Category: News

There were so many great TV shows streaming this year that, naturally, a few failed to receive the attention they deserved. While everyone was tweeting screencaps of Jennifer Coolidge panicking over murder-plotting yacht gays on The White Lotus or debating what constitutes familial incest in their House of the Dragon recaps, these shows were skimming just below the surface, biding their time until someone noticed how undeniably watchable they were.

Well, the wait is over. We’ve watched entirely too much TV this year and we’ll be damned if it doesn’t pay off in some way for these dramas and mystery-thrillers and chill comedies that need to be on everyone’s radar. Here are the best 2022 TV series that demand more hype and more eyes on them.

Interview with the Vampire (AMC+)

This series adaptation of Anne Rice’s peerless gothic horror novel might just be the thirstiest show on TV at the moment (pun intended). Creator Rolin Jones isn’t content to simply retrace old tropes, he revolutionizes Rice’s books, keeping a tight grip on what works about her writing while modernizing her characters and setting to become something singular on-screen. Sam Reid plays the refined and ruthless French nobleman Lestat de Lioncourt while Jacob Anderson plays Louis de Pointe du Lac, a Creole businessman in early 20th-century New Orleans who reluctantly becomes his undead lover. The series embraces the pair’s romance more than any adaptation before and adds layers of meaning and social commentary by gifting Anderson’s Louis a layered backstory that constantly surprises and challenges its source material. And all of that meat is hidden underneath opulent costumes and lush set designs and bloody threesomes, and fleshy, frightening orgies, all of which heighten its horror element and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

Women banding together to kill bad men will always make for entertaining television. Sharon Horgan knows this, which is why she helped create a series about a group of Irish sisters intent on ridding their tight-knit clan of a monstrous brother-in-law they un-lovingly nickname “The Prick.” Horgan plays Eva, the most level-headed of the group who tries to keep her siblings’ bloodlust under control. Sara Greene, Eve Hewson, Anne-Marie Duff, and Eva Birthistle round out the murderous family who all employ their own methods for ridding themselves of one of TV’s more detestable villains but things devolve into a comedy of errors – one that delights in the dark and macabre while managing to infuse heart and a nuanced message on sisterhood. Come for the many failed assassination attempts, stay for the unexpected storytelling depth.

Outer Range (Amazon Prime Video)

Think Yellowstone meets The Twilight Zone and you’ll come close to grasping the sci-fi sky-country vibes of this Josh Brolin-starring series. There are the normal soap opera elements that make for juicy drama — feuding families, rival ranches, etc. — but they’re all elevated by a central mystery that incorporates some mind-bending genre tropes to great effect. Brolin plays Royal Abbott, a quiet rancher fighting to save his family after tragedy strikes. When he discovers a black void hidden in one of his pastures, he’s forced to question where he comes from and the nature of more abstract concepts like time, space, and the meaning behind it all. It’s weird, it’s eerie, and it makes for a riveting binge-watch.

The Resort (Peacock)

Speaking of weird, this little gem housed on an oft-forgot streaming platform is one of the more daring mystery comedies we’ve seen on TV in a long time. It’s a modern-day Scooby-Doo adventure deep in the jungles of the Mayan Riveria with a series of mysterious disappearances that consume a vacationing couple trying to save their marriage. William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti play Noah and Emma, who seem too comfortable in their routine of ignoring the problems that threaten their relationship to ever change. Their tropical getaway is supposed to help them reconnect, but when Emma becomes obsessed with solving a missing persons case from 15 years ago, they have to work together to avoid seedy cartels, research ailing geniuses and uncover mythic legends made real. It defies genre and, in doing so, sets itself apart from nearly every other show on this list.

Ramy (Hulu)

Ramy hasn’t always been an underrated show. Its first season received a fair amount of due hype. But the dramedy about a young Muslim man navigating the pitfalls of assimilating into American culture while holding onto the values of his immigrant parents has only gotten better as the years go on — and the streaming buzz around the show just hasn’t been able to keep up. In its third season, Ramy takes bigger swings and better storytelling risks, leading fans on a journey to Jerusalem, delivering sharp social commentary on the cost of the American dream, highlighting the struggles of the rest of the Hassan family, and introducing us to a fever dream known as Egyptian Shark Tank.

