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Any film that opens with a missing-child tricks our emotions and draws us to the film. However, the trailer of the latest film by Robert Rodriguez not only hooks you with a lost child, but throughout the trailer, it provides thrills that you can't turn your back on. The famous director who has gifted us with daunting films like "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Predators," and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" has decided to delve into the psychotic mystery genre. Well, if we have your interest now, you might be excited to know that the protagonist is Ben Affleck. The "Hypnotic" trailer is mind-boggling with the twists, and you might just end up doubting everything you believed to be true. The film is not just about a missing girl but also about a heist. The entire film is sure to play with the audience's mind and trick them at every possible nook and cranny. We see the protagonist, Daniel Rourke, the police detective, and an anxious father whose daughter goes missing. In between his therapy sessions and his anxiety about his daughter, he is a dedicated police detective who is trying to solve an insane heist. But, as we said earlier, and as the name suggests, it is difficult to differentiate reality from the alternate reality that your brain tricks you into believing. Here is where you will appreciate the director for his ingenuity and Ben Affleck for his amazing acting skills. The trailer for "Hypnotic" is not a regular trailer that will either give away the story or keep you in utter darkness about the plot. The trailer (hopefully like the film) will play mind games with you. 'Hypnotic' Release Date The film is set to be released on over 2000 screens in the United States on May 12. The film is releasing on the same day as "Love Again," starring Priyanka Chopra. 'Hypnotic' Cast No matter whether you support Ben Affleck as Batman or not, you cannot deny what a phenomenal actor he is. Affleck has given us films that have made us cry, laugh, and bite our nails in anticipation. From being "Batman" in DC films to his outstanding performance in "Good Will Hunting" (1997) with Matt Damon and Robin Williams to "Gone Girl" (2014) against Rosamund Pike, “Argo” (2012), Zack Snyder's “Justice League” (2021), to his recent film “Air," which was released on April 5 in the United States by Amazon Studios, he has constantly been commendable. The trailer assures us that we are in for some Ben Affleck charm once again. The antagonist in the film is William Fichtner, the amazing "Prison Break" star. We have also seen Fichtner in action in films like "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "The Lone Ranger" (2013), "Independence Day: Resurgence" (2016), "The Dark Knight" (2008), and many more. We have the Brazilian actress Alice Braga, who is mostly known for her performance in the series "Queen of the South" (2016-2021), and you also might remember her from "Predator" as well. Among the other actors, we have Dayo Okeniyi, JD Padro, and child actor Hala Finley. 'Hypnotic' Trailer: What To Expect From Ben Affleck Film? We are not new to police detectives with an internal turmoil to battle. The protagonist, Daniel Rourke, is a police detective who thinks it is cool to defy the instructions and risk his life to get to the truth. The trailer opens with a voice asking what the person sees. Then we see a vision of a park where young children play, and soon we learn that (Ben Affleck) Daniel Rourke saw his girl in his session and lost her at the drop of a heartbeat. Soon his session is interrupted by a text message from his work; it reads something about the Bank of Austin, and someone called Nicks will pick him up in less than five minutes. Rourke's therapist seemed concerned about him joining a task, but like any dutiful officer, he was ready. We watch the crime take place from a surveillance van and watch the antagonist play with people's minds as he pleases. As he arrives inside the bank to investigate the crime, he finds a picture of his daughter in the safest room in the locker room.

Although Rourke finds a way to find the criminal, he turns the policemen against Rourke with his words. However, even when there was more than one gun pointed at him, Rourke asked the antagonist about his daughter showing him the picture. However, the antagonist escapes, leaving him clueless about his daughter. Soon, we are introduced to the concept of hypnosis. This is where even the trailer gets messy. It is said that nothing you see or hear is true, for when you are hypnotized, an alternative reality is created that has no common ties with the phenomenal reality. The detective finds it hard to distinguish reality from his idea of a realistic world. The trailer would undoubtedly hurt you, but at the same time, it would fuel your zeal to get to the bottom of the truth. The trailer is sure to excite the audience about the film. The anticipation for the film is high, and the audiences are already waiting for its release.

