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Despite a significant amount of controversy that has already required new Jeopardy! host Mike Richards to apologize several times for his past actions, Sony Pictures Television has started filming with the embattled and self-appointed successor to Alex Trebek. According to TODAY, new episodes of Jeopardy! went into production on Thursday, less than 24 hours after the latest damaging report on Richards in The Ringer.

However, keeping Richards as the permanent host is becoming an increasingly untenable situation for Jeopardy! producers and Sony Pictures. Following The Ringer controversy, which unearthed sexist and racist remarks made by Richards on his now-deleted podcast, the Anti-Defamation League demanded a thorough investigation on Twitter:

The ADL published the following statement today on Twitter: “New Jeopardy! host Mike Richards’ disparaging remarks about Jews, women & Asians are no laughing matter. Stereotyping is an entry point to hate and his apology lacks acknowledgment of its harm. This reported pattern warrants an investigation.”

Sony Pictures has declined to comment on Richards’ podcast remarks reported by The Ringer, and there are no signs that filming has been suspended after it went into motion on Thursday. However, Variety reports that “multiple sources” have said the situation has caused “grave concern” and there is “little doubt that Sony Pictures is starting to consider alternative scenarios for the host slot.”

(Via TODAY, Deadline)

Gutfeld!, the angriest late-night show on TV, is also the most popular.

The Wrap reports that Tuesday’s episode of host Greg Gutfeld’s punishingly unfunny “comedy” program “beat every other late-night show… in total viewership and the advertiser-coveted age demographic of 25 to 54.” The episode was seen by 2.120 million viewers, including 434,000 in the 25-to-54 demo, topping The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s 1.896 million total viewers and 423,000 demo viewers.

Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show came next with 1.216 million total viewers, on average, and 354,000 in the demo… Gutfeld! has routinely beaten Fallon’s program, as well as Jimmy Kimmel’s Live! on ABC in the past. Live! garnered an average of 1.978 million total viewers on Tuesday, of whom 301,000 were between 25 and 54 and 198,000 were between 18 and 49.

Colbert is still tops in the 18-to-49 demo with 322,000 viewers to Gutfeld’s 281,000.

Fox News has been targeting Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, etc. since Gutfeld! launched in March. The right-wing network bought a billboard near the studio where the Jimmy Kimmel Live! is filmed (it read, “Cancel Culture Just Got Canceled!”) and placed ads during The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, and so on. I guess the marketing blitz worked — Gutfeld! is number one among uncles who still use Facebook.

All of those endless Oreo cookie flavors don’t happen on their own, and the Nabisco workers who bring us those tweets have been fighting for fair treatment, involving working hours, pay, and health benefits. In multiple factories, hundreds of workers have gone on strike over the past few weeks during ongoing contract negotiations. Nabisco’s parent company, Mondelez International (which reportedly saw record profits during the pandemic), wishes to nix the employees’ eight-hour/five-day-per-week schedule in favor of a twelve-hour/three-or-four-day schedule, but without overtime pay.

As a result, factories in Oregon, Virginia, and Colorado, are all in various shutdown states with fewer snacks forthcoming. That’s sad news for people who want to enjoy candy-corn-flavored monstrosities (as well as the good stuff) without worrying about the workers who produce them. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia actor Danny DeVito noticed and spoke out on the issue. “Support Nabisco workers striking for humane working hours, fair pay, outsourcing jobs,” he tweeted. “NO CONTRACTS NO SNACKS.”

Well, the great Danny DeVito simply wanted to express his support for fair pay as well as “SNACKS,” which is understandable. Everyone loves SNACKS! However, DeVito soon saw some drama come his way. Although he didn’t appear to run afoul of any Twitter rules, his 4 million+ strong account soon mysteriously lost its verification check.

Could this have been an accident or a sheer coincidence? If the un-verification was purposeful, this seems harsh, given that Marjorie Taylor Greene’s been suspended at least four times and still continues her abhorrent behavior with a checkmark intact. The More Perfect Union account tweeted that DeVito confirmed his stripped status to them.

And then, the disbelief began to pour forth on Thursday night.

Also mysteriously, though, Friday morning saw DeVito’s verification checkmark return.

So, what happened? No one knows for sure, but hopefully, Mondelez International will work things out with Nabisco workers, and we’ll all have more SNACKS, too.

Recently, the Destiny’s Child social media pages made some aesthetic changes, which had fans excitedly theorizing that the trio was planning some sort of reunion, whether that meant new music, some tour dates, or something else. However, now, Mathew Knowles, Beyonce’s father and the group’s manager, has put those rumors to rest.

TMZ reports that Knowles told them that there are currently no plans for Destiny’s Child to reunite, make new music, go on tour or do anything like that. As for the social media updates, those were apparently just some routine changes made be the group’s record label, which Knowles did not requested. Knowles notes, though, that the response to the Destiny’s Child rumors is “great” and shows that there’s demand for a comeback, which is something they will take into account going forward.

