I can’t believe it, but somehow it’s already been a decade since La La Land came out. It’s still one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies, as he’s admitted to the world before, there’s just something he wishes he could have done differently. So, in celebration of the movie’s 10th anniversary, Lionsgate decided to do a little retcon.

On behalf of CinemaBlend, I attended a special screening of La La Land on Monday evening at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA. Before we watched the film, Lionsgate’s head of marketing Justin Manfredi took to the stage to make an announcement. In his words:

Then, a new poster of La La Land was unveiled. However, it’s quite familiar, except for one thing. Check it out:

The La La Land poster is almost exactly the same except Ryan Gosling’s hand is perfectly straight in the new poster rather than a bit askew. You see, back in 2024 the actor shared that the “moment that haunts [him]” about La La Land was his hand placement in the scene. He said it “just killed the energy” of the poster along with sharing that he nicknamed the whole situation “La La Hand.” Now he’s gotten his way. As Manfredi added at the event:

Funny enough, when Ryan Gosling was promoting Project Hail Mary earlier this year, the actor also redid the poster with Rocky with the straight hand. But, now it’s official for La La Land, too! During the anniversary event, the movie’s choreographer Mandy Moore also came out to talk about the hilariously controversial poster. Here’s what she said:

Oh, it’s too good! I kind of miss the hand now that it’s gone, but it’ll always be there in the movie itself. When Mia and Sebastian do their famous dance to “A Lovely Night,” you can definitely still see Gosling’s original hand placement.

This milestone definitely makes for a good excuse for La La Land rewatch, and Lionsgate is re-releasing the movie in theaters on August 16, too. It’s going to be fun to check it out on the big screen again in between catching up on new 2026 movies. As someone who just had the chance to see Damien Chazelle’s masterpiece with an audience, that ending never, ever gets old.

As of late, Ryan Gosling has been promoting his latest film – the 2026 movie schedule entry Project Hail Mary. Over the years, Gosling has found truly creative and funny ways to drum up buzz for his films, and that’s certainly been the case this time around as well. One of the more recent pieces of promo for the Phil Lord and Chris Miller-directed book-to-screen adaptation really takes the cake, though. Gosling used the film to somewhat create his well-known La La Land poster, and the results are downright perfect.

It’s honestly surreal to think that this year will mark the 10th anniversary of La La Land, so it’s somewhat appropriate that Gosling wants to take a moment to pay homage that poster. The original one-sheet for Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning musical dramedy shows Gosling’s character (Sebastian) in mid dance with Emma Stone’s character (Amelia). In lampooning that poster, Gosling decided to strike that same pose but do it alongside the alien Rocky from Project Hail Mary. A BTS clip of the shoot was shared to Instagram:

Given that I’m someone who loves a good parody or an instance in which someone merely finds a quirky way to honor a film or TV show, this really speaks to me. I love that the Hail Mary marketing team put in the effort to make all of this happen. What really makes me smile is to see the puppeteer for Rocky working his magic to help position the character accordingly. I’d say that the group’s efforts definitely paid off, as the finished poster is excellent:

What’s wild is that I would actually pay serious money to watch a musical in which Gosling shares scenes with a rock creature. Of course, I’m not sure Rocky could actually hold much of a tune, but the thought of such a film delights me to no end. Still, if anyone actually wants to see Gosling in a sweet musical about the highs and lows of working in Tinseltown, they can just watch the movie that inspired this Project Hail Mary poster.

La La Land remains a fixture within the pop culture lexicon (and not just because of that infamous Oscars moment involving the acclaimed Moonlight). Chazelle’s direction was praised, with critics lauding the movie for the way in which it drew from the beloved musicals of yesteryear. While Gosling has spoken highly about his experience making the movie, he’s ironically also been honest about how flubbing a pose for the poster “haunts” him. I’d say he made up for that with the new poster he just helped craft.

In all seriousness, though, dancing and singing aren’t present within Project Hail Mary. Based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name, the movie sees Ryan Gosling play Dr. Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up amidst an interstellar mission with no memory of his identity or the mission’s purpose. Thus far, early reactions to PHM have been very positive, and creatives like Edgar Wright and Josh Gad have been praising it.

So, while audiences may not actually get to see Ryan Gosling dance with Rocky against the backdrop of a moon-lit night, what they’ll get is an exciting and heartwarming space adventure. Anyone who does want to experience that still imagine it, though, while appreciating the poster that was created.

Check out Project Hail Mary when it soars into theaters on March 20. In the meantime, fans can also stream La La Land with a Prime Video subscription.

La La Land made waves when it came out in 2016, and not just because of the La La Land and Moonlight Oscars snafu. The movie was a legitimately popular vehicle for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, not to mention director Damien Chazelle, and we’re still taking about its memorable ending years later. It’s not the ending that keeps Ryan Gosling up at night, though. There’s another moment from filming that haunts him.

The La La Land Scene That Still ‘Haunts’ Ryan Gosling Totally Makes Sense To Me

Listen, La La Land features a series of colorful and memorable dance sequences, one of which involves Emma Stone’s character Mia and Ryan Gosling’s Sebastian dancing on an overlook in Los Angeles' popular Griffith Park. The scene is lit by a dusky skyline and a streetlamp, and it's expertly choreographed. It's a great movie moment in one of the best Gosling movies. Only the actor says it ain’t so, and it ‘haunts’ him to this day.

To be fair, Gosling had some dance lessons before he was even on Mickey Mouse Club and later trained separately for the gig in La La Land. So, he's not completely in the dark when it comes to dancing; however, his instincts weren't rock solid, here. Given it only took four takes to complete the Griffith Park dance sequence, he didn't have a lot of time to correct, either.

Ryan Gosling Can Thank The La La Land Poster For Flaunting His Mistake

In fact, you don’t need to look any further than the movie’s poster to see his mistake.

Given the poster is pretty much everywhere and is one of the iconic things associated with this movie, I can see how the weird title of his wrist really sticks out, even years later, with him admitting to the Wall Street Journal:

The interviewer later confirms his “90 degree” concern is called a hamburger hand to professional dancers given it mimics a top bun, and it seems like no one had told the actor this previously. In fact, he’s given it it’s own nickname that’s cracking me up:

When filming a movie, actors often do multiple takes and are kind of at the mercy of directors, editors and other members of the creative team when it comes to the final project. That’s one reason why some actors like Adam Driver don’t love watching their own stuff. It’s the mistakes they often see rather than the pockets of greatness. But in Gosling’s case, here, it's particularly egregious because all he needs to see is the poster to be reminded of how silly he made himself look.

As far as BTS La La Land facts go, though, the whole thing is kind of charming.

Aside from “the slap” (you know what slap I'm talking about), there's been no more shocking moment in Oscar history for me than when Faye Dunaway incorrectly announced that La La Land won Best Picture. Minutes later, Jordan Horowitz, who was a producer for La La Land, had to correct the error by saying that Moonlight, in fact, actually won Best Picture.

I vividly remember the wide range of emotions that I went through at that very moment. At first, it felt like one of those dreams where you wake up and still think you’re able to fly, or that a Switch 2 is sitting underneath your bed, only for you to fully realize that it was all just a dream.

Unlike those moments where the realization is really disappointing, this time, it was a moment to rejoice (For me anyway). Much like my colleague, Eric Eisenberg, believed, I also thought that Moonlight deserved to win Best Picture, and I’m still happy that it beat La La Land, even 8 years later. Here’s why.

After What Happened To Brokeback Mountain, I'm Glad That The Academy Has Grown To Recognize The Importance Of Gay Stories

I’ve already written about this, but I’m still upset that Brokeback Mountain didn’t win Best Picture back in 2006, and for a few reasons. But, the main reason (besides it being a far better film than Crash) was because it was a hauntingly beautiful love story, and one that was about a gay relationship, which felt both ahead of its time, but also directly of its time back in 2005.

I was worried that a movie like Moonlight, which was about a Black boy who explores his sexual identity (among other themes) all the way up to adulthood, was the kind of story that the Academy would acknowledge, sure, but would never give the ultimate prize to.

Yes, we had come a long way toward acceptance when it came to LGBTQ+ stories since Brokeback, but for it to beat a thoroughly popular musical like La La Land, with two likeable leads? I honestly didn’t think Moonlight had a chance in Hell. Unlike Crash (which I actually do like, don’t get me wrong), La La Land was a film that was generally seen as worthy of winning Best Picture, and it was the film to beat in 2017 (It had a whopping 11 nominations, after all).

And yet, Moonlight beat it. As an LGBTQ+ ally, I want these stories to win, but I honestly thought that it wouldn’t. Moonlight, like Brokeback Mountain, was a hauntingly beautiful story, and the way it dealt with homosexuality was both bold and yet surprisingly subtle. Showing Chiron in three stages of his life – childhood, teenage years, and adulthood – and learning to understand (and find comfort in) his sexual identity by adulthood truly deserved the award, and it actually won!

Which I found to be wonderful. This is despite the fact that I really love musicals too, which I'll get into next.

I Love Musicals, But Moonlight Just Hits Differently

Ten musicals have won Best Picture, and I want to say that I love most of them, but, do you know the last time that a musical actually won? It was all the way back in 2003 for Chicago. So, by 2017, I think another musical was definitely due.

And, I wouldn't have hated it if La La Land had won. The dance numbers in particular were wonderful, and I liked that the music itself was integrated into the story. So, much like martial arts movies (for example, I think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon should have won Best Picture), I almost always prefer when genre pictures, like musicals, fantasy, or sci-fi, win the coveted prize over the standard drama, since it's such a rare occasion.

This time, I wanted the drama to beat the musical. Because Moonlight just hits differently.

Essentially a story told in three acts, with each act reflecting the different periods of an impoverished Black person's life, we get to explore the hardships of his existence and the people who make a difference for him, both positive and negative.

Maybe it just hits differently since I'm Black myself, and I teach students who may be going through similar hardships as Chiron. But, whatever the case, I'm glad that the more personal-feeling story beat the one about the two love birds heading in different directions due to their success. It felt like a personal win of sorts.

We Need More Stories About Minority Communities Within Minority Communities, And Moonlight Is That Story

Black stories are important. Gay stories are important. The thing is, the two stories don't necessarily have to be separate. Because there are gay Black people. In fact, there are gay people of every race and nationality. So, for that reason, I think there should be more stories that explore the concept of being a minority within a minority.

While homosexuality isn't widely accepted in any community, the Black community in particular often has major issues with people within the community being gay.

For instance, I've heard Black people tell me that “it's a sin,” to be gay (their pastor told them so), and as a teacher of mostly Black students, I've been informed by some parents that their children will not participate in any writing assignments that contain the word “Pride” in them, since they automatically associate the word “Pride” with “Gay” (even though the assignment was about what gives you pride, though I'm not going to argue with parents. I gave their kids something else to write about).

So, I really do want to see more stories about minority communities within minority communities, since the gay students that I have deserve stories that they can relate to.

Moonlight is that story. I'm glad that there are other LGBTQ+ movies and shows that they can watch (some of them on Netflix), but I'm glad that there's a film that is exclusively about the Black and gay experience, and that it also won Best Picture.

Overall, I Think Moonlight Winning Benefits Both Itself As Well As La La Land

It might sound like I was belittling La La Land by referring to it as the story of “two love birds heading in different directions due to their success,” but I honestly wasn’t. The tale of Sebastian, a talented jazz musician played by Ryan Gosling, and Amelia, an aspiring actress played by the Academy Award-winning Emma Stone, is a good one, and their “what could have been” love story was definitely worthy of winning Best Picture.

Now, if it had won, I don’t think I’d categorize it as one of the greatest movies to win Best Picture. That said, there certainly have been worse films that have won the highest prize, so I wouldn’t have been upset if it had ultimately gotten the gold.

However, I think Moonlight winning Best Picture benefitted both itself and La La Land, because if the latter had won, then it might only be looked upon as the film that beat Moonlight, which I don’t think is fair, since, like I said before, La La Land is a good movie. What I mean is, I don’t think it should be scorned like, say, Crash beating Brokeback Mountain, or a Driving Miss Daisy winning Best Picture, when Do the Right Thing wasn’t even nominated (How?!).

By “losing” to Moonlight, and in such a dramatic fashion, I really do think La La Land has a better chance of being remembered in a positive way than if it had beaten Moonlight. In turn, I think Moonlight is looked upon for its historic win, and remembered as the film that “beat” the more conventional La La Land.

Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps have been through a lot together as besties since their start as supporting characters on Dawson’s Creek. Through the good, bad, funny and even odd, they’ve continued to stand through it all together. So, when the pals got together to chat about Williams’ project on the 2025 TV schedule, Dying For Sex, an infamous Oscar event they witnessed came up in conversation. And, surprisingly, Ben Affleck and a role of his are an essential element in their response to the La La Land and Moonlight mixup.

Philipps’ show, Busy This Week, kicked off its second season with Williams, and they covered plenty, including Dying for Sex, which is available with a Hulu subscription. However, they also talked about the infamous La La Land/Moonlight blunder, seeing as they were there because Williams was nominated for Manchester by the Sea that year.

Via QVC+’s YouTube, the Brokeback Mountain star revealed how her friend was positive Ben Affleck could save the moment due to his superhero status, stating:

All of this is just too good, and speaks to the viral photo of the audience’s pure confusion (which all three can be seen in). I love everything about it, but I’m not sure which is the best part. It’s a tie between the Freaks and Geeks alum’s thought process (as they mention in the clip), Ben Affleck looking back at his bestie, Matt Damon, and Williams’ impersonation of Philipps.

However, what really got me laughing was thinking about whether Affleck’s Batman could actually do anything to help save that moment back in 2017. My money is on he wouldn't be able to do much, because amidst all the confusion, the only thing that could really be done was call out the actual Best Picture winner, and that did eventually happen.

Maybe someday we’ll get a full rationale from the Girls5eva actress as to why her first thought was that Ben Affleck could save the day.

However, for now, I’m just so pleased to hear the BFFs reminisce about it. As mentioned, the pair has experienced a lot of life together, including the passing of the Brokeback Mountain star’s once partner, Heath Ledger (the two had Matilda Ledger together), Philipps’ almost bar fight in defense of Williams, and much more. So, anytime I can hear them chat about the stories they share, I'm excited.

Even though I do remember the Oscar snafu and all the confusion that followed, I may let Michelle Williams’ imitating Busy Philipps’ lol-worthy response eclipse everything else. However, I’ll also be thinking about how Ben Affleck’s Batman could’ve solved any of the switch-up mess.

Whether it’s movies like Heat bringing massive stars together to create one of the best ‘90s movies, all-time great romantic comedies allowing America’s sweethearts to show off in front of adoring fans, or legendary sci-fi flicks showcasing the skills of up-and-comers and established stars, there have been a lot of movies that brought two heavyweight actors together.

Below are 32 such movies that brought such an incredible one-two punch, we still can’t believe they actually happened. But luckily, these castings did happen and they were pulled off really, really well.

Heat (Robert De Niro & Al Pacino)

Though they were technically both in The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino wouldn’t share a scene until more than 20 years later in Heat. Sure, their shared time on screen was minimal (this was a cat-and-mouse game, you know), but this Michael Mann epic was made all the better with these two heavyweights together at last.

Escape Plan (Sylvester Stallone & Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger had one of the biggest rivalries in Hollywood throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s as they competed for box office supremacy with all kinds of action movies. Well, they finally started working together in the 2010s with a series of movies that includes Escape Plan. Though The Expendables came first, that was more of an ensemble affair and Schwarzenegger was relegated to a brief cameo.

Collateral (Jamie Foxx & Tom Cruise)

When it comes to movies set in Los Angeles, few are as cool or thrilling as Collateral. Michael Mann’s 2004 thriller stars Jamie Foxx (just months before he won an Oscar) and Tom Cruise (one of his most menacing performances) as a cab driver and assassin, respectively, on a night neither will forget.

Fast Five (Vin Diesel & Dwayne Johnson)

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson would go on to have one of the strangest Hollywood feuds in the years that followed, but the two Hollywood heavyweights first came together for Fast Five in 2011. A movie that forever changed the course of the Fast & Furious franchise, this wild heist adventure saw the two beefed-up and bald actors go at it in one of the series’ best fights.

You've Got Mail (Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan)

While it is true that You’ve Got Mail was the pair’s third movie together, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan weren’t really the massive stars they were when making Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle. Hanks had earned two Oscars and Ryan had led several more rom-coms between their early films and this 1998 romantic comedy.

Waiting To Exhale (Angela Bassett & Whitney Houston)

Waiting to Exhale has a great cast from top to bottom (as well as a great original song), but it was wild seeing Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston share the screen in this iconic 1995 dramedy about a group of women navigating love, life, and friendship with each other by their sides.

A Few Good Men (Tom Cruise & Jack Nicholson)

Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men has a cast that includes Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr., and so much more. But then you have Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson at the top of the list. Though they don’t share the screen for all that long, they were both part of the now iconic “You can’t handle the truth” courtroom scene, which has gone on to become one of the most universally known quotes of all time.

True Romance (Dennis Hopper & Christopher Walken)

The “Sicilian Scene” from True Romance will forever be remembered as one of the greatest cinematic moments of the 1990s, and that’s thanks to Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken (two absolute legends) giving it their all. Yeah, Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are the core of Tony Scott’s 1993 romantic crime drama, but these two heavyweights stole the show.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (Paul Newman & Robert Redford)

Paul Newman and Robert Redford could very well be one of the best on-screen pairings in Hollywood history. While The Sting is great and all, we have to talk about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid bringing these two legends together. From the start of the flick to that iconic ending (you know what we’re talking about), this movie is in a league of its own.

The Departed (Leonardo DiCaprio & Jack Nicholson)

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, one of the best 2000s movies, has one of the director’s best group of actors, which is saying something. The two megastars at the top of the list? Well, none other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, who are outrageously great together. No wonder this won Best Picture.

Bad Boys (Will Smith & Martin Lawrence)

Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do when Will Smith and Martin Lawrence come for you? Well, moviegoers found out with the 1995 release of Bad Boys, a landmark buddy cop movie starring two of the biggest names on the planet at the time. Still on the rise, Smith and Lawrence became even bigger stars after his great Michael Bay movie came out.

Thelma & Louise (Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis)

Thelma & Louise is one of those movies that never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it. And while we would love to give Ridley Scott all the credit, or say Brad Pitt’s small part made a difference, let’s be real and acknowledge the work of Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two on-the-run women with nothing but the open road (and open sky) ahead of them.

Marriage Story (Scarlet Johansson & Adam Driver)

Marriage Story brought together Scarlet Johansson and Adam Driver together in 2019, the same year they starred in box office juggernauts Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, respectively. And if we’re being honest, this Netflix original was actually the best of those three films.

Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson & Danny Glover)

Lethal Weapon, the first in a franchise of legendary buddy cop movies, brought together Mel Gibson and Danny Glover for an outrageously funny and action-packed crime story about two cops from different walks of life trying to solve a case (and not kill one another). Riggs and Murtaugh are still one of the best duos, even after all these years.

Life (Eddie Murphy & Martin Lawrence)

Though both appeared in Boomerang earlier in the decade, Martin Lawrence was a star on the same level as Eddie Murphy when they teamed up for Life. This rude, crude, and incredible 1998 comedy about two convicts making the most out of life sentences is full of hilarious and unforgettable moments.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Harrison Ford & Sean Connery)

There are some out there who think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best of the franchise, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. With Sean Connery coming on to play Harrison Ford’s on-screen dad, this 1989 adventure film was bigger, grander, and more epic than anything that came before it in this beloved franchise.

The Mexican (Julia Roberts & Brad Pitt)

Gore Verbinski’s The Mexican may not be the best movie or even the most successful to feature Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, but these two were at or near the peak of their fame when this 2001 crime film was released. Coming out nine months before they shared the screen in Ocean’s Eleven, this oft-forgotten romance film brought the pair together.

Bruce Almighty (Jim Carrey & Morgan Freeman)

After both became two of the biggest stars of ‘90s Hollywood, Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman shared the screen in 2003’s Bruce Almighty, with the latter playing God (can you imagine anyone else playing the divine being?). Though they didn’t have all that much time together, these two legends made the most of it to create some utterly hilarious moments.

Night At The Museum (Ben Stiller & Robin Williams)

The Night at the Museum movies have all kinds of great pairings, but the original did it best with Ben Stiller as a lowly nighttime security guard and the late Robin Williams as a wax figure of a former United States President that comes to life at night. We could watch these two riff until the sun comes up, and luckily that’s what happened in two subsequent sequels.

Men In Black (Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones)

Here comes the Men in Black! This 1997 comedy, which came out a few years into Will Smith’s unprecedented run at the box office, saw the Fresh Prince share the screen with Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. The pair of secret agents tasked with protecting Earth from extraterrestrial threats have since become one of the best onscreen duos and two characters that’ll never get old.

The Fugitive (Harrison Ford & Tommy Lee Jones)

Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones came together for one of the best 1993 movies when they shared the screen in The Fugitive. This great movie based on a classic TV show saw Ford’s Dr. Richard Kimble on the run after being falsely convicted of murdering his wife with Jones Samuel Gerard leading a team of U.S. Marshals to find him.

Mamma Mia! (Meryl Streep & Pierce Brosnan)

Mamma Mia! had great songs, unforgettable moments, and one of the best casts of the 2000s. While we could talk about Stellan Skarsgård, or Amanda Seyfried, or even Colin Firth, we have to point out that this Abba-influenced musical brought Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan together on screen, and it was marvelous.

The Nice Guys (Russell Crowe & Ryan Gosling)

Shane Black gave the world one of the great modern buddy crime flicks in 2016 with the release of The Nice Guys. Featuring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as a pair of down-on-their-luck guys tasked with solving a mystery, this throwback was so much fun. It’s a shame we never got a sequel.

Ocean's Eleven (George Clooney & Brad Pitt)

The ensemble cast from Ocean’s Eleven has talent up and down the roster and has some heavyweights from multiple generations of Hollywood. But let’s be real, this movie brought George Clooney and Brad Pitt together, a relationship that has given us nearly a half-dozen other great films in the 24 years since its release.

La La Land (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)

The third time’s the charm, right? Well, that was the case for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who were electric in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Taking on the roles of two young lovers forced to decide between following their dreams and having a great relationship, these two sing, dance, and shine throughout this beloved musical.

Independence Day (Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum)

Years before Jeff Goldblum became one of social media’s favorite (and strangest) stars, he was something of a Hollywood leading man. Between his first two stints as Dr. Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic Park franchise, Goldblum shared the screen with Will Smith in Independence Day, aka, one of the highest-grossing films of 1996. These two, who were on top of their game, became an unlikely duo.

Batman Returns (Michael Keaton & Danny DeVito)

Michael Keaton, as Batman, and Danny DeVito, as the Penguin, in 1992’s Batman Returns, was one of the oddest pairings of the ‘90s. But don’t let this make you think it didn’t work, as these two Hollywood heavyweights were oddly great together in Tim Burton’s second and final comic book movie set in Gotham.

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (Kate Hudson & Matthew McConaughey)

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson were two of the biggest stars on the planet when they teamed up in 2003 for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This wildly funny rom-com, which preceded their Fool’s Gold adventure comedy by five years, further helped both actors rise through the ranks of Hollywood.

Jungle Cruise (Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson)

It’s crazy we never got a movie starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson before 2021’s Jungle Cruise, but we’re glad these two electric stars shared the screen. One of the best movies based on a Disney attraction, this throwback adventure film had action, peril, humor, and some romance before it was all said and done.

Central Intelligence (Dwayne Johnson & Kevin Hart)

Love them or hate them, there’s no denying Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s on-screen chemistry. Shortly before they starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, these two shared the screen in Central Intelligence. A good movie? No, not really, but these two had so much fun together.

Face/Off (John Travolta & Nicolas Cage)

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are two of the most unforgettable actors (for better or worse) in the history of Hollywood, and they crossed paths and swapped faces in John Woo’s Face/Off. This absurdly awesome action flick about an FBI agent and global terrorist swapping faces is as ridiculous as it sounds.

Righteous Kill (Robert De Niro & Al Pacino)

Those who were mad about Robert De Niro and Al Pacino never having a face-to-face interaction (at least on screen) in Heat were in for some good news when Righteous Kill hit the big screen in 2008. Is it a great movie? No, not really. But hey, it has two of the biggest actors of all time sharing scene after scene.

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

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

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

Donnie Darko (2001)

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

The Princess Bride (1987)

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

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

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

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

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

Swiss Army Man (2016)

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

The Fifth Element (1997)

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

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

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

Being John Malkovich (1999)

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

The Shape of Water (2017)

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

Hook (1991)

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

Spirited Away (2001)

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

Fargo (1996)

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

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

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

Gremlins (1984)

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

The Pagemaster (1994)

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

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

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

Her (2013)

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

Last Action Hero (1993)

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

Burn After Reading (2008)

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

Men in Black (1997)

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

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

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

A Ghost Story (2017)

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

La La Land (2016)

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

The Lobster (2015)

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

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

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

Pulp Fiction (1994)

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

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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

Prey (2022)

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

Aliens (1986)

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

Coraline (2009)

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

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

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

The events that transpired at the end of the 2017 Academy Awards will never be forgotten by anyone in the film industry. While the Best Picture prize was won by Moonlight, La La Land was the title that Warren Beatty read from the envelope he was given, and it caused all kinds of intense confusion. It remains a wild Hollywood event to look back upon nearly eight years later, and director Barry Jenkins recently had his own special opportunity to reflect on it while premiering his latest movie, Mufasa: The Lion King, at the same theater where it all went down.

Jenkins was recently a guest on The Jess Cagle Show on SirusXM, and he spoke about the weirdness of the 2017 Oscars with host Jess Cagle and co-host Julia Cunningham – who were also at the Dolby Theater on February 26, 2017 (the former was in the room and the latter was backstage in the press room). The director explained that when he went to the premiere of Mufasa earlier this month, he had a sense of familiarity with the location, but needed his publicist to explain why. He notes that the chaos of the Best Picture winning moment has rendered his memory "a blur." Said the Moonlight filmmaker,

In addition to Barry Jenkins' memories from the stage, the interview also features Jess Cagle remembering that "it was like society had melted down" during the 89th Academy Awards, and Julia Cunningham recalls a 1940s-esque atmosphere in the press room with panic in the atmosphere and discarded papers flying in the air.

When you make a film that ends up winning the Oscar for Best Picture, it's not ideal for that victorious moment to get wrapped up in bewilderment, but Barry Jenkins does appreciate that Moonlight has most made a massive impact on Academy Awards history. He notes that he still gets recognized as a direct result the madness of that night, but he also simply loves the fact that people are still discovering and watching a movie he is very proud of. Said Jenkins,

You can watch the clip from the Jess Cagle Show interview below:

If you've never actually seen Moonlight, or at least haven't seen it in the eight years since it was released and want to give it a rewatch, the film is now available to stream with a Cinemax add-on to you Hulu subscription. The movie is also available for rental and purchase digitally from a variety of online outlets, and it has been released on 4K UHD.

There’s no doubt that La La Land was one of the best movies of 2016. Not only was it enchanting to see Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling fall in love on screen for the third time, but we also had catchy songs and impressive choreography, and it was a real love letter to classic Hollywood movie musicals. As I rewatch it, however, there is one thing about the 89th Academy Award-nominated movie that makes no sense to me, and it has to do with Emma Stone’s character, Mia, becoming an actress.

There's a Lack of Mia's Clear Journey to Professional Acting

At the end of La La Land, a casting director in the audience for Mia’s one-woman show wants the aspiring actress to attend an audition. Even though we have no idea if this particular audition is what led her to become a professional actress, it still doesn’t give us a clear trajectory to Mia's career breakthrough.

Throughout the movie, we see struggles that many aspiring actresses go through as Mia faces rejection through a series of auditions. We don’t see her working her way up through small roles or maybe as an extra. It doesn't appear like she even has an agent or a manager to help her land parts. If we’re to assume that it was her post-one-woman show audition that led her to become a professional, it looks like an overnight success story instead of the grit and grind of the middle stages. La La Land just fast-forwards to five years later without giving us a blueprint for how she landed her success.

Mia Is Apparently Only Capable of Playing Herself

Mia’s unsuccessful auditions include the Los Angeles resident playing a cop, teacher, and doctor. This is the hopeful artist portraying someone she isn’t in real life. Being able to show versatility and range are excellent qualities to showcase as an actress. Yet, we haven’t seen Mia successfully display playing anyone other than herself. After all, if we’re to take her seriously as an actress, shouldn’t she have shown us at some point in La La Land that she can triumphantly play someone much different than herself?

