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With fast food becoming more and more expensive, there has never been a better time to lock in what the best menu item at each of the big chains is. We understand that tastes and preferences vary, but if you’re not a regular fast food eater, you need to have some sort of guide that helps to separate the good from the bad, unless you like wasting money. We’re here to be that guide.

How else are you going to know which chain has the best fried chicken tenders, the best milkshake, and whether the quality of something that you thought was great — like the McRib or the Mexican Pizza — still holds up when you haven’t eaten it in recent memory (spoiler, only one of them does)?

A couple of weeks back, we named the absolute worst menu items at 20 of our favorite fast food chains to dissuade you from burning your money, and now we’re here to do the flip side of that premise. Here are the 20 absolute best menu items at 20 of our favorite fast food chains.

We’ve heavily vetted each menu on offer at the big chains and have named a top menu pick for the absolute best experience. Let’s eat.

Arby’s — Smokehouse Brisket

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Hands down, the best thing on the entire Arby’s menu is the mighty Smokehouse Brisket. It’s got creamy and nutty gouda, a layer of crunchy, perfectly indulgent onion rings, tender smoked brisket, and smokey sweet BBQ sauce on a toasted bun.

It’s sumptuous, smokey, and delightful — a perfect combination of crunchy and tender textures with a whole lot of savory flavor.

The flavors of this sandwich are sumptuous and smokey, the mouthfeel is excellent, a mix of crunchy and tender texture courtesy of the onions and brisket. The sandwich begins rich and smokey and ends salty with a sweet top note on the aftertaste.

The Bottom Line:

Arby’s best sandwich. One bite takes you on a journey through rich meaty, smokey, and salty flavors with a slight sweet aftertaste.

Find your nearest Arby’s here.

Burger King — Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I have to tell ‘ya, I never thought Burger King would recover from removing the Ch’King sandwich. That sandwich was nearly perfect, but it was too laborious for Burger King to keep on the menu, so they replaced it, and until the Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich, nothing could compare to the Ch’King.

But this sandwich is great, in fact, it’s the greatest thing on the entire Burger King menu. They might as well change their name to Chicken King.

This chicken sandwich features a heavily seasoned chicken breast filet that kicks your tastebuds to attention with a lot of cayenne-forward heat. Lettuce and tomato help to control some of that intense heat, while the crispy and airy breading offers a nice pleasing crunch.

BK really knocked it out of the park with this one, no notes.

The Bottom Line:

The true king of Burger King is the Fiery Royal Chicken Sandwich.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

Carl’s Jr. — Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Carl’s Jr. is at its best when it’s offering something decadent and bold in flavor. Nothing on the menu fits that bill quite like the Double Western Cheeseburger. Two charbroiled meat patties, a layer of bacon, fried onion rings, and a double dose of American cheese, all pulled together by a sweet and smokey BBQ-sauce finish — need we really say more here, this burger is near perfect.

The Bottom Line:

A sweet, savory, smokey umami-bomb with an irresistible crunch.

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.

Chick-fil-A — Spicy Deluxe with Cheese

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Chick-fil-A may not hold the crown of greatest chicken sandwich in all of fast food anymore, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t one of the all-time greatest chicken sandwiches. The build here is simple but perfect: you’ve got a cayenne, garlic, onion, and black pepper seasoned fried breast filet on a bed of leaf lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and pickles, topped with a slice of creamy, mildly spicy, pepper jack cheese.

Some people note the lack of sauce on this sandwich as a weak point, but they’re wrong, it’s a strength. First of all, this sandwich is so tender and juicy that it doesn’t need a sauce, but if you must sauce (no judgment) you have the option of choosing any of Chick-fil-A’s dipping sauces, from Polynesian, to BBQ, to the titular Chick-fil-A sauce, offering ultimate customizability.

The Bottom Line:

One of the greatest, most flavorful chicken sandwiches in all of fast food.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

Chipotle — The “UPROXX Custom”

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

We will never stop promoting this build — if you want the best Chipotle burrito build, look no further. Is it arrogant to say that our Chipotle build is better than yours? We say no, it’s not a matter of arrogance, it’s a matter of expertise. We’ve done vigorous tests, and tried all sorts of builds, and the feedback we’ve received on this one is consistent. We’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like this.

The build is incredibly simple: pinto beans, white rice, barbacoa, the salsa of your choice (we say go with the hot or green), extra cheese, lettuce, and guacamole.

And there is a reason this is the build, if you want to know how we justify skipping things like sour cream and queso, hit up the full article,

Here is what you can expect: a mix of mild sweetness with a sizzling burn that helps to usher in earthy, herbal, and creamy flavors. The mouthfeel is perfection, and because the ingredients are balanced you’ll never have a bite that is mushy or deal with a burrito that is too big for the employees to fold without the tortilla ripping.

The Bottom Line:

A tasty AF burrito. Try it and tell us otherwise, we dare you.

Find your nearest Chipotle here.

Dairy Queen — Chocolate Dipped Cone

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

We think it goes without saying that if you’re hitting up Dairy Queen, you better be ordering dessert. At DQ, you’ve got a lot of dessert options, and we know that the temptation to get a Blizzard is there, but nothing slaps like the simplicity of the chocolate-dipped cone.