This all comes shortly after Beyonce offered an update on her music, saying in an interview, “I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”

No one ever thought it would be easy to replace beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who passed away in late 2020 after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer. But few people likely expected the process of selecting a new host for the long-running game show would turn into the omnishambles it has become. On Thursday night, Stephen Colbert weighed in on the now-controversial decision to name Mike “Who?” Richards as Trebek’s successor—and seemed particularly suspicious of the fact that Richards has spent the past year working as Jeopardy!’s executive producer and, according to The New York Times, “initially led the hunt for Mr. Trebek’s replacement.”

“During their search, the show tried out everyone from friend of the show Anderson Cooper to friend of the show LeVar Burton to friend of the show Katie Couric to Dr. Oz. Which is why people were a bit surprised when, in the end, as their permanent weeknight host, the executive producers of Jeopardy! selected executive producer Mike Richards. Wow! What are the odds? Exactly the same as me getting named Stephen Colbert Magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive.’”

As if the professional nepotism wasn’t enough, it didn’t take long for the media to dig up a string of troubling remarks made by Richards over the years, with Colbert noting that “women, Jews, and Haiti” have been among the targets of Richards’ not-so-funny humor (if it can be called that). Colbert pointed to one specific incident where Richards, while co-hosting a podcast with two younger women, asked the women if they had ever taken nude photos of themselves and actually said: “Like boobie pictures?” Which is where Colbert lost it:

“Boobie pictures?’ Is this the man about to become the host of America’s most beloved quiz show or a 12-year-old boy trying to sneak into an R-rated movie?”

Enough examples of bad behavior have been dragged up that some insiders are claiming Sony is allegedly having second thoughts about moving ahead with Richards’ new role. Or, as Colbert put it: “Looks like Richards’ job might be in jeopardy!”

You can watch the full clip above.

(Via Daily Beast)

Yesterday, OnlyFans announced that the platform will begin prohibiting sexually explicit content on its site, starting in October. According to Bloomberg, creators will still be allowed to post nude photos and videos, so long as they meet OnlyFans’ new policy guidelines (whatever that means, it is still all very unclear). In short, the platform is making a hard pivot toward supporting mainstream creators like musicians, chefs, influencers, and fitness instructors, and moving away from the type of creators who inarguably are responsible for people even knowing what OnlyFans is in the first place — sex workers.

The changes are apparently being made because of policy changes from credit card payment processors and the hurdles that the platform is facing in attracting new investors and banking partners to raise funding at a valuation of more than $1 billion. Of course, that valuation also came because they provided a safe haven for sex work — they certainly didn’t blow up because of chefs teaching people how to cook steak. Still, big brands being paranoid about partnering with a platform that traffics in any sort of clear pornography is clearly still a thing in 2021, regardless of how accepted sex work seems.

According to Fast Company, to date OnlyFans currently has over 120 million users and 1 million creators who have collectively earned more than $3 billion. Forbes puts the company’s revenue $375 million in 2020, thanks to a 20% revenue share with creators. Naturally, people had some thoughts

OnlyFans’ recent decision came as news to the many million sex workers on the platform, and sex workers are currently in a scramble figuring out what to do next and where to go from here. In an emailed press release, Dominic Ford, the founder of JustForFans, one of OnlyFans’ competitors, was quick to assure sex workers that there was still a platform willing to offer them support.

The adult industry is sadly used to companies cutting their teeth on the adult market and then abandoning them once they reach critical mass. JustFor.fans was founded and built by and for sex workers and its staff is 100% comprised of sex workers and people who have been in the porn industry for many, many years. We are a porn site. That will never change and we have no interest in “mainstreaming.”

With OnlyFans turning into more of a… well, traditional fan site, it won’t be a shock if JustForFans and others race to pick up the slack.

Summertime somehow keeps getting hotter throughout the United States, and the good news is that you don’t have to go outside to have a fantastic time. Actually, it’s best that you stay inside as much as possible with the whole Delta-variant factor at work, and Netflix is here to help you make the best of things. There’s so much on tap this week to entertain you, including new selections from two powerhouse stars. First up would be Jason Momoa in an action-thriller-vengeance picture that’s unlike anything you’ve seen him do so far. Next, Sandra Oh sets aside drama for comedy in a charming little comedy series. True crime fans will enjoy a new documentary, and there’s something to entertain the kids too. Don’t worry because we’ve picked the most bingeworthy options on the streaming service this weekend.

Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.

Sweet Girl (Netflix film streaming 8/20)

More Jason Momoa in this world is always a wonderful thing. In this movie, however, the man who portrays Aquaman gets very serious after the death of his character’s wife. He sets out for justice against those who he believes are responsible, and he must also protect his daughter, who’s in harm’s way due to his mission. So, justice turns into vengeance, and the enemy is Big Pharma, apparently. Justin Bartha, Amy Brenneman, and Isabela Merced co-star, along with Momoa’s hair.

