is One With It

This might sound weird, but one thing I hate about Star Wars is the Jedi. I really just hate everything about them (Especially if they have “Skywalker” in their name). This might make you think that I don’t like Star Wars at all, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, since I like everything AROUND the Jedi, and that’s including the force.

Now, the force is cool because you could probably substitute it for any religion. And, what I love about Rogue One (And Andor, you know I love me some Andor) is that it grounds Star Wars. I like this because I don’t actually WANT to see people swinging around lightsabers, or using some form of telekinesis to push stormtroopers over. What I much prefer is the IMPLIED higher power, which we get in Rogue One.

While Chirrut Imwe can’t use the force, he is one with it. He says so himself on many occasions, and that’s just plain cool. In that way, I love the concept of somebody who feels the force, as he has faith, which I think is more compelling than actually seeing the “magic” itself.

Plus, Besides The Darth Vader Moment, He Has The Coolest Scene In The Entire Film

Ask pretty much anybody, and they’ll tell you that the most memorable scene in Rogue One is the incredible Darth Vader scene, and look, I’m not going to argue with those people. Even as somebody who isn’t into anybody with Skywalker in their name, even I have to admit that that’s the coolest scene in the movie. Darth Vader has always been intimidating, but never has he been this scary, and so I won’t take anything from him.

That said, if there’s a second coolest moment in the movie, it’s when Chirrut Imwe walks amongst explosions with complete calmness as he repeatedly utters how he’s one with the force, and that the force is with him. As I just mentioned, the idea of the force being a form of faith comes into full showcase here as he sacrifices himself to get the plans that would ultimately blow up the Death Star.

It’s my favorite moment in all of Star Wars, which ultimately solidifies Chirrut Imwe as the coolest Star Wars character in recent memory.

Survivor changed the TV world forever when it debuted back in 2000, and it remains one of the best reality shows on the air. The competition series (which is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription) has gone through a ton of changes over the years, including some controversial format changes. Case in point: the 13th season Cook Islands, which separated tribes based on race. And legendary players Parvati Shallow and Ozzy Lusth recently reflected on being on that cast back in the day.

Ozzy and Parvati have been on some of the best Survivor seasons, with the latter even winning Survivor's million-dollar prize for Micronesia. But they both made their debuts in Cook Islands, and in Variety's story about the show's history, they broke down the show's controversial focus on race. Shallow recalled her first reaction, saying:

The cast of Cook Islands didn't know that Survivor was going to have this change of format, with the tribes separated into four tribes based on their ethnic background. It's a concept that seems truly insane through a 2026 lens, but that wasn't necessarily the case when the season aired back in 2006.

While Parvati was put on the Rarotonga tribe with white folks, Ozzy was on Aitutaki with Latin contestants. Although Cook Islands was originally segregated and pitted racial groups against each other, these lines became more blurred thanks to swaps and even the chance to mutiny and change tribes. Lusth recalled how things went down during that wild season, offering:

Points were made. While in the New Era Survivor made specific goals to make casts more diverse, that wasn't the case in the early days. And as a result, oftentimes people of color were targeted, highlighting the implicit bias that some folks had. But Cook Islands' controversial format resulted in way more Black, Asian, and Latin contestants being cast than the show's previous seasons.

Despite Parvati's initial reaction to the Cook Islands twist, she went on to share why she actually ended up being a fan of the format change. In some ways she echoed Ozzy, saying:

She's not wrong. While the twist might feel icky, Cook Islands was an iconic season that ended up introducing a ton of iconic players to the franchise. In addition to Parvati and Ozzy, Season 13 also introduced us to returning players like Jonathan Penner, Candice Woodcock, and Yul Kwon. Plus, who could forget Billy Garcia saying he and Candice were in love... despite being on different tribes and not really interacting much. History was made, people!

Survivor airs new episodes Wednesdays on CBS as part of the 2026 TV schedule. If you want to go back and re-watch Cook Islands, it's streaming over on Paramount+... complete with its controversial twist.

I care about how the media portrays mental health. I struggle with my own battles of the mind, and I know people who have mental health issues. It’s a taboo topic that affects so many. That’s why I love it when a TV show or movie handles the topic of mental health with care and consideration. Big Mood is one of those TV series.

The Channel 4 series follows best friends Eddie (Lydia West) and Maggie (Nicola Coughlan) as they try to navigate life, while dealing with Maggie’s bipolar disorder. It’s a comedy, but thoughtfully explores serious subject matters. Season 2 streamed on Tubi and had its best episode so far about mental health.

Warning: Big Mood spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

The Big Mood Season 2 Finale Shows The Selfish Nature Of Mental Health

On the Big Mood Season 2 finale, Maggie and Eddie finally have a serious discussion about what went wrong in their friendship. It’s a walk down memory lane that explores their different perspectives on certain events. It also highlights how they have each been struggling with mental health, but neither has fully seen or understood the other’s problems. This part of Big Mood Season 2 Episode 6, "Poppyseeds,” fascinates me, because it makes you realize how isolating and a bit self-centered people are in these moments.

They may be in touch with their own mental health issues, but are unable to understand that they’re not alone in these feelings. “Poppyseeds” also showcases how no one deals with their struggles in the same way, which can make some appear stronger than they really are.

Someone may be so consumed by their own mental health issues that they fail to realize others may be suffering through something similar. It’s not a bad thing to be selfish when trying to sort through intense moments and emotions. You have to help yourself first before you can help others. “Poppyseeds” just reminds us that others may need help, too. Our mental health issues could mirror someone else’s.

We may think our depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems make us more attuned to others’ suffering because we have experienced it. It may be the case if and when we recover from it, but while going through it, we may not be able to see beyond our own pain. It’s a sad reality of mental health, especially depression, and Big Mood and some other great TV shows and movies showcase the impact of it in a thoughtful way.

It Portrays Different Ways To Cope With Mental Health

A major part of Big Mood is that Maggie is very upfront about her mental health. She may try to hide it when she’s having episodes, but is not afraid to talk to Eddie about her struggles with being bipolar. She is open and honest-ish. We learn in “Poppyseeds” that Eddie has been suffering with her own mental health, but has kept it away from Maggie.

She didn’t think she could share her mental burdens because Maggie needed so much attention. Maggie and Eddie are both going through a lot, but one doesn’t feel free to open up. She doesn’t know how or want to be vulnerable. I think Eddie’s behavior is more true to how many people cope with their mental health. They hide and let it fester. Often, people with bipolar and similar diagnoses keep it to themselves until they find people they trust to tell.

However, once they do, they might be very honest and open about it. This mirrors Maggie’s behavior. Many great movies demonstrate this portrayal of mental health in ways that match Maggie and Eddie’s different methods of coping. These films feel honest and organic.

In General, Big Mood Helps Destigmatize Mental Health

Big Mood allows Nicola Coughlan to showcase some of her excellent acting abilities, including her ability to cry randomly. It’s another great, underrated show that more people need to give a chance. Coughlan does some of her best dramatic and comedic acting on it, and it's a role so different from her Bridgerton character.

However, I think Big Mood is a good show for destigmatizing mental health. Many TV shows often portray someone with mental health issues, especially bipolar disorder, as dangerous and harmful. How many TV shows and movies can you name with a character with a mental illness that suddenly becomes violent or even a murderer? Far too many.