The combination of a rich chocolate crunchy shell and sweet creamy vanilla is perfect. Sure it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a Blizzard, but it’s dirt cheap and just as satisfying.

The Bottom Line:

Simple, delicious, and remarkably consistent. We’ve never had a chocolate-dipped cone from Dairy Queen we’ve been disappointed by, even if it isn’t as flashy and fun as a Blizzard.

Find your nearest Dairy Queen here.

Dave’s Hot Chicken -— Chicken Bites (Hot)

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The newest addition to the Dave’s Hot Chicken menu and our favorite chicken nugget of 2024, Dave’s Chicken Bites are a must-eat. These nuggets are heavily seasoned with a perfectly balanced mix of garlic, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and earthy and floral paprika.

The nuggets offer an addicting smoked flavor with a strong cayenne pepper kick on the aftertaste. If the flavor wasn’t good enough, dipping this into Dave’s comeback-style sauce accentuates the given flavors and adds a tangy top note that makes this dish come across as all the more savory.

The Bottom Line:

Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Chicken Bites are a must order, and our current go to on the menu.

Find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken here.

Del Taco — The Del Taco

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

This is admittedly a boring choice, but the titular crunchy Del Taco is the best tasting and most consistent thing on the restaurant’s menu. Until of course, Del Taco decides to bring back the birria quesadilla.

There isn’t a lot going on with this taco, it’s just ground beef, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, and diced tomato, but it absolutely dunks on Taco Bell and Jack in the Box’s crunchy tacos.

The beef is zesty and well seasoned, the cheddar is freshly grated, offering a nutty and salty flavor, and the tomatoes bring some umami to each bite. It’s also incredibly cheap, you could pick up three of these and spend less than $5. That has become all to rare in fast food.

The Bottom Line:

Big flavors for a cheap price. It’s not the most glamourous choice, but you’ll never be disappointed in a Del Taco, and the same can’t be said for other cheap Mexican-inspired fast food from the other big chains.

Find your nearest Del Taco here.

Five Guys — The Patty Melt

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I’ve been straying away from “secret menu” items for this list, but because you can order this patty melt without issues, I’m including it. Simply ask for a grilled cheese, and add a patty, and bam! Instant patty melt.

This patty melt features heavily buttered buns, a double dose of cheese, and any other ingredients you want to add on it. Our personal build? One patty, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, and grilled jalapeños. You don’t even need sauce for this thing because it’s so packed with flavor.

The Bottom Line:

It’s a shame that Five Guys isn’t more open about this how easy it is to order this, especially because its significantly better than the brand’s stock cheeseburger.

Flame Broiler — Korean Spicy Chicken

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Launched sometime last year, the Korean Spicy Chicken is hands down the best protein option at Flame Broiler, and therefore, the best thing to order, period.

Biting into this chicken gives you a blast of warm chili spice that shifts into a savory, sweet, and satisfying finish. Add some of FB’s Magic Sauce to the equation, and you have a medley of spicy, umami-rich, and sweet flavors that’ll cause you to forget that you’re eating something healthy.

The Bottom Line:

Big, addicting flavors in a healthy dish? Sign us up!

Find your nearest Flame Broiler here.

In-N-Out — Double-Double w Grilled Onions

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Simply put, this is one of the greatest double cheeseburgers in all of fast food. It has a perfect bread-to-meat ratio, and a simple but effective build. The double patties are juicy, beefy, and salty, while the grilled onions accentuate the savoriness of the meat and burger sauce combo.

This burger is so damn good that just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

If you’re looking for a way to elevate this burger, ask for chopped chilies for some mild heat and a bit of tang. It’ll offer way more flavor than the simple but more well-known “Animal Style.”

The Bottom Line:

The Double Double is simply one of the greatest cheeseburgers in fast food.

Find your nearest In-N-Out here.

Jack in the Box — Bacon Double Smashed Jack

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Early this year, Jack in the Box launched its Smashed Jack Burger, taking it from a mid-tier fast food restaurant to being in competition with brands like Wendy’s. The Bacon Double Smashed Jack is one of the best fast food burgers you can buy right now, excluding more high-end fast casual-leaning places like Shake Shack, Five Guys, and Smashed Burger.

This burger is JiB’s version of a smashed patty but despite what its name would suggest, it’s not a true smash burger. Instead, what you have here is something Jack in the Box calls “smashed-style,” and they achieve this with a beef patty that is thinner along the edges, which allows it to get crispy and form that Maillard crust typical of a smashed patty.

It’s a technicality that sounds incredibly off-putting, but regardless, this burger delivers on flavor and that’s what’s most important.

The burger is incredibly juicy, savory, and salty with carmelized grilled onions, lots of melted American cheese, and bacon, finished with a tangy and smokey burger sauce. It’s served on a light, airy, and buttery bun.

The Bottom Line:

It’s hard to believe, but Jack in the Box quietly dropped one of the best new fast food burgers of 2024. If you haven’t tried it yet, remedy that ASAP.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

KFC — Original Recipe Tenders

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

KFC has finally dropped chicken tenders seasoned in its Original Recipe breading and instantly, these are our new favorite chicken tenders in all of fast food. Yes, they’re that good.

These chicken tenders are juicy and well seasoned with a mix of thyme, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, and salt. They aren’t quite as crunchy as KFC’s regular chicken tenders, but the greater emphasis on flavor here is worth the lack of crunch.