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Kevin Hart began his career in stand-up comedy, performing at clubs throughout the country. He gained national attention with his appearance on the Comedy Central series "I'm a Grown Little Man" in 2009, and since then has gone on to release several successful comedy specials, including "Laugh at My Pain," "Let Me Explain," and "What Now?" In addition to his work in stand-up comedy, Hart has also made a name for himself in the entertainment industry as an actor. Despite some controversies in the past, including the resurfacing of past homophobic tweets and jokes, Hart has remained a popular figure in the entertainment industry and continues to perform and produce new content for his fans.  "Die Hart" is a television series that centers around Kevin Hart's quest to become an action star. The show first premiered on July 20, 2020, with Hart as the central character. The highly anticipated second season, titled "Die Hart: Die Harter," was released on March 31, 2023. This season promises even more intense drama and comedy than the previous one. To give you a taste of what's to come, here's a brief recap of season 2 of "Die Hart." 'Die Hart 2: Die Harter' Story Recap Season 2 of the popular series "Die Hart" starring Kevin Hart, opens with the comedian pitching his latest idea for a live-action movie to Debra Simon, a studio executive played by Melissa Ponzio. Unfortunately, his pitch is rejected, leaving him feeling dejected and frustrated. Thankfully, Kevin has a loyal and dedicated assistant named Andre (Ben Schwartz), who always has his back. Andre is willing to do anything to protect Kevin and ensure his success. Desperate to get his movie made, Kevin discovers a mysterious man named Karl Stomberg, who expresses interest in his script and offers to make it happen. Excited by the prospect of finally getting his big break as an action star, Kevin agrees to meet with Stomberg. However, things take a dangerous turn when Stomberg unexpectedly throws a dart at Kevin, knocking him unconscious. When Kevin wakes up, he finds himself in the midst of a dangerous and deadly game that he must navigate if he hopes to survive and complete his movie. Upon waking up, Kevin discovers a masked assailant attempting to murder him using an assortment of tools. However, Kevin manages to outsmart the attacker and narrowly escapes the perilous situation. Deluded by the chaos, Kevin mistakenly assumes that he's part of a live-action movie shoot and begins to play along with the script. Later, he discovers that the danger is all too real and stumbles upon his favorite co-star, Jordan (Nathalie Emmanuel), who has been taken hostage in the same location. Kevin hastily unties Jordan and encourages her to act along, unaware of the genuine danger they face. A 'Hart-Felt' Comedy  After being shot while trying to escape, Kevin and Jordan are aided by Andre, who helps them flee the disastrous situation. However, when they finally reach Kevin's home, they are stunned to find that it has been taken over by an unknown intruder. Recalling a past incident, Kevin comes to the conclusion that his former stuntman, Doug, who bears an uncanny resemblance to him, may be responsible for the takeover. Kevin had mistreated Doug and terminated his employment, which must've motivated Doug to seek revenge against Kevin. Kevin's mistreatment of his crew and his unjust firing of Andre, who was only trying to protect him, reveal his arrogance and narcissism. He believes that his hard work has earned him the title of one of the best comedians, but he fails to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of his crew members, who have played an important role in his success. The storyline takes an interesting turn as, after realizing that Doug is causing his own problems, Kevin decides to seek help from Doug's mentor, Mr. 206 (played by John Cena), in order to find a solution. Mr. 206 advises Kevin that it is unlikely that he can defeat Doug, who i

s stronger than him, but that Andre, who is on Kevin's side, could potentially make a difference because Doug doesn't have a sidekick. John Cena delivers a hilarious performance as Mr. 206, and his on-screen presence is remarkable. During their conversation, Kevin realizes that Mr. 206 is the same masked man who previously tried to kill him, causing him to leave Mr. 206's premises with Andre in fear. 