We can safely assume that Mia’s one-woman show “So Long, Boulder City” was a semi-autobiographical story. Her boyfriend, Sebastian, describes it as “the whole world from your bedroom” and her love of Paris is shown with the Eiffel Tower in the background. But if we’re to interpret Mia’s audition for the Paris film was what led to her professional acting debut, she presumably nailed the role by portraying herself. Through the amazing La La Land audition song, Mia tells her story about her aunt and the importance of being an artist. But we still don’t know if she’s capable of playing people different than her or if she can only accomplish the trope of playing herself.

Did Mia Even Study Acting?

Whether or not Mia went to school for acting is ambiguous. We know that she dropped out of college after two years, but we have no idea if she majored in theatre. Mia also told Sebastian that she became inspired to act after her aunt introduced her to many classic movies. However, did she ever go to school for acting? Did she ever try to get into art schools like Juilliard or Tisch School of the Arts so she could study the greats like Chekov or Stanislavski? I’m assuming after Mia moved to Hollywood after dropping out of college that she went straight into auditions rather than studying anything about the craft.

If Mia was really serious about becoming an actress, she should have tried to study theatre in college or attend workshops to perfect the craft. After all, getting to study with great instructors or reading good books about acting is a great way to increase your chances of nailing auditions instead of just trying to wing it. But, La La Land gives us the impression that Mia felt nailing an audition by a great script read was all she needed to get her foot into the door.

Mia's Luxurious Celebrity Lifestyle is Shown More Than Her Talent

In the beginning of La La Land when Mia is working as a barista, she serves a famous actress she’s in awe of. At the end of the musical film, Mia ends up being the famous actress amazing a barista serving her. It would have been nice if the movie could have ended instead with Mia in an out-of-character scenario only for the camera to pan out that she’s on a film set shooting a scene. At least an ending like that can allow audiences to see Mia’s talent shine in front of the camera.

Instead, we see Mia’s big house and her face on posters. While La La Land’s ending could be interpreted as happy that Mia got her dream, all audiences can see is the lavish lifestyle that comes with being a successful actress compared to seeing her craft come to life. This makes it seem like the luxurious consequences of an acting career are more important than being fortunate enough to be able to make a living showing the world your talents.

Mia Would Travel for Acting, But Couldn't Handle Sebastian Touring

Mia’s boyfriend, Sebastian, decides to join his former bandmate’s jazz fusion band to provide a steady income. This involves him having to travel and be away from Mia for a while. As Mia leaves Sebastian a message that she misses him, she seems really sad that her boyfriend has been away from her for so long. Then, when Sebastian surprises Mia with a homemade dinner, she’s upset at Sebastian that he’ll be going away on tour “for the long haul.”

While it’s reasonable for Mia to feel uneased with Sebastian having to be away for big parts of the year to tour, wouldn't Mia have to do the same thing as an actress? She would have to be away from Sebastian too for filming and press tours. If Mia really did nail the Paris film audition, she'd have to spend a lot of time in another country for filming. It would seem hypocritical that for something Mia cannot handle when Sebastian goes away, she would have put him through the same thing being away for months if the roles were reversed. If Mia couldn’t handle Sebastian when he was away, I can’t imagine her being able to handle touring for her own ambition.

Mia Would Have Been Better Off as a Writer or Producer

When Mia talks to Sebastian about wanting to act since she was a kid, she mentions writing her own plays and performing them in her bedroom. So from a young age, Mia was a writer. As a grown adult in Hollywood, Mia is also capable of putting together a one-woman show which isn’t something every aspiring actress can do. Even though her play didn’t get a big audience (which could have been due to Mia’s failure to BCC the big names she included in her email list), it still caught the attention of one casting director. During Mia’s big audition, she’s told to just tell a story from her life since the upcoming movie doesn’t have a script and the actors write it. If we’re to assume that Mia got the part after, it was due to her ability to construct a story while being herself.

There are indeed plenty of actresses who got their big break writing their own projects like Insecure creator and star Issa Rae, Rachel Bloom’s musical series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Nia Vardalos’ comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and more. But, there are other actresses like Zendaya, Jennifer Lawrence, and Florence Pugh who got their start playing characters different from them which showed their range and allowed their talents to flourish. It would have been nice if La La Land showed Mia going down the same route. Otherwise, the famous actress should have instead been a writer or a producer if she’s better at constructing stories compared to playing a role different from herself.

La La Land may have been a beautiful love letter to classic Hollywood musicals, but Mia’s plot of her ultimately becoming an actress doesn't make sense to me. I feel like the musical film should have pushed for the young hopeful to go more in the direction of realizing she should be a writer or a producer instead of an actress. After all, it seemed like the entertainment industry loved her more when she was herself creating stories compared to playing different roles. You can see what I mean by watching the Damien Chazelle film on your Netflix subscription now which will switch over to your Hulu subscription on November 1st.

One of the best things about movies is that they come in all shapes and sizes, with something for audiences both young and old, near and far, and here and there. Over the years, Best Picture winners have consisted of all kinds of genres ranging from dramas to musicals, biopics to comedies, and so much more.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about just some of the countless different genres, stick around. Let’s break down 32 different genres and an example of a movie that belongs to each.

Action - Die Hard (1988)

One of the best action movies ever made, Die Hard essentially reinvented the genre with its story about a down-on-his-luck cop named John McClane (Bruce Willis) traveling across the country to save his marriage only for the reunion to be thwarted by a group of terrorists. Though Willis’ iconic character isn’t as jacked as those played by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the everyman quality to him makes him an all-time hero.

Sci-Fi - Jurassic Park (1993)

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park could fall into multiple genres, but since it deals with genetically modified dinosaurs being brought to life, it’s one of the best representations of sci-fi. One of the best book adaptations of all time, this massive summer blockbuster is as great today as it was back in 1993, both in terms of story and its state-of-the-art visuals.

Comedy - Blazing Saddles (1974)

Whenever talking about the funniest movies ever made, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Western about a plot to destroy a frontier town and a sheriff’s attempt to save its good and fair residents. But the plot is just secondary to the countless jokes, ribs, and wild situations that are found throughout this incredibly funny and outrageous comedy classic.

Documentary - Grizzly Man (2005)

As far as I’m concerned, Werner Herzog is one of the greatest documentarians of all time. Much like his feature-length films, the acclaimed filmmaker’s collection of non-fiction titles strays from the norms of the genre, creating unique pieces of art in the process. This is especially true for Grizzly Man, Herzog’s 2005 exploration of the life and tragic death of Timothy Treadwell, a conservationist who thought it was better to die with a bear than live with man.

Mockumentary - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

There were mockumentaries that came before it, but This is Spinal Tap was a watershed moment for the genre. Rob Reiner’s 1984 chronicle of struggling heavy metal band Spinal Tap turns it to 11 (quite literally) with its scenes of rock n roll, excess, and over-the-top characters who are thinly veiled caricatures of famous English groups of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Slasher - Scream (1996)

If you were to tell someone where to start with the slasher genre, Wes Craven’s Scream would be a great place to start. Though it’s not the best horror movie of all time, this landmark film is full of references to the films that came before it, has a wonderful meta dynamic, and perhaps the greatest opening scene of all time.

Superhero - The Dark Knight (2008)

To some, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the pinnacle of the superhero movie genre. This 2008 blockbuster takes elements from comic book movies and combines them with the realism of a gritty crime thriller and classic action flicks like Heat to create an incredible experience. Plus, Heath Ledger’s Joker is a force of pure chaos that needs to be seen.

Animation - My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

One of the most iconic Studio Ghibli films, My Neighbor Totoro is not only a great animated film but also a tremendous introduction to the fantastical world of Hayao Miyazaki. Released in 1988, this delightful film follows two young girls as they move to the countryside with their father a befriend a mythical creature known as Totoro.

Drama - Casablanca (1942)

Deciding on one film to use as an example of the drama genre is no easy task, but Casablanca is a classic that everyone needs to watch at least once in their life. The timeless story of American ex-pat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) helping old flame Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and her finance escape the Nazis while also revisiting the events that led to their split is something to behold.

Fantasy - The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the perfect place to start if you want to dip your toes into the waters of the fantasy genre. All the elements that make this type of film so beloved can be found throughout Peter Jackson’s impressive 2001 film that kicks off one of the greatest adventures of all time.

Sports - Major League (1989)

One of the best baseball movies ever made, Major League is also one of the funniest sports comedies you can find. Though not for younger audiences, this hilarious underdog story is all killer and no filler with its tale of the lowly Cleveland Indians defying the odds by putting together an unlikely championship team.

Romantic Comedy - When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Often considered the best romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally is 90-plus minutes of pure joy. The on-screen chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in this 1989 classic directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron is off the charts and filled with one iconic scene after another.

Horror - The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter, one of the great horror directors of the 20th century, really outdid himself with The Thing, his 1982 adaptation of John W. Campbell’s Who Goes There. The paranoia, the claustrophobic spaces, the incredible cast led by Kurt Russell, and those terrifying creature effects from Rob Bottin make this an unforgettable classic.

Crime - The Godfather (1972)

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a family drama, an epic coming-of-age story, and a mobster movie, but above it all, it’s a transformative crime film. This sprawling story about the Corleone organization, told through the eyes of Vito (Marlon Brando) and Michael (Al Pacino) is worthy of all the praise it’s received over the past 50-plus years.

Musical - La La Land (2016)

Okay, there are classic musicals like An American in Paris and Singing in the Rain that are far more prestigious than La La Land, but Damien Chazelle’s 2016 throwback is a great entry point. The song and dance numbers performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are stupendous and the romance at the center of its story is wonderful, to say the least.

Western - Tombstone (1993)

One of the greatest Western movies, Tombstone has everything you’d want in the genre: shootouts, colorful characters, legendary mustaches, and some of the best movie quotes of all time. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, and Sam Elliott were all made for their respective roles as some of the most iconic gunslingers and lawmen in the Old West.

Noir - Double Indemnity (1944)

If you’ve taken any type of class on the history of American cinema, there’s a chance you’ve seen Double Indemnity by now. This 1944 film noir staple follows insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) as he gets in way over his head when dealing with Phyllis Dietrrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), a dangerous femme fatale with a plan to cash in on a life insurance policy.

Suspense - The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense is a lot of things – horror, thriller, family drama. But above all, it’s an intense suspense film about a young boy (played by Haley Joel Osment) who can see dead people and his therapist (played by Bruce Willis) who tries to help him make sense of the supernatural ability.

Coming Of Age - Lady Bird (2018)

Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is one of the funniest, most sincere, and most realistic coming-of-age stories of the 21st century. Set in the early 2000s, the movie follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she deals with the fallout of her decision to move across the country upon graduating high school.

Time Travel - Back To The Future (1985)

There’s a good chance Back to the Future comes to mind when most people think about great time travel movies, and for good reason. This 1985 sci-fi adventure film hits in all the right places, features a career-defining performance from Michael J. Fox, and introduces the world to the coolest time machine of all time.

Historical Drama - The Age Of Innocence (1993)

Though Martin Scorsese is known more for his crime films, he put out one of the best historical dramas in 1993 with his adaptation of The Age of Innocence. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder, the film took a lot of chances and pushed the genre in a new direction.

Disaster - The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

One of the craziest disaster films, The Poseidon Adventure has a simple yet effective premise: what would happen if a cruise ship was flipped upside down by a massive wave? Survival, questions about morality, and Gene Hackman in a turtleneck make this a must-watch movie.

Dystopian - Escape From New York (1981)

Escape from New York, which takes place in a future where the city has been turned into a walled-off prison colony, is just such a legendary dystopian film. When the U.S. president’s plane is hijacked and crashed in lower Manhattan, it’s up to Snake Plisken (Kurt Russell) to save the day.

Family - The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride is one of those movies that just never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it. With a great story, unforgettable characters, and expressions of true love (and revenge), there’s a lot for the whole family to enjoy.

Biographical Drama - Schindler's List (1993)

The same year Steven Spielberg dazzled audiences with Jurassic Park, he made us cry with Schindler’s List, a moving biographical drama about a man (played by Lian Neeson) who goes to great lengths to save Jewish prisoners at a German concentration camp.

Stop-Motion Animation - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

What’s this? What’s this? Oh, just one of the best stop-motion animation movies ever made. Released in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a staple of the spooky season with its eccentric characters, sometimes grotesque scenes, and some lovely songs written and performed by Danny Elfman.

War Movie - Platoon (1985)

War is Hell, and few movies capture that sentiment better than Platoon. Released in 1985, Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War movie is neither triumphant nor pleasant, but instead a realistic and gut-wrenching depiction of combat and its effect on people. Truly unsettling and incredibly emotional, this Oscar winner is a tour de force.

Psychological Thriller - Seven (1995)

David Fincher made his mark on the world with Saven, his 1995 psychological thriller about a serial killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins and the two detectives assigned to stop the madness before it’s too late.

Buddy Action - Midnight Run (1988)

The ‘80s gave us all kinds of great buddy action movies, including Midnight Run, a hilarious and endearing cross-country affair about a down-on-his-luck cop-turned-bounty-hunter (played by Robert De Niro) trying to bring a mob accountant (played by Charles Grodin) to his court date. But things aren’t always as easy or clear as they seem.

Raunchy Comedy - Ted (2012)

There have been some great raunchy comedies over the years, with the likes of Porky’s and There’s Something About Mary quickly coming to mind. But one of the best options, especially for more modern audiences, is Ted, the 2012 comedy about a man (played by Mark Wahlberg) and his friendship with his childhood teddy bear (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). Though it sounds innocent, this wild comedy is anything but.

Silent Film - City Lights (1931)

If you’ve ever wanted to jump into the world of silent movies, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights is going to be a great introduction. Released in 1931, this classic film follows Chaplin’s tramp as he falls in love with a blind flower girl and goes from there. Romance, drama, pratfalls, you name it, it’s all here.

Spoof Film - Airplane! (1980)

There has long been a tradition of spoof films in Hollywood, and no film does the format better than Airplane!. Released in 1980, this legendary comedy pokes fun at the disaster genre with outrageous jokes, scenarios, and so much more.

The 2010s were a transformative decade for movies as directors like Damien Chazelle, Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele hit the mainstream, and many actors exploded into stardom or gave career-defining performances in movies like theirs. Now, it’s time to celebrate some of the best films of this decade and the performers who starred in them. 

Emma Stone – La La Land 

This ode to Old Hollywood and modern romance from Damien Chazelle is widely beloved in part because of Emma Stone's performance. If you go back to reviews for La La Land, you’ll see Stone and Ryan Gosling praised for their work as they played Mia and Sebastian, two aspiring artists who fall in love with each other. Notably, Emma Stone won her first Oscar for the film because of the wonderful performance she gave as the up-and-coming actress. 

Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

When it comes to Bridesmaids and all its hilarious lines and gags, we all need to say a collective thank you to Kristen Wiig. Not only did the Saturday Night Live alum lead the stellar ensemble cast of this 2011 flick, but she also wrote the movie with Annie Mumolo, and they got an Oscar nomination for it. 

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Moonlight, which famously won Best Picture in 2017, is a coming-of-age film that follows Chiron through three stages of his life, focusing on him exploring his sexuality and identity. In it, Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a man who has a pivotal role in Chiron’s early life. Famously, Ali won his first Oscar for his moving performance in this film. 

Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

Get Out is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it marked the directorial debut of Jordan Peele. While this film about the deeply dark turn a trip takes after a white woman brings her Black boyfriend home to meet her family is career-defining for its director – as he’s gone on to become quite the name in the genre – it also marked a major breakout for Daniel Kaluuya who played the film’s lead, Chris. 

Amy Adams – Arrival 

Arrival is unquestionably one of Amy Adams’ best movies, and to this day, folks are still livid that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for it. She plays Louise, a linguist assigned to decipher and translate an alien language. However, as Arrival’s ending makes abundantly clear, there’s way more to it than that, and one of the major reasons this movie works is because of Adams’ masterful, emotional and nuanced performance. 

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

In Whiplash, one of J.K. Simmons’ best films, he plays a brilliant and brutal jazz conductor and instructor named Terence Fletcher. During the film, Miles Teller plays a young drummer named Andrew who is determined to become great, and his intense relationship with Terence and the notion of being the best is what makes Damien Chazelle’s film magnificent. On top of its overall acclaim, Simmons also won an Oscar for his performance.

Hugh Jackman – Logan 

Logan was Hugh Jackman’s last ride as the Wolverine, and it was basically perfect. While he’s returned to the role since in Deadpool and Wolverine, Logan still serves as a wonderful conclusion to the iconic X-Man’s story. It was also a game-changing Marvel film, as it brought a level of grit and intrigue that we hadn’t really seen in a movie from this universe before. 

Ben Affleck – Argo 

Much like Good Will Hunting, Argo marked a major milestone in Ben Affleck’s career. It was one of the films that solidified him as a top-tier director, and on top of that, he also starred in the film about a CIA agent disguised as a producer who goes into Tehran on a mission to save a group of Americans. Oh, also, the film went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars too. 

Jesse Eisenberg — The Social Network

The Social Network cast is stacked, however, it wouldn’t be what it is without Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg at its center. His nuanced performance which is somehow both collected and chaotic compliments Aaron Sorkin’s fast-talking script perfectly, and he expertly helped build up tension in the film that director David Fincher is known for. All around, that made for a perfect, heart-pounding drama about the rise of Facebook.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street  

While Leonardo DiCaprio has a long list of career-defining performances, and he and Martin Scorsese have made many great movies together, you can’t deny that his portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street tops that list. 

Brie Larson – Room

The film Room, which is about a mother and her son escaping captivity, is masterfully led by Brie Larson, who plays Ma. Both she and Jacob Tremblay, who played her son Jack, were praised for their performances, and in 2016, the actress won an Oscar for her work. 

Daniel Craig – Knives Out

Now, I know that Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond was still happening in the 2010s. However, an equally important and brilliant role he took on was as detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s first whodunnit Knives Out. Now, after leading the cast of Knives Out, Craig has gone on to reprise his role as the Southern detective on multiple occasions, because he loves it and so do we. 

Ryan Gosling – Drive

If you look over Ryan Gosling’s best movies, on one side you’ll find his brilliant comedic films – like Barbie and The Nice Guys – and on the other side, you’ll find his stoic and dramatic performance, like the one he gives in Drive. Put simply, Drive wouldn’t work without the actor’s lead performance, because the entire film hinges on him and his abilities. 

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

After years of working to get it made and some well-timed leaked footage, finally, in 2016, Deadpool came out and we got to see Ryan Reynolds in his element as the Merc with a Mouth. 

Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea 

In a film about a man returning home to reckon with his past and grief after losing his brother, Casey Affleck gives an emotional and commanding performance. Not only did he win an Oscar for his work in this drama, but it’s also one of the big defining roles of his career. 

Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Chris Evans began and ended his tenure as Steve Rogers in the 2010s. While all his outings as the star-spangled man with a plan were excellent, nothing tops his performance as Cap in the political thriller that is the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is easily one of the best Marvel movies ever made. 

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Under Wes Anderson’s precise direction, Ralph Fiennes occupied the pastel world of the Grand Budapest Hotel with grace and style. His fast-talking M. Gustave went on quite the adventure in this film, and he won over the hearts of audiences with his quick wit, smooth charm and impeccable work ethic. 

Natalie Portman – Black Swan 

Throwing it back to the beginning of the decade, Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan showed us Natalie Portman’s talents in a new light. While she had been on the scene and in big movies for years, this film marked a major milestone in her career as her performance as a tortured ballerina got her an Academy Award. 

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buys Club

Obviously, for a couple of decades before this, Matthew McConaughey was known and beloved for fun movies like Dazed and Confused and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, in 2013, Dallas Buyers Club marked a notable shift in his career. Not only did he win an Oscar for this dramatic turn as a man who finds out he has AIDS, but he also went on to star in acclaimed projects like Interstellar and True Detective one year later, cementing himself as a magnificent dramatic actor with serious range. 

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Yes, Jennifer Lawrence leading The Hunger Games cast is one of the biggest triumphs of her career. However, amid all of that, she starred in the beloved dramedy Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, and that’s the film for which she won her Oscar. This magnificent film about two people learning to live and thrive through grief and mental illness, is a thoughtful and funny film that Lawrence steals with her amazing performance. 

Brad Pitt – Moneyball 

Moneyball is the story about the general manager of the Oakland A’s using his business savvy and what little money his team had to assemble a rag-tag team of MLB players. Brad Pitt plays said manager, Billy Beane, and I mean it when I say the movie really wouldn’t work without him. He’s at the center of it, and he carries it to victory just like his character did with the A’s.  

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther 

We sadly lost Chadwick Boseman way too early, however, his legacy will live on forever. This is in part because of his performance as the King of Wakanda, T’Challa. Black Panther was a historic moment in modern movie history, and his incredible take on the titular hero is a big reason why. 

Margot Robbie – I, Tonya 

Before I, Tonya, Margot Robbie was beloved for her supporting and ensemble roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad. However, one of the movies that helped solidify her as both a leading lady and super producer was I, Tonya. She played Tonya Harding and produced the film under the banner of her company LuckyChap – which went on to make films like Barbie and Promising Young Woman. 

Florence Pugh – Midsommar

Florence Pugh exploded onto the scene with the haunting Ari Aster film Midsommar. The movie is now considered one of the best horror movies of all time, and a big reason why is Pugh’s performance. 

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird

Talk about a dynamic duo. Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are a match made in heaven, and that was solidified into fact when the actress played the titular Lady Bird in the director’s breakout film. Not only did fans fall in love with Ronan’s performance as the defiant teenage gal, but she also received wide acclaim and an Oscar nomination for it. Plus, it was the beginning of a glorious partnership between her and Greta Gerwig as they then went on to make Little Women together. 

Timothée Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name

These days, when people think of Timothée Chalamet, they likely think of him as Paul Atreides, the leader of the Dune cast. However, before that (and in a different decade) the film that sprung him into the mainstream was Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The deeply romantic and tender coming-of-age drama was led beautifully by Chalamet, and since then he’s taken on more roles that have helped cement him as one of the top-leading men of his generation. 

Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect

If you were a kid in 2012 (like I was), odds are you learned the “Cups” song. The movie about college acapella was a phenomenon in the early 2010s, and it served as a big breakout leading role for Anna Kendrick. Not only was she funny as Becca, but everyone also became aware that she had the singing voice of an angel.  

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave

Lupita Nyong’o’s first feature film was 12 Years A Slave. Her performance in the movie by Steve McQueen won her an Oscar in 2012 and solidified her as a top-tier dramatic performer. Since then, she’s gone on to star in massive blockbusters like Black Panther and A Quiet Place: Day One. 

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

There have been many amazing takes on the Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck was a totally new one. In Joker, we see the villain’s origin story, and it’s a film that’s unlike any other DC project. The haunting performance ultimately won the actor an Oscar, and he reprised the part again in Joker: Folie à Deux.

Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

The movie is named after Mad Max, and he’s great, don’t get me wrong, but Furiosa steals the show. Charlize Theron’s performance as the driver in Mad Max: Fury Road is fierce and jaw-dropping, and she’s one of many reasons why George Miller’s movie is considered one of the best action films. 

Michael Cera – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

You can’t have Scott Pilgrim vs. The World without a perfect Scott Pilgrim and that’s who Michael Cera is. He perfectly played the awkward yet heroic protagonist in Edgar Wright’s beloved film, and to this day, it's considered some of his best work.

Matt Damon – The Martian

This Ridley Scott movie is literally about one man who is stuck on Mars. Yes, there are other people in the film trying to save him. However, overall, The Martian is Matt Damon’s movie. He plays the stranded astronaut and scientist, and the heart, charisma, intelligence and even humor he brings to the space drama is unforgettable. 

All around, the 2010s were full of films that are on their way to becoming all-time classics, and it’s in part thanks to the brilliant actors who starred in them. 

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

Past Lives

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

Love Actually

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

Casablanca

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

(500) Days Of Summer

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

Rushmore

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

Forrest Gump

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

Brokeback Mountain

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

The Royal Tenenbaums

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

The Great Gatsby

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

Lost in Translation

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

Pretty In Pink

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

Doctor Zhivago

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

There's Something About Mary

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

Great Expectations (1998)

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

La La Land

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

Les Misérables

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

Roxanne

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

My Best Friend's Wedding

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

Chasing Amy

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

Once

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

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

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

The Remains of the Day

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

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

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

Edward Scissorhands

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

The Last Of The Mohicans

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

West Side Story

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

An Affair to Remember

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

He's Just Not That Into You

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

One Day

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

Her

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

Broadcast News

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

Paper Towns

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

Film fans often flock to see the locations where their favorite movies were made, like the ones on this list. Whether it's a place crucial to the plot of a movie, like the prison in The Shawshank Redemption, or a seemingly minor spot like the burger place in Dazed & Confused, these 32 locations have become iconic for their use on film. 

Hook & Ladder Company 8 - Ghostbusters

The coolest thing about Hook & Ladder Company 8, located on North Moore Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City is that the firehouse, which is still an active station, has incorporated the Ghostbuster's logo into its crest. The building is not run down at all, as seen in the movie, and at almost any time of day, you'll see fans of the movie taking selfies. 

Quick Stop Groceries - Clerks

Kevin Smith famously made Clerks on a minuscule budget. One way he cut costs was to film overnight in his actual place of employment, the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store in Leonardo, NJ. The store is still in business, all these years later and you can be sure they play up the fact that the movie was filmed there. 

King's Cross Station - The Harry Potter Series

King's Cross Station is one of a few train stations in London, and while it's always been a well-known station, its fame leaped to another level with the Harry Potter series. You see, it's there, on platform 9 3/4, that Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts students catch their train to school. Of course, there isn't really a platform 9 3/4, but there is a photo op for fans at the real station now.  

West 167th Street Stairs - Joker

In the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx is an unassuming staircase connecting Shakespeare Ave. and Anderson Ave. There are similar stairs in New York City, but none are as famous as the West 167th Street Stairs, where Joaquin Phoenix famously danced as the titular character in Joker. 

Haystack Rock - The Goonies

The Haystack Rock formation off the coast of Cannon Beach in Oregon has been a famous geological spot for decades. For movie fans, it's immediately recognizable from The Goonies as the beach where the kids emerge after finding One-Eyed Willie's pirate ship. It's been used in other movies as well, like Twilight and Point Break. 

Top Notch Burgers - Dazed & Confused

Dazed & Confused does such an incredible job putting the audience right in the middle of the '70s, it's become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. One major reason it just oozes 1970s teen car culture is the Top Notch Burgers that the characters cruise through. It's a real restaurant in Austin, Texas, where the movie was set and filmed. 

Fox Plaza - Die Hard

2121 Avenue of the Stars, which is most well known by its former name, Fox Plaza, is most famous for being the building where Hans Gruber and his band of merry men commit their robbery in Die Hard. The building, in Los Angeles, was brand new when it was used for the movie in 1988. Eagle-eyed viewers might also recognize it as one of the collapsing buildings at the end of Fight Club. 

South Seas Apartment Complex - The Karate Kid

The South Seas Apartment Complex in The Karate Kid is a pretty typical apartment building in the LA area. It is a real place, with that name, just like in the movie. It's located in Reseda, but it's actually pretty nice, nothing like it looks in the classic '80s movie.

The Philadelphia Museum Of Art - Rocky

There are a lot of really famous sites to see in Philadelphia. Constitution Hall, The Liberty Bell, Pat's and Geno's cheesesteak stands, and, of course, the steps that lead up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They were made most famous by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky when the titular character runs up them and celebrates at the top as "Gonna Fly Now" plays triumphantly. 

Georgetown Stairs - The Exorcist

The Exorcist is one of the scariest movies ever made and one of the eeriest things about it are the steep steps just outside the MacNeil household. They are used a few times in the movie, and it's good when they appear. The real stairs are located in the same neighborhood of Washington DC, Georgetown, where the movie is set, at Prospect St and 36th St NW. 

Seaside, FL - The Truman Show

The fictional town where The Truman Show takes place is both fictional for the movie, and fictional in the movie, as it's really just a soundstage where the TV show is filmed, unbeknownst to Truman (Jim Carrey). It was filmed in a real town, however. Seaside, FL looks pretty much exactly as it does in the movie and the house where Truman lives in the movie is where Congressman Matt Gaetz grew up. How's that for an odd coincidence? 

Katz's Deli - When Harry Met Sally

Katz's Deli, on Houston St. in Manhattan, has long been one of the most famous delis in New York City, but it reached new heights of fame after the legendary scene in When Harry Met Sally after Sally (Meg Ryan) does her famous performance of her faking it in bed. 

Chippewa Square Bus Stop - Forrest Gump

The Baby Boomer fever-dream hit movie Forrest Gump takes place over decades, but it's all told by Forrest (Tom Hanks) from one location, a bench at the Chippewa Square bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. It's where the character sits chatting with different people as he tells them his life story, which for some reason is like a box of chocolates. 