The Bottom Line:

Incredibly well seasoned and tender. They’re herbaceous, complex, and nuanced. Easily the best chicken tenders in all of fast food. Yes, even ebtter than Cane’s.

Find your nearest KFC here.

McDonald’s — French Fries

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Picking French Fries as the one thing you should order at McDonald’s feels cheap, but we’ve thought deeply about it, and if we were forced to pick one singular dish from the golden arches, it’s hard to pick anything more satisfying than the fries.

These aren’t just delicious French fries, they’re the best in all of fast food, so that’s something! A piping fresh order will give you a combination of salty and buttery flavors with a mysterious sweet finish so addicting that it’ll have you convinced that McDonald’s is adding a pinch of sugar to every order.

The Bottom Line:

It’s admittedly not exciting, but there simply isn’t anything else on McDonald’s menu that could compete with its fries.

Find your nearest McDonald’s here.

Popeyes — Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Released to coincide with the Halloween season, the new Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich isn’t just the best chicken sandwich at Popeyes right now, it’s also the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food.

This bare-bones chicken sandwich features a big, juicy, tender, heavily breaded chicken breast seasoned with a mix of garlic, onion, and spices, with a buttery, mildly fruity finish.

Aside from the chicken you’ve got pickles, and a spicy cayenne-based sauce, and that’s it. And frankly, that’s all this sandwich needs to be the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food, it’s that good!

The Bottom Line:

The current best chicken sandwich in all of fast food. A must eat.

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

Rally’s / Checkers — Fries

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Rally’s has only one menu item that truly wows us and it’s the fries. These things are lightly breaded in an addicting mix of garlic, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper, delivering a one-two punch of big flavors with a crunchy mouthfeel.

While they aren’t quite as amazing as McDonald’s fries, when these fries get soggy, they still manage to hit the spot, which can’t be said about a lot of other fries.

The Bottom Line:

Easily the best thing to order at Rally’s. Everything else on the menu is going to take a back seat to these fries.

Find your nearest Rally’s/Checkers here.

Raising Cane’s – Sandwich On Texas Toast

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

This one is a menu hack so it’s not technically on the Raising Cane’s menu, but still, all you have to do is ask for a “sandwich on toast,” and you’ll be able to order it, no self-assembly required. Considering how easy that is, we’re counting it!

This sandwich offers a strong flavor bomb of garlic and butter before you reach a tender bite of perfectly fried juicy chicken. Couple that with Cane’s sweet, savory, and slightly smokey sauce and you’ve got fast food culinary perfection.

If only Raising Cane’s would make a proper breast filet for its sandwiches, this just might be the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food. But until that day, it’s just very, very good.

The Bottom Line:

So close to being the greatest chicken sandwich in fast food. Even though it’s not, we’ll gladly eat it.

Find your nearest Raising Cane’s here.

Shake Shack — Black Truffle Burger

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I’m not really a fan of when fast food brands try to offer black truffle-enhanced food, because it usually ends up tasting overwhelming and lacks the nuance and depth of actual black truffles. Shake Shack is different though, this Black Truffle Burger is a true culinary feat!

The burger features Shake Shack’s near-perfect smashed Angus patties, complete with lacy edges and perfect Maillar crust (take not Jack in the Box!), topped with creamy, pungent Gruyere cheese, fried sweet onions, and a funky, umami-rich black truffle sauce.

Biting into this burger is wave after wave of intense savory flavors that never let up. It’s almost overwhelming how much of a punch a single bite packs.

The Bottom Line:

Shake Shack has done it again! A truly elevated cheeseburger that is worth its $10 price tag.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

Taco Bell — Mexican Pizza

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

It was a toss-up between the Mexican Pizza and the Crunchwrap Supreme, but ultimately we’re going with the former for this list. What I love about the Mexican Pizza is the way it is essentially an encapsulation of everything this brand does well. It’s a unique dish that is unabashedly Taco Bell-ian.

This dish features two thin layers of fried tortilla loaded up with beans and ground beef, topped with an Enchilada-like red sauce, a three-cheese blend, and diced tomatoes. The result is bite after bite of beefy, salty, and earthy flavors with a nice zesty finish.

The Bottom Line:

It’s essentially a giant nacho. Only Taco Bell could’ve invented this Frankenstein food, and we love it for that reason.

Find your nearest Taco Bell here.

Wendy’s — Baconator

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

While I really love this year’s new Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken sandwich, ultimately, I have to name the Baconator as the quintessential Wendy’s order. This thing is a decadent, rich, bomb of smokey, beefy, salty flavors.

Wendy’s has some of the best beef in all of fast food (not counting the higher-end fast casual brands of course), couple that with the finest bacon in all of fast food and you have a perfect bacon burger. Just be warned, this thing can be overwhelming. It’s the reason terms like “food coma” exist.

The Bottom Line:

Fast food’s best bacon cheeseburger.

The deadline for teams to extend players drafted in the class of 2021 came and went on Monday evening at 6 p.m. ET, with a handful of big names getting deals — and some others opting to play out the last year of their deal and try to make more money in restricted free agency next summer.