'Die Hart 2: Die Harter' Ending Explained  In order to address the urgent situation, Kevin teams up with Andre, Jordan, and Andre's mother, Cynthia (Paula Pell), to sneak into his house using a clever plan. Andre disguises himself as a plumber, and Kevin climbs inside a wooden box in the back of Andre's vehicle to evade the bodyguard. Meanwhile, Cynthia distracts the bodyguard while Jordan uses a Taser to render him unconscious, preventing any potential issues. However, while trapped inside the box, Hart becomes increasingly anxious as Mr. 206 unexpectedly cuts open the box and attacks him. The situation escalates quickly as Kevin finds himself in a precarious position, with Mr. 206 attempting to kill him. Fortunately, Jordan saves the day by throwing a knife straight into Mr. 206's head, knocking him down, and ending the threat. Doug startles Kevin and Jordan by capturing Andre and threatening to harm him. Kevin suddenly realizes how much Andre has done for him and begins to appreciate his sacrifices and care. However, Doug's malevolent intentions escalate when he hurls Andre onto the upper floor, causing him a serious injury. The climax of "Die Hart" Season 2 commences with Kevin and Jordan battling Doug. The stunt double’s intriguingly uncanny resemblance to Kevin allowed him access to his home and personal possessions. Now, Doug is unwilling to give up his ideal life as he tries to eliminate Kevin and take his place in society. Luckily, despite his injuries, Andre comes to Kevin's aid once more, thwarting Doug's attempt to kill him and bringing the drama to an end. In the concluding segment of "Die Hart 2: Die Harter," Kevin treats his loved ones and crew members to lunch, expressing his gratitude for their dedication and hard work. However, a scene in which Doug is supposedly imprisoned reveals a surprising twist, as it appears that the real Kevin Hart was in prison all along, while Doug has somehow taken his place in society. This unexpected turn of events sets the stage for possible future seasons of "Die Hart." The "Die Hart" series expertly blends drama and comedy with its distinctive combination of comedic timing, action sequences, and nods to WWE moves, such as Roman Reigns' "Superman Punch." This infusion of humor adds a distinct flavor to the franchise. The plot revolves around Kevin's yearning to become an action hero, which causes him to overlook the sacrifices of his crew members. Eventually, he realizes the value of his loved ones and learns a valuable lesson. The final scene's plot twist is especially intriguing and is sure to leave viewers eagerly anticipating future "Die Hart" projects.

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Although a lot of us have entered the "John Wick" franchise thinking that it's its own thing, a mere peek into the history of cinema will show that action-packed series owes a lot to samurai films, Westerns, and of course, action films from the days of yore. And Chad Stahelski and his incredible team are well aware of that, and they wear their inspirations on their sleeves. All the "John Wick" films are filled with references, Easter eggs, and homages to films and literature, and "John Wick: Chapter 4" is no different. Since we probably have a long way to go, let's not waste any time and get on with it. Major Spoilers Ahead Dante's Inferno "John Wick: Chapter 4" opens with lines from Dante's Inferno. When John Wick met the Bowery King for the first time, he said that John's descent into Hell had begun, thereby referencing Dante's Inferno from "Divine Comedy," which involved Dante going to Hell via nine stages of suffering with a poet of Roman descent, Virgil. John technically has been through Hell; he has almost died, and he has returned to the world of the living. Now, he's about to unleash Hell on those who've wronged him. So, maybe the repurposing of the famous poem doesn't exactly mean that John is journeying into Hell. In fact, he's becoming the personification of Hell, and everyone has to pass through him to survive. BTW, out of all the action scenes in "John Wick 4," John personally appears in a total of 9 setpieces. So, the allegory makes sense. The first one is in Morocco, the second one is on the rooftop of the Osaka Continental, the third one is in the glass panes of the Osaka Continental, the fourth one is against Killa, the fifth one is at the 7th arrondissement of Paris, the sixth one is at the Arc de Triomphe, the seventh one is in that house, the eighth one is on the Montmartre stairs, and the ninth one is the duel at the Sacré Coeur. Lawrence Of Arabia David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" match cut a close-up shot of Peter O'Toole blowing out a burning matchstick with an extremely long shot of a sunrise. After lighting up a pentagon in John Wick's training room, the Bowery King takes a deep breath and then blows out the matchstick. That's when editor Nathan Orloff cut to a shot of the sunrise. I don't think that's where the references end because the horse riders of the High Table and John Wick riding in the distance, barely recognizable due to the heat shimmer, echo the shot of Sherif Ali arriving at his well.  