Degrassi: The Next Generation was one of the first shows I saw growing up that showcased someone with bipolar disorder as a human. Craig Manning (Jake Epstein) was my first experience with a bipolar character, and the show did a fairly good job of showcasing the illness in a way that I could understand and empathize with. However, I think Big Mood has done an even better job of showcasing someone beyond their mental illness, the good and bad sides of them.

We need more shows similar to Big Mood that humanely showcase mental illness, but also give it some levity. The show can be just as funny as it is dramatic. Mental health is a serious matter, but it can also have some funny moments. Sometimes one must laugh through their pain.

I Understand Maggie And Eddie’s Perspectives In The Series

Towards the end of “Poppyseeds,” Maggie becomes upset when she learns that Eddie could have been there for her but chose to leave. She’s angry and upset. However, Eddie reveals that she couldn’t stay because she runs away from her problems. She can’t cope with her mental health.

I can sympathize with Eddie and Maggie. Maggie is justified in being upset that Eddie was not around when she was going through something. However, I can also understand Eddie’s need to leave, especially knowing all she was enduring at the time. They both hurt each other in their quest to focus on their own pain. No one is a bad person for their decision. They did what was right for them. The end of the episode shows Maggie acknowledging that they’re both “Babe” - people who need looking after. Eddie and Maggie are still figuring out their life and struggles, and they just need someone to help care for them .

The Show Brings Up An Interesting Discussion On Letting Go And Holding On

Eddie and Maggie must learn that they have to let go of their pain. They cannot hold the past over each other if they want to move forward as friends. Most of Big Mood Season 2 is about Eddie wanting to end things with Maggie, but Maggie trying to save her from bad decisions.

The finale makes them realize that they need each other. The hurt and resentment must be released to go forward. It’s not the right move to give up on their friendship. It’s too powerful and important to them. Big Mood is a great show that you can stream on Tubi for free. It’s worth a binge.

When I heard about Margo’s Got Money Troubles, the latest book adaptation from Apple TV to turn up on the 2026 TV schedule, I was excited, intrigued, and a little afraid to press play. I had heard it was about a young woman who turns to OnlyFans to pay the bills after getting pregnant, and I wasn’t sure if the subject matter would leave me watching yet another oversexualized show that's more showy than a genuine portrayal of a woman’s relationship with her body and sexuality. Thank goodness I went for it, because I think this show is my favorite so far of the year, and one reason for it is actually the nudity.

What’s Going On With The Nudity In Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Now, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to nudity in movies and TV shows, but for me, typically, I just kind of feel awkward and embarrassed about it if I’m being quite honest. Most of the time, nude scenes are random and kind of invasive to me. There’s also been so many movies and shows about young women the same age as the protagonist in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, where the female nudity/sex scenes just feel kind of gross, like I’m watching it through the eyes of a man who’s turned on by it. To each their own, of course, but women’s bodies don’t simply exist to turn people on… they also exist because they do.

But then there’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles. I can’t quite place how the TV show achieved this, but whenever Elle Fanning’s naked body is on the screen (yes, that’s not a body double minus some prosthetics for the breastfeeding scenes), I don’t feel that way. When there’s nudity in the new TV show, we’re not seeing it through the lens of a camera that wants to sexualize her; it’s portraying her as the realistic human she’s depicting.

Sexy But Not Minimizing, Margo Just Feels Human

This particularly surprised me, even in scenes where she’s sexualizing herself to make her OnlyFans account. She looks great and sexy, of course, but I’m not thinking about that or exploitative, like those kinds of scenes often do; it simply fits in the show.

I find this aspect of Margo’s Got Money Troubles pretty groundbreaking, to be honest, for that reason. When I was reading the reviews on the series, one comment stuck with me, too. TV Guide asked, “How many stories that are theoretically meant to examine female sexuality actually end up as exploitative trauma porn?” And I’m gonna tell you right now, I’ve got nothing off the top of my head.

I think perhaps because we’re seeing the story play out from Margo’s point of view, whose body is either exposed when she’s trying to feed her baby or when she’s taking photos for her OnlyFans account. Most shows would have used the fact that Margo is putting herself in a sexualized position to turn her nude scenes into racy scenes meant to turn the viewer on.

And don’t get me wrong, I think there’s a time and place for that in the entertainment space for sure. But, it’s a very welcome change of pace to follow the story of a multifaceted woman who is discovering her own sexuality in an authentic way that found a way to make it as if we're watching her experiences through her own eyes.

Is the box office explosion that is Michael really all that surprising? I mean, 1982's Thriller is still the highest-selling album of all time and that's a title that I don’t think will ever be dethroned, given that it’s sold over 60 million records.

As to what I thought of the film? Well, I thought it was flawed, but fun. It wasn't the in-depth biopic that I had hoped for, but it was enjoyable to see the making of “Thriller” and other key moments in Michael’s early career. However, while watching it, one thing that kept flicking me in the back of my mind was how much I’d like a Janet Jackson biopic.

Janet, as you likely know, isn't in Michael (by choice, of course), which just makes me desire a Janet Jackson biopic all the more so. Here are some other reasons why I’d like to see this.

I’d REALLY Like To Know What Janet’s Relationship With Joe Jackson Was Like

Yes, everybody is talking about how good Jaafar Jackson is in Michael, and for good reason. At times, you actually forget that somebody is playing Michael Jackson, which makes sense, given the immediate connection between Jaafar and Michael. But, if there’s one other name that’s brought up when it comes to staggering depictions, it’s Colman Domingo’s portrayal of the patriarch, Joe Jackson.

He plays the antagonist of the film, and he’s often tyrannical when it comes to MJ’s career. Since we’re mainly seeing the film from Michael’s perspective, we get a very negative version of his father. However, what was Janet’s relationship with her dad like? Even prior to this movie, I knew that Joe Jackson was not a contender for Father of the Year.

Because Janet had a prodigious career in her own right, I’d love to know what HER relationship with her father was like. Was he just as hard on her as he was with Michael? I do know that she had her own branching off from the family moment with her third album, Control, but did Joe have a looser hand on her career than he did with his sons?

These are things that I would love to see in a biopic about Janet Jackson, especially since her presence isn’t in Michael at all.

It Would Be Fascinating To See Janet’s Rise Toward Rhythm Nation 1814, And Then Beyond It

Some people might not know this – and you definitely wouldn't know it from the movie – but Janet Jackson was actually in a variety show called The Jacksons along with her brothers, as well as her two sisters, Rebbie, and La Toya. In fact, much like Michael, Janet was extremely young when she got into show business, and her trajectory as an artist saw her having roles in TV shows like Good Times, A New Kind of Family, and Diff’rent Strokes while she was also putting out early records.

These early records is what I’d really love to see in a Janet Jackson biopic. Since I have the whole summer off (I'm a teacher outside of this website), one thing I do every year is pick out one artist and go through their entire discography. And, with a very manageable 11 albums, Janet is quite easy to get through her entire catalog.

Even so, her first two albums, 1982's Janet Jackson, and 1984's Dream Street, are kind of…meh. Not bad, per se, but just “meh.” Sophomoric might be the word I'd use. It’s actually not until 1986's Control that Jackson seemed to be really charting her own destiny. And then, the concept album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, was a huge leap.