The Chair (Netflix series streaming 8/20)

Sandra Freaking Oh headlines this show about the first woman of color to become chair at a prominent university. In the process of adjusting to her job, she confronts dizzyingly high expectations while one of the university’s cornerstone programs is tanking. Jay Duplass co-stars (his character is a complete and delightful mess), and are we ready for Sandra Oh supremacy yet? This show is breezy and immensely charming effort from all parties, and Sandra Oh tells off everyone who pushes back against her bossdom. The trailer also features the latest song (aptly titled, “Oh!”) from viral punk teen stars The Linda Lindas.

Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (Netflix film streaming 8/18)

This documentary shines a light on the Dennis Nilsen, who became one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers in the mid 1980s. The project gathers up over 250 hours of previously undisclosed private recordings from Nilsen himself, all found within his own personal archive. He chose his victims (young men) carefully, yet he was able to easily hide his murders for five years due to mass unemployment that sent many to London, where they found themselves without money or recourse. Not only does the film dive into the voice of Nilsen himself but also survivors, law enforcement, and bereaved families.

The Loud House Movie (Netflix film streaming 8/20)

This Nickelodeon production hops onto a voyage with the Loud family (who is clearly the biggest and the loudest family that you’ll find on TV, despite the efforts of Succession to be the baddest). Together, they’ll travel to Scotland and apparently realize that they’re actually sort-of Scottish royalty. This leads to plenty of wish fulfillment, which sounds like a wonderful escape in 2021.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 8/15
Mother Goose Club: Seasons 3-4
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Season 1
Winx Club: Season 6

Avail. 8/16
Walk of Shame

Avail. 8/17
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 5
Untold: Deal with the Devil

Avail. 8/18
The Defeated
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
Out of my league
The Secret Diary of an Exchange Student

Avail. 8/19
Like Crazy

Avail. 8/20
The Chair
Everything Will Be Fine
The Loud House Movie
Sweet Girl

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Leaving 8/22
1BR

Leaving 8/26
The Angry Birds Movie 2

Leaving 8/27
A Princess for Christmas

Leaving 8/29
Strange but True

Leaving 8/30
Casino Royale
The Eichmann Show
Full Out
Quantum of Solace
Stranger than Fiction

Leaving 8/31
Adrift
Angel Eyes
The Big Lebowski
Chinatown
The Departed
Election
The Girl Next Door
Hey Arnold! The Movie
Hot Rod
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Love Actually
Love Happens
The Manchurian Candidate
Monsters vs. Aliens
The Muppets
Muppets Most Wanted
Nacho Libre
Moon Kingdom
Pootie Tang
The Prince & Me
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Extinction
The Ring
Road to Perdition
The Social Network
Superbad
The Time Traveler’s Wife

Over four years after 2017’s Melodrama, Lorde has finally returned with a new album, Solar Power. The New Zealander’s latest project is out today, and on it is a collaboration with Robyn, titled “Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All).” The song sees Lorde addressing her younger self, followed by a spoken outro from Robyn.

Lorde told Apple Music of the song, “This is me talking to my younger self trying to impart some of the things that I learned. It was a fun place to write from. To me it’s very Eurythmics meets Robyn. And then we got Robyn to do the incredible spoken part. She’s someone I have learned a huge amount from, through song. She really completed the experience.”

This is surely a big moment for Lorde, as she’s long been a huge Robyn fan. In 2015, she chose “Dancing On My Own” as a song she wants to live forever, writing in a Tumblr post, “This song, to me, is perfect. It’s happy and sad, fiery and independent but vulnerable and small, joyous even when a heart is breaking. Every line is perfect, how that second verse (‘stilettos and broken bottles / I’m spinning around in circles’) stumbles perfectly into that bridge (‘the lights go on, the music dies / …I just came to say goodbye’), and final chorus. It’s just perfect. We put it on right there in the studio, and I was up out of my seat dancing with my eyes screwed shut, and my hands up around my ears, and we looked into each other’s eyes and sang the words, and I could feel something hot and teary in the back of my throat just from FEELING so much at once. And I think it was then when I realized I’m going to be in love with music for the rest of my life.”

Listen to “Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)” above.

Solar Power is out now via Republic. Get it here.

Last Updated: August 20th

Look, you don’t have to wait until the seasons turn spooky to enjoy a good horror flick. In fact, with all of the elevated genre options out there right now, it’s almost rude not to enjoy a good scare year-round. Luckily, Netflix has a wide range of on-screen nightmare-scapes to choose from — think classic thrillers, cult favorites, foreign language entries, hidden gems, and more. Whatever fright strikes your fancy, we promise you it’s on this list.

Here are the best horror films on Netflix right now.

Related: The Best Thrillers On Netflix Right Now

Blood Red Sky(2021)

Run Time: 121 min | IMDb: 6.1/10

This foreign language thriller gives horror fans not one, but two nightmare scenarios. A group of terrorists hijacking a place is scary enough, but when one of the passengers just so happens to be infected with some kind of illness that causes her to crave human blood, things get really terrifying.