Here, we’re going to look at each of the extensions that got done before the deadline — including the three max deals from earlier this summer — and grade them out from a team perspective. From the player side, every single one of these guys just signed on for life-changing money and gained the kind of financial security most can only dream of, which is a win for anyone. While some could’ve possibly gotten more next summer, in the current NBA world where restricted free agents pretty regularly get squeezed and often are just back at the negotiating table with their current team, it’s hard to fault anyone for taking the guaranteed deal now, especially when you can lock in eight or nine-figures.

For the grades, we will take into account each team’s current situation, what committing that kind of money means to them in the short and long term, as well as what we think the likelihood is the player in question ends up out-performing the average output of players in that pay range at their position. We’ll go in order by contract amount, from least to most, starting with the Mavericks and Jaden Hardy.

Dallas Mavericks — B: Jaden Hardy (3 years, $18 million)

This is a pretty low-risk move from the Mavs to keep around a guy with some real offensive upside. Any team in the title contender needs guys in this price range who can provide depth and even if Hardy stagnates some, this is a perfectly fine deal for a down the bench scorer. If he continues to develop and can take on a more regular role, this is a steal, but that’ll come down to whether he can pick it up on the defensive end, which is certainly not a guarantee.

Golden State Warriors — B: Moses Moody (3 years, $39 million)

I think, value-wise, this could be really good for Moody. I just don’t know whether the Warriors are the team that’s going to give him the opportunity to maximize his potential as a 3-and-D wing. He’s a good defender and has been consistently a league-average shooter, and guys of that archetype are pretty helpful. At $13 million per year, he’s right in line with what a solid 3-and-D guy makes (think, Dorian Finney-Smith), I just wonder if the Warriors will finally utilize Moody enough to get the value out of this deal.

Washington Wizards — B: Corey Kispert (4 years, $54 million)

Kispert’s deal is very close in terms of AAV to Moody’s, just with the extra year, and I think it was a very solid deal for the Wizards. Again, the question is whether this Wizards team is the one that can get the most out of Kispert, who seems best served as a connective piece on a good team and the Wizards, right now, are not that. However, if the goal is to get to being a playoff contender again, a guy who is 6’7 and can shoot at a near 40 percent clip from three is good to have. Beyond that, teams are always looking for wings that can shoot and this deal shouldn’t be hard to move for decent return if the Wizards end up deciding in a couple years they need more time and he’s not going to fit their timeline anymore.

New Orleans Pelicans — A: Trey Murphy III (4 years, $112 million)

I will admit that I’m probably higher on Trey Murphy’s upside than the consensus, but I think he’s an All-Star caliber player that they just locked up for $28 million per year. That’s the going rate for an Andrew Wiggins-type player, and I think he might already be that level of player with room to be even more in an expanded role. Now, the question is how quickly the Pelicans can create that role for him, as he’s still stuck behind Brandon Ingram, but there is, in my opinion, All-Star upside that could make this an incredible bargain for a guy who shoots it at a tremendous clip and is a high-level defender.

Houston Rockets — C-: Jalen Green (3 years, $106 million)

Before Rockets fans or Jalen Green fans get mad at me, this is not me saying Green cannot become the type of player that makes this contract look like a value. The issue is, with a third-year player option, there’s not a lot of upside for the Rockets with this deal. The best-case scenario is that Green is fantastic and blossoms into a consistently great scorer, but then it’s back to the negotiating table in 2027. If he stagnates, then he’s definitely picking up his $36 million player option for 2027-28, and he won’t be particularly tradable. I think Green and his agents did a great job with this deal, as he has the control on this contract while still getting financial security if his development stalls, and the team just doesn’t get much in the way of value on placing a bet that he takes a leap.

Atlanta Hawks — A-: Jalen Johnson (5 years, $150 million)

This isn’t a deal without risk, but there’s a real chance this ends up being the best value of any of these extensions. Johnson’s history of ankle injuries is certainly a bit concerning, and he’ll need to be able to be on the floor consistently throughout the life of this deal for it to be the home run the Hawks hope it can be. That said, this is a guy that averaged 16 points and 8.7 rebounds per game a year ago and figures to be Atlanta’s second option this season. The opportunity will be there for Johnson to flourish this year (there’s a reason he’s high up the MIP odds list), and if the shooting improvement from last year is real, he could be the budding star on the wing Atlanta’s been desperately trying to find alongside Trae Young.

Orlando Magic — B-: Jalen Suggs (5 years, $150.5 million)

If the shooting from last year (39.7 percent from three) is real, this is a phenomenal deal. If he takes a step back in that regard, then the Magic certainly took on some risk here. Suggs is a sensational point of attack defender and given the Magic want to hang their hat on that end of the floor, I understand why they want to lock up a guy that made the All-Defensive team last year long-term. What I’m interested in is whether there are strides coming for Suggs as a playmaker and facilitator, because this is the going rate contract for a league-average starting point guard in the NBA right now (see: Immanuel Quickley). Orlando is a unique situation with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as high-usage, on-ball wings, but for this kind of money, they’ll want Suggs to be able to run the show a bit more and get everyone involved.

Houston Rockets — A: Alperen Sengun (5 years, $185 million)

Sengun might just be a monster. He averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists a year ago before his season ended a bit early due to injury, and just keeps getting better as an offensive hub. Getting a guy who has already shown that level of production locked in for under the rookie scale max is very good work by Houston. The main question here is whether you can build around Sengun and Green together, and the Rockets are seemingly committed to that duo for at least a bit longer as the hopeful foundation of this team. Still, Sengun is a guy that very well could have commanded a max deal next summer with another really strong season, and to get him for $40 million less than that is a win for the Rockets.