Ned Kelly Ned Kelly's apparent last words are brought up multiple times to comment on accepting death because Wick and Winston are not just preparing themselves to confront death, but accept it as well. But, probably more interestingly, Kelly and his gang were synonymous with a bulletproof suit that protected their chest, shoulders, back, and crotch, along with a helmet that protected their head. That was all the way back in 1879. Meanwhile, "John Wick" imagines a future where assassins can wear a three-piece bulletproof suit that can even resist bullets from a shotgun. Marquis' Father Can Be A Follower Of Martha Beck When Winston and Charon meet Marquis Vincent de Gramont, he says that his father used to tell him that how one does anything is how one should do everything. Apparently, the aforementioned quote was coined by Martha Beck, who is an author, life coach, and public speaker with various degrees from Harvard University. So, it seems like one of the writers, or Chad himself, is a fan of Beck and, hence, has decided to include her teachings in this circus of violence. Zatoichi The first name that comes to everyone's mind upon seeing Donnie Yen's Caine, a blind, cane-sword-wielding mercenary, is Zatoichi. Created by Kan Shimozawa, the character made his first appearance in a 1948 essay and eventually went on to feature in 26 films while being portrayed by Shintaro Katsu, Takeshi Kitano, Show Aikawa, and Shingo Katori. Caine's penchant for not being interested in gambling is probably a subversion of Zatoichi's habit of gamb

ling. But since Yen is from Hong Kong and Zatoichi is Japanese, I am not sure if the comparison is fair. By the way, Yen has played a blind action hero before in "Rogue One." And going by the tease at the end of "John Wick 4," he'll be playing Caine for a long time now. The Menpo Mask The High Table soldiers from "John Wick 3" wore pretty generic-looking but bulletproof masks. The ones in "John Wick 4," though, wear bulletproof menpo since they are Japanese. Traditionally, the menpo was worn by samurai warriors in feudal Japan. But since this is modern Japan, you see gun-wielding soldiers wearing it, thereby keeping up with the times and staying in touch with their roots. Flash Point No, I'm not talking about the DC comic series, the DC animated film, or the upcoming "Flash" movie, which is based on "Flashpoint." I'm talking about the Hong Kong action film by Wilson Yip featuring Donnie Yen, marking the duo's second collaboration and paving the way for many future collaborations. Anyway, in a kinetic fighting scene in "Flash Point," Donnie Yen did a wind-up punch, something that's usually seen in animated fighting scenes. But he did it with such conviction that no one batted an eye, and it became instantly iconic. In "John Wick: Chapter 4," we see Yen do it again after displaying his other iconic move, i.e., the flurry of punches made famous in "Ip Man" (another film by Wilson Yip and starring Donnie Yen). Bruce Lee Although the origins of the nunchaku are iffy, if you mention that particular weapon, everyone associates it with Bruce Lee because he was the one who made it incredibly popular, at least in films. So, when John Wick starts using a nunchaku to bash anyone and everyone around him, you can feel the spirit of Bruce Lee flowing through that scene. In addition to that, Donnie Yen's black suit, white shirt, and black tie ensemble is probably an homage to Bruce Lee, something that Yen incorporated into the film to push back against the racist characterization of his role. This isn't the first time the franchise has referenced Lee because "Chapter 2" had an entire fight sequence set in a room full of mirrors, much like the one from "Enter the Dragon." Sammo Hung Scott Adkins as Killa in that purple three-piece suit is a very obvious homage to the legendary Sammo Hung's appearance in "SPL: Sha Po Lang." Guess who else was in that movie? That's right. Donnie Yen. Well, "John Wick: Chapter 4" isn't the first time that Adkins has appeared across Yen. Adkins has also worked with Yen in "Ip Man 4." Although Adkins doesn't share screen space with Marko Zaror (who plays Chidi) in this film, they've worked together before in "Undisputed III: Redemption” and "Savage Dog." By the way, if you are hearing the names of Scott Adkins and Sammo Hung, or even Donnie Yen, for the first time, there's no need to be ashamed. Just make a note of it and start watching all the incredible work they've done. I Am Klaus If the director, writers, and Keanu himself punch me for saying what I am about to say, I'll totally take it. But