The Serpent Queen (Starz)

Starz has been home to some of the most polished period pieces on TV for a while now but the latest entry in their ongoing anthology universe about famous, powerful female monarchs of the past has a bit more edge than you might expect. Samantha Morton plays a cunning and cutthroat Catherine de’ Medici, the controversial 16th-century Queen of France while Liv Hill plays her younger counterpart. The show chronicles how Catherine was forced to maneuver amongst a vicious royal court, eventually gaining a foothold and becoming a frightening figure in her own right. There’s scandal and sex and political intrigue — really everything you could hope for from a show like this.

Roar (Apple TV+)

Roar is the unexpected follow-up from GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch that borrows a couple of stars from the Netflix wrestling comedy to tell an anthology of stories about women’s experiences. Some episodes are pure surrealist fantasy — like Merrit Weaver’s situationship with a talking duck — while others feel like the kind of dystopian futurism ripped straight from a Black Mirror script — like Issa Rae’s cautionary creative tale. It’s all good, if a little f*cked up at times.

Pachinko (Apple TV+)

Adapted from a New York Times bestseller, this moving drama chronicles the journey of one Korean-American family across four generations as each descendant tries to survive and thrive far from their homeland. Youn Yuh-jung’s Sunja is the connecting thread, a young woman living in Japanese-controlled Korea who grows to become the family’s matriarch as her sons and grandchildren branch out — some becoming successful businessmen and attending prestigious universities, others struggling to assimilate into a culture so unlike their own. It’s heartbreaking and inspiring with a surprising amount of authenticity that only adds to its worthwhile story.

Mo (Netflix)

Mo Amer was a breakout in Hulu’s Ramy so it makes sense that he’d co-create and lead a semi-autobiographical comedy series that’s too good, and too funny to miss. Helped by his collaborator Ramy Youssef, Mo follows a Palestinian refugee seeking asylum and citizenship in Houston, Texas. It’s the kind of completely unique story that feels surprisingly relatable and its pacing is so deliberately chill, you won’t see the laughs coming.

1899 (Netflix)

From the twisted minds of the creators of Dark, this period thriller has found a spot in Netflix’s Top 10 recently but really, who the hell knows what that means? The reality is that the word-of-mouth hasn’t matched the pedigree and Lindelofian conspiracy theorizing that this show deserves so it’s going on this list. The basic premise follows a group of passengers aboard a ship to America just a few months after another vessel in the company’s fleet went missing. Strange time loops and unexplained disappearances and a murder or two puts everyone on board on the suspect list, but the twists just keep on coming until the very end and they get wilder with every question answered.

After being exposed by for basically exaggerating his entire resume, recently elected New York Congressman George Santos has been attempting to explain his long lists of lies, and his latest admission is going over real well. While coming clean to the New York Post that he fabricated his education and work experience, yet still vowing to serve his two-year term in Congress, Santos made a startling revelation. Turns out, the claims on his campaign website that his mother is Jewish and her family escaped the Nazis during World War II may not have been true either.

Santos now says that he’s “clearly Catholic,” but claimed his grandmother told stories about being Jewish and later converting to Catholicism.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos said. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

After catching wind of Santos attempting to wiggle out of this latest lie, Twitter had a field day with his wild claim that he never actually told anybody that he’s Jewish, but instead said he’s “Jew-ish.” You can see the jokes pouring in below:

As for claims of working for Goldman Sachs (which he didn’t) or having a college degree (which he does not), Santos owned up to those lies better than whole Jewish thing.

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” Santos told the Post. “I own up to that … We do stupid things in life.”

However, Santos’ owning up to significantly padding his resume did not do much as the Post continued to grill him on lie after lie, of which there were many. For example, Santos does not own 13 different properties. Instead, he currently lives with his sister. But despite being thoroughly exposed in the press, Santos doesn’t see why that should affect his job in Congress.

“I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume,” he said.

(Via New York Post)

Singer Miley Cyrus proudly embraces many of the titles the public throws at her, including “nepo baby.” Cyrus also doesn’t shy away from the messy headlines she is wrapped up in. However, there is one connection the “Prisoner” singer wants to break, her professional link to the ex-Smiths frontman, Morrissey.