Much like how we got to see how Michael grew from his Jackson 5 days to a song like “Beat It,” I'd love to see a biopic that explores Janet's transformation that led to a groundbreaking album like Rhythm Nation. That would be peak cinema!

Janet And Michael Also Had A Unique Bond, And I'd Like To Know More About That, Too

An aspect I brought up earlier about the movie, Michael, is that Janet Jackson is nowhere to be seen, and again, that’s fine. It is Michael’s movie after all, and not Janet’s. That said, the two siblings ostensibly had a pretty close relationship, and I’m just wondering if, if we ever got a biopic for Janet, would we see Michael in it?

I think we probably would. It is Janet, after all, with whom Michael worked with on the epic 1995 song, “Scream,” which, in turn, was a commentary on the sexual allegations that Michael was going through at the time with the media. “Scream” aside, I’m sure that Janet certainly had feelings about her own career, which in a lot of ways coincided with her brother’s.

They weren’t rivals. They were contemporaries, and though I feel Janet’s career gets overshadowed by Michael’s nowadays, Janet’s contribution to music was just as seismic back then as her brother’s, and I would love to see how close - or how distant - they were in their own separate careers.

I think that’d be a fascinating watch, and something I kind of feel deprived of when it comes to Michael’s movie.

Also, That Soundtrack Would Be Incredible On The Big Screen

When it comes to Michael, there are a lot of complaints about how it's a surface-level film at best, and at worst, a film that scrubs Michael clean of any wrongdoings (like Disney scrubbed the Michael Jackson episode of The Simpsons off Disney+) that he may or may not have done, and yeah. I think those are both perfectly valid complaints. That said, it is important to note that a lot was taken out of this film, and the movie that we eventually got was far removed from the movie that it might have been.

However, if there’s one thing that can’t be denied about the film, it’s that the soundtrack is incredible. And, like, was it ever NOT going to be? When you have music from the Jackson 5 era, the Off the Wall period, Thriller, and a little bit of Bad, was there ever any universe where this soundtrack wasn’t going to be a 10 out of 10 experience? Well, I think if Janet ever also got her own biopic, then her soundtrack would be just as good (if not better, which I’ll get into next) than Michael’s.

It honestly would really depend on how far into her career a hypothetical movie would go. For instance, the deeper you go into Janet’s catalogue, the better the songs get. Tracks like “All for You,” “Runaway,” or “I Get Lonely” would sound marvelous on the big screen, just as “Bad” does for Michael.

Truthfully, I think I want this movie mostly for the soundtrack alone. It would be so good!

Lastly, I Think A Lot Of Young People Could Gain An Appreciation For Janet That They Might Not Have Had Before

Like a lot of people, I followed Michael Jackson’s career (both in song and in film) my entire life, so a Michael Jackson biopic, while fun, wasn’t revelatory or anything like that.

That said, it wasn’t until I went through Janet’s entire discography that I realized just how wonderful she was/is. Honestly - and this might be a hot take - but I think Janet Jackson had a better career than Michael. Maybe she doesn’t have a “Billie Jean” or a “Human Nature” in her entire catalogue, but Michael doesn't have a single album better than The Velvet Rope.

I think a biopic could make younger generations learn to love her just as I do.

How cool would that be? So, make it happen, Hollywood!

In an industry where the norm for women in fashion and Hollywood is to wear a size 0 to 4, Ashley Graham has broken barriers for years as a model and personality who’s considered to be plus-sized. Graham has been applauded for showing “a little cellulite” at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and going nude on social media in the name of body positivity. Now, she’s talking about the rise of skinny culture (again).

They say everything comes back, and as Y2K trends have cycled into the present day in recent years, so has the idealization of women being very thin. Another big factor here is the rise of people using GLP-1s for weight loss. Here’s what Ashley Graham had to say about it:

There have been a number of body positivity movements for women throughout history, but the most recent one came in the 2010s. It was a reaction to what happened in the 1990s and 2000s, where eating disorders and diet culture were rampant. Ashley Graham became one of the proponents of the body positivity movement – for example, she was the first size 16 model to be on Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2016. As she added:

While many celebrities wear sample sizes, when it comes to the general public, it’s been reported that 67% of American women wear a size 14 or higher, per Forbes. So while many women in media may be aspirational (or triggering) to women, Ashley Graham can make her audience feel seen. Here’s what else the body positivity advocate had to say about the current body type trends:

The 38-year-old is a mother of three kids: 6-year-old Isaac and her 4-year-old twins, Malachi and Roman. Along with making these comments in her new profile with Marie Claire, Graham got candid about having varicose veins on her vagina after having her firstborn. When talking about her post-motherhood body, she said she’s “still trying” to “get over” that she doesn’t look like she did in her late 20s and early 30s and to “focus on the new girl” she sees in the mirror.

She also brought her trio of kids along on the cover shoot. Take a look:

Graham has done a lot for the plus-sized community aside from showing off her pregnancy stretch marks and rocking the sheer dress trend. She recently dropped a Spring collection with JCPenney for curvy women and was Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway last year. Also, if you look closely, you’ll see Ashley Graham make a cameo in the 2026 movie schedule entry, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We love her insight on dealing with the rise of skinny culture by remembering to be yourself.

When we, as TV and movie lovers, buy into a fictional portrayal of the real world, it means a lot when we can identify in some way with the characters we’re seeing on screen. That means representing people of all ages, backgrounds, body types, races, disabilities, personalities, etc. As awareness has increased about Autism Spectrum Disorder, I love that we’ve also seen it more prevalently portrayed on our screens.

In addition to reality shows like Love on the Spectrum that challenge stereotypes that autistic people may face, there are several movies and series that include characters who have autism. Because the spectrum is so broad, no singular portrayal can be accurate of the entire community, and that’s why it’s so important that so many of these characters exist. Below I’ve listed 8 characters from TV shows and movies who are on the autism spectrum.

Christian Wolff (The Accountant)

Both The Accountant (2016) and The Accountant 2 (2025) star Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, an accountant with savant-level math skills who is also a lethal assassin. The movies show how his autism helps him to quickly and easily “assist” criminals with their finances, but also how he struggles with social interactions. The sequel digs into his upbringing and relationship with his brother, and there are some fun scenes where Christian tries line dancing and even speed-dating.

Shane Hollander (Heated Rivalry)

Heated Rivalry was a spicy smash hit for HBO Max when it came out in 2025, with Hudson Williams portraying Shane Hollander, a hockey player who engages in a relationship with rival Ilya Rozanov. While autism is never mentioned in the first season of the book-to-screen adaptation, author Rachel Reid has confirmed Shane is on the spectrum.

Hudson Williams told THR his father has autism, and he drew inspiration from him on how to play Shane. I think it’s a great portrayal because it doesn’t lean on extreme stereotypes, it’s not made to be Shane’s defining character trait, and still, fans are able to recognize and identify with his neurodivergence. Be sure to check out this authentic performance, but be warned — Heated Rivalry is one of HBO Max’s most sexually explicit shows.

Temple Grandin (Temple Grandin)

This biographical drama, Temple Grandin from 2010, stars Claire Danes as the titular character, who fought speech and sensory issues and grew up to make revolutionary changes to the cattle ranching industry. The TV movie is based on Temple Grandin’s memoirs and seeks to give people a broader understanding of Grandin and autism. It won several Primetime Emmy Awards — including Outstanding Lead Actress for Danes, who also won the Golden Globe for the role.