It Comes At Night (2017)

Run Time: 86 min | IMDb: 7.4/10

Writer/director Trey Edward Shults followed up his unnerving family portrait in 2015’s Krisha with a look at another family under the most desperate of circumstances. After an unknown illness has wiped out most of civilization, a number of threats — both seen and unseen — come for a family held up in their home out in the wilderness. It’s a subtle, dream-like tale that stars Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbot as two patriarchs intent on keeping their families safe, no matter the cost.

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His House (2020)

Run Time: 93 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

Lovecraft Country’s Wunmi Mosaku and Matt Smith star in this British horror flick. The film follows a couple that flees war-torn South Sudan and applies for refugee status in England. As they try to adapt to life in a small town, evils lurking in their neighborhood (and their house) threaten their newfound safety. It’s a wholly original take on the genre, and if you’ve been watching Lovecraft, you know how good Mosaku will be in it.

As Above So Below (2014)

Run Time: 93 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

Before Ben Feldman played a lovable know-it-all on Superstore, the guy was surviving a terror-filled jaunt through the catacombs of Paris in this horror movie. Feldman plays George, a reluctant sidekick to Scarlett (Perdita Weeks), a young alchemy scholar and his former girlfriend. Scarlett convinces George a few others to venture into the famous Paris underground in order to find the fabled philosopher’s stone (Harry Potter kids should know all about this thing, we’re not explaining it here). What they find instead is basically Dante’s Inferno come to life as they face down cults, demons, ghosts, and all manner of horrific beings. Let this be a warning, children: Nothing good happens this far below street level. Nothing.

The Perfection (2018)

Run Time: 90 min | IMDb: 6.1/10

Allison Williams, who’s become something of a scream queen after her work in Get Out, continues her horror track record with this thriller about a gifted musician who befriends the talented student who replaced her. Strange happenings begin to occur, events that sabotage the young girl, but as terrifying as this story is, there’s absolutely no way you’ll be able to predict its ending.

The Platform (2019)

Run Time: 94 min | IMDb: 7/10

This Spanish-language sci-fi flick is all kinds of f*cked up but in the best way. The film is set in a large, tower-style “Vertical Self-Management Center” where the residents, who are periodically switched at random between floors, are fed by a platform, initially filled with food, that gradually descends through the levels. Conflicts arise when inmates at the top begin eating all the food, leaving the people lower down to fight for survival.

Cargo (2017)

Run Time: 105 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

Martin Freeman stars in this Aussie zombie drama about a father searching for a safe place for his family amidst a zombie outbreak. Freeman plays Andy, a fairly easy-going guy, who’s forced to make some tough calls when he gets stranded in the Outback with his newborn daughter during the apocalypse. He fights off a few of the walking dead, but the real danger comes from the living (what’s left of humanity after the contagion has spread). Freeman rarely plays the rugged hero type, but he does so convincingly here, and while there aren’t hordes of biters wandering the desert, the isolationist aspect of things makes this horror story feels eerily plausible.

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The Ritual (2017)

Run Time: 94 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

This Netflix nightmare follows a group of friends who venture into the Scandinavian wilderness in order to honor their recently-murdered brother. The guys, Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Dom (Sam Troughton) are forced to take a different path from the one planned, a mistake that leads them to cults and sacrificial offerings and an ancient being who prefers to stake its prey. The scenery is gorgeous, the chemistry of the cast is spot on, and the premise — how these men confront their fears and failures thanks to a supernatural being — starts out promising, though it could’ve delivered a better ending.

The Conjuring (2013)

Run Time: 112 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

The Conjuring marks the first installment in a horror series that sees Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play a married pair of paranormal investigators that seek to understand the phenomenon of hauntings. When the duo is called to assist a family living in a ghostly farmhouse in Rhode Island, they encounter more than they can handle when it comes to the undead. Again, these stories were based on true events, so watch at your own risk.

Fear Street: 1978 (2021)

Run Time: 109 min | IMDb: 6.8/10

Based on the book series from R.L. Stine, the second installment in this Netflix trilogy uses the familiar, comforting setting of summer camp to introduce some truly terrifying horror tropes. Stranger Things star Sadie Fink plays the younger version of Ziggy, a kid at a camp that’s home to demon possessions and witch’s marks and all kinds of weird, evil shenanigans and for her to survive, she’s got to figure out her part in a centuries-old curse.

Wildling (2018)

Run Time: 92 min | IMDb: 5.5/10

Bel Powley and Liv Tyler star in this fantasy-horror film with feminist undertones. Powley plays Anna, a young woman held captive by her “father” and given estrogen suppressing drugs to stunt her maturity. He warns her of wildlings in the woods that eat children, but when the drugs begin to make Anna sick, he tries to kill himself, resulting in Anna interacting with the real world for the first time and discovering some troubling truths about her own nature. Tyler plays a detective who tries to help Anna assimilate, despite warning signs that something might not be right with the girl.