After a year filled with canceled shows and controversial statements, according to Variety, Morrissey revealed Cyrus went above him to his former label, Capital Records, to have her vocals used on one of his unreleased tracks to be removed. The track, titled “I Am Veronica,” was set to appear on Morrissey’s forthcoming album, Bonfire of Teenagers.

The album was slated to drop in February 2023, but with Cyrus’ backing vocals and featured verse, Morrissey is rumored to be reconsidering the project overall. Following the request by Cyrus, Morrissey announced he would be voluntarily leaving Capitol Records on his website.

He published a few posts on his website, one with the title “Miley Is a Punk Rocker,” where he revealed Cyrus’ request for removal and another titled “Roll On 2023,” where he shared his departure from the label, writing, “Morrissey has voluntarily parted company with Maverick/Quest management. Morrissey has also voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records (Los Angeles).”

Both posts are no longer available, as his website has now been pulled from public view.

Capitol Records hasn’t addressed the matter. We wonder if Cyrus will issue a statement at her upcoming New Year’s Eve concert party.

As fans have become increasingly vocal about their issues with Ticketmaster, one country music singer is making sure his fans can enjoy his live music without paying Ticketmaster prices. This Christmas, Zach Bryan gifted fans with an album full of live performances, appropriately titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.

Bryan announced the album via Instagram with a statement decrying Ticketmaster’s practices.

“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately,” Bryan said. “I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there, and I’m done with it.”

Bryan also expressed that he has a strategy set in place to make his tickets as affordable as possible for fans, despite the fact that he has limited control over the prices.

“I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show,” Bryan said.

Bryan closed his note encouraging his fellow artists to follow suit and fight for affordable tickets, particularly country music artists, who often refer to the struggles of the working class in their music.

“Also, to any songwriter trying to make ‘relatable music for the working class man or woman’ should pride themself on fighting for the people who listen to the words they’re singing,” Bryan said.

Zach Bryan is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Before 2022, the only notorious flop in Margot Robbie‘s filmography was “Flopsy Rabbit,” the character she voiced in Peter Rabbit. But then along came Amsterdam and Babylon. Both are star-studded period pieces that were expected to be major award season players — until they were greeted with mixed reviews from critics (unfairly, in the case of one of the films) and underperformed at the box office.

Amsterdam, directed by David O. Russell (who has been accused of abusive behavior and sexual assault), made $31.2 million on a $80 million budget. But once marketing is factored, it was reported that the film lost around $100 million for 20th Century Studios. Robbie’s next film, Babylon — a sprawling Hollywood epic that should be celebrated, not mocked — didn’t do much better. Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to First Man made $4.85 million during its first four days of release, lower than even the most grim predictions:

Further burying the pic’s fate were audience exits including an awful C+ CinemaScore and PostTrak of 74 percent and 47 percent definite recommend, not to mention its 3-hour and 8-minute running time. Babylon is the lowest wide release stateside opening for star Margot Robbie at $3.6 million, beating Amsterdam‘s $6.4 million, as well as Brad Pitt as a leading man, lower than the $4 million start of 1993’s True Romance.

Here’s hoping Babylon finds its audience someday. I think it rules (so does Vince Mancini in his glowing review), and I’m worried that some executive will use its poor performance at the box office as disingenuous proof that the only movies with a budget over $20 million worth making are superhero and/or franchise movies.

As for Robbie (who gave typically solid performances in Amsterdam or Babylon; she deserves an Oscar nomination for the latter), it was a 2022 to forget. But at least she has 2023 to look forward to. Next year sees the release of both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which looks fantastic, and Asteroid City, the new film from Wes Anderson. That should put an end to the most snakebitten (literally and figuratively) era of Robbie’s career.

(Via Deadline)

Hypothetically, if you were the child of two very successful people, it would be very easy to sit back and enjoy the associated success. But that’s not easy for everyone, specifically children of actors and musicians, so we get what we get. And sometimes, what we get is a collection of stars who may or may not have gotten into the business all by themselves with no help from their Oscar-winning parents, who also happen to have a lot of money and even more resources.