Fox Theatre, St. Louis - Escape From New York

If you ever wondered what city could stand in for a dystopian New York City that has been turned into an island prison, it was late '70s St. Louis, MO. The movie was filmed all over the city, including the Fox Theater, located on Grand Ave. The theater at the time was in disrepair and in desperate need of a renovation. Thankfully it got one and today is in much better shape than it was in the movie. 

Timberline Lodge - The Shining

It may be one of the most famous locations on this list - Timberline Lodge, which is the hotel that stands in for The Overlook Hotel in The Shining. The lodge, Mt. Hood, WA, is still open today and draws not only skiers and outdoor enthusiasts, but fans of the horror classic. 

Hôtel Sidi Driss - Star Wars

The Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata, Tunisia is one of the most unique hotels in the world, and so it's fitting it would serve as a home on a planet way out of this world. Movie audiences will immediately recognize it as the home of Luke Skywalker and his aunt and uncle at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie. If you're a fan, and you're in the neighborhood, the hotel is still open and taking reservations. 

7B Horseshoe Bar- The Godfather Part II

It goes by many different names. 7B and Horseshoe Bar are the two most people call it. It's still open, right at the corner of 7th Street and Ave. B in Manhattan. It's been there for years and has been used in a few film productions, but none more famous than in The Godfather Part II. It's where the botched assassination of Frank Pentangeli took place. 

Ohio State Reformatory - The Shawshank Redemption

One of the best movies of the '90s has to be The Shawshank Redemption. While the film is set in Maine, the home state of the book's author Stephen King, it was filmed in the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. It had closed as a prison just a few years before they filmed it, so that certainly helps bring some authenticity to the movie. 

Bosse Field - A League Of Their Own

With some of the best moments in a baseball movie ever, A League Of Their Own has endured for years. So has the minor league baseball field where it was filmed, Bosse Field in Evansville, IN. Though it's a minor league park, it's still the third oldest baseball stadium in the country, behind Wrigley Field and Fenway Park and it retains all the charm it has in the movie. 

Mountain Lake Lodge - Dirty Dancing

In the 1960s, when Dirty Dancing was set, inclusive vacation spots like the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia dotted the American countryside. Most have long closed, but the Mountain Lake Lodge has survived and you can still visit and stay there, just like Baby and her family did in the movie. The actual cabin where the Housemans stayed is even available for rent. 

1 Wall Street Court - John Wick

Most of New York City - Manhattan at least - is a grid. But there are a few spots where the grid breaks down and creates odd-shaped blocks, leading to oddly shaped buildings. 1 Wall Street Court is one of those buildings, which makes it the perfect exterior for the mysterious Continental Hotel in the John Wick series where hitmen and criminals can enjoy a drink and a good night's sleep without one eye open looking for enemies. 

The Best Little Chapel - The Hangover

Las Vegas is famous for a lot of reasons, including all the tiny wedding chapels all over town. One famous chapel isn't actually a chapel, though. There are a lot of famous locations in The Hangover, most notably Caesar's Palace (Caesar didn't actually live there). One place you'll have a hard time finding unless you know where to look is The Best Wedding Chapel, as it's really just a youth hostel on Las Vegas Blvd. that was dressed up to look like a wedding chapel. Still, you can see the parking lot and all the hilarious signs behind the location as you quote all your favorite lines from The Hangover.

Matamata, New Zealand - Lord Of The Rings

This is a unique entry on this list as it's now famous for what the Lord of the Rings series did for the town. It's where The Shire was built and much of the set remains today as a tourist attraction for the millions of fans of the movies. It really does feel like you're stepping into the movies. 

Christmas Story House - A Christmas Story

"Ah, there it is. My house, and good old Cleveland Street," is how A Christmas Story begins. The house is almost a character all itself, with the sketchy furnace and the leg lamp, etc... The real house is in the City of Cleveland, but it's at 3159 W 11th St, not on Cleveland St. It's also worth noting that while most of it was filmed in Cleveland, it's set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana.

The Dakota Building - Rosemary's Baby

The Dakota, at 72nd and Central Park West in New York, is one of the most famous apartment buildings in the world, and one reason for that is that it's the setting for the terrifying Roman Polanski film, Rosemary's Baby. It's the perfect building to set the film, with his is dark neo-gothic architecture and large, lavish apartments. The Dakota is also infamous for being where John Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, while he lived there. 

Forks, WA - Twilight

For fans of the Twilight series, the town of Forks, Washington is the homeland. Both the books and the movies are set in a small town in a remote part of the state west of Seattle. It's now a tourist hot spot, though most of the movie was filmed in locations other than Forks. 

El Coyote - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

El Coyote is a legendary Mexican restaurant in LA that dates back to the 1930s. It's also where Sharon Tate and her friends ate their final meal on August 9th, 1969 before they were murdered by the Manson Family. For his movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino filmed the scene of the friends eating not only in the same restaurant but in the very same booth where they sat all those decades ago. 

Lighthouse Café - La La Land

The Lighthouse Café is a great jazz spot that sits in Hermosa Beach, California near LA. It was the location for one of the most famous scenes that movie critics often call a "love letter to Los Angeles," La La Land. 

Drayton House - Saltburn

The English countryside is filled with amazing, ornate homes that are often used for filming, sometimes they are the location for TV shows, like Downton Abbey, and other times it's for movies like Saltburn. For the latter, the makers of the film used the stately Drayton House in Lowick, Northamptonshire.

Kualoa Ranch - Jurassic Park

Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It makes sense it would be the setting for quite a few TV shows and movies, including Lost,  Magnum P.I., Pearl Harbor, and maybe the most famous movie filmed there, 1993's Jurassic Park. 

The Tasty - Good Will Hunting

Sadly, this is a location you can no longer visit, as it closed a few years ago. For decades, however, The Tasty Diner in Harvard Square was a late-night favorite for drunk college students from all over Boston. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck made sure it found its way into their movie about Boston, Good Will Hunting. 

Görlitz Department Store - Grand Budapest Hotel

The exterior of the titular Grand Budapest Hotel might have been a model, but the interior and lobby were actually a beautiful - and vacant - department store in Görlitz, Germany. Sadly, while the building is still standing, it is still unused. 

Sally Albright and Harry Burns, Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, Anna Scott and William Thacker — the best romantic comedies of all time have given the world some of cinema's most beloved pairings. But what about those movies that aren't classic rom-coms? Plenty of sci-fi classics, adventure epics, soaring musicals and heartrending dramas have introduced movie lovers to twosomes worth rooting for. Here are the 32 best movie couples from outside the rom-com genre. 

Han Solo and Princess Leia (Star Wars)

"I love you!" "I know!" And there you have the famous dynamic between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) throughout the entire Star Wars franchise. The good-natured bickering, palpable tension and lasting love through both ups and downs between the rakish captain of the Millennium Falcon and the regal Jedi-turned-general make theirs one of the best couples in any galaxy. 

Joel and Clementine (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Not even a Lacuna memory erasure procedure could make Joel Barish (Jim Carrey, in one of his best performances) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) forget each other in the 2004 Michael Gondry-directed classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Though both characters initially wanted to dissolve their relationship, getting to relive all of their moments together — both good and bad — made them, and us, want to see their romance rekindled. 

Jackson and Ally (A Star Is Born)

The love story between an established Hollywood star and a plucky aspiring singer has been told across several film versions of A Star Is Born — though the duo is known as Norman and Esther in previous iterations — but Bradley Cooper's Jackson and Lady Gaga's Ally reinvigorated the cinematic romance in the 2018 romantic musical, thanks to their electrifying chemistry and incredible duets. That devastating ending wouldn't hit nearly the same way without them.

Rose and Jack (Titanic)

James Cameron's Titanic does so much as a movie: one part historical drama, one part disaster epic, and one part onscreen romance for the ages. And guiding moviegoers through all of it is the instantly iconic pairing of scrappy third-class artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and sheltered high-class debutante Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). 

Chiron and Kevin (Moonlight)

In the 2016 Oscar winner for Best Picture, we get to see Chiron and Kevin together through three periods of their lives in Miami, from their childhoods to teendom to adulthood. Their sweet connection turns sultry when the pair (now played by Trevante Rhodes and André Holland, respectively) reunites as grown men at a Florida diner, with Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger" crooning over the jukebox. 

Rick and Ilsa (Casablanca)

It's ironic that arguably the greatest cinematic romance of all time is actually between exes. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) may not be together anymore in the 1942 masterpiece Casablanca, as she has since moved on and married Czechoslovak Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). But they'll wistfully "always have Paris," and we'll always have them. 

Marianne and Héloïse (Portrait Of A Lady On Fire)

This subtle yet stirring 2019 drama from Céline Sciamma tells the story of a slow-burn romance between two young women in late 18th-century France: a young aristocrat named Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) and the painter commissioned to paint her portrait, Marianne (Noémie Merlant). Together, the LGBTQ+ movie couple crafts a connection as singular and stunning as anything found on a canvas. 

Tish and Fonny (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director Barry Jenkins composes a stunning cast for this film adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel, including Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bryan Tyree Henry and Regina King. But the heart of the story beats with its core couple Tish and Fonny, portrayed by KiKi Layne and Stephan James. The film is told in a non-linear fashion, jumping from highs (the birth of a child) to lows (wrongful incarceration), but the heart-wrenching love between Tish and Fonny threads it all. 

Ennis and Jack (Brokeback Mountain)

One of the best LGBTQ movies of all time, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain broke hearts the world over with its beautifully rendered romance between Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two Wyoming cowboys whose intense but repressed passion stretches across decades. The realities of early-'60s America meant that the men couldn't be publicly open with their relationship, which made their time together both savored and tragic. 

Elizabeth and Will (Pirates Of The Caribbean)

Although Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann has several love interests throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, including Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and James Norrington (Jack Davenport), even casual fans know that her one true love is none other than blacksmith-turned-pirate Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). Spanning five Pirates movies, the swashbuckling duo takes on everything from arrests and kidnappings to ghost captains and mysterious curses. 

Neo and Trinity (The Matrix)

To say that love changes the world in The Matrix films is an understatement: it literally is what brings Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) back to life and frees them from the confines of simulated reality. A true fusion reaction, the connection that they generate throughout the seminal sci-fi franchise is enough to power them through hardships both human and machine.

Reynolds and Alma (Phantom Thread)

Not every movie romance is a happily-ever-after breeze. For controlling couture designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and clumsy but calculating country waitress Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), things aren't entirely smooth sailing after they meet-cute at the restaurant she works at and marry shortly thereafter, especially because the bride has taken to micro-poisoning her husband to render him sweet and submissive. Her actions are twisted, no doubt, but Reynolds ends up finding it all weirdly endearing, and so do we. 

Rhett And Scarlett (Gone With The Wind) 

One of the most iconic pairings ever on the big screen, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) weather a lot throughout this four-hour 1939 Oscar winner, from civil war to typhoid fever to the loss of a child. Ironically, it's their very own natures that they can't outrun, from Rhett's ruthlessness to Scarlett's stubbornness. When the Southern belle finally realizes that she's really loved Rhett all along, it's too late, as he harshly leaves her with one of the movie's best parting lines: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Clarence and Alabama (True Romance)

In sickness and in health, until arrest do us part — those could basically be the vows of Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) and Alabama Whitman (Patricia Arquette), a pair of newlyweds on the run from the Mafia after stealing a shipment of drugs. Things get unsurprisingly dark for our brazen bride and groom, but the sheer devotion that the two have for each other is a welcome bright spot. 

Gomez and Morticia (The Addams Family)

Who would have thought that one of pop culture's healthiest onscreen couples would be the exceedingly odd, decidedly macabre Morticia and Gomez Addams? Though incarnated by numerous performers on screens big and small, the portrayals by Anjelica Huston as Morticia and Raul Julia as Gomez in 1991's The Addams Family deliciously embody the characters' endless enthusiasm for each other. Madly in love, indeed!

Jesse and Céline (The 'Before' Trilogy)

It's incredibly rare to follow a beloved movie couple for years — in Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy, you movingly get to follow Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) across decades, from the star-crossed travelers who meet on a Eurail train and later fall for each other while playing tourist in Vienna in 1995's Before Sunrise, to the long-together older versions we find summering in Greece with their children in 2013's Before Midnight. 

Albert and Armand (The Birdcage)

Sure, stereotypes abound in Mike Nichols' 1996 comedy The Birdcage, especially surrounding Armand (Robin Williams, in a classic performance) and Albert Goldman (Nathan Lane), a gay couple whose son (Dan Futterman) is set to marry the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of a very conservative senator (Gene Hackman) and his wife (Dianne Wiest). But in the middle of all of the flamboyant hijinks, Armand and Albert prove to have the film's most stable relationship, one marked by compassion, communication and acceptance. 

Peter and Mary Jane (The 'Spider-Man' Trilogy)

Along with giving moviegoers a rain-soaked, upside-down lip lock we won't soon forget, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst's take on Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson imbued some palpable real-life chemistry into the beloved comic-book couple. In keeping with Spider-Man tradition, the actors briefly dated offscreen as well, though Dunst joked that filming that epic smooch was far less pleasurable than it looked.

Noah and Allie (The Notebook)

Let's be real, it would take a very special gentleman to have us rooting for anyone other than James Marsden to get the girl. It's good, then, that director Nick Cassavetes cast Ryan Gosling at his dreamiest opposite Rachel McAdams in this 2004 melodrama, widely considered one of the best romantic movies of all time. The actors' off-set connection (they dated IRL from 2005 to 2007) is passionately felt in the characters' constant bickering and bantering, not to mention those intense rainstorm smooches. 

Edward and Bella (Twilight)

Neither age (she's 17-year-old and he's a cool 104) nor species (she's a human and he's a blood-drinking, sparkly-skinned vampire) could keep them apart. No, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) remained astonishingly loyal to and protective of each other throughout the entire Twilight Saga film franchise, despite jealous werewolves, vampire armies and creepy half-vamp babies trying to get in their way (though Stewart hilariously does not agree with her character's infatuation). 

Katniss and Peeta (The Hunger Games)

Surviving tough times is a given in any relationship but few movie couples have been tested by as much hardship as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). The characters first bond as "tributes" in the government's annual Hunger Games — which require them to fight to the death until only one person is left alive — and despite the odds, they're able to parlay that trust and partnership into the franchise's best romance. (Sorry, Gale.) 

Emma and Adèle (Blue Is The Warmest Colour)

Much has been made about the physical intimacy between Léa Seydoux's Emma and Adèle Exarchopoulos's Adèle in the 2013 French drama Blue is the Warmest Color, but their connection goes far deeper than the film's explicit sex scenes. The feelings between the two young women are so raw and fierce that when they meet again at a restaurant after years of separation, we absolutely believe Emma when she says she will always feel "infinite tenderness" for what they had. 

Ron and Hermione (Harry Potter)

Some of the best romances come out of friendships, and the coupling between Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) is no exception. For years, Harry Potter fans watched as the young wizard and witch danced around their feelings for each other — granted, they were busy fighting the Wizarding World's darkest forces at the time — so when the longtime pals finally locked lips in Deathly Hallows — Part 2, the big moment felt completely earned. 

Jamal and Latika (Slumdog Millionaire)

It's the intense love and loyalty that Jamal (Dev Patel) has for Latika (Freida Pinto), who he first met as a kid in the slums of Mumbai, that fuels his every move in this Danny Boyle-directed musical drama. Whether he's stealing shoes at the Taj Mahal, taking a job as a chaiwala at a call center or winning India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Jamal is doing it all to get back to Latika. And when he does, it's only fitting that his whole world breaks out in song and dance. 

Romeo and Juliet (Romeo + Juliet)

They are the O.G. star-crossed lovers and in Baz Luhrmann's 1996 retelling of the Shakespearean classic, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes beautifully lead the Romeo + Juliet cast as our eponymous pair and capture all of the intensity of first love. Yes, with family feuds, fatal duels and friar mix-ups aplenty, this relationship was doomed to fail, but at least it pulsed with youthful verve and captivating chemistry while it lasted. 

Oliver and Elio (Call Me By Your Name)

Some relationships may be short in span but sweeping in their impact. In Luca Guadagnino's 2017 masterpiece Call Me by Your Name, the romance between 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) and graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) — who is assisting Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg) for the summer — only lasts a few short, sun-soaked weeks. But the after-effects of their coupling ripple through both young men long after the cold settles in. 

Rick and Evelyn (The Mummy)

One of the best things about the romance between adventurer Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and librarian Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is that it subverts that tired beauty-and-brawn stereotype. Evelyn is obviously lovely but she's no distressed damsel — she's as capable of deciphering hieroglyphics as she is sword-fighting the undead. And Rick is fittingly valiant but needs to be rescued himself every now and then. Together, they make the perfect mummy-fighting pair. 

Tony And Maria (West Side Story) 

Taking inspiration from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, there was always an undercurrent of tragedy between Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood), two Upper West Side teens tied to rival NYC street gangs. The relationship between the young lovers remains pure and passionate — iconically portrayed in that famous "Tonight" balcony scene — even as they get caught up in prejudice, violence and societal divides.

Mia And Sebastian (La La Land)

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have teamed up several times onscreen, including 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love and 2013's Gangster Squad, but it was 2016's La La Land that best used their fizzy, years-honed friendship and produced their most iconic pairing as struggling jazz pianist Sebastian Wilder and aspiring actress Mia Dolan, who meet and fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. 

Bonnie and Clyde (Bonnie And Clyde)

Just because a couple is doing bad deeds doesn't mean we can't root for them, right? Yes, Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) were up to all sorts of criminal mischief in the 1967 neo-noir Bonnie and Clyde, from bank robberies to gang kidnappings, but their actions were powered by a passion so intense, it was deadly. 

Rocky and Adrian (Rocky)

Yo, Adrian! The relationship between Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire) — who first meet over turtle food at a Philadelphia pet store — is one of the connecting threads of the Rocky film franchise. Despite her misgivings about Rocky's dangerous career, Adrian is a supportive, steadfast presence for Rocky both inside the ring and out, so much so that even when he loses, he still feels like a winner. 

Maria and the Captain (The Sound Of Music)

How do you solve a problem like Maria? You fall in love with her, of course! And who could blame Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) for catching feelings for the effervescent governess to his seven children, especially when she's played by the incomparable Julie Andrews? Watching his gruff, widowed military officer soften under Maria's care is, simply, one of our favorite things. 

If you are looking for an actor whose choices in romance movies have serious range, look no further than some of Ryan Gosling’s best films. From Oscar-nominated romantic dramas (La La Land) to truly hilarious rom-coms (Crazy, Stupid, Love) to heart-wrenching romantic epics (The Notebook), the actor has done it all in the realm of romance. Today, we’re here to talk about those amazing projects and how you can watch them. 

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Arguably Ryan Gosling’s only straight-up rom-com, Crazy, Stupid, Love is unique in the sense that it covers romantic, platonic and familial love. It’s considered one of the best rom-coms because of its quick-witted dialogue and irresistible couples. And it’s a classic because of the incredible and hilarious chemistry between its cast of Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and of course, Ryan Gosling. 

What I love about this rom-com is it’s quite unconventional. Ryan Gosling’s Jacob isn’t the main male character, Steve Carell’s Cal is. Also, the story doesn’t revolve around a new couple, it’s centered on a guy who is reeling from his wife splitting up with him. Jacob comes in to help Cal cope, and he attempts to teach him how to be a playboy. However, simultaneously the playboy is falling in love hard (with Emma Stone's Hannah), and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.

The movie is messy, funny, and as the title implies, crazy and stupid. Overall, it’s a wonderfully chaotic portrait of love, and it’s worth your time. 

Plus! It’s the movie that introduced us to the dynamic duo that is Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, so that’s another reason we should be eternally grateful for Crazy, Stupid, Love. 

Buy or rent Crazy, Stupid, Love on Amazon.
Purchase Crazy, Stupid, Love on DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon. 

La La Land

No matter how many times I’ve re-watched La La Land, I never get tired of Mia and Sebastian’s love story. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are perfect together as an aspiring actress and jazz musician, and their year together is colorful, musical and magical.

Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning film brings Old Hollywood into the modern day to tell this romantic tale, and it’s wonderful to be whisked through Los Angeles with Gosling and Stone as they fall for each other and work to achieve their dreams. 

While it’s more rom than com, this movie has its light moments, like “Lovely Night,” and it’s perfectly balanced with incredibly emotional beats, like anytime “City of Stars” plays. 

Obviously, the break-up is something we can’t get over in La La Land, however, it’s also one of the reasons why it's so romantic. These two people loved and cared for each other so much that they were willing to let one another go so they could pursue what they love, and that, while tragic, is romantic and beautiful, just like the movie. 

Stream La La Land On Netflix.

Buy or rent La La Land on Amazon. 
Purchase La La Land on DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Blue Valentine

Not all romances have a happy ending, and sometimes said love stories go to dark places and rip your heart out. That’s what Blue Valentine does. 

Flipping between their magical meeting and their breaking point, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give heartbreaking performances as Dean and Cindy. We see them at their best, and their absolute worst, and the two stars flawlessly carry the weight of Blue Valentine as our review pointed out. 

Yet again, this beloved film shows off Gosling’s range as an actor, and his ability to take on any kind of romance. His dramatic skills were on full display in Blue Valentine, and his and Williams’ performances were truly the powerful heartbreaking heartbeat of this film from Derek Cianfrance. 

Buy or rent Blue Valentine on Amazon. 
Purchase Blue Valentine DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The Notebook

Grab your tissues, it’s time to talk about The Notebook.

If you are looking to go back and witness Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams right at the start of their adult careers, give this 2004 classic a watch. Considered one of the best movies of the 2000s, this Nicholas Sparks adaptation tells the sweeping love story of Noah and Allie who go from high school sweethearts to second-chance romantics. 

From their dramatic kiss in the rain to them laying in the middle of the road to all those damn letters Noah wrote to Allie, every beat of this movie is heart-wrenching and classic romance through and through. 

There’s a reason this romance is still so beloved 20 years later. It’s because Noah and Allie's story is timeless, and Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are perfect in these roles that helped them become household names. 

Buy or rent The Notebook on Amazon. 
Purchase The Notebook on DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Lars And The Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl is an unconventional, heartbreaking, bizarre and hilarious romance. The film follows a couple as they struggle to support their brother, who is played by Ryan Gosling, after he falls in love with a sex doll. Yes, you read that correctly. 

Gosling’s character, Lars, is socially awkward and incredibly lonely, and the film follows him and his family as they all learn about his relationship with Bianca, the sex doll. The movie is a refreshing commentary on loneliness, love and family, and it’s yet another example of this actor's brilliant range. 

Stream Lars and the Real Girl on Tubi. 
Buy or rent Lars and the Real Girl on Amazon.
Purchase Lars and the Real Girl on DVD on Amazon. 

The Fall Guy

Premiering as a big summer blockbuster on the 2024 movie schedule, David Leitch’s The Fall Guy is one-part action epic, one-part rom-com. While the stunts in this movie all about stuntmen fly off the screen, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s chemistry is undeniable as they play a stuntman and director who are exes but clearly still are crushing hard on each other. 

While this movie is all about Gosling’s character finding the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s movie, early reactions for The Fall Guy highlighted the rom-com aspects, saying the Gosling-Blunt pairing is “adorable” and “electric.” 

Overall, this action rom-com is simply another fantastic entry in Ryan Gosling’s ever-growing and very diverse list of romantic movies. 

Stream The Fall Guy on Peacock starting August 30.  

Buy or rent The Fall Guy on Amazon. 

Purchase The Fall Guy on DVD on Amazon. 

Whether you are looking to go through a whole box of tissues while watching a romance or you want to laugh the night away with a rom-com, Ryan Gosling has got you covered. Since the early days of his career, he’s been taking on romantic projects that show off his skills as a comedic and dramatic performer, and here’s hoping he continues to keep doing it in the years to come. 

So I decided to do something crazy – I rewatched La La Land. 

I know—as much as that movie is beautiful and a tremendous modern-day musical, I had sworn off of it for years. It's not because I dislike the music, cinematography, or even the acting. It's one of Emma Stone's best movies, as well as Ryan Gosling's (and I still think he deserved an Oscar win for it). 

No, I pushed off rewatching for some time because I just couldn't stomach La La Land’s ending. Call it the romantic in me, but it didn't sit right with me for years. But, I decided to check out the film once again as an adult—and I have to say, my opinion on the ending has changed drastically. Let's get into it. 

Let's Start Off By Saying I Hated The Ending As A Teenager 

The first thing I must put out there is that I was not too fond of this movie's ending as a teenager. 

It's hard to believe that La La Land came out so long ago, but I was only eighteen when I first saw it. I was in my first real relationship (and I am still in that relationship now), and this was one of the first movies we saw together. We laughed, cried, and smiled at the love story on the screen. 

But of course, both of us (as the emotional people we are) were devastated by the ending. Even if we don't watch the best rom-coms all the time or even watch the sappier dramatic romances, we still always love a happy ending. At the time, this was not a happy one. 

This film turned me off so much that any time I did happen to watch it, I'd walk out before the ending came on. I couldn't get past it. But now, everything has changed. 

Relationships Sometimes Don't Last And Love Doesn't Always Win

In the seven years since I saw this film in its entirety, I've grown up a lot. I graduated college during the year we shall not mention, struggled through my own issues, landed a full-time gig, and still, to this day, am growing ever more. My mindset on so many things has changed. 

And the ending of La La Land has joined that neverending list. 

Some of the main themes of the ending have hit me harder as an adult, but the biggest is that sometimes, relationships don't last, and love doesn't always win. Granted, I have been blessed in my relationship, and we have found ways to work through any issue we've had over the last few years. However, I've noticed through countless other examples that relationships often take many sacrifices that some people aren't willing to make. 

Whether it be for career reasons, personal reasons, or other things, those sacrifices and that unknown entity called "the future" can lead us to break up, whether after a short relationship or a long one. It could be that it's not the right time, or they don't have the same values, whatever the case may be. 

The love can still be there, but if love is inhibiting your reality of functioning together and growing as a couple, then it's not working. And that, honestly, makes this one of the most realistic love stories I've ever seen. 

You Can Still Be Happy For Someone Even From A Distance

One of the biggest punches to the gut was seeing Mia and Sebastian look at each other in those final moments across the Jazz Club. At this point, they're just strangers who have both gone through entirely different paths in life. He opened his club, she began succeeding in her career, and she had a family with someone else. 

But that look—that soft, discreet smile they share—makes all the difference. Even though they aren't the same people they were together, they are still so happy for each other. 

Mia can smile at what Sebastian has accomplished, and he can do the same; it's heartbreaking, because we saw their love story from the beginning. I think that's beautiful—that despite their circumstances, they still show just how proud they are, even with just a look. 

It's Okay To Imagine What Could Have Been – As Long As You Separate It From Reality

I think one of the worst parts of the ending that I hated was that it showed what their life could have been in that montage to their love theme, and it broke something inside of me at the time. I just kept thinking, "How could they not work it out? They loved each other so much. They could have done something."

But now, older and slightly wiser (at least in my opinion), I get it. That moment of imagining what could have been. It's okay to think about it as long as it doesn't distract you from your current-day reality, which you also worked hard to achieve. 

I've often wondered what would have happened if my current relationship hadn't worked out. I would have probably ended up staying home for a few years, possibly working out of New York City since it's closest to where I originally lived. I might have worked at an entirely different paper or industry or met someone altogether different. Heck, I could have lived the life of a character in those shows about New York if I wanted to. 

But, then I think back to now, and I think of the man I love, and I remember everything we have ever gone through and how much we have grown together. And yeah, sometimes you can think about what could have been, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be than where I am. 

That's what that last montage is about. Mia and Sebastian both wonder what could have been, but Mia goes her separate way, and so does he, because they are happy where they are despite it all. They at least have each other to thank for guiding them to where they are now. 

Mia And Sebastian's Love Story Is A Modern Day Tragedy 

While Mia and Sebastian's story initially seems to be one of love, it has now become a modern-day tragedy that I'm sure many people of my generation can relate to. 

No relationships are the same, and La La Land perfectly exemplifies that. Sometimes, things work out better, as they have with me. But other times, life gets in the way, and we have to make choices for others and ourselves. 

With Mia and Sebastian, it wasn't easy, but they chose their careers. While it's tragic, it's understandable in today's day and age. 

If we're being honest, if I want to feel good during a musical, I'll go and rewatch Mamma Mia! or rewatch Hairspray for the umpteenth time. At the end of the day, though, La La Land is a unique film that I think everyone my age – heck, even younger or older – should watch. 

It's precisely the kind of musical we need more of—one that shows people choosing their own happiness. Sometimes, that doesn't mean it's with the person who makes you the happiest, but with yourself. I wish I could have understood it more as a teenager. 

At least now that I've rewatched it, I can go back to watching the best enemies-to-lovers movies or the funniest comedies out there. However, if you haven't seen La La Land in some time, give it a shot. Your opinion may change, just like mine. 

Or you'll still despise the ending; who knows? That's the whole point – your life, your choices.