Detroit Pistons — B+: Cade Cunningham (5 years, $224 million)

I still believe in Cade Cunningham as an All-Star caliber guy, even if they hype around him going into the 2021 Draft was perhaps overstated. The truth is, a No. 1 overall pick has to be pretty underwhelming to not get a rookie scale max extension — the last one not to was Deandre Ayton, who got a max offer sheet from the Pacers instead (which Phoenix matched). Cunningham averaged 22 points and 7.5 assists per game last season on career-best shooting, and did so with a roster around him that was far from ideal. There’s always some risk with this kind of money and Cunningham hasn’t been at that hyper-elite level just yet to make you feel this is a guaranteed good deal for Detroit, but overall this was a deal Detroit had to give out and keep up hope that the best is yet to come for Cade (and the Pistons).

Orlando Magic — B-: Franz Wagner (5 years, $224 million)

I really like Franz Wagner as a player, but I’m not sure the Magic had to give him a max deal this summer. There wouldn’t have been much downside to playing out the year and just confirming that the perimeter shooting would bounce back, and I’m just not sure he’s at the level where you absolutely had to give him this kind of commitment early. That said, there is a clear path to him being more than worth it as the second star alongside Paolo Banchero, particularly if he returns to being a league-average three-point shooter to go along with his leap as a finisher at the rim and in the midrange. It certainly wasn’t a disaster for Orlando to give him this deal, but with this and the Suggs contract, the Magic are going to be beholden to internal development to push them to the next level in the East.

Toronto Raptors — A-: Scottie Barnes (5 years, $224 million)

This was a no-brainer for the Raptors, as Barnes was the Rookie of the Year winner in 2022 and took another step forward in his third season, earning an All-Star nod, averaging 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Given that early success, they traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby to clear their cluttered (but talented) wing rotation and give Barnes the keys to the operation. I will say that I am not completely sold on Barnes being the centerpiece you build everything around, but even with my skepticism on that front, this is just a deal you have to make at this point. He’s improved as a playmaker and the next step is combining that with another leap in terms of shooting efficiency, but the vision for Barnes is clear. The truth is, even if he doesn’t reach his full potential, and is just perennially in the All-Star mix and not a No. 1 on a contender, this is still a deal you give him — it’s the next contract that gets much trickier.

(SPOILERS from Woman Of The Hour will be found below.)

Netflix knows when to pounce on a compelling true crime story, and over the past weekend, they scored with Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman Of The Hour. The film follows prolific 1970s serial killer Rodney Alcala (portrayed chillingly by Daniel Zovatto), who surfaced on The Dating Game show where he crossed paths with aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw, who realized that something was seriously “off” with Alcala and fled from his deadly web.

Sadly, however, Zovatto charmed his way into the lives of a handful of other victims during the course of the film, and through Kendrick’s direction, these women came to life onscreen in multidimensional ways. Their life stories, their disappointments, hopes, and dreams, none of these details received short shrift in a Black List script from Ian McDonald, who recently told Indiewire about how he framed this story to be more about a culture that let Alcala flourish rather than Alcala himself. Likewise, Kendrick has been forthright in the past about how she has seen some sh*t throughout the course of her own personal life, which she clearly used to fuel her directing fire.

The Woman Of The Hour, despite being a potentially triggering movie to watch, is also unmissable, and those who were transfixed by how Kendrick deftly handled this subject matter are likely wondering what she will do next.

What Will Anna Kendrick Direct Next After Woman Of The Hour?

The answer to that, unfortunately, is that Anna Kendrick does not know what she will direct next, as she recently admitted to Collider. Still, Daniel Zovatto asked during their joint interview, “[C]an I be in it?” Please.

Kendrick also used her answer to praise Ian McDonald’s script and Zovatto’s incredible onscreen turn:

“I haven’t found anything yet because I truly think I hit the jackpot with this script. I hit the jackpot with the cast and the crew, truly, down to a person. I don’t know what I would have done if anything about it was different. That started with Danny because, as you say, I saw him in Station 11. Well before that character is nefarious, I was so drawn in by his performance. One of the hardest things for actors to do is to be still. It requires a certain level of trust in oneself.”

One thing is certain: when Kendrick chooses her next directorial project, the Woman Of The Hour audience will be seated. She will also soon be seen in A Simple Favor 2, directed by Paul Feig and co-starring Blake Lively, which will stream on Prime Video/Amazon in 2025.

The NBA season tips off in Boston on Tuesday night as the Celtics host the Knicks for ring night, followed by the the Wolves and Lakers meeting in L.A. for what will be the TNT crew’s final NBA opening night. One of people’s favorite things to do this time of year is rank players and argue about it. Typically those come in the form of lists of the top 100 or tiered breakdowns where folks layout how they see the league’s hierarchy and then fans get very mad.

Here, we wanted to take a slightly different approach and look at the top five players at each position, because the truth is, once you get past the top stars, it can be a little tricky trying to decide who is better and who has a bigger impact when they do totally different things on the court. While that can make for a fun argument, we wanted to approach our preseason rankings position by position, where it’s a bit easier to put guys head-to-head. The exercise, even when broken down like this, still isn’t easy and that’s a testament to the insane level of talent in the league.