The latest person to discuss the nepotism conversation is Kate Hudson, known for her roles in Almost Famous and Kung Fu Panda 3, while also being the daughter of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson, then later became the stepdaughter of Kurt Russell, the Disney Prodigy. The point is here that she has a lot of family in the industry. But she doesn’t want to talk about it. “The nepotism thing, I mean… I don’t really care.” Hudson said in an interview with The Independent. At least she’s honest.

The Glass Onion actress added, “I look at my kids and we’re a storytelling family. It’s definitely in our blood,” Sure, it would be strange if she had become an accountant or teacher, but she still had all of those resources at her disposal for most of her life, which is where the nepotism conversation normally divides: many people think that more talented artists and actors are overlooked because they aren’t born into the industry.

Kate Hudson argues that there is no way to change this. “People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it.” Sure, there is no way to change it with that attitude, but surely she could encourage her three children to become carpenters if she really wanted to.

Hudson added that the conversation should be shifted to different jobs that may not require acting skills, like modeling. “I actually think there are other industries where it’s [more common]. Maybe modeling? I see it in business way more than I see it in Hollywood,” she explained. Along with acting, Hudson has a fair share of successful clothing lines. “Sometimes I’ve been in business meetings where I’m like, ‘wait, whose child is this? Like, this person knows nothing!’”

The actress concluded, “I don’t care where you come from, or what your relationship to the business is – if you work hard and you kill it, it doesn’t matter.” True, but having parents who can get your foot in the door is still a leg up on everyone else.

(Via IndieWire)

There are two types of people in this world—people who care about how the dishwasher gets loaded and those who don’t, and never the twain shall meet.

Those who do care are frequently driven bonkers by those who don’t, as well as by their fellow carers who disagree on the proper methodology. Dishwasher loading is serious business for those who care, and many a ladle has been raised in exasperation at those who load the dishwasher “wrong”—as if there were a definitive “right” way to do it.

There’s a difference between “right” and “best,” of course. Everyone thinks their way is right, but that’s a completely subjective judgment. There really are some best practices, however, based on manufacturer tips and experts who test dishwashers for consumer rankings lists.

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One caveat: There are different reasons why people load the dishwasher in certain ways due to how their kitchen is set up and for efficiency of unloading, so there may be specific practices that aren’t addressed here. For example, someone might always load their glasses on the left side of the dishwasher and their bowls on the right because the glasses cabinet is to the left of the dishwasher while the bowls cabinet is to the right of it. What’s “best” at that level of detail will differ, so defer to the resident person-who-cares in each kitchen.

One more caveat: Always check manufacturer recommendations first. Some dishwashers may have features that require loading a certain way to work the way they should.

Generally, however, these best practices apply across the board:

1. Don’t pre-rinse, just scrape off chunks of food.

Getting controversial right outta the gate here, but unless your dishwasher genuinely doesn’t work right, you don’t need to rinse food residue off dishes before loading. We had an old dishwasher that basically just sanitized the dishes but didn’t clean them, so we spent years rinsing, but that was simply a case of needing a new dishwasher. Once we got one we learned that it’s actually better to not rinse dishes first. Pre-rinsing not only wastes water and time, but it may actually make your dishwasher’s performance worse. Newer dishwashers have sensors that detect how dirty dishes are, so if you rinse too well you may fool the dishwasher into thinking the dishes aren’t really dirty.

2. Cups and bowls upside down, plates facing the center.

Loading cups and bowls face down might seem like a no-brainer for most, but there are people who don’t understand how a dishwasher washes. Water sprays upward from underneath each rack, so if you want the inside of cups and bowls to get as clean as possible, they need to be facing down. They’ll also get filled with water if they’re not upside down.

Everything should be facing or angled toward the center of the dishwasher, as water sprays from the center out. Yes, plates look more uniform when they all face the same direction, so this might be hard for the visually fastidious among us, but facing center makes for the most effective cleaning.

3. Plastics on top rack only, and only if labeled dishwasher-safe.

The top rack of the dishwasher doesn’t get as hot as the bottom, and plastics can melt. Even if there’s no visible melting, high temps can cause potentially harmful chemicals to leach out of plastic dishware and containers, so look for labels that say “dishwasher safe” and only place plastic items on the top rack. (Or wash by hand, which is recommended for plastics that aren’t labeled as BPA-free.)