when Klaus kept saying, "I am Klaus," I was instantly reminded of this running gag from Craig Ferguson's era of "The Late Late Show," where he and his fellow robot skeleton, Geoff (Josh Robert Thompson), pretended to be German. Geoff dubbed himself Klaus and kept saying, "I am Klaus," at the end of every sentence. If not that, it can be a homage to Groot from "Guardians of the Galaxy," who can only say, "I am Groot." John Wick Self References The first "John Wick" film had the titular character running after Iosef in a club called the Red Circle while wading through a sea of people dancing between pulsating lights. After losing sight of him, Wick unleashed his gun-jutsu on Iosef's henchmen, and it ended with Wick being thrown off the balcony by Kirill, played by Daniel Bernhardt. Echoes of that scene are there in the fight sequence in Killa's nightclub (which is a

combo of Kraftwerk Berlin and the Alte Nationalgalerie), down to the rave, the music, and Wick's fall from a great height. There's no Bernhardt in this scene because Kirill was technically killed in "John Wick." But the actor has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo when the assassins in Paris prepare their guns because Bernhardt has a long working relationship with Keanu and Chad. Additionally, Winston repeats a line from "Parabellum" as he sees the commencement of the attack of the assassins on Jonathan. Eugène Delacroix The place where Winston meets the Marquis is filled with paintings. The ones that I noticed are "The Raft of the Medusa," "The Barque of Dante," "The Death of Sardanapalus," and "Liberty Leading the People," among many, many others. Winston says that the painting "Liberty Leading the People" represents the cost of tyranny. But, as per Delacroix, that's liberty personified, and she is leading the people to freedom. Given the context of the scene in "John Wick 4," it makes sense because John is looking to be free of the bindings of the High Table, while Winston is seeking the cessation of his exile.  When Winston begins to leave, Vincent reminds him that if Wick loses the duel, he has to die with him. Winston looks at the painting next to him, which is "The Raft of the Medusa" by Théodore Géricault, and repeats Ned Kelly's saying. I am not sure if there's any thematic significance there, but I don't think it'll be a stretch to say that there's a direct line between the painting's commentary on survival by cannibalizing one another and everything that's happening in "Chapter 4" for the sake of survival. On a side note, this scene and the conversation kind of reminded me of a similar scene set in an art museum in "Skyfall" between James Bond and his quartermaster. 'Mission: Impossible—Fallout' "John Wick 4" has a pivotal scene at the Trocadéro Square, where the location and time of the duel are decided, and an action scene at the Arc de Triomphe, where Wick is chased by a bunch of assassins. "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" had a pivotal scene at the Trocadéro Square, where Walker revealed his true intentions, and an action scene at the Arc de Triomphe, where Ethan Hunt was chased down by the French police. Given how "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" was one of the greatest action films of the past decade, it makes sense to tip one's hat to that film. Yes, it can be totally random. But given how prominent "Fallout" was, I think it was on Chad and the rest of the team's radar before going into their own film. The Matrix John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, sits in the Mairie des Lilas subway station and waits for the train to arrive. Subway stations and trains were a big part of Neo's (also played by Keanu Reeves) journey in "The Matrix" and "The Matrix Revolutions." The connections do not end there, of course. Laurence Fishburne has played the role of Morpheus in "The Matrix" franchise, and he also portrays the Bowery King in the "John Wick" films. Chad Stahelski, the genius behind the "John Wick" franchise, has also been a part of the stunt team in "The Matrix" movies along with David Leitch. Chad doubled for Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix" films and showed up as a major character named Chad in "The Matrix Resurrections." The subway scene in "John Wick 4" has Wick standing in front of a mirror, which is an object that's used to bring someone out of the Matrix and later used to travel between locations inside the Matrix. There's a long-running fan theory that the entirety of the "John Wick" series is a simulation that Neo is in. Caravaggio During the subway scene, the painting titled "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" by Caravaggio shows up as the Bowery King hands over Wick's newly made suit. The painting depicts Thomas the Apostle's doubts about the resurrection of Jesus Christ as he wanted to know if Christ had been really killed and then resurrected. John Wick has a lot of Christia