As for how we determined who fell into what category in this world of positionless basketball and guys often playing multiple positions depending on lineups, we went off of Basketball-Reference’s lineup data for each player from last year, as well as the projected starting lineups for this season. For example, Kyrie Irving now plays shooting guard primarily in Dallas next to Luka Doncic at point guard. From there, we polled our writing staff and social team for their top 10s and averaged out the top 5 from each list.

Point Guards

1. Luka Doncic
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Steph Curry
4. Jalen Brunson
5. Ja Morant

One of the two deepest position groups in the NBA along with power forward, there is a ton of point guard talent in the NBA currently. A league average starting point guard now is a guy the caliber of, say, Jamal Murray or Jrue Holiday, which is insane. At the very top, we have Luka who edged out SGA in our rankings largely off what he did last postseason to cement himself as a primetime player. They are the two favorites for the MVP award this season for good reason, and it’s certainly possible for Shai to leapfrog into that top spot by next season if he and the Thunder can reach their full potential as a contender this year. From there, Stephen Curry is the last of the old guard still hanging on at the top of the point guard ranks, but his performance last year and this summer with USA Basketball proves he’s still got a ton in the tank.

Rounding out the top 5 are Jalen Brunson and Ja Morant, as Brunson made quite the statement of his talent last year, while Morant is a guy we expect to bounce back into elite form this year in Memphis. The honorable mentions list at point guard is lengthy, with Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox, and others all having cases for consideration and the talent to leap into the conversation with their play this year.

Shooting Guards

1. Anthony Edwards
2. Devin Booker
3. Donovan Mitchell
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Derrick White

The two-guard spot is not as deep, as the way the game has grown a lot of guys that would’ve been shooting guards in a past life are now scoring point guards. That said, there’s still plenty of high-end talent at the two spot, and the top four spots in our rankings were a near-consensus among our staff, with Anthony Edwards leading the way after his sensational season in Minnesota. Devin Booker spent a year playing point guard for the Suns last year, but with Tyus Jones on board and in the starting lineup, he moves back to shooting guard (primarily) for 2024-25 — and, to be honest, we needed more two guards to pick from and fewer point guards.

Donovan Mitchell once again reminded everyone of his ability to be a monster scorer in the playoffs with Cleveland, and his decision to re-sign is a big reason for optimism with the Cavs. Kyrie Irving has always been at his most dangerous playing off an elite point forward type, winning a title with LeBron and now making a Finals run with Luka. In Dallas, Luka is the actual nominal point guard in lineups, and Kyrie has shifted to the two with ease. The fifth spot was a bit more contentious, but Derrick White got the nod for his incredible two-way play in the Celtics run to a championship. Honorable mentions go to Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Jalen Green.

Small Forwards

1. Jaylen Brown
2. Jimmy Butler
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Jalen Williams
5. Mikal Bridges

Defining a small forward in the NBA right now can be a bit tricky, as a lot of guys that used to be 3s are now 4s in the modern era, but no matter how you slice it, no one is able to challenge Jaylen Brown’s claim as the best in the league. Brown is coming off of an absolutely remarkable postseason, one where he answered every single question about his game as he led the Celtics to an championship and got named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Frankly, there is a bit of a drop off after him, but in our eyes, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard continue to be among the best of the best … if, of course, they can stay on the floor. When they can, both of them are capable of leading a team to incredible heights, particularly when the postseason rolls around. It’s just a shame that you can’t fully trust either guy, because their highs are worth the price of admission.

Rounding out our top-5 are one of the most promising young wings in the league and one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA. The former is Jalen Williams, who took a gigantic step forward last year and legitimately looks like someone who can be an All-Star in Oklahoma City if he continues to get better. The latter is Mikal Bridges, one of the players the Knicks gave up a ton to acquire this offseason with the hopes that he can get them closer to a championship. Because of his star upside, we gave Williams the nod over Bridges, but both of them are wonderful players who should play crucial roles on two of the best teams in the NBA. Honorable mention goes to Franz Wagner, Khris Middleton, Desmond Bane, Herbert Jones, Bradley Beal, Brandon Miller, and Michael Porter Jr.

Power Forwards

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
T2. LeBron James
T2. Kevin Durant
4. Jayson Tatum
5. Paul George

Even with the depth at point guard, the power forward position is the most talented in the NBA right now. They are not what power forwards once were, but the versatility, athleticism, and skill of this group is just unfathomable. This was the position with the most variance in our rankings, as it’s very much a matter of personal preference as to who you roll with. At the top, we have Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was a bit out of sight, out of mind at the end of last season as he missed the playoffs with injury, but he’s still one of the most dominant singular forces in the NBA.

From there we had a tie for second in voting between the two members of the old guard, as LeBron James and Kevin Durant still command respect 15+ seasons into their careers. I’m sure Celtics fans will not be happy to see Tatum at 4 on this list after a run to the title, but he did earn a second place vote and is just a casualty of the talent at this position. Those four were at the top in some order on every ballot, but the fifth spot was all over the place, with Paul George earning the nod on aggregate. Honorable mention goes to (deep breath) Pascal Siakam, Paolo Banchero, Karl-Anthony Towns (who, maybe is just a center in NY but also might be the 4 when Mitch gets back), Jaren Jackson Jr., Draymond Green, DeMar DeRozan, Lauri Markkanen, and others as there’s just an embarrassment of riches at the 4-spot in the NBA right now.