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The Strangers (2008)

Run Time: 86 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman play a couple hoping to relax on a mountain getaway in this viscerally terrifying thriller that, if nothing else, serves as a good reminder for why everyone needs to lock their damn doors at night. A couple’s time at a vacation home is interrupted by a trio of psychopaths who have their own evil plans for how to spend their weekend — torturing these helpless out of towners without mercy.

Cam (2018)

Run Time: 94 min | IMDb: 5.9/10

The Handmaid’s Tale actress Madeline Brewer stars in this unnerving thriller that questions our collective reliance on technology and imagines the nightmare scenario if that same tech decided to royally f*ck with us. Brewer plays Alice, an ambitious, in-demand cam girl making money with her online hustle until one day she logs on to find her channel has been sabotaged by a woman who looks just like her. It’s a trippy, dark ride through some of the bleakest parts of the internet with just enough horror to make things interesting.

Unfriended (2014)

Run Time: 83 min | IMDb: 5.5/10

By now we know what a hellscape the internet can be, but in case you’re still frequenting chat rooms in this day and age, you might want to steer clear of this terrifying thriller. That’s because it follows a group of friends who meet online and are terrorized by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend. Hey, stranger things have happened.

Shutter (2004)

Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

This Thai horror film follows a young man named Tun and his girlfriend, Jane, who accidentally run over a young woman after a party and are haunted by her spirit. Hauntings and horror go hand-in-hand, but this film digs deeper into the supernatural trope by revealing a surprising, gruesome connection between the woman’s ghost and the film’s protagonist. We won’t spoil anything here, but let’s just say there’s a reason this death follows this guy wherever he goes.

Malevolent (2018)

Hush (2016)

Run Time: 81 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

Mike Flanagan, who directed Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil, expertly directs this simple tale of a deaf woman being menaced by a masked (and later unmasked) killer in her remote home. This is nothing you haven’t seen before, but Flanagan brings real panache and visual energy to a film that could have easily felt redundant in the hands of a lesser filmmaker.

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Sweetheart (2019)

Run Time: 82 min | IMDb: 5.8/10

This survivalist horror story starring Kiersey Clemmons is more than it appears. Sure, the main story follows Clemmon’s Jennifer, a young woman stranded on a remote island after the boat she was partying on with her white, privileged friends, sinks and it contains monsters — both fantastical and extraordinarily human — but it also trades in allegories about emotional abuse, class warfare, and believing survivors. Basically, it’s a horror flick that packs a savvy metaphorical punch.

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Gerald’s Game (2017)

Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Stephen King’s 1992 novel transpires mostly in one isolated lake house’s bedroom where its protagonist, Jessie, lies bound to a bed after her husband dies in the midst of a sex game. That makes it a tough story to film, which may explain why it took 25 years to get turned into a movie. But the wait was worth it: director Mike Flanagan delivers a resourceful, disturbing adaptation anchored by a great Carla Gugino performance (with some fine supporting work from Bruce Greenwood). Forced to find a way out of her situation, while confronting her own past, Gugino’s Jessie is made to go to extremes, which leads to, among other things, one of the squirmiest scenes in recent memory.

Under the Shadow (2016)

Run Time: 84 min | IMDb: 6.9/10

This Iranian horror flick manages to tie in relevant world events with a darker story of demonic possession. The film follows Shideh, a former medical student and mother trapped in her home during the bombings of Tehran with her daughter, Dorsa. The pair are soon haunted by a djinn, a malevolent spirit who can possess a human by taking what’s most important to them. For Dorsa, it’s her doll, for Shideh, it’s a medical textbook her dead mother gave her. The two fight to survive the bombs and this evil spirit, and you’ll be fighting to get to sleep after the nightmares from this one begin

Veronica (2017)

Run Time: 105 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

After losing her father, young Veronica (Sandra Escacena) and two classmates attempt to contact the other side with a Ouija board during a solar eclipse. Something more sinister breaks through, though, as Veronica is haunted by a dark presence everywhere she goes. Veronica excels phenomenally in the cliche horror bits every viewer has seen a thousand times over, such as mishandled Ouija use, frightening entities that only the protagonist is privy to, and twisted dreams. Based on a true story, the film relies on the strong performance of newcomer Escacena, highlighted by her haunting expressions of terror and anguish.

#Alive (2020)

Run Time: 98 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

This South Korean zombie flick imagines a very specific Millennial nightmare — a zombie apocalypse interrupting your video game live stream. The film follows Joon-woo, a kid who’s forced to barricade himself in his parents’ apartment when a zombie outbreak happens after his family goes on a grocery run. He survives hordes of the undead and a self-imposed quarantine by bonding with a neighbor in the building across the street. But both the living and the dead have some pretty gruesome plans for them so we wouldn’t count on a happy ending here.