Sam Gardner (Atypical)

Another example of autistic characters on TV is Atypical’s Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist). The Netflix series is centered around an 18-year-old trying to navigate life as a teenager, including social situations like dating, but it also looks at his family. Through four seasons, it shows — sometimes casually and sometimes in heightened situations — how Sam’s autism affects everyone in the family and how they make accommodations to try to make things easier for him. Atypical is one we think everyone should check out.

Max Braverman (Parenthood)

Max Burkholder portrays Max Braverman, whose autism becomes a main storyline in Parenthood right from the start of what would go on to be six emotional seasons. This series gives us a good look inside the minds of Max’s parents, particularly as they learn to establish routines, navigate behavioral issues, and find Max the help he needs at school. As Max grows up, we also see how his feelings about autism change over time.

Parenthood also features another possible autistic character in Ray Romano’s Hank Rizzoli. Hank discovers that he might be on the spectrum after reading a book about autism to try to better understand Max. He finds that he relates to a lot of what is being described in the book, and autism would explain a lot of what he’s been through in his life. His character seemingly represents the people who don’t realize they’re on the spectrum until adulthood; however, Hank was never formally diagnosed at neurodiverse.

Wendy Welcott (Please Stand By)

Dakota Fanning has been praised for her performance in 2018’s Please Stand By as Wendy Welcott, an autistic woman living in a group home, where she spends her days working on a Star Trek script. After missing the mail-in deadline to submit her script for a screenwriting contest, she flees home to deliver it in person — thus proving she’s more independent than her sister thinks. Her journey is sometimes harrowing, but Fanning portrays Wendy as confident, competent, creative and complex, and it’s beautiful to see her fight for something she cares deeply about.

Shaun Murphy (The Good Doctor)

Despite displaying some stereotypical characteristics of autism — including savant syndrome — Freddie Highmore’s role as Dr. Shaun Murphy on The Good Doctor is generally considered a positive representation. While Shaun struggles with eye contact, can interpret things super literally, and exhibits sensory sensitivity, many fans of the medical drama enjoy seeing him respected in his profession as he navigates workplace dynamics and relationships.

Woo Young-woo (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a fascinating look at one way autism is portrayed in South Korean entertainment. The series (available to stream with a Netflix subscription) stars Park Eun-bin as autistic rookie attorney Woo Young-woo. It’s impossible not to be charmed by the attorney and her special interest in whales, as she navigates plenty of bias regarding her autism, as well as professional rivalries and budding romance.

These are only a handful of characters on the autism spectrum that can be found on TV and in movies. Many children’s shows have come to feature autistic characters, including Sesame Street and Carl the Collector. There are also many characters who seem to display characteristics of neurodiversity but whose diagnoses have not been confirmed, including The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, Community’s Abed Nadir, Criminal Minds’ Spencer Reid and more.

It’s great to see so many facets of autism represented in entertainment. Hopefully, it will only continue to broaden people’s understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity.

Spoilers for the latest season of Beef lie ahead.

Beef Season 2 is a must-watch for more than a few reasons. The show, which is available to Netflix subscription holders, features a stellar cast, a complex story, and plenty of dark humor. Of course, there are also plenty of messy narrative beats that arise amid this 2026 TV schedule entry due to the feud between couples Josh & Lindsay Martin and Ashley Miller and Austin Davis. The series is still just as chaotic as fans would expect, but what I also took from it was the keen focus on racial identity.

How Does Beef’s Second Season Shed Light On Racial Identity?

There are some layered characters to be found amid this second iteration of Lee Sung Jin’s Emmy-winning anthology series (which may or may not be set in the same universe as Season 1). Charles Melton’s Austin Davis definitely fits that bill, as there’s far more to the fit and aspiring personal trainer than meets the eye. It’s established that Austin is biracial, as he has a white mother and a Korean father (just like Melton himself), and, as the season progresses, he begins to ponder the Korean side of his heritage more.

Austin’s intrinsic examination of his race begins to manifest when he starts to move up within the employee ranks of the Monte Vista Point country club. Via the club’s new owner, the ultra-wealthy Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-jung), Austin gets a taste of Korean culture and affluence, and it’s intriguing to watch him take it all in.

I appreciate how Jin and his co-writers bring these elements into Austin’s life and prompt him to ask questions about his relationship to his culture. As a result, viewers get an idea of not just how Austin perceives himself but also how his partner views him. One key scene that illustrates that point involves a conversation between Austin and Ashley, who says she’s never viewed her fiancé as Korean, just “Arizonian.” That comment becomes even more interesting in the context of Austin’s attraction to Park’s assistant and translator, Eunice.

What’s also worth noting is the fact that by the start of the season, Austin has never even been to Korea, though that changes when he, Ashley, Lindsay and more get there in the finale. The natural progression of Austin’s yearning for his culture and a solidification of his identity is a credit to the writers, and Melton also deserves praise for his layered performance.

This Beef Subplot Could Mean A Lot To A Portion Of Viewers

As an African American man with two Black parents, I can’t specifically relate to the experience Austin is having. That lack of familiarity definitely doesn’t diminish my appreciation of this aspect of the show, though. I can also imagine that it could mean a lot to those who are biracial and have had struggles with their identity. And, while Charles Melton’s personal experience greatly differs from his character’s, he appreciates having had the opportunity to examine identity in this way.

The May December star “lived in Korea for six years” and, as he explained to People, he was cognizant of his position as a Korean American. So, for him, Season 2 of Beef was like “coming home” since he got to film in Korea. Meanwhile, Austin must grapple with the absence of Koreans in his life until just recently. Melton’s take on his character’s idea of “Korean-ness” speaks to the sense of belonging that many seek from a cultural standpoint.

So, yes, Beef’s second season offers up the craziness (like the finale’s fight/escape scene in Korea), but, like its predecessor, it also offers some thoughtful ideas. Check it out for yourself on Netflix now and take note of the deeper themes amid the more diabolical story beats.

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of The Testaments, "Ball".

Every streaming service has some hit shows, and The Handmaid's Tale was definitely one of the best Hulu shows to binge watch. Those with a Hulu subscription watched as the dystopian drama played out across six brutal seasons, and now we've returned to Gilead with its spinoff The Testaments. The latest episode "Ball" was absolutely chilling, but there was a scene where one character came out of the closet, and I was emotionally moved.

The Testaments Season 1 has been a wild ride so far, with fans like me watching the horrifying way young women in Gilead are groomed to be wives. The book-to-screen adaptation's latest episode "Ball" was particularly terrifying in this regard, but watching Becka come out to Daisy gave me some hope. Let's break it down.

The Testaments' Coming Out Scene Was Sweet And Moving

Critical response to The Testaments has been positive, and things are heating up now that we're five episodes into the first season. It's been fascinating to see the narrative continue after The Handmaid's Tale's series finale, especially seeing how Hannah/Agnes' life has been as a Plum. We've also been introduced to her group of friends, including Mattea Conforti's Becka. She and Agnes are best friends (even though Gilead doesn't agree with that title), but throughout the first few episodes it was heavily implied that Becka had even stronger feelings for June's daughter.