Centers

1. Nikola Jokic
2. Joel Embiid
3. Anthony Davis
4. Bam Adebayo
5. Victor Wembanyama

You can argue that no position in the NBA is more fun right now than center, as it features arguably the two-best players in the league. In our eyes, Nikola Jokic edges out Joel Embiid for the No. 1 spot, largely due to availability — Jokic is almost always available and consistently puts up video game numbers. But when Embiid is healthy, his ability to dominate on both ends of the floor is unparalleled, and he’s the reason why the Sixers are so all-in on trying to win a championship right now. Whenever we’re fortunate to watch the two of them play, it just feels like you’re watching something special.

The rest of the top-5 really does hammer home how good of a place the position’s in right now. Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo are a pair of Olympic gold medalists and are critical to the success of two teams that want to win a championship — for how good LeBron James and Jimmy Butler are, Davis and Adebayo are the players who will determine the ceilings of the Lakers and the Heat, respectively. And in fifth, we have the guy who is going to be the best player in the world sooner rather than later, as we’ve never seen anyone like Victor Wembanyama. He’s only 20, keeps getting better (rapidly), wants to be an all-time great, and is already the best defensive player on the planet. Even though he has to get better on the offensive end of the floor, Spurs should thank the good lord every day that the ping pong balls bounced their way in 2023. Honorable mentions are Rudy Gobert, Kristaps Porzingis, Domantas Sabonis, Jarrett Allen, Myles Turner, and Alperen Sengun.

In September, Metro Boomin — who was recently involved in arguably the biggest pop-cultural event of the year — bemoaned “stan culture” making everything “weird” in music. “The internet just makes it a little too wild now,” he said during a Forbes panel addressing his role in the Drake/Kendrick Lamar battle.

Social media stans have certainly done that in the ongoing cold war between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. While the two rappers have more or less ceased open hostilities, their fans keep overstepping boundaries in their efforts to harass and annoy one or the other. Most recently, it seems, Barbz “pranked” Cardi B with a call to Child Protective Services, and she’s steaming mad about it.

During an Instagram Live stream fans recorded and shared on Twitter, Cardi vented her disgust over the prank, which prompted a visit from CPS, who told her an anonymous caller claimed her three children were being abused. “Are you f*cking dumb?” she asked. “This is when the pranks start getting too far… You assholes think the sh*t is funny, and it’s not funny.”

She went on to explain that as the only person of color in her neighborhood, this comprises a greater risk than just irritating a rival pop star — as we’ve seen repeatedly over the years, police aren’t exactly best known for “asking questions first, shooting later.” Cardi threatened legal action against all parties involved, including hiring a private investigator to determine who made the call. As she denied ever hitting her kids, she issued one final warning in the clip shared to Twitter: “Don’t ever in your life play with my kids,” she said.

The 2024-25 NBA season will tip off on Tuesday night. To ring in the new season, TNT will broadcast a pair of games: An Eastern Conference showdown where the Boston Celtics will celebrate their championship against the New York Knicks, and a battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

TNT decided to celebrate the start of the year by asking the Inside the NBA guys to rank the top-50 players in the NBA. You can check out the full rankings for each dude if you’d like — here’s Chuck, here’s Shaq, here’s Kenny — while the fellas had their top-20 ballots laid out right here.

You can read their full, aggregate ranking below:

50. Derrick White

49. Evan Mobley

48. Alperen Şengün

47. Chet Holmgren

46. Tyler Herro

45. Brandon Ingram

44. Aaron Gordon

43. Bradley Beal

42. LaMelo Ball

41. DeMar DeRozan

40. Kristaps Porziņģis

39. James Harden

38. Lauri Markkanen

37. Jaren Jackson Jr.

36. Zion Williamson

35. Trae Young

34. Scottie Barnes

33. Pascal Siakam

32. Jamal Murray

31. Julius Randle

30. Kawhi Leonard

29. Tyrese Maxey

28. Jrue Holiday

27. Karl-Anthony Towns

26. Domantas Sabonis

25. Tyrese Haliburton

24. De’Aaron Fox

23. Donovan Mitchell

22. Damian Lillard

21. Jimmy Butler
20. Paul George
19. Victor Wembanyama
18. Kyrie Irving
17. Paolo Bancero
16. Ja Morant
15. Bam Adebayo
14. Jalen Brunson
13. Devin Booker
12. Anthony Davis
11. Anthony Edwards
10. Jayson Tatum
9. Jaylen Brown
8. Kevin Durant
7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
6. Steph Curry
5. LeBron James
4. Joel Embiid
3. Luka Doncic
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
1. Nikola Jokic

Georgia’s Supreme Court has reversed the criminal contempt of court ruling against Brian Steel, Young Thug’s defense attorney. According to Billboard, after reviewing the June ruling by Judge Ural Glanville, the Supreme Court ruled that Glanville should have recused himself and let another judge determine whether Steel was actually in contempt.

Glanville ordered Steel to 20 days in jail after the attorney refused to disclose how he found out about a secret meeting between the judge and prosecutors. The move sparked an immediate appeal and an outcry from lawyers across the internet once the news broke. Widespread calls for Glanville’s removal from the case were eventually granted, and the case has since proceeded with a new judge, who was none too impressed with the state’s handling of evidence and testimony.