n imagery. John Wick kind of looks like the most popular depiction of Jesus Christ. He technically dies in "Chapter 3" and is resurrected in "John Wick 4." I don't think anyone casts doubt on his return. But there's this underlying theme that if Wick manages to beat Caine and Vincent at the duel, he'll become a "sect," which is exactly what happened when Christ returned from the dead. So maybe that's the parallel that is being drawn here. 'The Warriors' This one is pretty simple. Walter Hill's "The Warriors" had a radio announcer updating the progress of the protagonists as they make their way through New York City while being attacked by the antagonists. The final act of "John Wick: Chapter 4" features Wick going all the way from the 7th arrondissement to the Sacré-Cur, while a radio jockey updates the assassins about Wick's location and plays songs like "Nowhere to Run" and "Marie Douceur, Marie Colère" to set the mood. It's kind of hilarious that the radio channel is named WUXIA, which is the genre that films like "14 Blades," "House of Flying Daggers," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Hero," and "Shadow" belong to. 'Constantine' Dragon's Breath! I can't believe that tons of people claim that they love Keanu Reeves' "Constantine" and that they want a sequel. And yet, when Dragon's Breath showed up, and Wick used it to shoot up a bunch of assassins, not a lot of people noticed the "Constantine" reference. Anyway, Dragon's Breath is a rare piece of weaponry that was given to John Constantine to fight off literal demons. Yes, both of those characters, played by Keanu Reeves, are named John. Both of those characters are associated with Christian imagery. And both of them have now used a firearm called "Dragon's Breath." Is John Wick secretly John Constantine? No, but you are free to use your imagination. 'Door,' 'Hotline Miami,' Or 'Malignant' After the bike chase and before climbing up the stairs, John Wick has to fight a bunch of assassins in an abandoned apartment. It's a single-take or one-take sequence. But instead of doing it the traditional way, with the camera following the character from behind and then inserting cuts whenever something crosses the frame, Chad and his team go for a top-down angle, likely with the help of a drone camera. Hence, we get an eagle's-eye view of the whole scene. There are similar scenes in the 1988 film "Door" by Banmei Takahashi and the 2021 James Wan film, "Malignant." At least, these are the two films that come to mind. In addition to that, there are tons of top-down shooter games, but the one that makes heavy use of a shotgun is "Hotline Miami." It can be either of them or none of them, but there's no doubt about the fact that it's a fantastic action sequence. 'Amélie' As per Letterboxd, Chad Stahelski loves "Amélie." That's what brought him to the Sacré-Cur. But during that process, he discovered the side steps leading up to the location. And that's why we got that painful but hugely enjoyable fight sequence on the Montmartre stairs. The Pencil John Wick is famous for using a pencil to kill people. We saw him actually do it in "Chapter 2." But in "Chapter 4," it's actually Donnie Yen's Caine who puts a pencil through Chidi's hand. Given Caine and John Wick's friendship, it's possible that Wick acquired the ability to use a pencil like a knife from Caine. 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly' Well, there are several references to "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," directed by one of the most prolific filmmakers, Sergio Leone. John Wick having echoes of the Man with No Name, played by Clint Eastwood, is as clear as day. Then there's Shamier Anderson's Mr. Nobody, who is literally a man without a name. Blondie, or The Man with No Name, possesses a pocket watch that plays music when opened. Caine possesses a similar pocket watch, which has a photo of his daughter in it. And then there's the duel between Caine and Wick, complete with Western-esque music mixed with Wic

k's theme. Conclusion These are just some of the references, Easter Eggs, and homages in "John Wick 4." Some of them have been purposefully inserted into the film by the makers, and the rest are parallels that I have observed. They can be correct, or they can be wrong. Either way, it greatly impacted my viewing experience. That said, if you notice any inspirations, hat tips, or details other than the aforementioned ones, please feel free to share them with "John Wick" fans.