After a few lingering glances, we got the truth about her feelings in "Ball." Struck with anxiety and dread about her marriage prospects, Becka ends up getting drunk thanks to a Commander plying her with drinks. She's taken care of in a bathroom by Daisy, who comforts her by telling her how much her friends, particularly Agnes, love her. That's when Becka slips up and says:

Being queer (or as Gilead calls it a "Gender traitor"), is cause for death in the puritanical country, so this was a huge admission. Luckily, Becka told the perfect person. Daisy isn't actually a believer in Gilead's values, and is actually a spy from Canada. She gives her a knowing nod, rather than shaming her or making her feel unsafe. It was a rare hopeful moment for the franchise, one I wasn't expecting so early in The Testaments' run on TV.

It's been a strong year for LGBTQ+ stories, and we've seen moving coming out scenes in both Stranger Things and Heated Rivalry. The stakes on The Testaments are obviously higher, given how Gilead treats queer people. I'm nervous for what comes next for both Becka and Agnes, as the young women were basically being auctioned off for marriage with much older Commanders. But I'm glad that Becka got to express her true feelings out loud in a safe environment, something that seems almost an impossibility in the franchise.

The Testaments airs new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see how Margaret Atwood's novel continues to be adapted for television, and if it makes any major changes to the narrative.

Outside of this website, I'm a teacher, and one thing that I love about April is that it's Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month.

Because much like I do for Hispanic/Black/Women History Months, where I celebrate and discuss accomplishments from each group of people, I also sometimes devote whole lessons to talking about people on the spectrum, as well as the great contributions they’ve made to society.

That's the classroom. On the internet, I talk about movies. And, one movie that I think needs WAY more attention is the 2009 romantic comedy, Adam, which is about a man with Asperger's Syndrome who falls in love with an allistic woman in his apartment complex. It's a cute flick, and I want to talk about it.

As Far As Romantic Comedies Go, It's A Sweet One

We love romantic comedies here, and mostly because we love to root for unlikely pairings. Not too long ago, I wrote about one such couple in the movie Enough Said, which sees James Gandolfini romancing Julia-Louis Dreyfus. What's great about that movie is that their relationship shouldn't work on paper (and for a time, it doesn’t), but we hope that it does because they’re cute together…even if one of them doesn't initially see it.

And, we have a similar trajectory in the movie, Adam. Starring Hugh Dancy as the titular character, and Rose Byrne as his love interest, Beth, we again have two characters who one might not suspect would work, but do…sort of. You see, Adam has Asperger’s Syndrome, so social interactions are a bit difficult for him. He also has a hard time understanding why you typically wouldn’t ask somebody if they were excited “sexually” on a first date with them.

That’s why this movie works, because their romance flourishes…until it doesn’t, but I’ll get to that later.

The Movie Handles Autism With Sensitivity

A good friend of mine keeps telling me that I need to watch the beloved Netflix show, Love on the Spectrum, and I’m sure I do. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. My friend tells me that what she really loves about it is how it shows an honest portrayal of people on the spectrum, which I feel is very important when it comes to representation.

Well, Hugh Dancy himself is not autistic, but I still feel the movie handles autism with sensitivity, which I appreciate. The humor that comes across here isn’t mean-spirited or at Adam’s expense.

Instead, it’s the situations that are humorous (and charming), like when Adam gets in a space suit and washes Beth’s windows at night, or when his deceased father’s friend, Harlan (Frankie Faison), has lunch with him, and struggles to have a conversation. It feels genuine, and…I guess fair. For the most part…

It Also Shows How The World Might Look At Somebody On The Spectrum

As I alluded to earlier, the movie swerves in a way that you might not expect. Now, I won’t spoil how it concludes exactly, but I think the movie also shows how loving somebody on the spectrum might be harder than one might suspect, and how not everybody will be okay with the relationship, mostly because they just don’t understand it.

This is why I feel diversity and representation are so important in entertainment, such as with Tal Anderson’s Becca character on The Pitt. Adam does a good job of showing what a relationship between a neurodivergent person and somebody who isn’t neurodivergent might look like.

This is why I think you should give it a watch if you haven’t seen it already. Happy Autism Acceptance Month.

Actress Zoe Saldaña recently won an Oscar, and also recently celebrated another huge accomplishment. Namely that Saldaña is the highest grossing actor of all time, thanks to her roles in the Avatar franchise and the MCU (both of which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). She recently spoke about the possibility of someone else taking on that mantle, and one thing she's especially passionate for.

Fans who spent wars watching the Marvel movies in order have seen as both Saldaña and Scarlett Johansson become the highest grossing actress ever. The Emilia Pérez star recently spoke with Time about having that title, and seems to have a good attitude about it. As she shared:

Talk about a healthy perspective. It seems like Saldaña is happy to pass on the mantle of the highest grossing actor of all time. She'd be happy to see Scarlett Johansson pass her again, although she'd be even happier to see a woman of color get that honor. After all, the 47 year-old actress knows how much harder it can be to succeed for actresses of color in particular to get these types of high-profile jobs.

Many of Zoe Saldaña's best movies include major franchises, from Pirates of the Caribbean, to Star Trek, to Guardians of the Galaxy, to the Avatar movies. And when Avengers: Endgame and Avatar duked it out to be the highest grossing movie of all time, she happened to be in both of those titles. Later in the same interview, the award-winning actress spoke more about the honor of being the most successful film actress ever, offering:

Saldaña's success story is pretty incredible, including her recent Academy Award win for Emilia Pérez. It sounds like she has a great perspective about the heights of her career, especially with her family's immigrant background. She's put in the work, and is now the most bankable movie star in the industry.

Zoe Saldaña has a number of upcoming projects coming, although it remains to be seen if more Avatar movies are coming down the line. As for Scarlett Johansson, she's got a number of big projects coming down the line including The Batman Part II.

Each season of Love on the Spectrum has introduced audiences to new people on the autism spectrum who are interested in finding love, including the most recent episodes to hit the Netflix schedule at the beginning of April. One of the standout additions to Season 4 is Logan Pereira, who has won fans over with his honesty, humor and love of trains (with or without faces). It turns out the series’ co-creators were quite taken with him, too, given how quickly they decided to cast him.

Love on the Spectrum creators Cian O’Clery and Karina Holden spoke with CinemaBlend about Season 4 of one of Netflix’s most binge-worthy series, which introduced us to three new cast members — Dylan Aguilar, Emma Sue Miller and Logan Pereira. Logan in particular quickly became a fan favorite, and I asked O’Clery and Holden if they had expected that, to which they replied:

• Cian O’Clery: I did. Yeah.
• Karina Holden: Yes. Absolutely

Apparently the co-creators had a feeling that 25-year-old Logan Pereira would resonate with their audience when new episodes premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, and in fact, it took a wildly short amount of time for Karina Holden to know she wanted to add him to Season 4. She said:

Logan Pereira does seem wonderfully unique, with his strong opinions about hairstyle (his and his future girlfriend’s), his abundant use of cologne and his attempts to stay cool when he’s nervous or excited. Fans simply adore him and his relationship with his mom and twin sister Neith.

Sean O’Clery, sorry, Cian O’Clery agreed that it was such a pleasure to get to know Logan, saying:

Cian O’Clery continued, saying Logan Pereira definitely checked all of the boxes of the kind of person they want to cast on Love on the Spectrum. He continued:

It was great to get a small peek into the lives of all of Season 4’s new participants, as well as continue the story of cast members from previous seasons like Connor Tomlinson and Madison Marilla. I agree with Cian O’Clery that it’s fun to see viewers responding in such a positive way to Logan Pereira, and I especially love knowing that he and Karina Holden recognized so quickly that they had met someone special.