Steel had protested Glanville’s “ex parte” meeting with prosecutors and witness Kenneth Copeland, asking for transcripts of the meeting during the June session. The judge instead demanded to know how Steel came by the information, and after Steel refused, Glanville sentenced him to 20 days in jail to be served on 10 consecutive weekends. Steel accepted the terms asking to be held with his client Thug so they could work on the case. Steele’s appeal put a stay on the sentence, and now that the Supreme Court has reversed Glanville’s ruling, he’s officially off the hook.

The trial has become the longest in Georgia state history. Young Thug is charged with racketeering, with prosecutors accusing him of being the head of a criminal organization disguised as a record label.

The 2025 Oscars aren’t until, well, 2025, but one Best Picture contender was just released into theaters and A24 has unveiled the trailer for another.

Directed by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist is set in post-war Europe and follows architect László Toth (played by Adrien Brody), who “arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes,” according to the official plot synopsis. “On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost…” The cast also includes Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn.

The Brutalist, which is over three hours long yet was made for under $10 million, has a 97 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Silver Lion (basically, Best Director) at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. It’s also recieving plaudits for having the year’s best movie trailer.

“I’m being deadly serious when I say we need to find a way to award trailer editors because I had almost no interest in seeing this film before and now it’s maybe my most anticipated movie of the year,” one X user wrote, while another added, “This trailer makes me want to desperately chase down a third watch. It’s a film that’s destined to become richer with age, but even the first watch floors you. A true American epic.”

Here’s a few more:

“nothing i love in this life more than a good trailer” (via)

“At the risk of sounding dramatic, I’d forgotten that trailers could be like this” (via)

“I’m probably going to force myself to watch The Brutalist trailer a million more times just to hear Daniel Blumberg’s masterful score again” (via)

“Now this is how all trailers should be. Builds up hype while giving nothing away. I cannot wait for this film” (via)

“Yea this feels special. What a trailer” (via)

The Brutalist comes out on December 20. You can watch the trailer above.

Alexander Skarsgård never rests for long. Although I do not believe that my hope of him resurfacing on Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘s second season will come true, at least we got to see him in retired assassin mode. On a more definite note, he will star in Apple TV+’s Murderbot, and then there’s his upcoming kinky biker movie, which has recently been acquired by A24.

With an intro like that, let’s not waste any more time and move on to what we can expect from Pillion.

Plot

If you are thinking of “sexy” and “bikers” in the same sentence right now, you might be having half-serious thoughts about Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders (inspired by a true story), which did present a figurative love triangle, in which the relationship between Austin Butlers’ Benny and Jodie Comer’s Kathy experienced friction due to the charismatic lure of Tom Hardy’s Johnny. Now romance between bikers will get literal with Pillion.

In what Cornerstone Films calls “a fun and filthy romance with heart,” Pillion stars Skarsgård (The Stand, Succession, The Northman) as Ray, “the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club,” according to the film’s synopsis. He will take a special interest in “a weedy wallflower letting life pass him by,” Colin (Harry Melling of The Pale Blue Eye, The Queen’s Gambit, and several Harry Potter movies), as more than a club prospect. Ray then takes Colin “on as his submissive.” More from the synopsis:

Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or simply swapped one form of suffocation for another?

Well, Skarsgård already has dabbled on the other end of the leash (here he is modeling such an an accessory while promoting Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool), so perhaps we should have seen this role coming.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Harry Lighton wrote the script and will make his directorial debut for Cornerstone Films, and founders Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder have called the script “equally compelling and shocking as it is funny and entertaining — and one of the best we’ve read in years.” Consider the Skarsgård and Melling fanbases to be seated.

Release Date

Filming took place in Summer 2024, so it’s not a stretch to believe that we’ll see this in early-to-mid 2025.

Cast

Skarsgård and Milling are the only confirmed cast members at this time, although surely, loads more biker roles will be revealed before go-time.

Trailer

No teaser or trailer exists yet, but here’s a look at leashed (and switching) Skarsgård while promoting Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool.

Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah were among the artists honored by President Joe Biden with National Medals of Arts on Monday (October 21). The award is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. Past recipients have included writer Ralph Ellison, painter Georgia O’Keeffe, singer Ella Fitzgerald, actor James Earl Jones, and actor/activist Harry Belafonte.

Missy and Latifah were both honored for their contributions to music — Missy in 2022 and Latifah in 2023 — and actually given their medals by Biden at Monday’s ceremony, alongside fellow recipients Ken Burns, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Idina Menzel, and Eva Longoria. The two rappers were the first rappers to receive National Medals of Arts since the honor was established in 1984. Incidentally, both were the first recipients of other prestigious honors; in 2023, Latifah was the first female rapper to become a Kennedy Center honoree, while Elliott became the first female rapper inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

On Twitter (not “X,” which is a horrible name), Missy wrote: “I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong but through FAITH & PRAYER I kept going..I’m SO THANKFUL @POTUS & CONGRATULATIONS to the other amazing ppl who was blessed with this honor. And a BIG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you.”

Unfortunately, there’s no report on whether Biden put his thang down, flipped it, and reversed it, but one can only hope.