Prom Night (2008)

Run Time: 88 min | IMDb: 3.9/10

Brittany Snow stars in this campy horror flick, playing a teen girl tormented by a sadistic serial killer. Look, everyone dreads their high school prom, but Donna (Snow) has good reason to — it’s where a murderer harboring a weird obsession with her plans to take her life and kill all of her friends in the process.

Creep (2014)

Run Time: 82 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

One of the better found-footage movies to come down the pike in Paranormal Activity‘s wake is this creepy gem about a videographer (director Patrick Brice) who answers a strange Craigslist ad from a man (Mark Duplass) who requests to be followed around with a camera for 24 hours. There are a few points late in the narrative where suspension of disbelief becomes an issue (a not-atypical problem for the genre), but if you can look past that, you’ll be treated to a very scary turn by Duplass and a supremely-unnerving epilogue.

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Creep 2 (2017)

Run Time: 80 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

(Spoilers for Creep🙂 What could have very well been a stand-alone character exploration in 2014’s Creep is heightened in Creep 2, which sees Mark Duplass’ chameleon-like killer seeking a different kind of self-portrait. Burned out on his string of murders, Aaron reaches out to a woman who’s looking for her own kind of story by meeting and filming the lonely people she meets online. Instead of a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing path the killer normally follows, he tells the woman what he is off-the-bat and what he wants: An ending to his journey. With all his cards (seemingly) on the table — and her hiding some of her own — it’s an even more fascinating tale than the original.

Eli (2019)

Run Time: 98 min | IMDb: 5.9/10

Netflix is running the market on creepy AF movies lately. This one comes in the form of a young kid suffering from a rare autoimmune disease that forces him to live life inside a bubble. When a new treatment option presents itself, his family sends him to a kind of safe house where specialist can test out the cure, but the boy quickly discovers things aren’t what they seem, that the mansion may in fact be haunted by past patients, and his doctors are probably trying to kill him. Yikes.

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The Ring (2002)

Run Time: 115 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

Naomi Watts stars in this horror mystery from director Gore Verbinski, playing a journalist who investigates a videotape that seemingly causes the death of anyone who watches it. Watts plays Rachel, whose sister dies exactly one week after watching a mysterious video. When Rachel watches the same video and begins to experience paranormal hauntings, she uncovers the terrible family secret fueling the horrible deaths. It’ll make you swear off VHS players for life.

The Bar (2017)

Run Time: 102 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

A varied group of people is stuck in a bar after a man is gunned down outside. As the paranoia spreads and they turn on one another, they discover a mysterious sickness could be the culprit. It’s a bottle-type plot that has been done before — locking a bunch of frenzied folks in a cage and let instincts take their course — but this Spanish horror comedy injects its own dark humor and keeps the answers to a minimum, making an entertaining story that unfortunately favors the “dark” over the “comedy” in its final act.

Winchester (2018)

Run Time: 99 min | IMDb: 5.4/10

Helen Mirren stars in this supernatural thriller set in the 1900s. Mirren plays Sarah Winchester, the wife of the late famed gun manufacturer William Winchester. When her husband’s company sends a doctor named Eric Price (Jason Clarke) to deem whether she’s sane enough to run the business, he begins seeing spirits, ones that haunt the halls of Sarah’s growing mansion. And when the malevolent ghosts begin possessing Sarah’s young nephew, trying to exact revenge for her husband’s crimes, Eric must confront his own dark past.

Apostle (2018)

Run Time: 130 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

A man (Legion‘s Dan Stevens) travels to an island to infiltrate a brutal cult in the hopes of saving his kidnapped sister. As the group’s leaders close in on discovering his identity, the dark secrets of the island start to present themselves. Written and directed by The Raid: Redemption director Gareth Evans, Apostle is a tense, beautifully shot thriller that doesn’t even seem like a horror film from the get-go. Stevens provides another icy, powerful performance alongside Michael Sheen’s turn as the leader of the harsh cult. It’s certainly a highlight among the Netflix original films.

Recent Changes Through August 2021:
Removed: Devil’s Gate, Horns
Added: The Strangers, Blood Red Sky

The streaming game keeps going strong this weekend with the Delta variant heating up. Likewise, the summer temperatures mean that inside is the place to be, so your home theater will likely be calling your name while you (hopefully) get some rest and relaxation. This week, Adam Driver and Jason Momoa headline two new films, and Sandra Oh and Kate Hudson are doing the TV series thing. More of The Walking Dead is here for the binging, too, as AMC’s flagship zombie series takes its final turn.

Where can you get the most bang for your streaming buck, though? This week, we’re gonna give the top prize to Netflix and HBO Max for bringing both quality and quantity with several selections that are worth your consideration. Next up, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime tie for second place with plenty of choice, including the aforementioned Driver film and Hudson series, along with more Ted Lasso. Disney+ also comes in with a respectable finish with the latest Marvel Cinematic Series taking an unexpected turn. Hulu, and Peacock all put up fresh programming, and there’s no freaking way that you’ll have nothing to watch. Rather, the challenge will be to narrow things down to a manageable level. Here’s the best of the new streaming selections for this weekend.