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"The Last of Us" Season 1 has aired its finale episode, giving longtime fans a stunning and satisfying conclusion to the pilot season. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, it is based on a dystopian future where a viral epidemic has turned most of the population into mindless zombies. The narrative revolves around Joel and Ellie's quest to stay alive while encountering mindless zombies and raiders devoid of all morals and hungry for control. The plot takes the audience on an emotional journey as they experience harrowing moments that stay with them long after they've binge-watched all the episodes. The show is filled with instances that will leave you emotional, from the deaths of cherished friends to the difficult choices that the protagonists must make to ensure their survival. Here are some scenes from "The Last of Us" season 1 that'll leave you emotionally shattered. Spoilers Ahead Tess' Sacrifice To Ensure Joel And Ellie's Survival Even though she appeared in only two episodes, Tess was one of the most prominent characters in both "The Last of Us" video games and series. During the events of the second episode, when Joel, Tess, and Ellie are journeying out of the quarantine zone to firefly headquarters, the trio comes across dozens of dead fireflies that had succumbed to the cordyceps infections and died due to the ensuing chaos. Things become more complicated when Tess reveals that she has been infected and will sooner or later succumb to the infection and turn. In the moments of despair, Tess made Joel promise that he'd see that Ellie reaches the Fireflies headquarters safely. Unfortunately, before Joel and Ellie can get out, the structure gets surrounded by hordes of flesh-hungry zombies. Tess decides to stay behind to stave off the horde so that Joel and Ellie have a fighting chance, and she blows up the building, killing herself and the zombies in the process. Unlike Joel, Tess somewhat believed that there was still a chance to build this broken world, and Ellie's immunity from the cordyceps only worked to solidify her faith. Tess's sacrifice was a watershed moment in the series's narrative, suggesting that what lay ahead was perilous and everyone's life was hanging by a thread in the forsaken world. Tess's loyalty to Joel ran deep, and their professional relationship blossomed into a longstanding bond. She was selfless in her determination to stake her life to save Joel and Ellie. Tess displays compassion and empathy for the people she considers friends or family, notwithstanding her rough demeanour. Sam And Henry's Death "The Last of Us" Season 1 Episode 5 introduces us to Henry and Sam, who're on the run trying to get clear of Kansas City and Kathleen's grasp. Sam is a foolhardy and trusting little child who doesn't yet understand the gravity of the planet's threats. He hasn't seen the worst of the pandemic yet, so he believes things can go back to how they were. Whereas Henry is a realistic and sensible man who is aware of the limitations of their situation. He has a cool head under pressure and isn't hesitant to make the call that's best for the situation. Henry was a collaborator who was forced to feed Kathleen critical information about her group in return for antibiotics for his sick brother. With Henry's intel, FEDRA raided Kathleen's fortress and arrested his brother, who was later executed. Saddened by her brother's death, Kathleen takes the reins of the group and orders everyone to find and kill Henry on the spot. Henry and Sam encounter Joel and Ellie during their run and strike a deal for safe passage out of the city. Unfortunately, after crossing the city, the group is attacked by a horde of clickers, which results in Sam getting infected. Back at the safehouse, Ellie desperately tries to save Sam, even resorting to blood transfusions, but to no avail. Soon, Sam turns and attacks Ellie, and Henry, after realising his little brother is gone, shoots him in the heart.