4. The great silverware directional debate settled, sort of.

Some new dishwashers have a flat rack for silverware on top, which eliminates the question of what direction they should face. For the traditional vertical baskets, there are various schools of thought. Some people put all the knives together, forks together, spoons together, etc. for ease of unloading. And then there’s the handles up or handles down question.

Consumer Reports, which tests dishwashers, recommends placing spoons and forks handles down and sharp objects such as knives handles up. It also recommends mixing different types of silverware in each basket. Total chaos, I know.

The handles-up method makes for quicker and more sanitary unloading, it’s true. But placing silverware handles down allows more space between the eating ends and mixing them up prevents nesting, both of which help them get cleaned better. Just make sure whoever is unloading has clean hands when they’re grabbing the silverware by the eating ends and all will be well.

5. Don’t overload.

This may also seem like an obvious statement, but again, you’d be surprised. The key here is to visualize the sprayers and where the water is going to reach inside the dishwasher. If bowls are stacked on top of each other, even loosely, the water won’t reach inside the ones on top. One layer of dishes with a bit of space between each item—not a lot, just a little—will ensure that water can reach in and around every piece and will keep glass and ceramics from getting chipped or broken.

Give the top rack sprayer a manual spin with both racks pushed in before closing the lid as well. Stuff that’s too tall on the bottom rack will stop the sprayer from spinning, which will inhibit its ability to clean the top rack.

6. Load back to front.

This best practice is particularly important if you are loading the dishwasher gradually throughout the day. It’s easier to open the dishwasher a crack and place a glass or bowl in the front of the rack, but you’ll save yourself a lot of guesswork about how full the dishwasher is if you train your household to start at the back and move forward. You’ll also save yourself a bunch of rearranging before running.

7. Listen to people’s reasons for loading certain ways and stay open to new ideas.

Beyond the basics listed here, there are all kinds of individual preferences for loading a dishwasher, some of which are simply habit and some of which are based on logic and reason. With the exception of the vertical silverware mix-up, it makes sense to put cups or dishes that go in the same cabinet together in the dishwasher, for instance. And there are ways to place your household’s unique dishware most efficiently for space, so asking the resident person-who-cares for their recommendation isn’t a bad idea.

Having some basic ground rules for dishwasher loading is helpful to avoid kitchen conflict, but so is being open to sharing ideas and learning from one another. With a little humility, we can put the ladles down and end the dishwasher wars once and for all. (Unless someone tries to cook a steak in the dishwasher, in which case bring on the battle.)

While second-generation K-pop acts have made headlines with reunions and new releases this year, some are moving on to a new chapter.

After releasing their first single in four years with “Still Life” in April, BIGBANG’s vocalists Daesung and Taeyang are parting ways with YG Entertainment. Amidst discussions on contract renewals, it was reported yesterday (December 26) that both members will leave the label, not the group.

In a translated report from Soompi, YG Entertainment emphasized the two will continue to promote with the BIGBANG brand, just not with their now-former label. “We know that many are waiting for BIGBANG’s activities, so we will work together for this,” the K-pop commented.

Prior to the announcement of Daesung’s departure from the label, it was reported Taeyang signed with YG’s sister label, and literal neighbor, THEBLACKLABEL,who houses artists like JEON SOMI, Zion. T, Loren and more. Founded in 2016 by YG Entertainment’s longtime, in-house producer and BIGBANG collaborator, the move comes to no surprise from BIGBANG crooner.

On behalf of signing with the label, THEBLACKLABEL released a statement announcing the new addition to their roster of artists.

“Hello. This is THEBLACKLABEL.

Artist Taeyang has joined THEBLACKLABEL.

After working together as producer and artist for a long time, Producer Teddy and artist Taeyang are taking on a fresh start at THEBLACKLABEL based on their musical trust in one another.

THEBLACKLABEL will provide our full support for Taeyang to carry out diverse musical activities more actively.

Please look forward to the musical synergy that [Taeyang] will achieve with THEBLACKLABEL.

Thank you.”

At the moment, there aren’t any updates on Daesung signing with a new agency just yet. However, at the same time, G-Dragon is the only member left under YG with his contract renewal still under discussion.