Netflix

The Chair (Netflix series): Sandra Freaking Oh headlines this show about the first woman of color to become chair at a prominent university. In the process of adjusting to her job, she confronts dizzyingly high expectations while one of the university’s cornerstone programs is tanking. Jay Duplass co-stars (his character is a complete and delightful mess), and are we ready for Sandra Oh supremacy yet? This show is breezy and immensely charming effort from all parties, and Sandra Oh tells off everyone who pushes back against her bossdom. The trailer also features the latest song (aptly titled, “Oh!”) from viral punk teen stars The Linda Lindas.

Sweet Girl (Netflix film): More Jason Momoa in this world is always a wonderful thing. In this movie, however, the man who portrays Aquaman gets very serious after the death of his wife. He sets out for justice against those who he believes are responsible, and he must also protect his daughter, who’s now in harm’s way due to his mission. So, justice turns into vengeance, and the enemy here is Big Pharma, apparently. Justin Bartha, Amy Brenneman, and Isabela Merced co-star, along with Momoa’s hair.

Untold: Malice at the Palace (Netflix film) — The Wild Wild Country creators bring a fresh, five-part sports docuseries that will drop weekly. This week, Christy Martin’s plight takes center stage following her 1996 undercard fight at the Mike Tyson/Frank Bruno fight. Martin’s story is a perilous one, given that she was not only keeping her sexual orientation under wraps, but she also stood as a pay-per-view records champ in women’s boxing. Don King put her on his radar, and she also wrestled with substance abuse and domestic violence, so expect this installment to be rife with all kinds of drama, including an interview from Mike Tyson.

Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes: (Netflix film) — This documentary shines a light on the Dennis Nilsen, who became one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers in the mid 1980s. The project gathers up over 250 hours of previously undisclosed private recordings from Nilsen himself, all found within his own personal archive. He chose his victims (young men) carefully, yet he was able to easily hide his murders for five years due to mass unemployment that sent many to London, where they found themselves without money or recourse. Not only does the film dive into the voice of Nilsen himself but also survivors, law enforcement, and bereaved families.

The Loud House Movie (Netflix film): This Nickelodeon production hops onto a voyage with the Loud family (who is clearly the biggest and the loudest family that you’ll find on TV, despite the efforts of Succession to be the baddest). Together, they’ll travel to Scotland and apparently realize that they’re actually sort-of Scottish royalty. This leads to plenty of wish fulfillment, which sounds like a wonderful escape in 2021.

HBO Max

Reminiscence: (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — Another movie meant for theaters has landed in your living room. This action thriller stars Hugh Jackman as a private investigator whose ground central happens to be people’s minds. He helps people unearth lost memories while living on the fringe of Miami society. One client becomes a dangerous obsession, and this certainly ain’t Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, although it sounds like the most unlikely reversal ever.

Sweet Life: Los Angeles: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — The WarnerMedia streaming service is keeping up with its summer of unscripted content that also includes The Hype and FBoy Island. In particular, this show follows a group of young, Black, and ambitious mid-20 somethings while they pursue dreams. Of course, those dreams not only happen to be professional but also involve loyalty and love. The quarter-life mark is a milestone unlike any other, and in South Los Angeles, this group of long-time friends comes together for a three-episode drop, which will be followed by more episodes running through September 2.

The Hype: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Streetwear professionals finally get a proper reality-competition show that aims to create a collision of streetwear, culture, and business. Cardi B’s judging, along with Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Ferg, Dapper Dan, and Bobby Hundreds. All involved aim to mentor the contestants while imparting their specialized visions toward the visionary contestants. From fashion to music to art to lifestyle and everywhere in between, the creativity here should be off the hook, and maybe some of that coolness will rub off on us.

The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad confined itself to a PG-13 rating, but no one expected James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to stay with PG-13, and in fact, this R-rated (and quite good) extravaganza is releasing simultaneously on streaming and in theaters. Enjoy the “horribly beautiful” assortment of supervillains as they undertake their latest Task Force X mission, and the cast is an enormous, eclectic, and electric. Not only do we have the returning Margot Robbie (as Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnaman (as Rick Flag), Viola Davis (as Amanda Waller), and Jai Courtney (as Boomerang), but John Cena, Idris Elba, Pete Davidson, and more joined the cast. Also: Sylvester Stallone as King Shark. Sold!

FBoy Island: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Hoo boy this show looks like one hot mess, and that might be exactly what you need during this slightly disastrous summer. Escape to a land where a dozen self-proclaimed “FBoys” compete against a dozen self-proclaimed “Nice Guys” for the affections of three ladies. Nikki Glaser hosts, and the show aims to answer the ultimate social experiment’s question, according to the synopsis: “Can FBoys truly reform or do Nice Guys always finish last?” (Well, one of the FBoys crushes a mango with his bicep in the show’s trailer, so this is entertainment.)