All four seasons of Love on the Spectrum can be streamed now with a Netflix subscription.

Like many of her fellow stars, Florence Pugh has sought to maintain a level of privacy as she’s navigated life as a public figure. She does, however, provide fans with insight into her life as well as her mentality regarding her career and Hollywood as a whole. More recently, Pugh (who left LA to return to London) shared some candid thoughts on what it’s like being a woman working in the entertainment industry. And the A-lister didn’t hold back her thoughts on the notable double standards she’s experienced within the business.

Pugh’s breakthrough role arguably came by way of 2016’s Lady Macbeth and, since then, she’s worked quite consistently, landing roles in major projects. All of that doesn’t necessarily mean the road has been – or is – easy for her to travel down, though. Pugh spoke with The Mirror (via DailyMail) and opened up about the challenges women face carving out lanes for themselves within the acting profession. The Midsommar star specifically spoke to how people’s perceptions of men and women – both figuratively and literally – vary:

It’s unfortunate to say, but labels like “difficult” and “diva” are still unfairly cast upon actresses in some situations. Someone could argue that such descriptors are used when a woman tries to defend herself or ask questions regarding the work they’re doing. Pugh also makes a good point when it comes to how men’s bodies are viewed compared to women’s. There’s a particularly high amount of scrutiny that women receive for the way they look compared to men. Pugh previously discussed how women’s bodies were judged, and she has first-hand experience with backlash due to that 2022 situation involving her Pink Valentino sheer dress.

From the perspective of the business, there is certainly a patriarchy that still exists, and that system can have damaging effects on a female artist’s trajectory. Pugh doesn’t claim to have all the answers, of course, but she did share suggest a few courses of action that could be implemented to better the landscape for younger female performers and seasoned ones:

That’s certainly a positive message, and it’s one that may resonate not only with Pugh’s peers but with women in other industries who are facing similar challenges. Something that’s arguably endeared Pugh to people is her willingness to be so candid in certain respects. It’s honestly great to see a star like her succeed within the business, but it’s also admirable to see one who speaks truth to power about what she views as inequalities in the workplace.

See Florence Pugh shine on the big screen when both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three open on December 18 as part of the 2026 movie schedule.

Somehow it’s already been a decade since the original Moana movie came out, and Disney fans can now look forward to the story being retold as a live-action film on the 2026 movie schedule. This week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the new Moana actress, Catherine Laga'aia, presented the film at Las Vegas’s CinemaCon, and the Maui actor brought up a golden point about the demigod and “real masculinity”.

The original Moana is already a special movie to a lot of people, so what will the new movie bring to audiences who’ve likely already seen the original many times? One thing that Dwayne Johnson said during the Walt Disney Studios panel (via Variety) definitely sticks out. In his words:

There’s always a lot of upcoming The Rock movies on the way for the superstar, so naturally, I’ve been wondering why the actor/producer would feel so passionately about remaking a movie that is already considered one of Walt Disney Animation’s best. It sounds like he’s very interested in spreading the message of the film further, and underlining one point about masculinity Maui stands for.

When we meet Maui in Moana, he thinks he’s the greatest hero, but he ultimately steps aside and needs Moana to save the day rather than earning all the glory. As he mentioned at CinemaCon, “all men” should give women the chance to feel the way that Moana does in her tale, and perhaps that’s one big reason the movie bears repeating in live action. Maui is definitely a rare character in media, and he’s got a great point here. The Rock also said this:

Along with Moana getting The Rock to play Maui again, it's also helping show his vulnerability and break stereotypes about big, strong men having to be tough all the time. The new movie will give more of a microphone to the Polynesian people and their culture, as a wide audience will get to see Polynesian actors front a major studio film – and that definitely doesn’t happen every day! You can check out the trailer for Moana:

I like that Dwayne Johnson has talked about being “protective” over Moana before, whilst doing the remake. I also appreciate that the director said “the opportunity to have flesh and blood” tell Moana’s hero’s journey made the movie worth his time. You can see the live-action Moana in theaters on July 10.

Fans of Love on the Spectrum got to witness such a beautiful thing in the relationship between Abbey Romeo and David Isaacman, who were first featured on the Netflix dating show in Season 1. Suffice it to say, I was devastated when, just days after Season 4 premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, it was confirmed they’d ended their relationship. I asked Love on the Spectrum creators Cian O’Clery and Karina Holden how they reacted to the news, and what they said changed my perspective on the situation.

Abbey Romeo and David Isaacman were not one of the featured couples on Love on the Spectrum’s fourth season, which premiered on the Netflix schedule April 1, but all seemed fine between them when they made a guest appearance in the season finale. However, on April 10, they released a joint statement to confirm their breakup after nearly five years together. When Cian O’Clery and Karina Holden sat down with CinemaBlend to discuss the most recent season, I had to know if they were as heartbroken as I was over the news, but what they said surprised me. O’Clery said:

Cian O’Clery makes a good point. It can’t be a fairytale romance if it’s not the best situation for both people involved, and I totally get him wanting the best for Abbey and David, even if that means going their separate ways.

It’s still disappointing after seeing over the course of the first three seasons of Love on the Spectrum how much they grew together, getting to travel with them to Kenya and seeing how much they cared about each other. But Karina Holden pointed out that breakups are inevitable when you’re making a show about love. She told me:

While their words don’t necessarily make me less sad about the heartbreak Abbey and David have had to experience, I do have to agree that it’s more important that they’re doing what’s best for themselves, even if — especially if — it’s the hard thing to do.

All four seasons of Love on the Spectrum — one of the best shows to binge on Netflix — can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Like many '90s kids, The Mummy with Brendan Fraser was a totally big deal. It’s basically my generation’s Indiana Jones. So when it was announced that he and Rachel Weisz are coming back for The Mummy 4 thanks to a reportedly “good script”, I got just as excited as one could get about a sequel and seeing Rick O’Connell back in action. But, then I remembered one thorn in my side about the original… its subpar Arab representation.

How The 1999 Movie Handled Its Arab Characters

Now, here’s the thing. Of all the things we know about The Mummy 4, we don’t know for sure where the story takes place, but per The Hollywood Reporter, it’s set to shoot in Morocco and London, which has me thinking it will take us back to the nostalgia of the original and perhaps be set in Egypt again. Another thing I want to bring up here, is the subject I’m talking about isn’t only a problem The Mummy has. A lot of Hollywood movies about the Middle East get it totally wrong. I’m just the one with an Arab-American dad who pointed it out my whole life, and who's raising my hand now that I have a platform to.

Looking back from a casting standpoint, not a single Arab actor is in 1999’s The Mummy, despite so many of the characters supposedly being native to Egypt. The leader of the Medjai warriors Ardeth Bay is played by Israeli actor Oded Fehr, the hilarious character of Beni Gabor is played by Kevin J. O'Connor (who is an American, apparently of Irish descent), Warden Gad Hassan is played by Persian actor Omid Djalili and so forth. I can go on, but to sum things up there’s not one to be found. Hey, maybe in the background?