If the 2024 Academy Awards proved anything, it was that movies are back! It's taken a while following the COVID-19 pandemic for Hollywood to feel “normal” again, yet the ceremony showed that feature films are not only hot again but better than ever. The ceremony honored this year's Oscar winners like Robert Downey Jr., and Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer, as well as Emma Stone, who won Best Actress for her performance in Poor Things. And that wasn’t her only shining moment from the night. Stone was singled out during pal Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance, which felt like a sweet improvised moment. However, it turns out this was all part of a choreographed number that was thoroughly planned. 

Highlights from the “I’m Just Ken” Oscars performance were broken down by Variety, and it turns out, everything was very thought out by the Drive star. The trade reveals that, for months, the Academy had been speaking to the comedic actor, who worked with choreographer Mandy Moore to make the number as iconic as possible. A significant amount of the number was the leading man's idea, including opening the number sitting behind co-star Margot Robbie. It seems it was also his idea to go over to the Easy A icon and have her sing into the mic as well, and he knew exactly what line he would approach her with. 

For context, during the performance the Ken actor turns the mics onto some of his fellow nominees in the crowd. He first goes over to Barbie's Margot Robbie, America Ferrera and director Greta Gerwig to sing with him. This is a great moment, as it highlights the women involved in the production and the true architects of the box office sensation that was Barbie. He then moves over to Emma Stone, who is standing in the front row. He turns the microphone over to her after singing the line "I'm just Ken" and she enthusiastically sings the line “And so am I,” before Gosling guides the steady-cam operator up the staircase to the stage. Gosling also kisses the hand of the cameraman, a move that was also planned by the actor.

It was definitely fitting for Ryan Gosling to involve Emma Stone in the Oscars moment. While she was not involved in Barbie, she has been a major part of Gosling’s film career. They have done three movies together, including Crazy, Stupid, Love, Gangster Squad and La La Land. The two were both Oscar nominees this year, and the previous time they were both nominated was for their work on the aforementioned musical together in 2017. 

Emma Stone also won her first Oscar for La La Land, and the movie showcased Ryan Gosling’s musical ability, which he utilized again for Greta Gerwig's fantasy film. Gosling used this moment in the performance not only to highlight the women behind the pink-tinted film, but the women that played a significant role in his career, making it even more special. 

On the surface, the song is somewhat ridiculous, acting as a big comedic moment in the hit 2023 film. However, with his Oscars performance, the Half Nelson made it more than this. He meticulously planned out the number, taking great care and inflicting meaning into something that could just be surface level. The performance of “I’m Just Ken” even references Marilyn Monroe, has meaningful cameos by major stars, and dishes out meta-commentary of Ryan Gosling’s career and the women like Emma Stone and Greta Gerwig who have lifted him up over the years. There's definitely more to this Academy Awards performance than meets the eye, and I hope we learn even more BTS details on it as time goes on.

For those who may have missed it, you can check out the Oscars performance of “I’m Just Ken” on YouTube now. You can also see the song performed in Barbie, which is now streamable with a Max subscription. Fans additionally can revisit the actor's previous musical cinematic performance alongside Emma Stone in La La Land, which you can rent now on Amazon. 

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

SPOILERS ahead! 

Mia & Sebastian, La La Land 

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

Joel & Clementine, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

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

Joe & Summer, (500) Days Of Summer 

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

Daniel & Miranda, Mrs. Doubtfire 

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

 Annette & Sebastian, Cruel Intentions 

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

Ted & Joanna, Kramer vs. Kramer 

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

Gale & Dewey, The Scream Movies

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

Theodore & Samantha, Her

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

Ennis & Jack, Brokeback Mountain 

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

Han Solo & Leia Organa, The Star Wars Movies 

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

Dani & Christian, Midsommar

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

Rick & Ilsa, Casablanca

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

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

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

Celeste & Jesse, Celeste and Jesse Forever 

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

Gary & Brooke, The Break-Up

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

Oliver & Elio, Call Me By Your Name 

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

Nora & Hae Song, Past Lives 

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

Rhett & Scarlett, Gone With The Wind

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

Noah & Allie, The Notebook

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

Jerry & Dorothy, Jerry Maguire

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

Alice & Dan, Closer

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

Nicole & Charlie, Marriage Story

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

Bernadine & John, Waiting To Exhale 

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

Peter & Sarah, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

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

Danny & Debbie, About Last Night

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

Katie & Hubbell, The Way We Were

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

Dean & Cindy, Blue Valentine

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

Emma & Adele, Blue Is The Warmest Color

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

Julianne & Michael, My Best Friend’s Wedding

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

Su & Chow, In The Mood For Love

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

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

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

Evan & Kayleigh - The Butterfly Effect 

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

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

In recent years, the Academy Awards has been the scene of some of pop culture’s biggest viral controversies (including the Will Smith – Chris Rock slap). One of those moments was the Best Picture mix-up with La La Land and Moonlight at the 89th Academy Awards. What made the snafu even more awkward was the fact that the cast and crew of the romantic musical were still standing on stage as the coming-of-age drama's ensemble accepted the night’s top honor. Of course, Emma Stone watched the whole ordeal first-hand. Now, years after the infamous slip-up, Stone reflected on the moment, which apparently left her mom "panicking."

The Poor Things star relived the viral moment during her appearance on The Graham Norton Show, where she was promoting the fantasy dark comedy with co-star Mark Ruffalo. In the clip shared to YouTube, Emma Stone took it all in stride as she predicted that Norton would ask her about the incident while also being mortified by a photo capturing the major screw-up. Of course, the Oscar winner recalled the situation on stage being chaotic, as producers realized the wrong movie had been called. However, that wasn’t Stone’s biggest worry, as her mother was apparently having an even worse experience at home:

Mother Stone’s fears were called for at the time. Before viewers and the attendees found out about the slip-up, there was a mix of anxiety and curiosity over why producers randomly ran onto the Oscar stage. Celebrity safety and security have been major concerns amid public events, including awards ceremonies, over the years due to fellow attendees and/or random strangers.

As the Easy A star pointed out, the La La Land and Moonlight crews, TV viewers, and Oscar attendees soon got an answer. In her usual humorous fashion, Emma Stone blamed herself for odd occurrences happening during major career moments. She joked:

It seems that, at the very least, she can currently find some humor in the awkward televised moment. One would think that the casts and crews of both La La Land and Moonlight still have complex feelings about the matter. While she can joke about it, the night was a mixed bag for Emma Stone, who -- before the confusion -- had just won Best Actress for her role in Damian Chazelle's musical. Still, I guess we can so that no one will ever forget the two movies -- not just because of how great they are but because of what happened on Hollywood's biggest night.

Emma Stone is currently earning more acclaim, and some think she's guaranteed for another Best Actress win due to Poor Things. At present, she's already received a Golden Globe nomination as well as one from the Critics Choice Awards. We'll just have to wait and see if she gets nominated for that Oscar and, if she does, let's hope nothing major happens that causes her mother to panic again.

In the meantime, you can revisit awards season darling La La Land using a Netflix subscription, while Best Picture winner Moonlight can be accessed by Hulu subscribers. And keep an eye on the 2024 movie schedule for future releases.

Not only are Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone known for starring in legendary movies together like La La Land and Crazy, Stupid, Love, but they also both made massive marks on the 2023 movie schedule with their own stellar projects. So, considering the love for Gosling’s absolutely hilarious Barbie and Stone’s wonderfully weird Poor Things, the actress was asked about her frequent collaborator's performance as Ken, and of course, her response was the best. 

Considering Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's history, of course, she was asked about her thoughts on his performance as Ken in Barbie. While chatting with Access Hollywood she shared her thoughts on if he was Kenough, saying:

In the words of Ariana DeBose, Ryan Gosling really “did the thing,” and he did it so well, as Stone passionately pointed out in the best way. Along with Barbie’s stellar reviews and box office performance, Gosling’s role as Ken in Barbie’s cast has been praised left and right. I’m not shocked the actress also adored his performance, and I’m thrilled she loved it as much as many of us do.

While we’ve always known Ryan Gosling was funny, (I mean just watch two of his collaborations with Emma Stone – La La Land and Crazy, Stupid Love – and you’ll see it) we haven’t seen him go as hard as he did with Ken. Even though the actor doubted his Kenergy at first, ultimately he found it and turned in one of the funniest and best performances of his career. 

Emma Stone knows this, and we know it too. Gosling didn’t just tell us the definition of Kenergy, he showed it to us. It was more than “Kenough,” it was true brilliance. 

Do you know who else showed us true brilliance this year? Emma Stone in the lovingly reviewed Poor Things. Like Gosling in Barbie, the Oscar winner truly committed to playing Bella Baxter to the fullest, and she gave a heartfelt, moving and hysterical performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ film. 

I honestly believe that Emma Stone could win an Oscar for her work in Poor Things, and it seems like Ryan Gosling could be going against Robert Downey Jr. and others for an Academy Award as well. Both these actors elevated their work this year with their films, and they showed the world just how committed they are to their work. Boy, did it pay off! 

The cherry on top of this whole situation is the fact that Emma Stone also loves Barbie. Hopefully, Ryan Gosling shares his take on Poor Things, but I imagine he adores his La La Land co-stars’ performance as Bella just as much as she loves Ken. 

To see these two incredible performances from the truly dynamic duo, you can rent or buy Barbie or stream it with a Max subscription starting December 15, and you can currently catch Poor Things in theaters. If you want to see Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling share the screen, you can stream La La Land with a Netflix subscription. 

Music and the movies are two worlds that cross over often, and to great effect. Sometimes the greatest overlap between those segments of entertainment comes from performances through figures we primarily know for carrying a tune over a scene. But believe it or not, these 32 movies featuring professional musicians are noteworthy for providing talent that can do both. 

Janelle Monáe - Hidden Figures

Playing Mary Jackson, an African-American mathematician crucial to the early days of NASA’s space race, Janelle Monáe showed off her dramatic chops in the historical drama Hidden Figures. One of the earliest cinematic roles in her career, Monáe would go on to become a more prolific actor and singer, adding films like Glass Onion: a Knives Out mystery to her resume along the way. 

David Bowie - The Prestige

As he continues to build amazing ensemble casts to carry out his cinematic visions, director Christopher Nolan has a knack for choosing talent. Which leads to that time Nolan begged David Bowie to be in The Prestige, as the helmer felt that the actor/singer would be a perfect Nicola Tesla. That instinct was as well played as the film it served to bolster.

Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born

Lady Gaga is such a natural entertainer that when she was announced as a lead in Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born remake, it didn’t feel like that much of a surprise. With previous films and shows to her acting credit, this role could be considered her cinematic breakout, as it landed her many raves, awards and nominations during the 2018-2019 awards cycle.

Frank Sinatra - The Manchurian Candidate

By the time Frank Sinatra made The Manchurian Candidate, his career had seen him make musicals, comedies, and intense dramas alike. The 1962 neo-noir thriller became one of his best received films, as Sinatra’s Captain Bennett Marco and his quest to prevent a clandestine assassination attempt distinguished itself as a contemporary hit, as well as an all-time classic. 

Queen Latifah - Set It Off

A landmark ‘90s drama that’s still fondly remembered to this day, Set It Off told a story of four women looking to live better lives through thievery. Queen Latifah’s Cleo Sims made up a part of that team, offering a complex performance that was both tragic and empowering. 

Gene Simmons - Runaway

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons knew what it was like to surprise the world when he and his bandmates took off their makeup for a period between the ‘80s and ‘90s. That was as good a time as any for Simmons to break into acting, as the villainous Dr. Charles Luther in Michael Crichton’s Runaway. 

Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard

If The Bodyguard had been made when it was first written, we might have seen Ryan O’Neal and Diana Ross playing the leads. But, as anyone in Hollywood could tell you, delays can sometimes gum up the works. Which is how, by time the ‘90s rolled around, Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston landed the iconic leads in this romantic-drama; with Houston making her historic cinematic debut.

Tim McGraw - The Blind Side

A year after Tim McGraw starred in Four Christmases, the country singer experienced two life changing moments. Not only did McGraw’s weight loss journey start to take off, but his acting career saw him co-starring with Sandra Bullock in the sports drama The Blind Side.

Beyoncé - Dreamgirls

2006 was a banner year for Beyoncé’s film acting resume, thanks to Deena Jones, part of the central trio in the musical drama Dreamgirls. The Renaissance woman helped boost director Bill Condon’s musical to awards glory, alongside co-stars Anika Noni Rose and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson. 

Lenny Kravitz - The Hunger Games

Lenny Kravitz jumped into the acting game in a pretty big way, after playing himself in several film appearances. Perhaps his most iconic role yet is that of portrayal of Cinna, stylist to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games. Inspiring everyone’s favorite tribute into subtle acts of rebellion, Kravitz’s warmth helps solidify the guidance that helped turn Katniss into a hero for the ages. 

Cher - Moonstruck

“Snap out of it!” With four words, Cher became a romantic-comedy legend, as she tried to deal with Nicolas Cage’s amorous advances in Moonstruck. Not only did that impress audiences overall, it landed her the award for Best Actress at 1988’s Academy Awards as well.

Flea - The Big Lebowski

If you thought “Nihilist #2” in The Coen Bros’ legendary comedy The Big Lebowski looked or sounded familiar, you have a good ear. Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Flea is the actor credited for that role, providing some comedic menace in Jeff Bridges’ neo-noir classic about blackmail, death, and bowling. 

Dolly Parton - 9 To 5

With a balance of commanding wisdom and unlimited sweetness, Dolly Parton is a country star that will always be an icon. However, watching 9 to 5 just might shock you, as the dark comedy shows her teaming with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda to teach Dabney Coleman how to treat a woman in the workplace. Let’s just say that lesson goes beyond a catchy theme song.

Dean Martin - The Sons Of Katie Elder

Rat Pack icon of cool Dean Martin is mostly known for either his comedies alongside musical pals Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., or his long running partnership with Jerry Lewis. But outside of either of those canons is Martin’s parts in westerns like The Sons of Katie Elder, which saw the crooner playing brother to genre legend John Wayne. So you can see how this was a pretty big deal back in 1965. 

Madonna - A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own's Mae Mordabito is quite possibly Madonna's most memorable part. As center fielder for the Rockland Peaches, she plays the entire cast with comedic precision with her free spirited character. 

Eminem - 8 Mile

Playing a fictionalized version of your own experiences isn’t a guaranteed success. And yet, Eminem took 8 Mile’s aspiring rapper Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith and made believers of fans and critics with his acting abilities. It was enough of a success that, decades after he has yet to take on another major film role, people are still curious if Marshall Mathers will ever lose himself in a movie again. 

Mandy Moore - A Walk To Remember

Pro-tip: if you’re a pop star that wants to become an actor, a Nicholas Sparks movie just might be the surest way to test those waters. Mandy Moore can attest to that fact, as her role in 2002’s A Walk To Remember was probably a good warm up for her future success as part of NBC’s drama series This Is Us. If you’re a fan of that meteoric network hit, and you haven’t watched this movie, you owe yourself a moment to correct that. 

Isaac Hayes - Escape From New York

A certain generation of Isaac Hayes fans will know him best as a soulful singer, while others would recall his velvety pipes from the romantically obscene Chef from South Park. And right in between those groups are the die hard fans of the best action movies ever who would remember Hayes as the menacing Duke in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. 

Brandy - Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Everyone has their favorite Cinderella, and for Disney growing up in the ‘90s, Brandy is a prime candidate for those honors. Which is totally valid, as the singer’s leading portrayal in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a magical glass slipper that ties the entire cast of notables together. To imagine this movie without her is, quite frankly, impossible.

Sammy Davis Jr. - The Cannonball Run

The entire Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. were all actors, as well as singers, at the height of their powers. One of Davis’ best gigs, besides the original Ocean’s 11, came out of The Cannonball Run, which reunited him with fellow pally Martin for two films of vehicular madness. 

Janet Jackson - Poetic Justice

Writer/director John Singleton’s Poetic Justice could very easily be counted as an acting win for either Tupac Shakur or Janet Jackson. However, Ms. Jackson wins out no question, as her dynamic performance as Justice anchors both the dramatic, and the romantic halves of this picture. Not to mention, this project marking Janet’s debut as a feature film actor is still a powerful statement felt by her fans.

Andre Benjamin - Four Brothers

While Four Brothers isn’t an exact, on-brand remake of the western The Sons of Katie Elder, it’s pretty close. The similarities between the two Paramount movies are even eerier when you think about how Dean Martin’s acting career was enriched by the 1965 western, and Andre “3000” Benjamin saw the same sort of fortune come from his part in the 2005 action-drama.

Diana Ross - Lady Sings The Blues

Upon its release in 1972, Lady Sings The Blues sparked critical debate over how good of a biopic it really was. What wasn’t up for question was the excellence of Diana Ross’ performance as Billie Holiday; a feat that not only won her raves from critics, but also scored her a Best Actress nomination at 1973’s Academy Awards.

Usher - Light It Up

Not long after Usher made his movie debut in Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty, he graduated to being a lead player in the ensemble for writer/director Craig Bolotin's Light It Up. Going back to high school with Rosario Dawson and Sara Gilbert as classmates, Usher took part in a teenage rebellion with a cause more serious than any alien invasion.

Alicia Keys - Smokin’ Aces

The words “professional assassin” aren’t exactly what come to mind when talking about singer/songwriter Alicia Keys. That perception is part of how 2006’s Smokin’ Aces was such an explosive surprise upon its initial theatrical release. Keys and Taraji P. Henson’s double act as hired killers with a job to do helped keep this ensemble action dramedy spinning with chemistry to spare.

John Legend - La La Land

Is John Legend’s La La Land character a villain? It depends on who you ask, with his part in splitting up Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s on-screen romance acting as a defining factor. Unsurprisingly, the piano man’s charm and musical prowess added some extra star power to Damian Chazelle’s colorful musical.

Mariah Carey - Precious

People like Mariah Carey and Charlize Theron “deglamming” for performances in powerful dramas only helped amplify their performances. In Theron’s case, that led to her first Academy Award nomination in Monster. Meanwhile for Carey, director Lee Daniels’ heartbreaker provided her with a credit that wowed the critics to an impressive degree.

Alice Cooper - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Decades before Across the Universe turned the Beatles songbook into a jukebox musical, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band used that premise to a campier extent. This is, after all, the movie where you can see Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees “fighting” villains like Aerosmith and Steve Martin. And a part of that collection of baddies is an equally creepy and intriguing Alice Cooper, playing the role of cult leader Father Sun. 

Björk - Dancer In The Dark

Writer/director Lars Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark was only singer Bjòrk’s second motion picture. You’d never know it, as this beautiful but tragic mashup of drama and music saw the Icelandic singer-songwriter land a heartbreaking blow with her character Selma. Trust us, you need the right headspace, and a lot of tissues, to take on this experience.

Common - Run All Night

While Common eventually got to hunt down Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin in John Wick: Chapter 2, he practiced his killer skills with another action vet: Liam Neeson. Run All Night pitted the rapping/acting talent against Mr. Neeson, and the war waged between the two men is something truly impressive to behold. 

Britney Spears - Crossroads

Not a girl, not yet a woman, and because of Britney Spears’ intense “method acting” in Crossroads, there was one more thing she wasn’t at the time: an actor. Though she’d eventually play a couple other roles here and there, preparing to star in this teenage drama road trip was enough to make Spears question how much she really wanted to act. 

Prince - Purple Rain

The world knows the many sides of Prince through his mythic career as a guitar god and musical boundary pusher. Purple Rain made that image all the stronger, as the man is basically playing himself, with some dramatic and comedic embellishment. The result is a movie that was a white hot success, and a powerful calling card in Prince's future endeavors on both sides of this fence.

While it’s not for everyone, actor/musician crossovers are always interesting to keep an eye out for. Both commanding successes and curious one-off scenarios are equally intriguing, as one never knows where the next success story will come from. Aspiring singers and actors alike take note: these cases we’ve just discussed are good studies to keep in mind when plotting your own course to stardom! 

When I discovered that Ryan Gosling had been added to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie cast in the role of Ken, I could not imagine there being a better choice. I say this not just because his classic good looks automatically make him a good fit to play the famed, longtime boyfriend of the titular iconic doll (played by Margot Robbie), but also because the impressive range and versatility he has shown throughout his career has proven to me that he would be a good fit for just about any character you task him with.

The Canadian-born, two-time Academy Award nominee made his acting debut as a member of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1993 when he was 13 years old. He would later go on to lead a phenomenal career on the big screen by playing the likes of a hopeless romantic, a few men desperate for romance, several action heroes, one wannabe hero, a jazz preservationist, and even an astronaut. Those are only a handful of my choices for the most memorable characters from some of the best Ryan Gosling movies so far — 12 of which I have collected here below.

Alan Bosley (Remember The Titans, 2000)

Years before he put his dance skills to great use in La La Land (more on that later), the first time he showed off his moves on the big screen was in his breakout film role as Alan Bosley in Remember the Titans. He is not exactly one of the top-tier characters of this great sports movie from Disney, which tells the true story of Coach Herman Boone (Academy Award winner Denzel Washington) and his attempt to bring T.C. Williams High School’s racially diverse football team together in early 1970s Virginia. However, Gosling still proved to be a standout by giving audiences their first taste of his budding charisma every moment he is on screen.

Richard Haywood (Murder By Numbers, 2002)

Moviegoers have become so well acquainted with Gosling’s more charming and heroic attributes that it is easy to forget that he has played a few bad guys in his day, and done it very well. One of his earliest and most sinister roles is Richard Haywood — a popular high school student who teams up with his less-popular classmate (Michael Pitt) to craft what they believe is the perfect crime, only to arouse the suspicion of veteran homicide detective (Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock), in 2002’s Murder By Numbers. 

His best moments in the role — which make this a somewhat recent film worth remembering — occur when he is appearing opposite Bullock, who acts as a great intellectual sparring partner with him when portraying the intense, deadly cat-and-mouse game between their characters.

Noah (The Notebook, 2004)

The movie that made Gosling into the A-list heartthrob that he is today and convinced Hollywood that he had the chops to be a leading man is, undoubtedly, The Notebook — director Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 instant classic adaptation of Nicolas Sparks’ sweeping, heartbreaking World War II-era Romeo & Juliet story. 

His preparation to play Noah — a poor young man who falls hopelessly in love with the well-to-do Allie (Rachel McAdams, whom Gosling dated in real life) — went further than reading the source material as, according to the New York Times, he actually built the table on which the central couple share an intimate moment. I suppose the hard work paid off, given how believable he is in the role and how painful his commitment to the woman he loves is to watch as a result.

Dan Dunne (Half Nelson, 2006)

Gosling’s preparation to play Dan Dunne — an inner city middle school teacher who forms a unique bond with a student (Shareeka Epps) after she discovers his secret crack addiction — in Half Nelson was, fortunately, not quite as method as his approach to playing Noah. 

According to an interview with The Washington Post, all he did was shadow a junior high school teacher and brush up on the civil rights movement (which his character teaches in the powerful low-budget drama from future Captain Marvel helmers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden) while living in Brooklyn. That turned out to be all he needed to embody the deeply flawed, unlikely role model and put on a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. 

Lars Lindstrom (Lars And The Real Girl, 2007)

Even with a sadistic murderer and a crack addict on his resume, no character of Gosling's is more far removed from his widely perceived image than Lars Lindstorm. The title role of director Craig Gillespie’s bizarre dramedy, Lars and the Real Girl, is a shy, delusional loner who shocks his and brother (Paul Schneider) and his sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) with the news that he is in a relationship with a mail-order sex doll. 

In concept, this story is so odd it is almost laughable, but Gosling’s performance earns your deepest sympathies and makes you want to care for and believe in the love he has for the non-living Bianca.

Dean (Blue Valentine, 2010)

Out of all of the romantic stories that Gosling has been apart of, the most unique, raw, and distressing is easily director Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine, which is also one of Michelle Williams’ best movies. They are tour de force duo as Dean and Cindy — a couple who fall for each other at first sight, only to lead a romance that is doomed to fall apart due to their own unresolved flaws. While it is Williams’ performance that earned the drama its sole Academy Award nomination, the film’s biggest admirers recognize this powerful love story as a team effort, with Gosling carrying just as much honest, emotional intensity in his devastating portrayal.

Driver (Drive, 2011)

I became a devout admirer of Gosling’s talent when he led the Drive cast in director Nicolas Winding Refn’s instant classic that proves great noir movies still exist. Similar to when he took up craftsmanship for The Notebook, according to SlashGear, Gosling personally restored the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu that belongs to his character — a Hollywood stuntman by day, getaway driver by night who participates in an ill-fated heist to protect a woman he has fallen for (Carey Mulligan). 

There is not much we know about the violent Driver — given his limited dialogue and concealed real name — but Gosling gives us everything we need in an unforgettably unique performs that brilliantly relies on silence and his imposing demeanor. 

Jacob Palmer (Crazy Stupid Love, 2011)

He debuted two of his coolest characters in 2011 — the other being one of the first big screen roles that finally allowed him to really unleash his impeccable comedic skills when he joined the Crazy Stupid Love cast. 

Jacob is also an especially notable part of the actor’s resume — not just for the memes — but his evolution from skilled womanizer mentoring recently divorced dad, Cal (Steve Carell), to desperately seeking his former apprentice’s approval when he unexpectedly falls in love with his daughter (Emma Stone). The film — one of the best romantic comedies in recent memory, or ever — introduced the world to Gosling and Stone’s amazing onscreen chemistry, which hit its peak in an Oscar winner we will get to soon.

Holland March (The Nice Guys, 2016)

Jacob Palmer was an important part of his repertoire as a comedic actor, but most would agree he has never been funnier than when he played private investigator Holland March in The Nice Guys. 

Given his reputation, most might have expected him to play the straight man in writer and director Shane Black’s comedic mystery set in the 1970s, but he makes for a lovable oaf, especially when paired with Russell Crowe as the gruff Jackson Healy. The unlikely duo’s bizarre investigation into dizzying conspiracy linked to an LA porn star’s death might not have made such an impact — and led to sequel demands — if not for Gosling’s commitment to making a fool of himself. 

Sebastian (La La Land, 2016)

We have already made it clear that Gosling is a man of many talents, but I think no fact proves his ability and commitment than the three months it took him to master the piano, according to Variety, in preparation for La La Land. The stunningly crafted, gorgeously shot, and heartwarmingly romantic musical — which earned Damien Chazelle an Oscar for directing — starred Gosling as passionate jazz musician Sebastian and Emma Stone as aspiring actor Mia. I cannot imagine the movie without the duo (Stone earned her Oscar here), who make their characters’ passion for the arts and each other — despite the bittersweet ending — so captivating and real.

K (Blade Runner 2049, 2017)

I may be a sucker for a good love story and a fun comedy, but I must admit that I do still prefer the talent at his more earnest, stoic, and, perhaps, even robotic. If you agree, there is no better place to turn than Denis Villeneuve’s arguably better sequel to Blade Runner, in which he plays a futuristic hunter of illegal, artificial humans whose investigation into a strange discovery leads him to question everything he knows about the world and himself. 

I am endlessly in awe of how Gosling navigates K’s emotional journey throughout Blade Runner 2049, but especially give him props for holding his own opposite — and taking an accidental punch from — Harrison Ford, who reprised his role from the 1982 original as Rick Deckard.

Neil Armstrong (First Man, 2018)

Just a couple of years after La La Land, Chazelle freunited with the star for an entirely different kind of film that would be a more emotionally challenging experience, especially considering he would play a real and very important person in history. 

His portrayal of Neil Armstrong in First Man would most definitely take audiences by surprise for the way it exposes the moon-walking legend as a complicated, socially distant, and emotionally stunted individual, instead of the glowing hero most Americans have perceived him as since that monumental day in 1969. While Buzz Aldrin was not a fan, I think the biopic is one of Gosling’s strongest films and bears one of his boldest performances yet.

After witnessing the many shades of Ryan Gosling so far, I can only imagine how his performance as Ken in Barbie will compare to his previous achievements. I think if one thing is for sure — if we take Eva Mendes’, praise of his “Ken-ergy” into account — it will certainly be memorable.

One of the most embarrassing moments in Academy Awards history was the La La Land/Moonlight Best Picture mixup during the 2017 ceremony. Now, according to Sarah Polley’s 11-year-old daughter, on April Fool’s Day, another mixup like that one has tragically happened, and it involves her mom’s Oscar for Women Talking. So the youngster took it upon herself to inform her mother about the news in the most hilariously savage, well-written April Fool’s Day prank, maybe ever. 