As for member TOP, the rapper left YG Entertainment earlier this year to pursue his artistry in music and entrepreneurship on his own terms.

Mariah Carey’s team is setting the record straight regarding the creation and songwriting behind her No. 1 hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The drama started when the song’s co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, appeared on the Hot Takes & Deep Dives With Jess Rothschild podcast, claiming that she didn’t write it by herself or as a child.

“She doesn’t play anything, she doesn’t play keyboard or piano,” he said. “She doesn’t understand music, she doesn’t know chord changes and music theory or anything like that. She doesn’t know a diminished chord from a minor seventh chord to a major seventh chord. So to claim that she wrote a very complicated chord-structured song with her finger on a Casio keyboard when she was a little girl, it’s kind of a tall tale.”

Following Afanasieff’s podcast interview, Carey’s rep rebutted his claims to the New York Post.

“Mariah has never claimed to write ‘All I Want For Christmas’ by herself or as a child. She has always credited Walter, as he is cited as a writer on the song, so that would be ridiculous,” the rep shared. “Not sure where that rumor came from, but Mariah is very respectful of writers and the craft, as she is a songwriter herself.”

However, in a 2017 interview with Billboard, Carey actually did do what Afanasieff claimed, telling the publication, “I am proud of this song that I wrote basically as a kid on my little Casio keyboard.”

Carey and Afanasieff have an equal credited part in the song, as she came up with the melody and lyrics, and he contributed the music and chords.

Daniel Craig loves doing crime … movies, that is.

His lengthy and eclectic filmography is dotted with spy thrillers, comedy capers, and mob movies that all ask something different of the scene-stealing star. Whether he’s thwarting bad guys as the smoothly sophisticated James Bond, inciting chaos as a mischievous, colorfully-cadenced detective in a Rian Johnson mystery, or taking part in poorly-planned motor speedway heists, crime is something Craig excels at on-screen. And with the Netflix release of yet another unforgettable turn in Johnson’s Knives Out follow-up, the time is exactly right to get up to speed on Craig’s criminally good filmography by watching some of the movies on this list.

Logan Lucky

Year: 2017
Cast: Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 118 minutes
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Trailer: Watch here

Plenty of entries on this list highlight Daniel Craig’s unrivaled ability to play a grim-faced anti-hero, but this isn’t one of them. In fact, Steven Soderbergh’s southern-fried crime caper sees Craig as far from his Bond persona as possible, to our collective benefit. The film follows a pair of small-town brothers (Adam Driver and Channing Tatum) who plan a heist at a local Nascar speedway. Craig’s in-car-cer-ra-ted bomb expert — aptly named Joe Bang — is a savant when it comes to explosives and he’s got a personality to match. Brash, cheeky, and a bit off-his-rocker, Bang is key to pulling off the brothers’ scheme, but he’s also one of the biggest liabilities in their plan, and Craig has a blast toeing that line.

Watch it on Paramount Plus

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Year: 2011
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 158 minutes
Director: David Fincher
Trailer: Watch here

This riveting murder mystery from David Fincher feels a bit like the darker, more austere cousin of a movie like Knives Out — at least where Daniel Craig is concerned. Like Rian Johnson’s crime comedy, this thriller sees Craig playing the role of investigator, visiting the estate of a wealthy Swedish family at the request of its patriarch — played, weirdly enough, by Christopher Plummer — to solve a murder. Here, he’s a disgraced journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who partners with a heavily tattooed and pierced research assistant named Lisbeth Sanders (an excellent Rooney Mara). The two must survive the machinations of paranoid family members to find the culprit of a heinous crime as Craig injects some much-needed levity and a kind of roguish apathy into his character that makes his unlikely friendship with Sanders even more interesting.

Watch it on Hulu

Layer Cake

Year: 2004
Cast: Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Burn Gorman, Colm Meaney, Tom Hardy
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 105 minutes
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Trailer: Watch here

This slick British gangster movie marks the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn and gives Craig the opportunity to play a cool, stylish drug dealer who takes his criminal exploits a bit too seriously. As XXXX, Craig gives a performance that likely helped land him the Bond role, playing a cocaine distributor forced to associate with the dull-witted henchmen of London’s criminal underground. He’s always one step ahead — despite his best-laid plans being thwarted by the idiot lackeys that surround him — and his strange code of ethics makes him one of the more memorable gangsters we’ve seen on film.