But, it's not only that, the Egyptian characters of The Mummy are often used as a punchline or demoted to play stereotypes, too. It’s kind of frustrating given it was one of the few Hollywood movies I had growing up that actually was set in the Middle East, and could have taken the opportunity to cast the breadth of Arab actors who often don't get these kinds of opportunities.

What Needs To Change In The Mummy 4

If The Mummy 4 does end up being set in a Middle East country, I hope that over 25 years later Hollywood can show me (and the Arab-American dads and such of the world) that it’s actually grown when it comes to representing the people of the Middle East and does better by being set in this part of the world. How places are represented in movies really does make a more difference to culture and public perception than Hollywood producers probably think, and it’s harmful when the Middle East is minimized in the media.

And while the representation of minorities has clearly improved in recent years, there's been very little movement for actors hailing from the Middle East and North Africa. In a study done by UCLA last year for 2024 movie releases, there were literally zero Middle Eastern among the top theatrical movies, and I can honestly guess that 2025 and 2026 aren't much different.

So, while I’m very into The Mummy 4 and the movies bringing back more of the original actors like John Hannah, I’m also hoping it can become a platform to have more authentic representation of Arab characters within it as well. Right now the movie is expected to come out on May 19, 2028, so we’ll be getting plenty of updates as the production gets ready.

There’s been a lot of talk over the past few years about aging in Hollywood, with actresses like Michelle Yeoh being told she should retire, but it’s not like the entertainment industry has been all that kind to younger actresses either. Scarlett Johansson opened up about what it was like to start acting as a young woman and the “really harsh” conditions that she and other early 2000s-era women faced.

There’s no denying Scarlett Johansson’s talents, as she’s won a Tony Award and been nominated for multiple Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. She made her directorial debut last year with Eleanor the Great and has several projects coming on the 2026 movie calendar and beyond. However, even she had trouble getting people to look past her appearance to see her talents as she came of age in Hollywood, she said, telling CBS Sunday Morning:

Twenty years ago, the business looked a lot different than it does now, she said and practices that are no longer considered acceptable were the norm back then. She continued:

Scarlett Johansson said she struggled with being typecast as that other woman/side piece/bombshell, because there was more that she wanted to do, but those opportunities just weren’t there for women in their 20s.

She ended up turning to the theater, where she won a Tony in 2010 for her role in A View from the Bridge, and her experience on stage helped her become OK with waiting for the right role and not feeling pressured to take any role just to have the work. That was a tough lesson, as she said:

Luckily, the TV and movie business has evolved over the past couple of decades, and Scarlett Johansson thinks it’s a more friendly environment for young women, with richer opportunities available. She said:

Scarlett Johansson did a lot with those “Slim Pickins,” though, and up next we’re looking forward to seeing (or hearing, rather) her lend her voice to Ray Gunn, an adult animation neo-noir sci-fi flick that’s set to hit the Netflix schedule sometime this year. Next year we should see her in a new Exorcist movie, with Mike Flanagan assembling possibly his best cast yet.

If you want to celebrate a different aspect of ScarJo’s talent, Eleanor the Great can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Simu Liu is one of the biggest Asian actors working in Hollywood today. He has one of the most high-profile characters in Shang-Chi, Marvel’s martial arts hero, who is set to return to the big screen later this year as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. He was also part of one of the biggest box office hits in recent years with Barbie.

One of those movies was certainly a starring role, and the other was a much smaller supporting part where Liu wasn’t the focus, so one might think that he views one role as more important for his own career and Asian representation more broadly. However, the actor tells Style both roles were equally important to him because they showed the two different ways minority representation in film should be handled, he explained…

While having Simu Liu star in a major superhero blockbuster from Marvel, and telling the sort of story that we rarely see on screen, broke barriers -- barriers that needed breaking -- the other side of representation is simply casting Asian actors for roles where race doesn’t need to be a factor. Casting actors like Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa in Barbie was simply about the fact that a character inspired by a doll didn’t need to look a certain way.

One might assume that using a multicultural cast of Kens in Barbie was an intentional decision, but Liu indicates that it wasn’t the case. He admits that he only auditioned for Barbie because he wanted to work with director Greta Gerwig, and while he might not have been the star of that movie, the fact that he was there was still important. Liu continued…

The fact that Simu Liu has taken such huge steps for Asian representation is great. Now we just need to see some others join him. Until then, it is wonderful that we’ll finally get to see him in the MCU again when Shang-Chi appears in Avengers: Doomsday. And then hopefully we can get that long-awaited Shang-Chi sequel off the ground.

This story does contain spoilers for Season 2 of The Pitt. You can watch the series with an HBO Max subscription.

The Pitt is known and beloved for how realistic it is when it comes to how it portrays healthcare workers and the patients they see. The series also includes a range of neurodivergent characters, including an autistic woman named Becca, who is Dr. Mel King’s sister. I had the chance to chat with Tal Anderson, who plays Becca, about how autism and neurodiversity are represented on this Emmy-winning series, and she opened up to me about the importance of it.

The Pitt’s Becca Actress Told Me Why It’s So Important To Have A Range Of Neurodivergent Characters On The Show

During my conversation with Tal Anderson about her work on The Pitt, I noted that Taylor Dearden, who plays Becca’s sister Mel, has spoken about how her doctor is also neurodivergent. That led me to ask about the importance of having a range of neurodivergent characters on the series. In response, the actress told me:

Anderson, who is autistic, went on to tell me that this representation “means a lot” to her, and she’s had “many people” reach out to tell her the same thing.

She also noted that it’s Becca and Mel aren't the only characters on the spectrum; there was another autistic patient named Terrance in Season 1 (Episodes 5 through 7), who was played by Coby Bird. Through his story, as well as Becca’s, we’ve been able to see autistic men and women on the series, which is vital, as Anderson explained:

Along with showing neurodivergent men and women, Anderson noted the importance of highlighting these characters' independence. While Becca is “a person with very high support needs,” she’s also very “capable,” and The Pitt makes sure to show us that:

Overall, this representation is wonderful and helps viewers see people who range across the spectrum of autism and neurodivergence in nuanced and three-dimensional ways. Now, when it comes to Becca specifically, her story in the season that’s been airing on the 2026 TV schedule also highlights the importance of her standing up for her independence and autonomy.

The Pitt’s Tal Anderson Told Me Why Becca Standing Up For Her Independence And Relationship Is ‘Everything’ For A ‘Disabled Adult’

Now, if you’ve been watching Season 2 of The Pitt, you’ll know that Becca’s storyline this season is focused on her sister, who is also her caregiver, finding out that she’s in a relationship with a man named Adam. While it’s a tense storyline between the sisters, it has a powerful message about the importance of autonomy, as Anderson explained:

Speaking directly to Becca’s storyline, which involves her going to an assisted living facility while Mel works, Anderson told me that she loves how independent her character is. Explaining the importance of that and her boundaries, the actress said:

We really get to see Becca do just that, too, as she reveals her relationship with her boyfriend, Adam, to Mel during Season 2.

Now, Mel finds out about him in an unideal way when Becca comes to the ER and learns she has a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). At first, Mel thought her sister got it from holding her pee for too long, but Becca told her that she’s been having sex (which is another way you can get a UTI). And that’s how she learns about Adam.

During our chat about this storyline, I asked Anderson why her character didn’t tell her sister about her relationship until she had to. In response, she shared the complex reasoning behind Becca’s choice:

This brings it back around to the point Tal Anderson made about autonomy and independence. Becca wanted something for herself, and she’s very happy with Adam. She knew that when she told her sister about him, things would change. So, that’s why she kept it a secret.