Last month, Sarah Polley won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking. This was such an exciting moment for everyone, especially considering the movie was snubbed in many other categories this year. However, according to Sarah Polley’s daughter (or David Rubin as the letter is “signed”), this was all a mistake, and in actuality, Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front was supposed to win the sought-after writing award. The letter goes on to list off the various reasons why Polley needs to return her gold statue, and it is genuinely hilarious. The Women Talking writer posted the note she received from the version of The Academy that’s run by her young child to Instagram for the world to see:

The entire letter is hysterical, however, one of the highlights is for sure this run-on sentence about why Polley is only now learning about how she should not have been among the 2023 Oscar Winners:

She makes a good point, I'd also assume The Academy wouldn't want another "Year of the Moonlight." 

I also enjoyed the self-awareness of the letter, as it noted the fact that Polley recieved it on April Fool’s Day. The meta nature of the note had me laughing out loud, and I love that the 11-year-old felt the need to recognize the “cruel” nature of the date the letter was sent, and was determined to assure her mother “that this is not a joke.” 

This humorous prank played on Polley is not only well-written (for a child) but extremely clever, just like her. The witty nature of the note reminded me a lot of the actress-turned-director’s various acceptance speeches from this year, including her Oscars speech, as well as her goofy post on nomination day about her low Oscars expectations. I’d say the director’s 11-year-old got both her mom’s sense of humor and writing abilities. Many other celebs recognized how well-written the note was for a sixth grader too, and said Polley might have a comedy writer on their hands. Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein even retweeted the letter, saying he’d consider the little one for a job: 

I for one would agree with the Shrinking co-creator, it seems like this little lady might have a future as a comedy writer. However, she’s only 11, so it’ll be a minute before we see her credits on TV. So, for now, we can all enjoy this witty, and savage letter she wrote to her mother about why she needs to return her Oscar. 

Awards shows are always events worthy of note, but sometimes they make the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2017 Oscars was notable for the now infamous moment where La La Land was announced as Best Picture by mistake, and last night at the BAFTAs there was similar confusion over the Brest Supporting Actress award when Carey Mulligan was announced as the winner despite Kerry Condon winning the award.

According to EW, the issue here was not an envelope mix-up, as had been the case at the Oscars. Instead, it was essentially a translation error. Troy Kotsur, who won the Best Supporting Actor award at the BAFTAs last year, announced Kerry Condon as the winner. However, the sign language interpreter who was doing the vocal announcing gave Carey Mulligan’s name by mistake. 

The error was realized and corrected instantly, so Mulligan apparently never got out of her seat, and the flub was even corrected during the tape-delayed broadcast of the show, so many had no idea that the mistake had even been made. One assumes the fact that two of the nominees have different spellings of the same first name is what led to the confusion. 

One has to assume there’s a bit of extra disappointment that comes with not winning the award when there was a second there that you thought you had won. At the same time, Mulligan already has a BAFTA from her performance in 2010's An Education, so at least she has that going for her. 

Things were much more chaotic back in 2017 when Warren Beaty famously announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner. He’d apparently been handed the wrong envelope, a duplicate copy of the Best Actress award, and on the spot, he read the movie associated with Emma Stone’s award. It wasn’t until all the “winners” were up on the stage that the situation had been figured out, and the award was properly presented to the producers of Moonlight.

This error was a simple case of misspeaking, which can happen to anybody. It’s not the sort of thing that can really be avoided through any new show procedure, but considering how many decades these awards shows have been going and how complex it can be to keep the winners secure until the moment they are announced to the audience, it’s honestly a testament to these shows that we don’t see more errors like this. 

This accident will likely not live in infamy in quite the same way that the Best Picture announcement at the Oscars still does. There’s a decent chance there will be at least one reference to it at the awards show this year.  In both that case and this one, however, the correct winner was ultimately recognized, and that’s what matters. 

A little more than six years ago, Damien Chazelle introduced audiences to a timeless love story set with the backdrop of Los Angeles in his colorful, dazzling, and heartfelt La La Land. The movie, which would go on to win multiple Academy Awards, is still regarded as one of the best musicals of the 21st century, as well as one of the finer additions to the genre in some time.

With the film being one of the best movies on Netflix after arriving on the streamer in February 2023, there’s a good chance some of us who were first blown away by the musical over a half-decade ago are revisiting it for the first time since seeing it on the big screen. Taking that into consideration, we’ve put together a rundown of behind-the-scenes facts showing how Chazelle’s story went from page to screen, and all the cinematic tricks that made it a reality.

Damien Chazelle Started Working On La La Land While At Harvard

Long before audiences were taken to a “City of Stars,” Damien Chazelle started working on what would become La La Land while attending Harvard University. Together with classmate Justin Hurwitz, who would go on to score all of his feature film releases starting with Whiplash, he ended up making Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, a senior thesis film about a Boston jazz musician, before they moved to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams in 2010, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Once in Hollywood, Chazelle decided to shift the movie’s setting to Los Angeles, but soon discovered that pretty much no one wanted to fund an original musical with no familiar songs, let alone one centered on jazz. Obviously, he had his work cut out for him.

After Writing The Script, Damien Chazelle Received Perhaps The Worst Note

It isn’t a rare occurrence for directors to receive notes whenever they’re working on a project, as countless movies have taken to heart what contemporaries, studio executives, or audiences have said. However, from time to time, a note so bad comes around and leaves the writer or director scratching their head trying to figure it out. When working on the La La Land script, a screenplay that would go on to be nominated for an Oscar, Chazelle received the following note, as he explained to the 2017 PGA Produced By Conference (via Deadline):

Though a rather simple note, to take the jazz out of La La Land would have removed a crucial element from the movie. It’s safe to say Chazelle made the right call by not taking the comment to heart.

Damien Chazelle Was Told To Increase The La La Land Budget By Lionsgate Execs

Usually, there are stories coming out of Hollywood where the studios do everything they can to get budgets down, but it was a completely different story when it came to Lionsgate and La La Land. In a sprawling profile about the film published by ScreenDaily in December 2016, producer Fred Berger revealed that Lionsgate, upon giving the movie the greenlight, suggested that the budget be increased to $30 million to make the best picture possible. 

Jumping off that revelation, Jordan Horowitz, the producer who would ultimately inform the audience that Moonlight had won the Oscar for Best Picture, admitted that the team even tried to pare things down, but the studio persisted and pushed the team “to go further” and “film in the right ways.” The decision ultimately saved one or two of the musical numbers, Berger commented. 

Miles Teller And Emma Watson Were Originally Attached To Serve As La La Land’s Leads

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone gave two of the best performances of their respective careers in La La Land, but the roles were initially supposed to go to another one of Chazelle’s collaborators and a different actress with the first name Emma. In September 2016, just months before the movie’s big nationwide rollout, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Miles Teller and Emma Watson were attached to star in the roles of Seb Wilder and Mia Dolan, respectively, but both A-listers were forced to pass for various reasons.

For her part, Watson later revealed in a March 2017 sit-down with Entertainment Weekly that she had already committed to making Beauty and the Beast for Disney at the time, and simply wouldn’t be able to make both possible. The details surrounding Teller’s departure from the project are a little less clear, as various stories range from the Whiplash star not receiving the payday he wanted to not being creatively right for the project. Teller denied the first claim in an October 2017 interview with Vulture, saying he showed “extreme loyalty” to Chazelle and the movie but didn’t elaborate on what caused things to fall apart.

Mia’s Interrupted Audition Was Based On Ryan Gosling’s Real-Life Experience

In one of the more awkward scenes in La La Land, Mia is in the middle of an incredibly emotional audition, only to be interrupted by the casting director’s assistant entering the room to say someone had called. When speaking with the Los Angeles Times around the movie's release, Ryan Gosling revealed that the scene was drawn from one of his own experiences during a botched audition, stating: 

Gosling admitted that while it was a difficult situation, he made lemonade out of lemons and was able to make it into a scene in La La Land.

La La Land’s ‘A Lovely Night’ Dance Sequence Was Pulled Off In Only Four Takes

Seb and Mia’s first musical number together, “A Lovely Night,” has become one of La La Land’s most iconic sequences thanks to its catchy song, incredible choreography, and the way the Los Angeles sunset looked in the background. The crew could have used greenscreen to bring the scene to life by adding the sunset in post-production, but the crew found a way to pull it off in only four takes (after hours of rehearsal, of course).

When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the scene, cinematographer Linus Sandgren revealed that two takes were shot at 7:20 and 7:30 p.m. on two separate nights to make the most of the “golden hour” light that created an almost dreamlike quality. In order to pull off the six-minute sequence, the actors, and the crane-operated camera capturing it all, had to hit 27 marks or else it would have to start over. It all worked out, and Chazelle ended up going with the last of the four takes for the final movie. 

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren Came Up With Unique Tricks To Create La La Land’s Colorful Look

There is a reason La La Land looks like the classic musicals that inspired it, and that’s because Chazelle insisted on the movie being shot on film and in a way that created a massive scope and scale. As cinematographer Linus Sandgren told Kodak following the movie’s release, shooting on film opposed to digital allowed him to create a rainbow of colors by playing with different lights to manipulate the natural settings:

The richness of the film stock, Sandgren argued, gave several of the movie’s night scenes featured “incredible variations of colors” that added a dreamlike quality to them.

The Production Team Were Given Just One Day To Film The Angels Flight Funicular Sequence

When Mia and Seb are still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, the couple is seen going all over Los Angeles in the form of a tremendous montage. About halfway through the segment, the couple ride an uphill trolly system before dancing at the station at the top.

When speaking with the New York Times after the film’s release, the director explained that the funicular Angels Flight, which was used for the brief scene, had been out of commission for three years after a 2013 derailment. However, Chazelle and his team were able to arrange to have it run for a single day so they could capture the brief, yet impactful sequence.

John Legend, A Talented Pianist, Had To Learn How To Play Guitar For His Role In La La Land

John Legend was without a doubt the most talented musician in the La La Land cast, but still, the EGOT winner had to take music lessons for his portrayal of Keith, Seb’s former bandmate who takes him on the road. In an official behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the movie, it was revealed that Legend, a talented pianist and songwriter, had to take guitar lessons prior to the shoot so that he could look and feel comfortable and confident during his various scenes on stage.

The Cast And Crew Watched One Classic Hollywood Musical ‘Every Day For Inspiration’

The impact of classic Hollywood musicals like Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, The Music Man, and An American in Paris can be felt throughout this film, but the movie that inspired the cast and crew was Singin’ in the Rain. While paying tribute to the late Debbie Reynolds during his acceptance speech at the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival, Ryan Gosling revealed that the film’s cast and crew would watch the 1952 musical every day for inspiration. Ending his brief comments, Gosling said Reynolds, who passed away just days before, had “unparalleled talents.”

If you want to go back and watch La La Land after reading all these behind-the-scenes facts, now is the perfect time to do so, as it is streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription.

Some movies more than others are a natural fit for the Broadway stage. Writer/director Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is a strong example of a picture that seems born ready for such a transfer, with the powers that be at Lionsgate previously expressing excitement to do just that. After a little over six years, that possibility is getting closer, thanks to that Hollywood-inspired musical going from a current entertainment for those with a Netflix subscription to a full-fledged Broadway. But could Emma Stone reprise her role in the stage transfer? 

Freshly announced through reporting by Deadline, La La Land’s stage musical incarnation has some old faces teaming up with new talent to make the jump. Composer Justin Hurwitz, as well as the film’s songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, will be on hand to help handle the musical side of things. 

Meanwhile, director Bartlett Sher and writers Ayad Akhtar and Matthew Decker are the newcomers who’ll help stage and craft Sebastian and Mia’s bittersweet love affair in this new incarnation. This isn't to be confused with the concert version of La La Land, which has been running roughly as long as the movie has been released into the wild. Instead, this is an all singing/dancing spectacle that'd bring the world of the movies into the realm of stagecraft.

Which leads to the potential of bringing Emma Stone back into the La La Land role she originated in the 2016 motion picture. It’s a project that’s still a vital part of her filmography, with Stone winning Best Actress at the 2017 Academy Awards as a result. With the original film’s producer Marc Platt also taking an active role in bringing Damian Chazelle’s vision to life once again, the connections would seem to run deep.

The greatest credit to Emma Stone's potential La La Land return is the fact that she made a pretty big splash when previously taking to the stage. Playing Sally Bowles in the 2014 Broadway production of Cabaret, Stone wowed crowds with her musical prowess in a role that has had its fair share of notable castings. 

Applying those skills to one of the best Emma Stone performances on the books is something that absolutely fits. It’d also be an amazing draw for the opening run of La La Land’s upcoming Broadway musical. To have one of the original actors reprising their lead role is something that sounds like a sure-fire way of packing in seats for quite some time. 

This idea has come up previously as Amanda Seyfried suggested a potential Mean Girls reunion through musical performances that would bring back the original cast. Maybe if La La Land sticks the landing with Emma Stone’s return, similar possibilities could be opened up for other stage productions based on hit movies. 

We'll just have to wait and see how this new musical progresses, as at the moment we don't have any dates as to when we should workshops or out of town tryouts to take place. Not to mention, there's not even a rough idea of which Broadway season this show may be setting its sights on. That probably won't stop La La Land fans from eagerly awaiting its arrival, as they tend to be some of the sweetest, and most devoted, fools to dream. 

If you want to relive La La Land, complete with Emma Stone's performance, you can catch the film at its current streaming home on Netflix. Also, don't forget to check out the 2023 new movie releases, as your next favorite movie is just waiting to be discovered.

Every generation seems to have a songwriting duo that has soundtracked the most beloved musicals of its time. For the current one, those names are clearly Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have collaborated to compose the music of the wildly popular works Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land and The Greatest Showman. Their latest project is the upcoming 2022 movie Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, where they adapted the children’s story into a big musical about a singing croc. 

When CinemaBlend recently visited Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California to get a first look at the live-action/animation hybrid musical, the movie’s co-directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck spoke to how Pasek and Paul made Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile their next song-and-dance feature film. In Gordon’s words: 

As the directors shared to CinemaBlend and a small group of other outlets, they’d never made a musical before, previously collaborating on comedies like Blades of Glory, The Switch and Office Christmas Party. However, they had some major talent on their hands in the form of the songwriting duo, who helped them realize a lot of the storytelling would be through the movie’s music, most of which is sung by Shawn Mendes embodying the singing crocodile. Speck then said this: 

When the characters in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile burst into song, they are actually supposed to be singing, rather than in other musicals, where it’s not always necessarily happening in this way. For the fall release, a big part of Lyle’s character is being a talented singing croc, and the numbers performed are in service of this, while in something like Oscar-winning musical La La Land, some of the time it’s more symbolic than physically happening. Gordon also said this: 

The directors shared that there are eight original songs and some reprises in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile composed by Pasek and Paul, making it a full-blown musical. The movie also stars Javier Bardem, Constance Wu and Winslow Fegley, who also are part of the major musical numbers, as the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile trailer has teased as well. 

Following the duo’s catchy catalogue, including The Greatest Showman hit “This Is Me” and La La Land’s “City of Stars,” we’re curious which Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile songs will say with audiences. The family friendly movie hits theaters on October 7. 

At face value, John Wick doesn’t exactly scream being adaptable into a musical. After all, the first movie is about a retired assassin who hunts down the criminals who killed his dog any anyone connected to them; does that sound like a story worth singing out? Well, thanks to a new mashup, maybe we should reconsider if Keanu Reeves’ action franchise should get the musical treatment.

The John Wick movies are distributed by Lionsgate, the same studio that delivered La La Land to the masses in 2016. Over on the Lionsgate Instagram page, there’s a video of some John Wick: Chapter 2 snippets playing to the tune of “Another Day of Sun” from La La Land’s opening scene, and it’s actually a decent combination. See for yourself:

Look, I’m not saying that the John Wick film series needs to do a complete overhaul and embark down the musical route starting with John Wick: Chapter 5; that’s crazy talk! However, if there are any composers/lyricists out there, be it on Broadway, West End or anywhere else in the musical scene, who want to try their hand at adapting John Wick for the stage, this video presents a good case for making that happen. Sure, a John Wick musical couldn’t be as gory as the original movies, but it could still be pretty entertaining with the right choreography, set pieces, etc.

Besides, it’s not like adapting a non-musical movie into a musical is anything new. From Back to the Future to Mean Girls, there have been plenty of instances where creative minds have been hit with just the right amount of inspiration and adapted a cinematic story with song and dance numbers. And for those of you who think John Wick is simply too violent to even warrant consideration for this, there’s even been an Evil Dead musical, albeit done with a more comedic bent. There’s no reason heads couldn’t be put together to figure out a way to make John Wick happen on stage in a similar way.

For now though, the John Wick film series is still going strong. Not only did the latest entry, 2019’s Chapter 3 - Parabellum, earn positive critical reception like its predecessors, it’s also the most financially successful John Wick movie yet, having pulled in over $327 million worldwide. No plot details for John Wick: Chapter 4 have been revealed yet, but along with Keanu Reeves being joined again by Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne (who called the script “really really cool”), the Chapter 4 cast also includes Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown and Marko Zaror. 

John Wick: Chapter 4 has been pushed back to March 24, 2023, so keep visiting CinemaBlend for more updates about the movie. Along with John Wick: Chapter 5 also being greenlit, this franchise is expanding through the Ballerina spinoff that may Ana de Armas, as well as the Continental event series starring Mel Gibson and more that will air on Starz.

Ryan Gosling's ability to embody a diverse variety of memorable characters has made him one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and sought-after actors and earned him the role of Ken in Barbie. Well, his classic good looks also came in handy in that regard, of course.

But, seriously, there are not many actors who can switch from being a charming romantic, like Noah in The Notebook, to an intimidatingly stoic, violent badass, such as the nameless hero from Drive, like the actor has managed to do so easily at various moments in his career. Thus, you will find plenty of variety in our collection of Ryan Gosling’s best movies, along with a quick reference of where to find them.

Barbie (2023)

Director: Greta Gerwig

Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling

What it's about: Barbie journeys from her idyllic fantasy land to the real world to understand the origin of her sudden identity crisis.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Ryan Gosling earned a 2024 Academy Award nomination for his performance as the Barbie cast's Ken – a role he was perfect for, not just for his looks, but his sharp comedic timing and musical talents, which are demonstrated beautifully in this funny, visually stunning, and moving blockbuster.

How to watch Barbie

• Stream Barbie on Netflix
• Stream Barbie on Max
• Rent or buy Barbie on Amazon
• Buy Barbie on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Fall Guy (2024)

Director: David Leitch

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

What it's about: Longing to reunite with his former girlfriend, a retired stunt performer agrees to be involved with her directorial debut, but is then tasked with finding its missing star.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Gosling's action-hero reputation and comedic skills coerce beautifully in the feature adaptation of '80s TV show The Fall Guy — a love letter to Hollywood stunt coordination available with a Peacock subscription in its theatrical and extended forms.

How to watch The Fall Guy

• Stream The Fall Guy on Amazon Prime
• Buy The Fall Guy on Blu-ray on Amazon

Remember The Titans (2000)

Director: Boaz Yakin

Starring: Denzel Washington, Ryan Gosling

What it's about: The newly appointed coach of a high school football team attempts to break racial barriers among his players in 1970s Virginia.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: One of Gosling’s earliest breakout roles was young athlete Alan Bosley in one of the best sports movies of its time, Remember the Titans – a true story about how something as simple as playing football can make a difference.

How to watch Remember the Titans

• Stream Remember the Titans on Disney+
• Rent or buy Remember the Titans on Amazon
• Buy Remember the Titans on Blu-ray on Amazon

Murder By Numbers (2002)

Director: Barbet Schroeder

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt

What it's about: An unlikely pair of teenagers believe they have achieved the perfect crime until they discover that an experienced detective is hot on their trail.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Murder By Numbers is a clever, underrated crime thriller that sees the actor give one of the darker performances of his early career.

How to watch Murder By Numbers

• Buy or rent Murder By Numbers on Amazon
• Buy Murder By Numbers on DVD on Amazon

Half Nelson (2006)

Director: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie

What it's about: A Brooklyn middle school history teacher and girls basketball coach forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret drug habit.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Half Nelson is a dark, brutally honest character study that turned Ryan Gosling into an Oscar darling with his 2007 Best Actor nod.

How to watch Half Nelson

• Stream Half Nelson on Peacock
• Stream Half Nelson on Tubi
• Buy Half Nelson on DVD on Amazon

La La Land (2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

What it's about: A struggling musician and a struggling actress fall in love despite their respective career aspirations getting in the way in modern-day Hollywood.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Gosling’s second Oscar-nominated performance and third collaboration with Emma Stone was in writer and director Damien Chazelle’s exhilarating 2016 musical masterpiece, La La Land, for which the actor actually learned to play piano – according to Variety – to great effect.

How to watch La La Land

• Rent or buy La La Land on Amazon
• Buy La La Land on Blu-ray on Amazon

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone

What it's about: A hapless middle-aged man is mentored in how to recover from his recent divorce by a young womanizer who ends up experiencing a life-changing meeting with a young woman in an unhappy relationship of her own.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Gosling’s first collaboration with Stone was in Crazy Stupid Love, which is widely considered to be one of the best romantic comedies in recent memory for its clever, honest, and surprisingly timeless analysis of what it really takes to make romance work.

How to watch Crazy Stupid Love

• Stream Crazy Stupid Love on Hulu
• Buy or rent Crazy Stupid Love on Amazon
• Buy Crazy Stupid Love on Blu-ray on Amazon

First Man (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

What it's about: Neil Armstrong struggles to ensure that his maiden voyage to the Moon will be a safe one while also struggling to hold his family together in the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: First Man is a revealing, visually stunning, Oscar-winning inside look at the private life of astronaut Neil Armstrong, whom the actor prepared to play by meeting with NASA.

How to watch First Man

• Buy or rent First Man on Amazon
• Buy First Man on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Big Short (2015)

Director: Adam McKay

Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt

What it's about: An eccentric fund manager suspects that the housing market is in trouble, which banking executives and financial investors selfishly try to take advantage of.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Gosling’s aforementioned classic looks were toned down a bit for The Big Short – a revealing, comically meta, and Oscar-winning inside look at the days leading to the housing market crisis in 2005.

How to watch The Big Short

• Stream The Big Short on Paramount+
• Stream The Big Short on MGM+
• Rent or buy The Big Short on Amazon
• Buy The Big Short on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Nice Guys (2016)

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling

What it's about: Two private investigators – one a hardened, no-nonsense professional, the other a bumbling, alcoholic single father – team up to solve dual mysteries of a missing teenager and a murdered porn star in 1977 Los Angeles.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: The Nice Guys – is a fun, subversive, screwball farce disguised as a deconstructive throwback to buddy cop movies that fans hope gets a sequel someday.

How to watch The Nice Guys

• Stream The Nice Guys on Netflix
• Rent or buy The Nice Guys on Amazon
• Buy The Nice Guys on Blu-ray on Amazon

Lars And The Real Girl (2007)

Director: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider

What it's about: A man and his wife struggle to be supportive when his introverted brother finds love with a mail-order sex doll.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Another comedy that shows the goofier side of Gosling (but in a more bizarre and heartbreaking way) is the quirky, quasi-rom-com, Lars and the Real Girl – a somewhat dark look at the lengths one will go to feel loved when they cannot already sense it in their life.

How to watch Lars and the Real Girl

• Stream Lars and the Real Girl on Amazon Prime
• Stream Lars and the Real Girl on Tubi
• Stream Lars and the Real Girl on Pluto TV
• Buy Lars and the Real Girl on DVD on Amazon

The Notebook (2004)

Director: Nick Cassavetes

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands

What it's about: An elderly man visits an Alzheimer’s patient in a nursing home, where he reads to her the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of star-crossed lovers Noah and Allie in the 1940s.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: A drama that shows the more charming and romantic side of Gosling, and is also one of the best Rachel McAdams movies, is The Notebook – an instant classic romantic drama that skyrocketed original author Nicolas Sparks into the mainstream.

How to watch The Notebook

• Stream The Notebook on Max
• Stream The Notebook on Hulu
• Rent or buy The Notebook on Amazon
• Buy The Notebook on Blu-ray on Amazon

Blue Valentine (2010)

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams

What it's about: Outside circumstances – including family upbringings and financial hardships – cause a painful strain on the marriage of a painter and a nurse.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: A drama that shows another romantic, but also far more intense, side of Gosling is Blue Valentine – a bleak, brutal, Oscar-nominee, which is also one of Michelle Williams’ best movies.

How to watch Blue Valentine

• Stream Blue Valentine on Amazon Prime
• Stream Blue Valentine on Tubi
• Buy Blue Valentine on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Place Beyond The Pines (2012)

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes

What it's about: In order to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a motorcycle rider turns to bank robbery, which then puts him on the trail of a hotshot rookie cop in Schenectady, New York.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best: The Place Beyond the Pines – another bleak romance and intense crime drama starring Gosling as a skilled stunt rider living a double life as a criminal – sparked his romance with Mendes, who is now his wife.

How to watch The Place Beyond the Pines

• Rent or buy The Place Beyond the Pines on Amazon
• Buy The Place Beyond the Pines on Blu-ray on Amazon

Drive (2011)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston

What it's about: In order to protect the woman of his dreams, a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver agrees to help pull off a seemingly simple job that goes horribly wrong.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Another modern, great film noir movie that sees Gosling play a stoic stuntman with a criminal double life is Drive – a pulse-pounding, beautifully shot, atmospherically unique instant classic.

How to watch Drive

• Rent or buy Drive on Amazon
• Buy Drive on Blu-ray on Amazon

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford

What it's about: A cop who specializes in hunting and “retiring” artificial beings known as Replicants comes across a mystery that could change the world (and his own life) forever in a dystopian Los Angeles.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Another visually and emotionally stunning crime drama that takes great advantage of Gosling’s penchant for stoicism is Blade Runner 2049 – an epic, Oscar-winning sequel to Ridley Scott’s celebrated 1982 sci-fi classic that some argue is the better of the two for its stunning production design and powerfully inventive technological commentary.

How to watch Blade Runner 2049

• Buy or rent Blade Runner 2049 on Amazon
• Buy Blade Runner 2049 on Blu-ray on Amazon

Fracture (2007)

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling

What it's about: A young, hot-shot lawyer struggles to prosecute a wealthy engineer who confessed to murdering his wife and her lover due to his manipulative ways of working the system.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Another fascinating crime thriller that sees Gosling at odds with corruption is 2007’s Fracture, which puts the actor in a twisted cat-and-mouse game with the great, two-time Academy Award winner, Hopkins.

How to watch Fracture

• Rent or buy Fracture on Amazon
• Buy Fracture on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Believer (2001)

Director: Harry Bean

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix

What it's about: A fiercely devout, strongly anti-Semitic KKK member struggles to keep his Jewish upbringing a secret in the 1960s.

Why it’s one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies: Based on a shocking true story, The Believer is another fascinating thriller that will never allow you to look at Gosling the same way again.

How to watch The Believer

• Stream The Believer on Peacock
• Buy or rent The Believer on Amazon
• Buy The Believer on DVD on Amazon

Enjoy all of these films starring your favorite Canadian heartthrob named Ryan (save Ryan Reynolds).

In the last ten years or so, new stars have emerged in Hollywood who have truly taken over, bringing in a brand new generation of amazing talent. One of those actresses was none other than Emma Stone, a young woman who has gone on to have quite the career so far.

It’s about time that we gave Emma Stone the honor that she deserves in re-watching some of her best films. Because, trust me, there are plenty of them. These are the best Emma Stone movies on Amazon, Hulu, and other streaming platforms which you should go and watch right now if you’re a fan of the actress.

Superbad (2007)

Starting off this list, we take a look at Emma Stone’s film debut, Superbad. In this classic comedy, starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, we follow the story of two high school students, who have been best friends since they were small, on their quest to lose their virginity to the prettiest and coolest girls in school before they go away to college.

There’s a reason why, after this film, Emma Stone was signed up for so many other roles. Her performance as Jules was comically fantastic and showed off her acting chops, as well as her natural talents with comedy. This might have been the first comedic role she starred in, but it's been far from her last. The rest of the Superbad cast is great, but Stone was a standout. 

Stream Superbad on Peacock..
Rent/Buy Superbad on Amazon.

Zombieland (2009)

Moving into another genre that Emma Stone rocks, we take a look at Zombieland. This apocalyptic comedy follows the story of a geeky college kid, who has a set of rules for surviving in an apocalypse filled with zombies. He ends up meeting three strangers along the way, and they band together for a long road trip across the country to find sanctuary from the zombies.

There was a sequel ten years later for more than one reason. Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg have amazing chemistry. Not only is their comedic timing fantastic, but their strange and yet quirky relationship is believable, as well. Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin also add to this awesome ensemble that not only makes you laugh but gets you prepped for the zombie apocalypse. But, remember to get a kickass partner to do it with. It’s a shame Stone didn’t get that Walking Dead crossover that she wanted though. 

Stream Zombieland on Apple TV+.
Rent/Buy Zombieland on Amazon. 