Watch it on Hulu

Road To Perdition

Year: 2002
Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Tyler Hoechlin, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
Director: Sam Mendes
Trailer: Watch here

Before Craig and director Sam Mendes would partner on two of the best Bond films made during the actor’s run as 007, they worked together on this thriller about a mob enforcer who goes on the run with his young son after his kingpin boss puts a target on his back. Tom Hanks plays the gun-toting dad while Craig inhabits a smaller but vital role as the boss’ son Connor, an ambitious, cutthroat criminal with dreams of usurping his father’s throne and running the outfit on his own terms. Craig’s completely unlikeable here, especially when he faces off against with Hanks, and his character is the kind of ruthless, irredeemable thug we rarely see the actor play anymore.

Watch it on Amazon Prime

Knives Out

Year: 2019
Cast: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 minutes
Director: Rian Johnson
Trailer: Watch here

Rian Johnson’s whodunnit masterpiece wouldn’t work without Craig’s commanding performance as Detective Benoit Blanc, a sharp, perceptive investigator with a Southern twang and a flare for the dramatics. He’s called in to solve the murder of a wealthy novelist named Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) and is soon thrown into the deep end of exhausting family politics, questions of inheritance, and an Agatha Christie-sized mystery with more than one suspect. It’s a testament to Craig’s on-screen magnetism that he stands out amongst a cast that includes a spontaneously-vomiting Ana De Armas, an over-the-top entitled bimbo played by Toni Collette, a shrewd, calculating Jamie Lee Curtis, and a cable-knit wearing, sh*t-stirring Chris Evans.

Watch it on Amazon Prime

Infamous

Year: 2006
Cast: Toby Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Daniel Craig, Sandra Bullock
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Douglas McGrath
Trailer: Watch here

This crime biopic had the unfortunate luck of following in the footsteps of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar-winning Capote performance a year prior, but the weird timing doesn’t mean this often-overlooked crime movie isn’t worth a watch. Toby Jones plays the singular writer here as he researches the sensational true story that inspired his bestseller, In Cold Blood. Craig plays Perry Smith, one of the accused murderers in the brutal slaying of a farming family in Kansas, who Capote becomes close with while writing his book. The two share a fraught relationship, one that totters between genuine friendship and transactional trauma sharing, but through it all, Craig manages to keep you guessing as to his true motivations and feelings — about the writer and the terrible crime he’s accused of.

Watch it on Amazon Prime

The Bond Films

Donning the tailored tuxedo of cinema’s most recognized spy couldn’t have been easy, but over nearly two decades and five films, Craig has managed to put his own mark on a role previously inhabited by greats like Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Moore. Craig’s bond is sly, skillful, filled with angst, and a consuming need to rebel against the very system that employs his talents. He’s got a bit of a chip on his shoulder, a need to prove his way is the only way, and yet, he’s as charming, charismatic, and suave as you’d expect. From his first entry as a roguish MI-6 newcomer in Casino Royale to his more vulnerable turns in Skyfall and Spectre and the stunning, action-packed conclusion of No Time To Die, Craig gave his Bond space to evolve and grow, forming relationships and finding purpose beyond just employing cool gadgets, driving slick cars, and wooing beautiful women. His Bond felt lived-in, real, and like the toughest iteration of the character we’ve seen thus far.

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Glass Onion

Year: 2022
Cast: Daniel Craig, Janelle Monae, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn
Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 140 minutes
Director: Rian Johnson
Trailer: Watch here

Rian Johnson delivers a deliriously fun follow-up to his breakout 2019 murder-mystery with Daniel Craig returning to play famed detective Benoit Blanc. This time around, Blanc, equipped with a colorful new wardrobe and his same slow, Southern drawl, heads to Greece to investigate a murder amongst a group of friends reuniting for an island holiday. Most of the culprits are out-of-touch elites – to the nth degree – with stars like Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Edward Norton playing supermodels, Twitch streamers, politicians, and tech moguls who are as ridiculous as they are corrupt.

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