Meanwhile, we see Mel's side of the story too, as she struggles to accept that her sister kept a big secret from her. All together, it presents a complex and meaningful story that highlights Becca and Mel's relationship as well as Becca's independence.

Overall, The Pitt has incorporated multiple storylines involving neurodivergent characters, and we see it highlighted specifically with Becca and Mel. Hopefully, that will continue when the show returns for Season 3, and hopefully, we’ll get to see more patients who are on the spectrum, too, so this representation can continue.

Since William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably the most famous tragedy in literature, it’s not necessarily a surprise to find another iteration of it among the 2026 movie releases… until you take a closer look. The latest iteration of the iconic play is given a fresh spin thanks to Riz Ahmed’s longtime dream to tell his own version of it. told from a modern, South Asian point of view. CinemaBlend had the chance to speak to the movie’s director about telling Hamlet in a new context.

Hamlet follows a wealthy British South Asian man living in modern-day London, who’s dealing with the recent loss of his father. The movie features Shakespearean language and condenses the play into two hours. When I asked the director, Aneil Karia, about adapting the famed play with a new cultural context, he said this:

Karia was approached by Riz Ahmed about six months after their collaboration on the Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye. He said his first reaction to the project was thinking he’s “not the guy for this” due to his lack of connection to Shakespeare and the material. However, once he read the script Ahmed worked on with screenwriter Michael Lesslie (2015’s Macbeth, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Now You See Me Now You Don’t) he started to become “excited” by it. As he continued:

This version of Hamlet certainly finds a unique and timely way to retell Shakespeare’s play despite it being over 400 years at this point. It’s told more like a thriller and involves a lavish dance sequence at a wedding, Riz Ahmed monologuing in a speeding sports car, and violent death sequences (of course). Karia also said this:

Along with Ahmed leading the cast, the movie also stars The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power’s Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn and Timothy Spall. It’s earned a fresh 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reimagining Hamlet was on Riz Ahmed’s mind since he was a teenager, but it took being two decades into his career before he was able to make it. The Brit has a huge resume of great movies, including earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for 2019’s The Sound of Metal. As of late, he’s been busy, between recently hosting the new series Saturday Night Live UK and portraying Severus Snape in Audible’s Harry Potter audiobooks.

You can see his version of Hamlet in theaters now.

When somebody reaches movie star status like Michael B. Jordan has, it’s often hard to think about their humble beginnings. But, like all great actors, Jordan came a long way before he got to be in a star-studded affair like Sinners.

In fact, he actually made that journey on a much smaller screen. That’s right. Because even though some major stars get their big breaks in horror movies (such as Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween films) other actors, such as Jordan, got their breakout roles on television.

So, here are just a few of the small-screen projects that Michael B. Jordan had a part in before he became the movie star that he is today.

His First Major Role Was The Saddest Story In The First Season Of The Wire

Is The Wire the greatest show that’s ever been on television? Possibly (I think it’s either between that or Breaking Bad). I think it’s mainly because the city of Baltimore was the main protagonist, and all of the characters within it shared their story with the city. It’s why each season was special in its own way (I especially love Season 2).

Well, aside from Season 4, which covers Baltimore’s school system and is often deemed as the best season, a close second best is Season 1, which is where we were introduced to the teenager, Wallace, who has one of the saddest character arcs in the entire series. Michael B. Jordan plays the character, and the most tragic thing about his performance is that there are 16-year-old kids just like him who also have similar fates.

He Had A Home On All My Children For Awhile

You know, the world has a funny way of being both big and small. How else can you explain Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, who would later appear together as enemies in Black Panther, having their stars align much earlier, and on a soap opera no less?

That’s right, both Boseman and Jordan were on All My Children. Even crazier: they played the exact same character, Reggie Porter Montgomery. Boseman played the character for about a week before being fired, and then the role was quickly filled in by Jordan, who played the character from 2003-2006.

So again, life can be funny sometimes, right? From being a replacement to being in one of Chadwick Boseman’s best movies. Crazy stuff.

And Then Friday Night Lights Was His Last Major Role Before The Movies Came A-Calling

Even though Jordan hopped about in other shows after All My Children, like CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, and a Canadian sitcom called The Assistants, his last major show before he became a bona fide movie star was Friday Night Lights.

On the show, he played quarterback Vince Howard, who appeared in the last two seasons. Vince was a complex kid who only really got into football since he didn’t want to go to juvie, and he had natural talent. It kind of went to his head, which presents an interesting dynamic in the final season.

After Friday Night Lights, Jordan went on to bigger things (like winning a Best Actor trophy at the 98th Academy Awards for Sinners). Before he became a star, he started off small, just as most great things in life do.

Since it's Women’s History Month, I’ve been thinking about what movies actually make me feel joyful and affirmed about being a woman. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is an easy one, but I didn’t grow up with it. One that came to mind from my past that I admittedly didn’t quite remember was 2003’s Uptown Girls. So, I decided to give it a rewatch for the first time as an adult.

Dakota Fanning’s Ray Reminded Me About What It's Like To Be A Kid

I was around Dakota Fanning’s age in the film when the movie came out. I remember thinking she was kind of an odd character, but I know the story left a mark on me when I watched it as a kid. I felt differently about Ray this time around as she deals with her father being in a coma and her mom leaving her alone most of the time.

As someone who was dealing with my own childhood stressors at her age – the separation of my parents – I now look at Ray with a new understanding and appreciation of her as a young character. I wasn’t like Ray, but watching her gave me a chance to reflect on how serious it sometimes felt to be a kid dealing with family issues. I tend to look back at my girlhood with rose-colored glasses, but then a character like Ray comes along and I’m reminded that I wasn’t insusceptible to big feelings then, I just kind of pushed through the best I could. There was a part of me that wanted to be an adult when I was younger, so I could better deal with and understand adult problems – Ray is just the extreme of that feeling.

And, I Could Really Relate To Brittany Murphy’s Molly

Then, there’s Molly. She goes through a riches to rags story when she finds out her rock star father’s accountant embezzled her money, and suddenly she finds herself babysitting (seemingly her first job ever). Throughout the film, she’s seen as an immature character who doesn’t know how to be an adult. While Ray wants to hurry up and grow up, Molly revels in the fun parts of life… to a fault. (And, I have to give a shoutout to Donald Faison, her Clueless castmate being in it with her!)

Again, I’m not really like Molly at face value. My life is nothing like hers. But, her journey as a character, in relation to Ray, really spoke to me. When we're kids, we want to be more grown up, and often it's vice versa when adulthood hits us. Molly is naive in a lot of ways, sure, but I also appreciated how she’s very true to her feelings and wears her heart on her sleeve throughout the film. Uptown Girls made me want to hug and nurture the girl I was, who didn’t know how to deal with the “adult” stuff about life, and be kinder to the playful “girly” side of myself that is still very much alive now that I'm a grownup. The movie really reminds you that we need to hold on to both these sides of being a girl/woman, and I’m so grateful I revisited it for that reason.

Now, I think Uptown Girls actually kind of a perfect movie, and such a good pick to watch this month. No wonder it went TikTok viral recently! I cannot wait to return to it over and over again when I need a pick-me-up from the 2000s era.