The Amazing Spider-Man (And The Sequel) (2012, 2014)

I’ve always felt that a lot of people forget these movies exist because of how popular Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man became, but Emma Stone rocked it in The Amazing Spider-Man movies. In the first Amazing Spider-Man, we see the origin story of Peter Parker, the boy who would go on to be bitten by a radioactive spider and become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, saving NYC.

Emma Stone portrays Gwen Stacy, Peter’s love interest in the two films, and while she looks amazing as a blonde, she also kills this role. You’d never think she could be anything other than an awesome scientist. I always wished that we got to see more of her as the character – but, let’s be honest, neither she nor Andrew Garfield really looked like high schoolers, did they? They’re still great films, though. It’s a shame she wasn’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home like her co-star Andrew Garfield, but that’s something I can live with as long as I have these films. 

Stream The Amazing Spider-Man on Netflix.
Stream The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Netflix.
Rent/Buy The Amazing Spider-Man on Amazon.
Rent/Buy The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Amazon.

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)

Winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2015, Birdman, otherwise known as Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), is a black comedy-drama that tells the story of a faded Hollywood actor and his rise to try and come back by starring in a new adaptation of Broadway play. 

Birdman has an impressive cast overall, and Emma Stone was one of the best additions the movie could have had, co-starring as Sam Thomson. Birdman actually earned Stone her first Academy Award nomination, and showed just how talented she is in the drama sphere. She went on to win for a different film a couple years later, but her role in Birdman is legendary. 

Stream Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Amazon.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Crazy, Stupid Love is just another example of how great Stone performs in a comedic manner – with a hint of drama as well. In this popular romantic dramedy starring Steve Carell in one of his best movies, we follow the story of a recently separated man who wants to rediscover his manhood and is taught by his new friend, Jacob, how to pick up women at bars.

Let me just say that this film is ridiculously funny. Not only are the dramatic moments on point and pull at your heartstrings in a great way but the jokes land every single time. Even the scenes between Emma Stone and Steve Carell are some of the best in the film because it feels like a father and a daughter conversing, not two actors. It’s just so great. Please, give it a watch if you haven’t seen it!

Stream Crazy Stupid Love on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Crazy Stupid Love on Amazon.

Battle Of The Sexes (2017)

If you’re looking for a great biographical sports film, Battle of the Sexes is one that you need to check out, starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell. The film is based on the real-life match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, two major tennis players who took the world by storm, and the drama that led up to this competition. 

Battle of the Sexes premiered a year after Birdman and continued to show just how brilliant Stone was in more dramatic roles. While the movie itself was a box-office bomb, both Stone and Carell received plenty of praise for their performances, including a Best Actress in a Comedy for the Critics Choice Awards and Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Stone.

Rent/Buy Battle of the Sexes on Amazon.

La La Land (2016)

If you haven’t heard of La La Land at this point, then you’ve been living under a rock. La La Land is a wonderfully written musical telling the story of two unlikely lovers meeting in Hollywood, who have two very different dreams for their lives.

Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress because of her role in the La La Land cast. We like to talk about how she’s amazing in comedy, but you listen to her sing, dance, and show off her drama skills. I promise you will be crying by the end of this film. Plus, the music is incredibly catchy. I found myself listening to “City of Stars” for months after the film’s release. Your dreams just might come true with La La Land if you take the time to watch it.

Rent La La Land on Amazon.

The Help (2011)

In The Help, we are told the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young white woman who works as a journalist, and her relationship with two Black maids during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963.

The film received high praise and several awards. Emma Stone stars as the journalist, and her story captivates you as you watch her interactions with the women who face constant racism on a daily basis. It’s raw and real, which is what makes The Help so fantastic. The performances of this amazing ensemble cast will have you clapping at your TV screen like you would do at the credits in a movie theater. Truly outstanding.

Stream The Help on the Roku Channel.
Rent/Buy The Help on Amazon.

Easy A (2010)

After some heavy choices on this list, we turn back to a comedy – which was the first Emma Stone movie I ever saw. Easy A is about Olive, a high school student who ends up as a victim of her school's “rumor mill” when she lies to her best friend that she had sex for the first time. When word spreads, she welcomes the attention she receives.

I’ve gone off so many times on this list with how amazing Emma Stone is at comedy, but in my opinion, she is at her best in Easy A. The jokes are consistent (I don’t think any of us could forget that ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’ bit), and the acting talent beside her, like Lisa Kudrow and Stanley Tucci, is phenomenal. Plus, this movie is all about women’s empowerment and embracing your sexuality – who wouldn’t want to watch a hysterical movie with a message like that?

Rent/Buy Easy A on Amazon.

The Favourite (2018)

Coming off of her win for La La Land, Emma Stone decided she wanted another Oscar nomination and signed onto the period piece, The Favourite. In this black comedy, we are given the chance to look at the relationship between two cousins, the Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham, both of which are trying to be the Court favourite for the queen.

Emma Stone with a British accent is something I didn’t think I ever needed but God, it’s one of my favorite movies ever. The chemistry that she shares with Rachel Weisz is top-notch, and the comedic moments that come from this film will have you snorting out whatever drink you have. Not only that, but the set design is absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes you won’t even be focusing on the jokes, but looking at the beautiful landscapes, or even the outfits that they have on. If you’re a supporter of period pieces, but want to laugh your butt off, The Favourite is the way to go.

Stream The Favourite on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Favourite on Amazon.

Poor Things (2023)

You knew at some point this would be on here. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things is based on the novel of the same name and tells the story of a young woman who is brought back to life, but with the brain of someone else in her head, and follows her journey into adulthood and discovering more about herself and the world around her. 

Emma Stone knocks it out of the park with Poor Things, so much so that she won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. I’ll be honest and say that out of all the 2024 Best Picture nominees, Poor Things is certainly the wackiest, but it’s such a fun time. It tells an intriguing story that will capture your interest instantly. 

Stream Poor Things on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Poor Things on Amazon.

Kinds Of Kindness (2024) (Coming Soon)

While this isn’t a film you can watch right now, I have to bring it up because it’s coming out soon. Kinds of Kindness is Stone’s third collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos after The Favourite and Poor Things, and while not much is known about the film, we know it follows three different stories, as if they’re like three different films.

Stone is just one of the many talented cast members who are in this new film. Willem Dafoe reunites with her, as well as newcomers to Lanthimos movies like Mamaoudou Athie, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley and more. Trust me when I say this is a movie you’re going to want to see. 

Kinds of Kindness opens in theaters June 21, 2024.

I mean, let’s be honest – these are some of the best movies on Amazon, on Apple TV+, on Hulu and many more. You all need to watch them – but if you’re a fan of Emma Stone, then you have to check all of these out. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go stream Zombieland for the millionth time.

When you look at the 2021 release schedule, or any year at the box office, there’s an overwhelming picture of what’s being made in Hollywood and what’s not. There are several genres that we used to see a lot more of on the big screen that seem to have lost market share over the years, giving way to more comic book movies or other adaptations of recognized properties. While it’s no crime to give the people what they want, there are some types of films that deserve a resurgence, and it’s about time we saw them made on a regular basis. Let's start with original musicals.

Original Movie Musicals

2021 is a pretty exciting year for musicals, with stage favorites like In The Heights, Dear Evan Hansen and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie heading to a screen near you. So the musical clearly isn’t dead; but what seems to be dormant right now is original movie musicals that aren’t based on a pre-existing play. With audiences in the need of some fresh distraction as they head back into theaters, musicals could be a premium investment at the movies; which only doubles if it’s something no one’s ever seen before. It worked for The Greatest Showman and La La Land, and it could work for anyone else who decides to take a gamble on creating a new songbook.

Whodunnits

The whodunnit looked like it was dead and buried, with the possibility that it may or may not have been done in by the butler. However, two movies revived it to the point where Hollywood started to pay attention again. As both Rian Johnson’s Knives Out and Kenneth Brannagh’s Murder on the Orient Express became surprise smash hits, sequels were quickly greenlit and put into production to capitalize on that opportunity. Should another studio or two try to bring us a quirky sleuth that’s stumbling their way through a case, it would be a welcomed return to a crowd pleasing format.

Westerns

After a year of being cooped up indoors, and the world starting to open up in its own time, the wide open spaces of the frontier are a welcomed sight. The Tom Hanks film News of the World reminded audiences that a traditional Western can still captivate the attention of both audiences and actors, while the Kevin Costner/Diane Lane neo-noir Let Him Go used a format adjacent to the Western to make for a thrilling personal drama. It’s time to head back out to the prairie and make a fortune in the great frontier again. Whether that frontier happens to be on a planet far away or a prairie that the saw massive action in the past, as long as there's a lot of sun and some squinty showdowns, the Western can live on!

Screwball Comedies

Simple misunderstandings that get blown out of proportion. Physical pratfalls that see actors we know and love in embarrassing situations. The occasional pie in the face. All of these were the hallmark of the screwball comedy, which, with or without its romantic component, has persevered in modern society thanks to the grace of films like The Coen Bros’ Hail, Caesar. They’re practically movies that pull out all the stops with wordplay and hijinks to make the audience laugh, and much like original musicals, it’s high time studios start to try and revive this genre on a more periodic basis.

Parody Movies

We all know why parody movies died out, as horrific failures like Disaster Movie and projects of that ilk happened to torpedo a genre that once laid claim to movies like Airplane! and Spaceballs. There’s been enough time between the failures of recent memory and our current moment to allow this type of movie to return, so it’s time to give it another shot. All we need is the right sharp-minded comedy talent of today to find the perfect window of topical, yet timeless humor, and the world will be allowed to laugh again. We can even pretend that Superhero Movie never happened and let someone new take a shot at lampooning superhero movies.

Emotional Dramas

Returning to the example of Let Him Go, that film also represents another bygone genre that seems to have been sent down to the indies: emotional dramas. Whether it’s centered around familial strife or a romance that’s falling apart, major Hollywood muscle doesn’t seem to sit behind these sorts of movies as much as it used to. Quiet and sometimes epic stories about people living their lives don’t take up as much space on the major movie calendar as they used to, and it’s about time they did.

Silent Movies

Ok, this is going to feel like an oddball choice, especially when The Artist still gets a ton of side-eye for winning Best Picture at the Oscars. But that should only be proof that something so archaic as the silent movie is something that’s worthy of a more modern approach. Whether it’s focusing on visuals and a more symbolic journey, or a return to the classic format with title cards and a score-driven audio soundscape, experiments in narrative without dialogue could be a canvas that filmmakers could take full advantage of.

In the absence of the types of movies we’ve mentioned above, there comes an opportunity to jump back into once familiar waters. With some of these sorts of films already testing the waters, it’s only a matter of time before the next big hit strikes in one or more of these formats; which will trigger an onslaught of even more experiments designed to replicate that feat. It’s just the ebb and flow of cinema, and right now these are the ebbs that we hope to see flowing again.

Of course, if you’re more focused on the here and now, the 2021 film release schedule is available to answer your questions of what movies are headed into theaters throughout the year. And as always, stay locked on CinemaBlend for the latest in movie news, including if any of these genres look to be making the desired resurgence.

In a world that was once saturated with musicals, with big-time movies such as West Side Story, Newsies, Mary Poppins and so many more, it felt like we were in a severe lack of them on the big screen. That’s why we loved it when, back in 2016, Damien Chazelle blessed our ears with the Academy Award-winning film La La Land, a welcomed musical about a struggling jazz musician and actress falling in love in Hollywood, and the struggles they face together.

The film was a hit, with critics praising the music, the acting, the scenery, and everything else combined. Many accolades were lead by mentions of the fantastic performances of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, along with the astounding cast beside them. Because it’s been nearly five years since La La Land’s release, here is what the La La Land cast has been up to since the film’s debut.

Ryan Gosling (Sebastian Wilder)

I tend to call Ryan Gosling Hollywood's boyfriend due to how amazing he is in romantic comedies, but the man has been quite busy since his Academy Award-nominated performance in La La Land.

Since the debut of the film, Gosling has been starred in several films, most of which have been received well. Ryan Gosling was in the sequel to Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, as well as another Damien Chazelle film, First Man, about the moon landing. In upcoming years, he’s going to be starring in a Russo Brothers film on Netflix, titled The Grey Man, with a cast of stars beside him such as Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, and more.

Emma Stone (Mia Dolan)

The other star of this film was Emma Stone, and she actually won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Mia Dolan, a struggling actress in Hollywood. Since La La Land hit theaters, Emma Stone has been busy like crazy. For example, she had a starring role in the Netflix thriller, Maniac, along with roles in films such as The Favourite, the zombie sequel Zombieland: Double-Tap, the animated hit The Croods: A New Age, and more.

In 2021, you can expect to see Emma Stone as the magnificent Cruella DeVille in the upcoming live-action Disney film, Cruella, as well as another movie on the horizon, titled Poor Things, which is currently in pre-production, so the next couple of years are looking good for this famous actress.

John Legend (Keith)

Singer / musician John Legend proved he could act in La La Land. We all know John Legend for his fantastic music and being an awesome music producer in general, but he surprised fans of this movie with his skills. Since La La Land’s debut, Legend has kept busy in music, even coaching on the hit NBC competition show, The Voice, and also took on an executive producer role for the Netflix Christmas musical, Jingle Jangle.

But, that doesn’t mean that John Legend has stayed away from acting. He’s had plenty of guest spots on TV shows like This Is Us and The Simpsons, and will also have an upcoming voice role in Mitchells vs. the Machines, an animated film expected to hit Netflix at the end of April. I’m sure you’ll recognize his angelic voice from a mile away.

J.K. Simmons (Bill)

You know, when I think of J.K. Simmons, I always think of this serious actor who is one of the best out there. I also think of J. Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man, and of the scary jazz instructor from Whiplash. However, J.K. Simmons' role in here was limited, but extremely important for the plot, as he was the key to getting Seb to start to live his life as a true jazz musician.

J.K. Simmons has been plenty busy since La La Land’s debut in theaters. To be honest, this man has been in more films than I could put down here. We could do a whole article squarely just on what he has done, but for some examples, J.K. Simmons has popped up in hit films such as the superhero film Justice League, as his classic character J. Jonah Jameson in a cameo in Spider-Man: Far From Home, in the 2020 comedy Palm Springs and so many more.

He’s also made some guest and recurring appearances on shows like The Stand and several others.

For 2021, J.K. Simmons has a couple of films coming out, namely another sequel to Ghostbusters called Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the military sci-fi action film, The Tomorrow War, so this year is looking good for this Hollywood legend.

Rosemarie DeWitt (Laura Wilder)

In La La Land, there were plenty of side characters who really helped move the plot along with the great music, and one of them was Laura Wilder, played by the wonderful Rosemarie DeWitt. Since the film’s release, DeWitt has had roles in several films such as Sweet Virginia, Arizona, Song of Back and Neck, and The Professor. She’s also had a couple of guest star roles on TV, including an episode of Black Mirror, “Arkangel.”

However, Rosemarie DeWitt’s biggest role since La La Land is arguably her main spot in the Hulu drama series, Little Fires Everywhere, with the show being nominated for several awards. DeWitt is currently filming a new series called Pantheon, so be sure to keep an eye out for her to pop up again real soon.

Finn Wittrock (Greg)

Finn Wittrock had a small role here, but he’s honestly a great addition to La La Land. After his part in the award-winning film, Wittrock has had plenty of work, namely in roles on the FX horror anthology series, American Horror Story, as well as a main part in the Netflix series Ratched. He has also had plenty of appearances in films, many of which have been praised by critics, such as If Beale Street Could Talk and Judy.

In the coming years, Wittrock has plenty of work ahead of him, including A Mouthful of Air, which he will be starring in alongside Amanda Seyfried, and the psychological thriller Deep Water. Wittrock will also have a role in the upcoming tenth season of American Horror Story, titled American Horror Story: Double Feature.

Callie Hernandez (Tracy)

As one of the three roommates whom Mia had prior to meeting Seb in La La Land, Callie Hernandez rocked it in the few scenes she was in. Since her appearance in the film, she has gone on to several roles in other films, such as Alien: Covenant, The Endless and Under the Silver Lake. She has also stepped into the television world and had a main role in the Netflix series, Soundtrack, as well as in the Epix comedy, Graves.

In terms of what she has upcoming, Callie Hernandez is going to be stepping back into the spotlight of film once more with the Jennifer Lopez movie Shotgun Wedding, which is currently being filmed, so there will be some new projects coming from her within the next couple of years.

Sonoya Mizuno (Caitlin)

After playing the second of Mia’s three roommates, Sonoya Mizuno has been extremely busy since her role in La La Land. In terms of film, Mizuno has appeared in such movies as the thriller Annihilation, the uber successful rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, and had a part in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

Moving over to television, Sonoya Mizuno also had a part in Maniac, the same television series that Emma Stone starred in alongside Jonah Hill on Netflix. But, keep an eye out for this one, because Mizuno has landed a role on the Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, a show that will tell the story of some of the history of the Targaryens. With how popular the main show became, I’m sure that this will be a big opportunity for the starlet to shine.

Jessica Rothe (Alexis)

As the last of her roommates, Jessica Rothe has also been very busy since La La Land’s release, mainly in horror. Rothe has taken on the main role in Happy Death Day and its sequel Happy Death Day 2U, both of which were successful and well-received by critics. Jessica Rothe has also had appearances in films such as Please Stand By and All My Life.

Back in 2016, she also had a main role in the marijuana-themed comedy Mary + Jane and had a recurring role in the 2020 science-fiction drama Utopia, which was released on Amazon Prime back in September. This year, Rothe has a role in Body Brokers, a story where a junkie learns about the deeply hidden secrets behind a rehab center, so if you want to catch her in her latest project, check out the movie on some streaming platforms like Amazon Prime or YouTube.

Tom Everett Scott (David)

Okay, to me, I still think Mia should have ended up with Seb, but whatever, David was fine as well. This doesn’t mean that Tom Everett Scott, the man who played Mia’s husband in the epilogue at the end of the film, didn’t do a fantastic job for the small amount of time he was there. Since La La Land, Tom Everett Scott has had a couple of roles in films such as The Last Word, and the Disney+ original, Clouds, in 2020.

Scott also had a recurring role in the Netflix series that took the world by storm, 13 Reasons Why from 2017-2019, as well as a main role in The Healing Powers of Dude and a guest role in Council of Dads. Along with plenty of guest roles that are far too long to include on this list, Tom Everett Scott has some upcoming films, like Finding You, and The Adventures of Buddy Thunder, which is currently in pre-production.

With so many films coming out with these actors and actresses in them, I’m going to have to check my 2021 movie releases to make sure I know when they're going to be on the big screen again.

Chrissy Teigen may have vowed to change her social media habits in 2021, but thankfully for the rest of us on the internet, she’s still willing to roast her husband now and again. The model and Twitter superstar took to the platform over the weekend to laugh about that time La La Land was announced as the Best Picture winner. Her husband John Legend took the burn well, but that didn’t stop the rest of us from having a shocked laugh.

The best part about the comment is it seemingly came absolutely out of nowhere. Maybe there was some sort of private life conversation none of us witnessed, but for most of us, we were just scrolling along our timelines and then came across this surprise right hook. Check it out…

Now let’s back up real quick for those of you who don’t remember this all-time classic moment. It was the 89th Oscars covering the films released in 2016. Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were tasked with presenting the final Oscar for Best Picture. Unfortunately, they were handed the wrong card. So, they announced La La Land. Everyone involved got on stage to accept their victory until they were told they hadn’t won, and Moonlight was the real champion. It was an absolute classic WTF awkward moment similar to the Steve Harvey announcing the wrong winner at the Miss Universe Pageant.

There was so much confusion after the wrong announcement was made. At first the audience seemed to think it was a joke (probably because Jimmy Kimmel was hosting), and it took a long time for viewers at home to process what happened. Some who turned off the ceremony after the announcement didn’t even find out until the next morning, and the people on stage, of course, were as confused as anyone. That included John Legend who was an executive producer on the movie. One of Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter followers screenshotted the shocked look on his face, and she of course eagerly retweeted it because she can’t stop, won’t stop making fun of him about it. Check that magic out below…

Some situations are just too ridiculous not to laugh at. I understand how much hard work goes into making a movie. I’m sure there’s incredible disappointment around not winning. I’m sure there’s even more disappointment around being the frontrunner, thinking you won, only to later find out you didn’t. I’m not going to pretend to know what those emotions feel like. At the same time, though, what happened is objectively funny. There’s just no way around it. Some situations are just too ridiculous not to stop and appreciate, at least for their weirdness, and the end of the 89th Academy Awards is a perfect example of that. It's like when you fall down and just have to laugh at yourself.

Shoutout to John Legend for taking this joke in stride and also for being heavily involved in a movie as good as La La Land. It may not have won Best Picture, but it’s still fondly remembered years later and for many more reasons than its awkward almost win.

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Breaking up is never easy to do, but that doesn't mean we have to spend those first few days after a major breakup going through the whole gamut of human emotion on our own. Thankfully for everyone out there with a broken heart needing to be mended, there are countless movies out there that prove that we're not alone and that it's okay to pull down the blackout shades, grab a pint (or gallon) of ice cream, and spend a Sunday afternoon crying the day away. Movies like the Netflix original Marriage Story, the cult classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the timeless Casablanca are just three that come to mind.

And while none of these movies can fix all of the problems of a serious and depressing breakup, they can offer us an escape, albeit brief, that allow us to escape the hurt, fear, and uncertainty that follows a breakup or divorce, and give great opportunities to laugh, cry, and learn to those who need it the most. Here are 12 such movies that are streaming right now.

Marriage Story (Netflix)

Set over the course of a bitter and emotionally exhausting divorce between playwright Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson), Noah Baumbach's 2019 Academy Award-winning Marriage Story goes into great detail about the emotions, realities, and struggles of a failed marriage. As the couple grows apart and their young son Henry (Azhy Robertson) is stretched across the country, the movie examines how quickly relationships can be upended when things no longer work. And while some sections of the movie are sometimes too real and raw to take in, the movie strangely offers one of the most hopeful conclusions in the genre. But still, the movie absolutely wrecks anyone with even the most closed-off hearts.

Stream it on Netflix.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Hulu, Peacock)

Released in 2008, Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, quickly became a must-watch in terms of breakup movies, but not because of a depressing and heart-wrenching telling of infidelity and heartbreak (though those are both featured here). Instead, the movie, which stars Jason Segel (who wrote the screenplay) as composer Peter Bretter, a guy who escapes to a Hawaiian resort to try to forget his actress ex-girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), is a series of hilarious jokes and vignettes that tell the story of rebirth and new love at someone's lowest point. And with a cast that includes Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, and just about every celebrity in the early 21st Century, there's a lot to take in during this raunchy comedy.

Stream it on Hulu and Peacock.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Netflix)

There are breakup movies and then there is Michel Gondry's 2004 intricate and cerebral masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Starring Jim Carrey as Joel Barish and Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski, the film centers around two former lovers who undergo an experimental treatment to wipe each other from their memories following a painful breakup. Over the course of the movie, we follow Joel as he comes to terms with his decision to forget the love of his life just as the memories are deconstructed like sets on a stage. Beautifully written, shot, and edited, this unorthodox breakup story is just as much about love and new beginnings as it is about anything else.

Stream it on Netflix.

Manhattan (Amazon)

A lot of things can be said about Woody Allen's personal life, but nothing can take away from the fact that the writer-director gave the world some of the best breakup movies of all time. With films like Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters, Allen is a master at deconstructing doomed relationships even when the participating parties have no idea of the fate that awaits them.

Besides the aforementioned Annie Hall, none of Allen's films tackle this idea better than the 1979 black-and-white affair Manhattan. With a total of three breakups for Allen's Isaac Davis (a divorce from Meryl Streep's Jill Davis and a breakup with Mariel Hemingway's Tracy), the main love story focuses on that with Diane Keaton's Mary Wilke as the two become friends then lovers then former lovers all with a backdrop of New York City bustling around them.

Stream it on Amazon.

Casablanca (HBO Max)

When thinking about breakup movies, Michael Curtiz's 1942 Casablanca probably isn't one of the first to come to mind, but at the very center of this war drama is a brutal and heartbreaking story about a failed relationship that proved to be one of the biggest casualties of World War II.

Following Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine, a cynical American operating a nightclub of dubious legality in the city of Casablanca, the film picks up when the proprietor's old flame Ilsa Lunda (Ingrid Bergman) stumbles in with her famous husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). While trying to secure passage to freedom with Nazis hot on the tail of his former lover's new man, Rick finds himself recounting those good and not-so-good memories he shared with Ilsa in Paris. Try listening to "Time Goes By" without feeling a lump in your throat.

Stream it on HBO Max.

The First Wives Club (HBO Max)

There are a lot of breakup movies that are mopey, melodramatic pity parties and there are those like Hugh Wilson's 1996 revenge comedy The First Wives Club. When three middle-aged women (Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler) are left by their husbands for younger women, they don't lick their wounds… they get even. Inspired by the suicide of their college friend who took a plunge after being left by her millionaire husband, the three start a club of their own and set out for some old-fashioned payback for those who wronged them and others like them. The trio of scorned ex-wives will stop at nothing until they get back what was wrongfully taken from them by their no-good former husbands.

Stream it on HBO Max.

500 Days Of Summer (Starz)

On the surface, 500 Days of Summer looks like a quirky, hipster romantic comedy about a greeting-card writer named Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he falls in love with Summer (Zooey Deschanel), but it's anything but a happy-go-lucky story of young love. Sure, there's some of that in Marc Webb's 2009 indie darling, but the real heart of this movie is the breakup that takes up a large portion of the runtime as Tom tries to figure out what went wrong. And then there's the party scene where Tom thinks that Summer is inviting him over to get back together but soon realizes what is actually going on in the great "expectations vs. reality" scene.

Stream it on Starz.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before (Netflix)

Marriage Story isn't the only great breakup movie to be released by Netflix in recent years as the surprise hit To All The Boys I've Loved Before swept its way into viewers' hearts in 2018. The film, which is directed by Susan Johnson, stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a girl whose love letters to her crushes are sent out by her younger sister. Lara and one of the recipients, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), begin "dating" to throw off the other boys and Peter's ex-girlfriend Gen. But don't you know it, the two fall in love, before breaking up and then ultimately reuniting in something out of young adult fiction novel. Though a little hokey, the movie works and is ultimately a lot of fun.

Stream it on Netflix.

La La Land (HBO Max)

Damien Chazelle's 2016 musical La La Land offers a look at a couple who are both connected and ultimately torn apart by their passion and drive to make their dreams come true. With the story of Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a talented musician with aspirations of owning his own jazz club, and Mia (Emma Stone), an actress looking for their big break in Hollywood, this delightful treat of a movie is just as brutal and heartbreaking as it is bubbly. Going into it, the viewer is fully aware that in order for these two to make their mark in the world they will need to rip themselves from one another, no matter how much they love each other.

Stream it on HBO Max.

He's Just Not That Into You (Netflix)

There are certain movies that were tailor-made to be watched on a Sunday afternoon when you feel like you just ned two hours to escape the outside world and Ken Kwapis' 2009 romantic comedy He's Just Not That into You is one of those movies. Centered around a large ensemble cast that includes the likes of Jennifer Anniston, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper, and Ginnifer Goodwin, the movie is split into four main sections all dealing with love, loss, and breaking up. While you shouldn't expect the complexity of other movies on this list,there are definitely worse options out there.

Stream it on Netflix.

The Holiday (Amazon)

You can't have a list of breakup movies without at least Nancy Meyers entry, and what better way of talking about the godmother of romantic comedies than with her 2006 drama The Holiday. While most of the movies listed here center around one breakup, The Holiday features two stories of failed relationships and new beginnings with Cameron Diaz' Amanda Woods and Kate Winslet's Iris Simpkins, who trade places to get away from the awful men in their lives. And who would have thought that they would fall in love (Jude Law's Graham Simpkins and Jack Black's Miles Dumont), but it does in fact happen. But honestly, everyone knows this movie is really about Eli Wallach's Arthur Abbot, who pretty much steals the show.

Stream it on Amazon.

Manchester By The Sea (Amazon)

Kenneth Lonergan's 2016 drama Manchester by the Sea isn't really a breakup story, but more of a movie about the awful event that ultimately led the dissolution of a marriage. Starring Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler, a broken man who is destroyed by a tragic mistake, the movie touches on his failed marriage to Randi, played by an emotionally-gutted Michelle Williams. It isn't until later in the movie that the former spouses come to terms with the event that completely changed their lives and everyone around them, making this perhaps the most unorthodox breakup movie to come out in recent memory.

Stream it on Amazon.

While different, each of these movies have one thing in common — they show people whose lives have been completely upended by a breakup and try to find a way to move on from the situation. If you have a movie that you think fits this mold, then make sure to let me know in the comments below.