Amazon Prime

Annette (Amazon Prime film) — Adam Driver’s singing into a vagina for some odd reason in this movie that includes the most outlandish of setups for reasons that don’t make complete sense. Yet Driver’s stand-up comedian is accompanied by Marion Cotillard’s opera singer, and the pair falls in love before giving birth to the title character, who is gifted beyond belief with an exceptional destiny. Expect an examination of passion and fame and everything in between.

Modern Love: Season 2 (Amazon Prime series) — Who doesn’t want to watch Jon Snow Kit Harington romance Lucy Boynton? It’s the return of the popular anthology series that found inspiration in the famed New York Times column. Relationships and connections shall happen, as well as betrayals and revelations, and the cast is chock full of talent you already know and love, including Tobias Menzies, Minnie Driver, Garrett Hedlund. All rules of love shall be henceforth broken in locales including Dublin and the whole of New York, including that Big Apple. Did I mention? Jon Snow getting randy again is not to be missed.

Apple TV+

Truth Be Told: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Octavia Spencer and Kate Hudson star in this show about a true-crime podcaster who achieves notoriety, although everything comes back to bite her in the butt after someone that she helped to convict was, well, wrongfully convicted. In this season, Spencer’s podcaster (Poppy) launches a new case that’s deeply personal, given that it involves Hudson’s media mogul (Micah), and soon enough, their friendship may be on the line, along with their reputations.

CODA (Apple TV+ movie) — This Sundance-awarded film (of four awards, including the Directing Award, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize) from Vendome Pictures touches down on your streaming devices. The story follows a teenager named Ruby, who happens to be the only member of a deaf family who’s able to hear. She’s not only involved with all of the usual teenage concerns but also interpreting duties for her parents and the family business. When she joins her school’s choir, things get rough after she blossoms and finds herself with a difficult choice: keep meeting all of those family obligations, or strike out on her own venture.

Ted Lasso: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — First thing’s first: Everyone who’s caught a glimpse of this Bill Lawrence co-created and developed series loves it. That’s a notable feat, considering that star Jason Sudeikis first portrayed the title character way back in 2013 for NBC Sports’ promos for Premier League coverage. Fast forward to the fresh hell that was 2020, and the show surfaced as one of the year’s lone bright spots. Ted Lasso is somehow both relentlessly and charmingly cheery, although there’s always the spectre of Led Tasso to consider.

Disney+

What If…? (Disney+ series) — We’re in the multiverse after Loki‘s season finale. The MCU promises to show us a wealth of scenarios that stand separate from the existing canon (thus far). Agent Carter already took the serum and became Captain Carter, and this week, T’Challa takes on the Star Lord mantle with some unanticipated circumstances for a notorious villain. Yes, Chadwick Boseman voiced the character one final time, so it’s time to let the tears and appreciation roll.

Short Circuit: Season 2 (Disney+ series) — Nope, this show still has nothing to do with that 1980s movie starring Steve Guttenberg. Rather, this show follows Walt Disney Animation Studios employees who can pitch and create their own original short films. The series aims to highlight risk-taking approaches and stories that might otherwise never see a greenlight.

AMC+

The Walking Dead: Season 11A (AMC series) — This zombie-apocalypse universe’s flagship series returns for one final rodeo with two spinoffs still in motion, so it’s time to wrap this puppy up before the various shows’ timelines begin to intersect. Negan’s no longer the show’s villain, Alpha’s been vanquished, and Carol’s about to split from the group. When one really thinks about all the careers that this show has bolstered (Steven Yeun, Dania Guerra, Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, and so on), it’s impressive that Norman Reedus has stuck it out for the long haul, so Daryl and Carol must end this show by literally riding off into the sunset by motorcycle. We’ll accept nothing else.

Ultra City Smiths: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Fans of Robot Chicken will undoubtedly want to check out this stop-motion animated selection from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and showrunner Steve Conrad. Expect very adult-oriented humor and the voices of Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Alia Shawkat, Tim Meadows, John C. Reilly, Bebe Neuwirth, Jason Mantzoukas, and Damon Herriman.

Hulu

Reservation Dogs: (Season 1 premiere) — Taika Waititi’s FX on Hulu followup to What We Do in the Shadows brings us a comedy series that’s co-written by Native American filmmaker Sterlin Harjo. Yes, the lead quartet in this show rocks suits that look strikingly similar to the characters of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, yet they’re four Indigenous teens who want to commit crime and simply can’t pull it off. The show was shot in and near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and these teens hope to make it all the way to California. The cast and crew come from indigenous communities, from where Harjo and Waititi are aiming their storytelling styles as well.

Peacock

Hart to Heart: Season 1 (Peacock series) — Kevin Hart’s doing celebrity interviews with a twist, and that twist is wine. The result, hopefully, will be unfiltered conversation with actors, musicians, and other such influential people. Will things get a little bit messy, perhaps? With any luck, yes, as we hear about these A-listers’ journey to to their current statures, along with an obligatory discussion about obstacles with a dash of humor.