Nearly three years ago, Blumhouse surprised viewers everywhere with a fresh, inventive, and unexpectedly charming new take on both the slasher genre and familiar time loop formula with Happy Death Day, a highly entertaining low-budget horror-comedy that benefitted enormously by its star-making performance from Jessica Rothe. Or, at least, that should've been the case. While Rothe recently reprised her character in Happy Death Day 2U and took on the title role in this past weekend's Valley Girl remake, her star status tragically hasn't come into full fruition yet — which is a shame because the bright young actress clearly has what it takes to be a superstar. 

Hopefully, Hollywood will wise up and give Rothe the A-list role she deserves. But if they somehow still need more evidence that she's a star on the rise, here are six films that showcase her talents — including Happy Death Day.

Happy Death Day

It's not hard to imagine a lesser version of Happy Death Day. You know, a movie that's simply another Groundhog Day rip-off. Perhaps even an unremarkable version of Edge Of Tomorrow or Source Code. Time loop movies are fittingly a vicious cycle in Hollywood, only rarely providing something unique or worthwhile with their high-concept premise. Only a few become rewarding. But that was certainly the case for this joyfully fun horror-comedy. While Happy Death Day doesn't reach the same heights as the aforementioned Bill Murray classic, which it playfully name-checks, this cheeky, endearing, enjoyably self-aware new spin on the familiar concept gave us a fresh take on this timeless concept through its clever twists, a goofy sense of humor, an unexpectedly sweet sincerity, and, most especially, an extraordinary lead performance from Jessica Rothe, who turns this shlocky B-movie into something that's totally worth your while.

Happy Death Day is a movie that's wholly dependent on its lead star. Jessica Rothe is in every scene; she's nearly in every frame. She carries the entire narrative framework of this movie. It's not an exaggeration to say the success or failure of Happy Death Day rides or dies on her shoulders. Thankfully, the immensely talented actress gives an exhilarating performance, displaying sharp wit, excellent comedic timing, a variety of facial expressions, and touching beats of emotional openness. 

It's honestly an award-worthy performance in what could've easily been a disposable slasher flick, and it makes the movie worth revisiting no matter how many times you've seen it before. Rothe's lively, confident performance is the big reason why Happy Death Day turned into a series-spanning smash hit. I firmly believe it should've paved the way for Rothe's road to Hollywood stardom. Hopefully, time will tell.

Happy Death Day 2U

Even more so than the first spin, Happy Death Day 2U relied on the shiny star power of its lead actress. An unlikely sequel to Blumhouse's surprise horror-comedy hit, writer/director Christopher Landon had more creative freedoms to push the boundaries with his sci-fi friendly continuation, one that experimented more with the narrative possibilities of his time-looping premise and genre-bending series. But no matter what risks were made to the story, it'd, once again, rely on Jessica Rothe's excellent performance to carry it. 

Thankfully, Rothe only continued to impress as Tree Gelbman, finding more humor, heart, and vulnerability to explore. The challenges of balancing the emotional surprises of this story while also providing a fresh sequel that ironically didn't feel repetitive were immense, but Rothe carried this sequel wonderfully, providing a performance that's as scarily good — and possibly even better — than the first time around.

Valley Girl (2020)

In Valley Girl, the bubblegum-sweet romantic-musical re-imagining of the 1983 teen comedy of the same name, Jessica Rothe plays Julie Richman, the titular "valley girl" who alienates her social clique whenever she develops romantic feelings for Randy (Josh Whitehouse), a hard-rocker from the other side of the tracks in Hollywood. While it doesn't compete with the original, lacking the gentle emotional sincerity that made it an '80s favorite, Rothe's immensely charming, radiant (and obviously rad) performance, matched with her warm and tender chemistry with Whitehouse, helps to sell this poppy, nostalgic retelling. 

The story structure follows formula, even beyond remake standards, and it never finds its groove — ironically enough — but there's simply no denying Rothe's dynamite talents. The rising actress is an immensely capable, appealing lead performer who shines both boldly and brightly in an otherwise inconsistent remake. Truly, this is a performance that sings.

La La Land

Admittedly, Jessica Rothe isn't the star of La La Land. In this original musical-romance from writer/director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), Rothe shares the screen with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, serving in a supportive friend role beside our female lead. She doesn't get any solo songs and she doesn't get any moments to steal the screen. Nevertheless, in the Oscar-winning film that helped catapult the young starlet into mainstream success, Rothe is still given the chance to provide an electrifying performance, notably with the dazzling music number "Someone in the Crowd" showcasing her singing and dancing talents beside Stone, Callie Hernandez, and Sonoya Mizuno. 

It was our pre-Valley Girl introduction to her great musical talents; hopefully, she'll find a film in this genre that properly gives her the center stage. It's clear that musicals help to bring out her brightest skills. La La Land is a great example.

Tater Tot & Patton

In its onset, Tater Tot & Patton plays like your typical midwestern festival film. And by-and-large, it is. It follows Andie (Jessica Rothe), an LA-based millennial who reconnects with her gruff-and-tuff distant relative, Uncle Erwin (Bates Wilder), after avoiding rehab. There's your expected cultural clash with two differing folks who must live together, whether they like it or not, before valuing each other's company. The indie doesn't break any molds, but there's an understated, elegant gentleness that's gradually touching. Its familiar, yet personal, and simplistic, yet sympathetic, which doesn't make it a masterpiece but rather a breezy, quietly investing experience. 

The key to its power comes from its two central performances. Notably, Rothe takes what could've been a near-parody of a vegetarian, hula-hooping millennial and makes Andie genuine and humane, while still find the character's humor and compassion. It's a winning turn in a gently-involving film.

The Tribe (2017)

Watching a moody, atmospheric, slow-burn post-apocalyptic drama about a lowly trio of young siblings struggling to survive in the aftermath of a devastating global pandemic can be hard, especially in 2020 with, you know, everything going on. It takes a strong, nuanced performer to carry an intimate movie in this vein — particularly one with intense range who can channel layered emotional pathos and intuitive dramatic instincts. The Tribe, Roxy Shih's feature directorial debut, is another genre movie that doesn't venture far beyond the narrative conventions of other dystopian indies, but Rothe brings a lot of life to this dour tale. As Jenny, the parental eldest sister, Rothe's early performance shows signs of the assured actress we'd see in later roles, and the films we'll hopefully see from her in the near future, demonstrating an exceptional talent who only continues to come into her own.

Do you believe Jessica Rothe has what it takes to be a superstar? Do you love the Happy Death Day movies too? Let us know in the comments below!

As tradition dictates, this month is packed with tender love stories like The Photograph and adorable meet-cutes such as To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. Sure, falling in love is a beautiful part of life filmmakers love to capture… but so it falling out of it. In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn is navigating her “emancipation” from Jared Leto’s Joker in an action-packed and hilarious ballet of a breakup film unlike any other. It reminds us that sometimes watching a movie character like Harley blow up a chemical plant is just the catharsis we need in a big Hollywood world full of adorable love stories and mushy dialogue.

How do you pick up the pieces of a broken heart? These movie characters have some ideas for you should you find yourself in such a situation this Valentine's Day. Most of these are straight-up horrible ideas that you should definitely not do, but watching them play out is fun!

Break Every Dish In Your Kitchen

Sometimes you just have to take your frustration out on something, and going at it on an object is a better alternative than other things I guess, such as texting your ex “WHY” or going over to their house to ask “WHY.” Much, much better! In the iconic breakup indie (500) Days Of Summer, the movie opens on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tom just going one plate at a time and breaking them to pieces over his counter. But the real lesson of the 2009 film is what happens after all the dish breaking. After Zooey Deschanel’s Summer breaks it off with him, he turns to personal growth. He finds passion in pursuing his love of architecture, resulting in Tom entering a new and better season of his life.

Masquerade As Their Dream Housekeeper

Oh yes, 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire is a 100% a breakup film. You thought it was just about the main character spending time with his kids, but this kind of crazy could only have come from heartbreak. In Robin Williams’ classic comedy, he is in the middle of a divorce with his wife (Sally Field). His custody deal is not great, so he thinks up an elaborate housekeeper character to dress up as in order to see his children, hang around at the house he’s built a life in and keep watch of her new BF – Pierce Brosnan. The movie provides some hilarious moments – like when he dunks his head in the pie! That said, Mrs. Doubtfire is also required viewing about the journey about coming out of the other side of divorce and heartbreak.

Imagine A Grand One-Shot Music Number About Your Relationship

Courtesy of 2017’s almost-Best Picture La La Land comes a what-could-have-been story of romance and heartbreak. The beauty of Damien Chazelle’s musical is how it highlights the beauty of love, even the ones that don’t end up panning out. A romance such as the one Ryan Gosling Sebastian and Emma Stone’s Mia had is often shown beat-for-beat and it ends in happily ever after. In La La Land, audiences fall in love with this couple’s chemistry, but they are also faced with the struggles of a young relationship diverging on two paths. During the film’s beautiful finale, Sebastian imagines their future, but it’s all in its head. Often we romanticize our lost relationships after the fact, but they were better off breaking up.

Enroll In The Same Law School As Your Ex

Another bold move of a breakup film comes in the form of 2001’s Legally Blonde. Reese Witherspoon’s pretty-in-pink Elle Woods gets dumped by her boyfriend, but she just doesn’t know how to let it go. Elle gets herself in her ex’s law school to spend more time with him and prove herself. It starts as a flawed decision fueled by loss, but what Elle Woods finds out is that it wasn’t worth it for her to do these big gestures to get her ex to take her back. She needed to push herself, for herself and when she does, she becomes a star at the law school! Legally Blonde is a fun take on the breakup film that offers a bit of hope for new flames. Hello, early '00s, Luke Wilson!

Break Out Into Song In Front Of All Your Closest Friends

A recent A+ breakup movie that was the talk of Oscars season is Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story. The movie takes audiences in the stresses and toxicity that can come out of a divorce between hotshot lawyers, your ex’s still-close relationship with your parents and the intensity of arguments. That wall punch – I do not recommend it! What’s great about Marriage Story is how it’s framed in the beginning and end through what Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver’s characters love about each other. The movie really explores the grey areas of love and heartbreak – because despite the drama, their love was always real, and that’s a beautiful reminder for a movie to include. But seriously, sometimes karaoke/public singing can be therapeutic.

Take Up A New Hobby

Here’s some classic advice: try something new. Place your passion and heartbreak in something else besides the thought of your breakup. It’s the premise of Silver Linings Playbook. In a desperate attempt to show his ex he’s getting better, Bradley Cooper’s character decides to enter into a dance competition with Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar-winning widow Tiffany. They’re both messes going through their own personal struggles, but when they get together, it’s electric. Watching the final, hilarious dance scene between the both of them at the end is good every single time. It delivers the perfect message about creating something positive from a low point.

Blow Up A Chemical Plant And Become A Walking Target

Finally, to the latest breakup movie extravaganza: Birds of Prey. The new Warner Bros flick has Harley Quinn splitting off from her famous love, The Joker. At first she doesn’t know quite how to deal with life without him considering he’s a powerful villain in Gotham City and she had immunity to do whatever she pleased, but then she meets the “birds.” This action flick features some awesome action sequences and it’s just stylish – but it’s also all about coming into your own after a breakup. Harley Quinn finds out she’s even more powerful without Mr. J and meets some badass friends along the way, and blowing up the Ace Chemical Plant played a huge role in getting her there.

You can take or leave some of this bonkers advice on breakups. Which of these films are you popping in today? Vote in our poll and recommend your favorite in the comments below!

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Ah yes, the infamous and fabulous city of Los Angeles! There just isn’t any other place like it. L.A. especially has a special place in the hearts of movie fans. Just about each and every street is paved with the footprints of movie legends and reminiscent of the signature scenes shot there.

Quentin Tarantino has long found inspiration in his hometown of Los Angeles, with his beloved films Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction sitting snuggly in the city’s DNA. Now, the auteur director has made a masterful love letter to his city with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The movie about movie-making has us nostalgic of other films that stars the City of Angels as a central character. Check these out:

Beverly Hills Cop

This fish-out-of-water story follows Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, at the top of his career, coming right off Saturday Night Live. When the Detroit cop comes out to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend, hilarious antics ensue as he navigates the gunk and glamour of the sunny palm tree-filled town.

Singin’ In The Rain

This old Hollywood musical famously tells the tale of the beginning of “talking pictures” as Gene Kelly’s silent movie star, Don Lockwood, shows off his timeless charm to Debbie Reynolds’ struggling performer, Kathy Selden. The grand musical numbers remain gleefully breathtaking at a time when it was movies’ greatest magic trick.

Mulholland Drive

Los Angeles is a puzzling place, but then watch David Lynch get ahold of it. In the Twin Peaks’ creator 2001 thriller, he tells the story of a sunny Hollywood dreamer (Naomi Watts) and a woman suffering from amnesia after a car accident (Laura Harring). The pair venture into a dreamlike L.A. reality that challenges the nature of the film industry.

Chinatown

Roman Polanski (who ironically enough is a character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) made his masterpiece with 1974’s Chinatown. The detective story has Jack Nicholson’s J.J. Gittes getting caught in the middle of murder and deceit. At the center are early depictions of California’s current drought and the bedazzling Faye Dunaway.

Boyz N The Hood

John Singleton’s debut is a poignant piece on life in South Central Los Angeles through the eyes of three young black men (played by Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Morris Chestnut). Between challenges of gang violence and college pursuits, Boyz n the Hood told a tale of L.A. not often told so boldly at the time.

Clueless

You’re totally buggin’ if you think Clueless isn’t making this list. The teen comedy was a phenomenon of the ‘90s that went on to define the L.A. “Valley Girl” for years to come. Not to mention how quotable, rewatchable, earnest and hilarious it is. Oh, and the ageless Paul Rudd!

Nightcrawler

One of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best performances to date highlights what horrors lie in the late hours of the night. Louis Bloom ruthlessly pursues crime journalism in Los Angeles, with Riz Ahmed and Rene Russo in the supporting cast. Nightcrawler is a gritty and unhinged ride through the iconic freeways and neighborhoods of the city.

The Big Lebowski

Jeff Bridge’s “The Dude” is an iconic symbol plucked from the obscurity of Venice Beach. Heck, the Coen Brothers’ cult classic is brimming with Angelenos only locals could have dreamt of. The Big Lebowski follows a ruffled-up stoner who gets mistaken for a millionaire with his name and gets revenge on his beloved rug with the help of his bowling friends.

Tangerine

Hollywood-set movies tend to be all about glamour and surreal aesthetics, but not Tangerine. Shot entirely on an iPhone, this indie follows two transgender hookers making their way through the dingey sub-sections of Los Angeles as one is hellbent on finding the pimp who broke her heart one Christmas Eve.

L.A. Confidential

Based on a James Ellroy novel, L.A. Confidential follows three LAPD cops (played by Guy Pierce, Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe) with completely different takes on how they investigate a series of murders going down in ‘50s Los Angeles glamour and a stylized noir backdrop. It's not to be missed by fans of the crime genre... or good filmmaking in general.

Drive

One indisputable novelty of Los Angeles is how much time its residents spend in cars. So, Ryan Gosling’s stunt driving career-turned-crime accomplice having roots in the film industry makes for the perfect Los Angeles-set drama. Director Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is a quiet modern masterpiece filled with violence, romance and intrigue.

Boogie Nights

While movies about L.A. often touch on moviemaking, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights dares to venture into the porn industry in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Mark Wahlberg’s rise and downfall to fame as porn star Dirk Diggler offers a bold take on a city ridden with drugs, disco and sex.

Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard has long been said to be the best movie about Hollywood, and during its time it certainly captured the blemishes of the industry when it was all glitter and sophistication. Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond, an aging silent film star who is hoping to make a comeback in the business. Here we are 70 years later, where ageism still commonly expires great talents.

Straight Outta Compton

Los Angeles is also home to the rise of hip-hop/rap group N.W.A. in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Straight Outta Compton (the only straight biopic on this list) follows its members Ice Cube, Easy-E and Dr. Dre as they get picked up by a label and make music professional amidst the Compton gang scene, drug deals and racial tensions.

Swingers

Before directing Disney heavy-hitters such as Iron Man and The Lion King remake, Jon Favreau first contributed to Los Angeles’ narrative with 1996’s Swingers. This comedy about 20-somethings looking for meaning in the eyes of women in Hollywood night clubs and their struggle to “make it” in the city is an entertaining watch.

La La Land

Between an epic opening freeway dance number, magical sidesteps through Los Angeles most famous landmarks and a breathtaking sunset tap dance through Hollywood, La La Land is the ultimate ode to a city of stars. Damien Chazelle’s 2016 original musical captures the way L.A. can sweep you off your feet just as easily as it can break your heart.

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood certainly joins the ranks of great Los Angeles movies with its release. The star-studded epic blends historical accuracy with fictional material in 1969, a time that inspired him to become the esteemed filmmaker he is today.

What’s your favorite movie about Los Angeles? Sound off in the comments below!

Some movie match-ups just work, and thankfully some work so well together that they are given an on-screen encore. Among them is Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone who have shared the screen with their magnetic chemistry since 2011 with Crazy, Stupid, Love. While at the Telluride Film Festival promoting her new film The Favourite along with being honored for her highly successful 11-year career thus far, the 29-year-old Academy Award winning actress couldn't help but touch upon importance of Gosling in it. Here's what she said:

Emma Stone fondly talked about her dear friend and colleague at a Q&A during the festival (via Us Magazine). When the talented actors first starred as love interests in Crazy, Stupid, Love., the ensemble comedy had the actors recreating the Dirty Dancing lift right as Stone was gaining momentum as a breakout star with roles in Zombieland, Easy A and The Help. In 2013, Gosling and Stone found each other once again on screen in the Los Angeles-set noir, Gangster Squad in between her two-movie stint as Gwen Stacy in the Amazing Spider-Man series. Then, the pair experienced a new height in their careers with La La Land, which had them on award show stages being recognized for their dazzling performances. Stone also commented on how their acting relationship began during the Q&A. In her words:

It's safe to say the duo of actors have quite a bit of history, and have shared some memorable moments in their career together. Since their dreamy waltz into the hearts of moviegoers with La La Land, the stars have both continued to be a part of highly-praised films, gaining more Oscar buzz. Last year Emma Stone starred as tennis player Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes, will soon make her Netflix series debut in Maniac and her upcoming period piece The Favourite recently premiered with high acclaim. Ryan Gosling made waves last year in Blade Runner 2049 and his portrayal of Neil Armstrong in Damien Chazelle's First Man is a performance is not to miss, come October.

The pair are somewhat of on-screen soulmates, as we cross our fingers in hope that they will find each other again in more film projects in the future. For now, the actors will still be seen as their upcoming releases with First Man coming to theaters on October 12 and The Favourite on November 23.

Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that for the first time in history, they would be working on crafting a category solely focused on achievement in popular film. Naturally, this drew the ire of the internet and film community, as this seems to be a move that rewards box office grosses over actual achievement. However, where some see a dark cloud over an already chaotic awards ceremony, there's also an interesting potential for a thought experiment.

For this hypothetical scenario, let's use the prism of history to see how this potential category could have played out in the last 10 years of Best Picture history. Operating on the popular presumption that this "Popular Oscar" is going to be a Best Picture-adjacent category, we can apply this assumption to the last decade of films that were nominated, minus one notable exception. The results are rather interesting, and definitely worth discussion, so here we go with 10 years worth of alternative Oscar history, as we retroactively hand out the awards for "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking."

2008 - Juno

While No Country For Old Men's Best Picture win feels like one of those wins that satisfied both the artistic and somewhat popular tendencies that Oscar voters tend to try and steer for, if there WAS an award for "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking," you can bet that Juno would have won it. A film that not only dominated the pop culture landscape during its awards qualifying run, but also brought Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman together for the first time, the indie hipster romantic dramedy built probably the most vocal fan base of all the films nominated that year. Also, the Best Original Screenplay win for Cody's script kind of tips towards the odds being in this one's favor.

2009 - The Dark Knight

In the context of this list, we've stayed mostly with the losers who were nominated for the highest honors of their year: Best Picture. And yet, when it comes to 2009's class of notables, none cast quite as impressive a shadow as The Dark Knight. Considering this is the film that, if you wanted to trace this issue to a starting point, began The Academy's various actions in the name of popularity, it's a no-brainer addition to the pack. This is the textbook case of a movie so popular that when "serious" awards bodies don't pay it enough attention, they're decried as too traditional. Christopher Nolan's best Batman movie is a true blend of artistic merit, and blockbuster thrills, sealing the deal on this film's hypothetical win in spades.

2010 - Avatar

When you're the biggest cinematic money maker of all time, the eyes of the world are going to be on you like a hawk. Already having done that once with his critical, commercial, and awards juggernaut Titanic, James Cameron somehow did it again when Avatar was released to the public. Now, while there's been debate about the story's originality, there's no question that the technical marvels that were on display. Plus, the film's IMAX 3D presentation helped revolutionize theatrical distribution. The way movies were made, and seen, was changed for the better, and with audiences flocking in droves to see it for themselves, no other film that year could match its appeal.

2011 - Inception

On this alternate timeline, Christopher Nolan is a previous "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking" winner, having already cemented his legacy after scoring on this award with 2008's The Dark Knight. We're guessing he would have won his second round in this very category with Inception. With another mix of blockbuster spectacle, seen through the prism of high art and concept, the box office juggernaut would have gone from its summer run into a very golden end, all thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio and his band of mind thieves.

2012 - The Help

The "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking" category would have been hard pressed to find another film as qualified for the win as The Help. Not only was it the highest performing nominee at the domestic market for 2012's top honors, but it also would have been a big win for diversity, with the female-centric story about race relations occupying a Goldilocks zone of Oscar prestige and public consciousness. Seeing as the film already had one nomination for Best Picture, and three nominations in the acting field, it would have been an easy trophy to hand out, in the name of awarding the film on its total merits, and public support.

2013 - Lincoln

It might surprise you to see that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln could beat something like, say, Django Unchained in the award for "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking." Or at least, it would until you break down the fact that Spielberg's long-gestating adaptation of Team of Rivals actually outgrossed Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti western tribute by a solid $20 million. Of course, it also helps that Spielberg is a known name with The Academy (moreso than Tarantino, even), and with Daniel Day Lewis' win for Best Actor clearly showing the film as an Oscar voter favorite, not all the fake blood in the world could have triumphed over this tale of the human spirit and political wrangling.

2014 - The Wolf Of Wall Street

2014 is one of those easy years to peg in this hypothetical category, as The Wolf of Wall Street would definitely have brought home the "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking" prize, as this Scorseseian madhouse of highly quotable nature was making waves with audiences as a raucous adventure through late stage Capitalism and excess that was just too fun to go home empty handed. It's hard to tell if Leonardo DiCaprio could have benefitted from this sort of attention, but it's not hard to see that the infamy and fond regard the film had gained through awards season paying off.

2015 - American Sniper

Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was a pretty surprising winner for the Best Picture honors at 2015's Oscar ceremony. Some folks scratched their heads, while others cheered out of supportive surprise. And yet, it felt like all the buzz surrounding that year's crop of films couldn't drown out the American public's slow, but eventually tremendous warming to Clint Eastwood's American Sniper. The tragic but inspiring true story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) and his life in and out of combat, its success at the box office, as well as the pedigree of Eastwood's directorial career, would have given this film a clear shot to winning the popular Oscar trophy.

2016 - Mad Max: Fury Road

If there are two films that highlight the more beneficial side to having an award like "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking" exist, The Dark Knight is the first, and Mad Max: Fury Road is the second. A huge winner in 2016's technical awards, capping off director George Miller's post-apocalyptic epic with a popular Oscar could have really blown the doors open for genre filmmaking at The Oscars. Considering the films that have preceded this most obvious winner, it wouldn't be a category of ill repute, and at this point the audience would probably be paying more attention to the popular pick rather than the Best Picture-crowned winner. Though, if anyone at Miller's age can make a film so progressive that it get the internet to agree it should have won, as well as a film so technically kick-ass that it makes most blockbusters look like LEGO fan films, then surely that's worthy of great notice.

2017 - La La Land

Right about now, Warren Beatty would have been vindicated, as his mistakenly reading La La Land as the Best Picture of 2017 would have merely been a swapping of envelopes between it and the real Best Picture of that year, Moonlight. While director Barry Jenkins' film would have still taken that top prize, Damian Chazelle's ode to jazz and Jacques Demy would have most definitely taken the popular trophy of the year. No other film would have come close to winning the hearts and minds of the world so effectively that for a time, everyone not only expected it to win Best Picture, they would have totally been chill with it. With Moonlight and La La Land firmly at the top of the ranks this time out, the two sides of the Oscar voting pool's rationale would be on full display, and all would have been right with the world.

2018 - Get Out

Here's an interesting thought: would The Shape of Water still have won the Best Picture prize if like "Best Achievement in Popular Filmmaking" was in play? The result we ended up getting would have probably still held in this alternative universe, but it would have more than likely still been a toss up between it and writer/director Jordan Peele's Get Out winning in the popularity race. Through almost a decade of this hypothetical history, The Academy would still more than likely not be over its genre bias, which would still result in the very Old Hollywood / progressive fable storytelling of Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor's successful script taking the top prize. But this is that third film that epitomizes the best case scenario of this category, as Jordan Peele's film would have two top notch Oscars under its belt, further emboldening him and his collaborators in future endeavors.

Actor/singer/ general badass Hugh Jackman has had a very exciting year at the box office. He officially retired from playing Wolverine in the X-Men franchise with James Mangold's acclaimed and Oscar nominated Logan. The holiday season also brought The Greatest Showman to theaters, once again allowing the Tony Award winning actor to show off his pipes for audiences. Both movies made tons of money at the box office, and now it looks like Jackman has found his next major project. This time he's teaming up with a La La Land producer, which seems like just about the perfect fit.

Hugh Jackman is reportedly eyeing a role in Bad Education, which is being produced by La La Land's Fred Berger. While Jackman's potential role is a mystery, the still developing film is reportedly centered around a High School, inspired by writer Mike Makowsky's real life experiences. Thoroughbreds director Cory Finley is attached to help the project, which would bring Jackman back from his brief filming hiatus. In addition to Berger, the film will also be produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones from Automatik, Oren Moverman of Sight Unseen, alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev.

Reports of Hugh Jackman's potential involvement in Bad Education, which come to us from Variety, will no doubt excite musical fans, as both he and Fred Berger are known for their work in big budget musical blockbusters. But should we expect Jackman to end up singing in the new movie? Probably not, as Jackman has tended to alternate his musical roles in films like The Greatest Showman and Les Miserables with heavier dramas like Eddie the Eagle and Chappie.

Aside from his (almost) Oscar winning work on La La Land, producer Fred Berger also has a few other notable credits- none of which contain musical numbers. Some of his credits include The Autopsy of Jane Doe and horror movie I Think We're Alone Now. He's also currently got about a dozen films in either post-production or pre-production, so Berger has become a very busy man. We'll just have to see if Bad Education ends up moving forward. With Hugh Jackman possibly involved, it could help land other big names in the cast.

Of course, Fred Berger was also involved in envelope gate from the 2017 Academy Awards. When La La Land falsely won best picture instead of Moonlight, each of the producers got to make their speeches, as the confusion was sorted out on stage. Berger was one of the last producers to make his brief speech at the mic, which ended with "we lost, by the way", and the truth being dropped. Check it out below.

La La Land was still a massive success, and it seems like Fred Berger's career has really taken off since Damien Chazelle's musical love story hit theaters. Now let's hope that Bad Education will have far fewer awkward moments.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on Bad Education and Hugh Jackman as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

A year ago the movie world was buzzing about a hot new movie musical that was winning over critics and audiences alike and winning all the awards. Well, almost all the awards. A year later, there's a new movie out which isn't doing quite as well, even though, it's actually a much better musical. La La Land was the hottest movie in theaters last year, and while that wasn't without good reason, the simple fact is that The Greatest Showman is actually a much better musical. You heard me.

To be clear, La La Land is a good movie. In fact, it's a great movie. It won Academy Awards for acting, directing and cinematography (among others) because those qualities of the film are excellent. It also saw two of its songs nominated for Oscars, because the music is also fantastic, but that's only half the battle when you're filming a musical.

The songs in musicals aren't simply there for entertainment value. They have purpose. They're part of the story. Songs represent moments in a film where emotions boil over and result in characters expressing themselves in song. They work like fight scenes in an action movie. When done right, they help tell the story in addition to being fun to watch, and this is where La La Land fails and The Greatest Showman excels.

I've been watching a lot of Disney movies recently as part of an ongoing project, and I recently rewatched The Little Mermaid. On the Blu-Ray release of the film are clips from a lecture that lyricist Howard Ashman gave Disney animators during the film's production. Ashman wrote songs for Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and he's the reason those three films have some of the best music in Disney history. He puts it as clearly as you possibly can. In a musical, music is information.

Put simply, as director John Musker does later in the Blu-Ray extra, if you can remove the song from the story and your story still makes sense, then you haven't done your job properly with the music. By that logic, La La Land didn't do its job properly.

Go back in your mind, or go watch La La Land, and remove the songs. The plot remains almost perfectly intact. Only the Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone duet number "A Lovely Night" contains any information which the film requires to keep a coherent story. Even La La Land director Damien Chazelle admitted that there were different edits of the movie which contained one number or another cut from the film. Something which could be done, because the songs are utterly superfluous. "Another Day of Sun" is a beautifully shot and perfectly edited sequence that is completely unnecessary to the story. Emma Stone is absolutely amazing in her performance of "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," but cut it out, as the director nearly did, and you realize it's not strictly necessary.

Compare that to The Greatest Showman. If you start removing songs from this movie the entire story falls apart. Take out "The Other Side" and Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum and Zac Efron's Philip Carlyle never become partners, because that entire transaction takes place in a song. Carlyle and Zendaya's Anne Wheeler never admit their love for each other without "Rewrite the Stars." Barnum never finds his redemption without "From Now On." On the character development side, the showstopping "This is Me" is a direct reaction to the story and gives the audience insight into the emotions of the circus performers. Without the song, we don't understand how they feel, and without that, their actions later in the movie would make no sense. All these songs contain vital information of one form or another that is gone if the song is taken out.

Nearly every great musical has a number early on where the main character sings about their dreams. It's the song on which everything that follows is based, it's literally referred to as the "I want" song. In the aforementioned The Little Mermaid it's "Part of Your World." In the more recent Moana it's "How Far I'll Go." In The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman sings the rather obviously titled "A Million Dreams."

At no point in La La Land to either of the leads ever sing about what it is they really want. This is a classic musical element that's necessary if you're going to connect with your main character that's missing entirely from a movie that claims to be a musical.

There is plenty to be critical about when it comes to The Greatest Showman. The film plays fast and loose with history, leading to a story that has to piece together a mediocre story around its big musical numbers. But as far as those musical numbers do, they do their job within the context of the film.

Not every song in every musical needs to justify itself in this way. The song which opens and closes The Greatest Showman, the nearly self-titled "The Greatest Show" isn't strictly necessary to the film any more than "Another Day of Sun" is, but on the whole, Showman does a much better job of making its songs necessary than La La Land did. The Greatest Showman isn't a great film, but it's a fine one that happens to be a great musical. La La Land is a great movie, that happens to include songs in it.

Before Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were cast to play the leads in La La Land, the Damien Chapelle-directed musical had a different duo in mind for the roles of Mia Dolan and Sebastian Wilder. Originally, Emma Watson and Miles Teller were supposed to star in La La Land, and while Watson later attributed her departure to already being committed to Beauty and the Beast, the circumstances behind Teller's exit have been mysterious. One report claimed that Teller stepped away from the production after he didn't receive the payday he wanted, but Teller firmly denies this wasn't the case. When asked what the real reason for him not appearing in La La Land was, Teller said the following:

Two years ago, Miles Teller said that he found out he would no longer star in La La Land from his agent, who had received a call from director Damien Chazelle, who reportedly claimed that Teller was no longer "creatively right" for the project. Teller's above quote seems to line up with that previous account, as opposed to the rumor from last year, which stated that Teller had been offered $4 million, but he wanted more money, and as negotiations continued, eventually he just wasn't available anymore. Clearly Teller isn't ready to divulge the full details of what happened, but he made it clear to Vulture that he was keen on appearing in La La Land, saying that he wouldn't have turned down a part like that over $4 million.

Miles Teller's experience with La La Land adds to the long list of Hollywood "what ifs?", like if Eric Stoltz had starred in Back to the Future rather than be recast in the beloved sci-fi movie. Fortunately for La La Land, it proved quite successful with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as its leads, making over $445 million world wide and earning numerous accolades, including walking away with six Oscars and six Golden Globes. It also experienced a brief moment as the Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards earlier this year, only to have that honor quickly snatched away when it was revealed that Moonlight was the real winner.

Miles Teller can currently be seen playing Adam Schumann in Thank You For Your Service and Brendan McDonough in Only the Brave. Look through our 2017 premiere guide and 2018 premiere guide to find out what movies are being released over the next year.

Last year was a crazy whirlwind for La La Land, what with the film rapidly rising from festival darling to surprising indie hit, and cresting at an (almost) Best Picture-winning run at the Oscars. But, as with any film that's gained the kind of following Damien Chazelle's musical throwback earned, there's going to be a backlash, complete with a video noting the ways that this film's taken serious liberty with cinema. Watch this video break out the knives, below.

Right out of the gate, the opening number to La La Land gets blasted with a little over a minute's worth of nit-picking that kind of takes the wind out of "Another Day of Sun's" sails. Between the supposed circumstances of the big pile-up on the sky bridge, as well as the implication that those poor orchestra members were roasting during the high heat shooting of that very scene, it's hard to sing along about wanting your Hollywood dreams more than the next guy. And considering the next guy is probably riding his bike on top of your car, stuck in a baking traffic jam, sun's going to be the least of your worries.

But, of course, La La Land is the story of Ryan Gosling's Seb and Emma Stone's Mia, and that's where most of the video's venom lies. A really good point that Cinema Sins brings up in its laundry list of negative aspects, is the fact that the lack of substantial supporting characters is pretty prominent. Also, the heightened lack of reality in situations like when Mia stands in front of a crowded theater looking for Seb are contrasted with the more realistic scenarios mixed into the film, such as that downer ending. Oh, and those of you just waiting for a mention of Mia's lack of a blind CC on her invitation to take in her one woman show will get your wish.

Still, the charms of La La Land aren't completely lost, as the video retracts five sins from the film's total count. That seems like a pretty big amount, and it's mostly because of Damien Chazelle's visual framing style, and the charms of Academy Award winner Emma Stone. That's not meant to be a dig against co-star Ryan Gosling, but rather a testament to Stone's talents in the role that won her that big golden glow. However, even that's not enough to get over the fact that the movie's ending does kind of cheat with the whole alternate reality it shows to please those who really wanted these crazy kids to end up together.

If you want to get caught up in the movie that thrilled audiences and cost an accountant his job, it's available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Though if you're looking for a unique experience, the film is making its rounds across the nation with a live scored concert showing of the film. Check your local concert venues for dates and ticket info.

Movie making is a perpetual battle between art and business. Directors want to make great films, while studio's want to make great films they can sell. This can result in conflicts between the two sides and studios providing notes on how they think movies could be changed in order to make them better received. Damien Chazelle, the writer and director of La La Land, is no stranger to studio notes and he recently revealed the worst note he received from somebody who read his Academy Award-nominated screenplay.

Now, if you've seen La La Land, then you know that the answer to the question is very clear. Yes, yes it, in fact, does have to be about jazz. That's sort of the entire point of half the movie. It has to be about a guy who has a passion for a musical genre that is not currently popular in the mainstream. If you change the music to literally anything else it changes everything about Sebastian as a character, and not in a good way.

Damien Chazelle made the comments about the terrible note at the PGA Producer By conference (via Deadline). While Chazelle doesn't say specifically who it was that gave him the note, we have to assume that it came from somebody who was afraid that the jazz focus might not attract a large audience, for all the reasons that the genre is key to the plot of the film itself. In the end, Chazelle was likely vindicated, as La La Land went on to not only win every award under the sun (including the Oscar for Best Picture for about four minutes) it also set records for box office success for an independent film.

On the plus side, not every note Damien Chazelle got on La La Land was ridiculous. The director says his producers urged him to write the script without even considering how they would afford to put it all on screen. This resulted in one of the film's most iconic scenes, as Chazelle says he likely would not have included the opening musical number otherwise.

Dealing with budgets is one of those things that can also get in the way of making a great movie. It's understandable that a writer might never bother to write down a scene they know they can't realize, but it appears that the producer's of La La Land had a different philosophy. As producer's it would have been their job to figure out how to afford to make the script come to life, or tell Damien Chazelle that it couldn't be done. Luckily they found a way to make "Another Day of Sun" work. Also, it's great that Chazelle also knew which notes to just ignore.

Great movie chemistry is a difficult thing to find. When you have it, your film can survive based off that alone. When two characters don't mix well, the entire movie falls apart. Sometimes, however, two actors can work so well together that their interaction transcends everything else that happens on screen and they steal every scene together. Sometimes it's a romantic pair, sometimes it's a bromantic pair, but when it works, it works so well that you just want to see it again.

We're not saying that movies these pairs were in together need sequels. In most cases, we don't expect or really want a sequel to the existing film. The chemistry these pairs share transcend the movie they were in. We know they'd be great together in literally any movie. Here are 10 movie pairs we want to see together again, in anything.

Edward Norton & Brad Pitt

Fight Club received most of its acclaim for its unexpected twist ending and its "fight the power" message that resonated with many young people in the 1990s. While I would argue the movie probably hasn't aged as well as you might think and probably isn't as good as it was in college, the performances of its two leading men were rock solid and their interaction was flawless. Both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton have gone to bigger and better things, and since they're two of the greatest actors working today, we'd love to see them on screen again. Maybe in something a little less depressing.

Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks

Ok, so we already have three movies to enjoy with this classic romantic movie pairing (you probably missed Ithaca). So what? The chemistry between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is absolutely perfect, and just because they've done movies together doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity for more. Great actors always bring something special to the screen, but sometimes when working opposite somebody who knows them well, performances can be brought to the next level. We've seen them fall in love, but as older performers, they could make a romantic movie about people who have spent decades together now, and audiences would buy it because they watched the pair fall in love two and a half decades ago.

The Rock & Jason Statham

The most recent pairing on this list, the Fast and Furious franchise appears to be losing some steam after the most recent entry, but two people you can't blame for that are The Rock and Jason Statham. They both brought their A-game to The Fate of the Furious, but what's more, when the two were on screen together you honestly forget that any other movie was even happening. There's talk of this pair getting their own spinoff film, but it honestly doesn't matter if they do a Furious spin-off or anything else. Cast Jason Statham in any of the 47 movies The Rock currently has in production.

Eddie Murphy & Dan Aykroyd

Trading Places is, almost without question, one of the great comedies of all-time. If that movie had been released in the last 10 years, a sequel would have been greenlit before the movie was out of theaters. Neither Dan Aykroyd or Eddie Murphy is busy making a lot of movies these days, which is why it would be perfect for the two of them to reunite in something new. Seeing either of them in a brand new comedy would be a treat. Seeing what the two of them could do together after all these years would be guaranteed to be hilarious.

Anne Hathaway & Meryl Streep

The Devil Wears Prada was a breakout role for a young Anne Hathaway, acting opposite a multi-time Academy Award winner. Now Hathaway has an Oscar of her own, and the promotional material for a movie that reunites this pair writes itself. Prada certainly requires no sequel, so we imagine these two could do something else together. It could be something dramatic and Oscar worthy, or something lighter in the vein of their previous joint venture. Either way, another project starring these two would be impressive to watch. Ways in which the character dynamic could shift after all these years is exciting to think about.

Josh Gad & Luke Evans

One of the highlights of the recent Beauty and the Beast remake was the pairing of Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as his friend/sidekick Le Fou. The pair were absolutely hilarious together and after watching them doing press and social media stuff together in the lead up to the film, it's clear the two have a lot of fun together. They could make any comedy together, and we're fairly certain it would be great. Their timing is perfect and every joke in Beauty landed perfectly. Does anybody want to make an Abbott & Costello biopic? Please do so right now.

Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jamie Lee Curtis

With all the blockbuster success that James Cameron has had over the years, his action comedy True Lies is often overlooked. What made that film work so well was the on-screen chemistry between leads Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. If there was a pair on the list that we wanted to see make a true sequel to their previous film, it might be this one. It would be great to see how "Boris and Doris" and doing after all these years of spying together. What does that situation do to a relationship? Are they closer together or falling apart? We're fairly certain they're no less entertaining.

Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones

The Men in Black movies worked because the pairing of the joke-cracking Will Smith and the straight-faced, but no less funny, Tommy Lee Jones, was absolute perfection. If there's a single reason that the third installment of the franchise didn't work, it's because Jones wasn't a big enough part of the movie. So let's move on from Men in Black and find something else for these two to do together. They'd be no less funny in any comedy. Find Jones and Smith a pair of roles with a similar relationship and let the jokes fly.

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

While La La Land may not have been Best Picture, it was not from lack of effort from the film's two leads. Of course, that isn't the only movie the two have been in together. They've made three films together in recent years and now we just want to see more. Whether it's musicals, romantic comedies or serious dramas, these two have great chemistry together. We're hoping they continue to make different kinds of movies together and give us even more to enjoy for years to come.

Tim Robbins & Morgan Freeman

There may be no greater love story about the relationship between two male friends as The Shawshank Redemption. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and the characters they played, could not be more different, and yet the relationship between them is one of the strongest in the history of cinema. Both men are older now, but that only changes the circumstances. We bet these two could still deliver powerful performances on screen together. We would never want to see these two follow up their previous film, but anything these two could do with each other would be great.

Damien Chazelle made history when he became the youngest director to win an Oscar. Months later, the man behind La La Land still has his foot on the gas, as the news breaks that he's making his way into television. Clutch your Emmy tightly if you've got one, because Chazelle's new project The Eddy sounds hip. Here's what we know about the new show.

The Eddy looks to continue the musical drama genre La La Land stunned audiences with, but with a different scenario. Damien Chazelle's The Eddy is set in current day Paris and will revolve around the city, a club, it's owner and a house band. THR tells us that Chazelle is collaborating with writer Jack Thorne, who also helped J.K. Rowling co-write Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The project is currently being shopped to networks who, considering the success and accolades of La La Land, will likely be fighting to get the rights. No release date has been given for the project.

Damien Chazelle joins a growing list of high-profile film directors that are throwing their hat into the world of television. The move is much more common in recent years than in the past, and hopefully seeing fresh Oscar winners like Chazelle jump so quickly into television will bring even more talent from the film world than ever. Chazelle isn't the only 2017 Oscar director to jump into television this year either, as Moonlight director Barry Jenkins announced a project for Amazon based on the novel Underground Railroad. Before that, Mel Gibson briefly jumped into television in 2004 with the ill-fated Complete Savages and Manchester By The Sea's Kenneth Lonergan even wrote a couple episodes of Doug in the 90s. Four out of five of this year's Oscar nominees doing television has to draw to some conclusion right?

The past taboo of film stars and directors making the move to television seems silly when you consider the strides television has made lessening the gap between them. Damien Chazelle making the jump so young into his already flourishing career is a big statement for the world of television. Even with winning best director (and almost best picture) for La La Land, Chazelle already had the attention of Hollywood when his film Whiplash which won 3 Oscars two years prior. This guy's resume is hot enough to do whatever he wants, which should make television networks excited he's bringing them the chance to screen The Eddy.

As more details regarding Damien Chazelle's The Eddy come out, we will be sure to keep you in the know. If you're already jonesing for some television updates we're always updating our renewal guide for shows renewed and canceled and giving you a chance to find a new show or one you forgot about via our summer premiere schedule.

Recent allegations claim the marriage of New York Knicks player Carmelo Anthony and television personality La La Anthony is on the way out the door, due to accusations that the three-time Olympic gold medalist cheated on La La with a strip club dancer. Adding insult to injury, it now appears that said dancer has become pregnant from the affair. What a difference a day makes, because new rumors claim the couple is heading closer to divorce, with plans in play for the custody of their ten-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony. Here is what we know so far based on reports.

Carmelo and La La Anthony are developing a plan for the temporary custody of their son, so says TMZ. It sounds like La La Anthony will get primary custody of Kiyan Anthony and keep him with her in New York City, but Carmelo Anthony will reportedly have permission to visit him whenever he likes. The split could be amicable, because the spouses plan not to involve the court as they work out the details in the legal documents of the divorce, something common in celebrity divorces. In fact, La La Anthony reportedly says her husband remains a great dad to their son, and they deserve to spend time together.

There are still several unclear aspects behind the scenes, such as how often Carmelo Anthony might visit his son if the basketball player switches teams. Reports indicate Carmelo Anthony is thinking about waiving the no-trade clause in his $124-million contract with the Knicks to move to a team like the Boston Celtics this summer. La La Anthony, on the other hand, wants to stay in NYC for pretty good reasons. She is busy working on projects there, such as a film she wrapped with Whoopi Goldberg and Anna Paquin. She has a role on the crime drama Power, produced by 50 Cent, and that show is filmed in New York. And from the looks of it, both mom and dad think it is a good idea for young Kiyan Anthony not to feel pulled in different directions, so at least that aspect of the situation seems promising.

It is worth noting that breaking reports indicate the woman involved in the alleged affair with Carmelo Anthony is not, as reported earlier, a stripper. In fact, fingers point to a twentysomething woman with a career in education. If she were to be pregnant with Carmelo Anthony's child, the NBA star could be asked to dish out some child support payments, in addition to whatever financial agreements he and La La Anthony settle upon in their divorce proceedings. Because Carmelo Anthony and his wife have a prenuptial agreement, La La Anthony might have the chance to request additional funds, as many prenups include a cheating clause. So, it sounds like Carmelo Anthony might have to grab his checkbook soon.

Considering the discouraging circumstances of the situation, we think it sounds like matters are heading in a direction that is as good as can be. It is refreshing to hear about parents who keep focused on their children, despite situations as heartbreaking as a divorce. We hope the pair can reach a resolution that benefits everyone involved.

Warren Beatty must be tired of being asked how the premature announcement of La La Land as Best Picture could have ever happened. With almost two months passing since that infamous Hollywood night, you'd think Beatty would be done with having to explain how that night went down. Apparently not, as a recent television appearance found the writer/director explaining, in great detail, how it all happened. Watch for yourself, below.

As per usual, Warren Beatty explained the 2017 Academy Awards gaffe as follows: he thought the envelope was a misprint, and seeing as he didn't want to hold up the night's finale, he handed off the envelope to Faye Dunaway, as instructed. The rest, as they say, is television history, and ultimately Beatty's story hasn't changed. Though, to be fair, the question did lead to a fun moment between host Graham Norton and his guest, as Norton asked if the moment was all anyone talked about that night, to which Beatty basically said that Hollywood went back to talking about itself that night.

But as his appearance on The Graham Norton Show displays, the stereotypically presumed ego of Hollywood can be overcome by a sensational news item. After all, it isn't like the Academy Award goof was gone and forgotten the day after. Countless memes and gags recounted La La Land and Moonlight's pas de deux of reversing fortunes, one of the best being a theater teasing its patrons with a "mistaken" screening of the former when they had paid for the latter. So clearly the moment hasn't lost its luster, and one would expect that as long as Oscar night 2017 replays in people's minds, Warren Beatty will be there to help set the record straight as many times as it takes.

If there are three things everyone is going to remember after this year's Oscars, it's Moonlight, La La Land and Warren Beatty. That's not to say that the legendary actor will live in infamy, but rather that he had a front row seat beside Faye Dunaway to witness the biggest Oscar flub ever. If anything, a story such as this would serve as a great opening to a hypothetical autobiography written by the man himself. Though in the end, Beatty should take comfort in one, universally believed fact: at least he wasn't the accountant who was in charge of the envelopes when it happened.

Moonlight is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD; while La La Land is currently on Digital HD, with the Blu-ray and DVD release occurring on April 25. Or was that the other way around?

It's a big month for movie releases, with a few holdover awards nominees finally hitting Blu-ray and DVD, as well as several big box office movies. Among these is, of course, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a movie that did well in its theatrical run and that we anticipate to do quite well once it hits shelves. Disney has been gearing up for the big release with plenty of press, and there are a few stories about the making of the film already running around. In addition, April will mark the month that near Academy Award winner and actual Golden Globe winner La La Land will finally be hitting Blu-ray, albeit sans the Academy Awards sticker I'm sure Summit Entertainment was hoping for. Luckily, that shouldn't mar your enjoyment of the film in the least.

While we wait for April's big Blu-ray releases, if you are looking for the March 2017 DVD, Digital and Blu-ray releases, we have you covered. Unless otherwise noted in the Digital column, Digital releases are the same days as the Blu-ray and DVD releases.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Review

Rogue One is obviously a Star Wars movie, but in some ways, it also feels very separate from the rest of the entries, despite its basic plot explaining how the Death Star plans were stolen. With a few notable exceptions and a couple fun cameos, the film includes mostly original characters. It also has its own tone and sense of pacing. That combination of nostalgia and originality really works and comes together to produce what many consider to be one of the better Star Wars movies of all-time. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story contains plenty of consuming visual landscapes and CGI work recreating Grand Moff Tarkin that's nothing short of stunning. It also makes for one heck of a Blu-ray release, that also comes with a DVD and Digital copy. Walt Disney Home Entertainment's set even has a really nice menu setup with a cute buffering screen, and there's way more to the set, as well.

Bonus features are lengthy and located on a separate disc. Literally, there are so many details you can learn on the disc, from the idea of how the initial idea came together and how Gareth Edwards' Monsters influenced his hiring to how the stunts were achieved. The cast-specific extras are a little less exciting because they are mostly practical, but I even enjoyed the "Epilogue: The Story Continues" extra which featured footage from the premiere. Maybe it was just the emotional music choice that was getting to me. You can check out the full list of extras or order your own copy of Rogue One over at Amazon.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Review

Office Christmas Party was spawned from an insanely simple premise, which is acknowledged within the extras on the Blu-ray disc. However, with 28 lead cast members---also acknowledged on the disc---the movie has an awful lot going on, most of which picks up after branch manager Clay (T.J. Miller) decides to throw a giant holiday party when his staff's jobs are on the line. Shenanigans ensure, involving actors as varied as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, Kate McKinnon, Courtney B. Vance, Jamie Chung, Randall Park, Rob Corddry, Jillian Bell, and more. With the massive cast and the amount of ad-libbing that was allowed on the set of Office Christmas Party, it makes totally sense there are just a crapton of outtakes and deleted scenes (some of which are in the unrated version) on the disc. There's also lengthy theatrical commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette. This is the type of comedy you'll watch again and again if you liked it, and if Office Christmas Party is your jam, you can order a copy of the flick here.

Tuesday, April 4 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Office Christmas Party

Don't Kill It

Paterson

Week of Tuesday, April 4 Early Digital Releases

Split

The Founder

Teen Titans The Judas Contract

Sleepless

Generation Found

Hidden Figures Blu-ray Review

There were some doozies in this year's Academy Awards nominees. One of these films, Hidden Figures, is notable not just for its cast, its great script and the way it all came together, but also because the movie is an inspirational story about three women who worked important NASA jobs in the face of both ethnic and gender cultural issues at the time. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release is better upon a second viewing, as the details of Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson), along with Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) and Dorothy Vaughan's (Octavia Spencer) stories are fascinating. The set itself is nice, too. When there are true-to-life stories such as the one in Hidden Figures, it's often good to get more background, and "The Life of Katherine Johnson" and more era-specific information is explored in the intriguing Making Of segment. Filming in Georgia was also personally fascinating to learn about, as I'm always interested to hear why shows and movies work for a move or TV show like The Walking Dead. (In this movie's case, the Virginia setting makes Georgia appealing.) The extras on the disc are probably not enough to entice you if you didn't already like the movie, but luckily this one is pretty great. Check out more about the release before you order your own copy and be sure to look at the original book.

Tuesday, April 11 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Hidden Figures

Lion

Veep: The Complete Fifth Season

Silicon Valley: The Complete Third Season

Top Gear 23

Tangled Before Ever After

Worlds Apart

Walking With The Enemy

The Bye Bye Man

Toni Erdman

Mad Families

War on Everyone

Three

Week of Tuesday, April 11 Early Digital Releases

The Young Pope (iTunes April 10)

Underworld Blood Wars

La La Land

Split Blu-ray Review

Following up the Fox series Wayward Pines, M. Night Shyamalan headed back to the big screen, producing the modestly budgeted thriller Split. Much of the movies eeriest moments are due to James McAvoy, who plays Kevin Wendall Crumb, among others, in Split. Without giving too much away, this latest endeavor features all of the twists and turns we've come to expect from a film by M. Night Shyamalan. It's a doozy of a movie, fun, scary, spectacular, and it's still good on a rewatch. Universal Studios Home Entertainment's set comes standard with an additional DVD and Digital copy. Extras aren't lengthy or amazing, although if you liked McAvoy's performance, you can catch more in "The Many Faces of James McAvoy." There's also an alternate ending, and I don't want to give too much away about it, but it is disturbing, and it's easy to see why it was cut from the final draft of the film. Still, that's certainly the extra that is most worth a watch. Order your own copy now.

The Founder Blu-ray Review

A lot of movies have been made over the years about big business, and The Founder tackles one of the biggest: the rise of McDonald's a fast food chain that rose to prominence on the whims and hard work of Mac and Dick McDonald (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) and Ray Croc (Michael Keaton), a man with more of a vision for the business than a humble attitude toward it. The Founder is mostly about Ray Croc's attitude toward building an empire, and how his relationship with the McDonald brothers crumbled as he struggled for largesse and they simply wanted to produce a good product. Keaton puts in a masterful performance here, as enthusiasm turns to obsession and director John Lee Hancock introduces us to a darker side of business. It's a slow process, and at times, the nearly two hour-long movie is a little slow. But it's certainly worth a watch. Anchor Bay Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release comes with a DVD and Digital copy, but it's light on extras, although you can look into those first. This may be one to rent before owning, but it's no doubt another example of Michael Keaton churning out great roles.

Tuesday, April 18 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Split

The Founder

Punching Henry

Killjoys: The Complete Second Season

Teen Titans: Judas Contract

Sleepless

Week of Tuesday, April 18 Early Digital Releases

A Dog's Purpose

Gold

La La Land Blu-ray Review

Filled with sunny costumes and actual sunshine, La La Land is a delightful romp through one of the most famous cities on Earth. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both compelling in the narrative, which follows their young romance as the two are both trying to make it big in the big city. I could nitpick about the singing and dancing quality in the film, but there's a charm to the leads' lack of expertise and the movie's ending will certainly be memorable. There's a reason Damien Chazelle's latest film won six Academy Awards at this year's ceremony, including a big win for Emma Stone in the best actress category. If you want to read more about why La La Land is a must-watch, we have you covered. If not, Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release comes with both a DVD and Digital copy of the film. If you are wondering how certain scenes in the movie were shot---the big shutting down the freeway opener, for example---the extras featuring a wonderful amount of movie trivia, and there are quite a few of them with the set too, especially if you purchase the Blu-ray, which comes with a few extras. There's also a segment on the times Gosling and Stone have worked together in the past, so if you are a fan of their body of work, there's plenty to peruse. You can order your own copy of the flick.

Tuesday, April 25 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

La La Land

The Affair: Season Three

Animal Kingdom: The Complete First Season

Mean Dreams

Underworld Blood Wars

The Daughter

We Are X

The Marine 5: Battleground

Detour

Peanuts Go Team Go DVD

Week Of April 25 Early Digital Releases

Fifty Shades Darker

Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone stole the hearts of many as Mia Dolan in Damien Chazelle's La La Land. One young fan from Arcadia High School in Arizona was so impressed by Stone's movie that he decided to ask the movie star to his high school's prom with an adorable "promposal" video inspired by the opening sequence of the film. The student, Jacob Staudenmaier, based his viral video on a dance sequence from the first scene of the movie, which takes place during a Los Angeles highway traffic jam. In an interview via web conference with a morning talk show, Staudenmaier revealed that Stone did reach out to him in response to the top-notch video. The teenager read Stone's message, which went as follows:

Jacob Staudenmaier read the letter from Emma Stone on-air with Good Morning America. Staudenmaier explained that his inspiration for the video was the success of a fellow Arcadia High School student who recorded a "promposal" for Miley Cyrus a few years ago. Miley Cyrus did not attend the prom with Matt Peterson, the maker of the video that inspired Staudenmaier; however, Cyrus did invite Peterson to her concert and bring him backstage. So, after Staudenmaier saw La La Land and liked it so much that he saw it in the theater two more times, he decided it would be fun to create a "promposal" video of his very own to ask the star of his favorite movie to prom.

The high school student wrote new lyrics to "Another Day of Sun," the first big song to play in La La Land. Some of Jacob Staudenmaier's friends offered him support by becoming his camera crew behind the scenes, while others helped him execute the "promposal" on camera as backup dancers. Staudenmaier even dressed up for the occasion in a full tuxedo. You can see more, below.

Per Stone, this guy truly does look like he could be a relative of Ryan Gosling. He may not have received the exact response he hoped to get from the newly crowned Academy Award winner for Best Actress, but it sounds like he and his pals had a great time making memories and filming the video. Besides, Emma Stone took time out of her busy schedule to write him a meaningful message. He probably feels on top of the world because of that simple gesture alone.