Henry, overcome by despair, pressed the gun to his head and squeezed the trigger. Seeing them is a sombre reflection of how the world used to be, as they symbolise the optimism and naiveté of adolescence. The bond between them beautifully illustrates the depths to which brothers would go to defend one another. And Joel understood that since he was in the same boat and was trying whatever he could to reach his brother. Professor Ibu Ratna's Realization That The World Would Die The truth is the toughest smack you can give yourself, and "The Last of Us": Season 1, Episode 2 makes it perfectly clear. The episode takes us to Indonesia, one of the first places where the Cordyceps virus poked its head. Ibu Ratna, a professor of mycology at the University of Indonesia, was picked up in the middle of her lunch by armed forces and taken to a secured facility to examine a dead body infected by the Cordyceps virus. Ibu is having a hard time accepting that the slide she examined contains human tissue, as it's impossible for cordyceps to sustain themselves in the human body. After further examination, Ibu concludes that there is no way to treat the infections as there is no known medicine or vaccine and advises the military to start bombing the city and everyone living inside it. Tears rolling down her eyes suggests that the city she loved and was raised in will soon be reduced to dust and rubble. Realising She hasn't got much time left, she requests the military to drive her back home so that she can spend her final moments with her family. The Sad Conclusion To The Bill And Frank Story The third episode of "The Last of Us" received a mixed reception from fans all over the world, which can be credited to the showrunner's decision to kill Bill and Frank. In the video games, Bill never dies and is one of the most interesting characters, adept at surviving skills and citing life lessons. Frank, on the other hand, succumbed to his illness before Joel and Ellie could reach the town. But this doesn't make his death any less saddening. In the series, Bill is a grumpy-old survivor living in Lincoln who lost his heart to Frank, another survivor who was trying to make it to Boston after all hell broke loose. In the years that followed, Bill and Frank developed an unbreakable bond, even choosing to get married. Unfortunately, Frank was suffering from a terminal disease and decided to commit suicide. On his final day, he requests that Bill cook him a nice dinner, slips multiple sleeping pills into his wine glass, and embraces his body as he departs. However, Bill wasn't ready to let him leave alone. He drugs both glasses and takes Frank into their bedroom, where they both breathe their last. Also, the letter he left on the dining table addressed to Joel, asking him not to come into the bedroom, makes the scene all the more depressing. When Bill found Frank, he was an isolated man, oscillating his hours between gathering supplies and setting up traps to subdue or kill raiders and undead, but Frank's entry into his life gave him a purpose to keep going on and taught him to see the world in a new light. But without Frank, Bill believes that there's simply no reason for him to continue, as he has already enjoyed the best years of his life with the most precious man he has ever met. Ellie's Harrowing Confrontation With David After Joel is left incapacitated due to the knife wound, Ellie is left with no choice but to fend for herself and take care of Joel. Ellie comes across David and his men while gathering supplies and offers to trade the deer she had hunted for antibiotics. At first glance, David seems kind and generous, yet he is a depraved monster who uses unusual tactics to gain power and control over his group's members, even forcing them to resort to cannibalism. David has also been looking for a girl traveling with a middle-aged man, who had killed one of his group's members, and Ellie and Joel happened to fit that description perfectly.

Realising Joel is wounded and Ellie is alone and vulnerable, David sends his men back to capture them. David tries his very best to convince Ellie to join his side so that they can expand their group together, but he orders his men to chop her after the latter turns him down. Ellie somehow manages to escape captivity, only to face the degenerate pedophile once again in a burning bar. This scene is particularly gut-wrenching as we see Ellie desperately trying to keep David away from herself. At that crucial time, Ellie gave up on the possibility that the world might be saved, sprang to David's neck, and stabbed him to death. Ellie runs into Joel outside of the cottage, and the sight of her clutching at him in terror will make your heart bleed all over again. Riley's Death  Experiencing the loss of a close friend right before your eyes is the most heartbreaking thing that can happen to anyone. Sadly, Ellie was no stranger to losing a loved one. During her time in military school, Ellie developed a close relationship with Riley, a teenager whose loyalty weaved between FEDRA and Fireflies. One ominous day, Riley manages to sneak into the facility and asks her to join her on their trip to the abandoned mall. Riley had secretly joined the Fireflies and was about to leave the city, so she made the decision to see her best friend before she left. However, their adventure is cut short when the duo is attacked by a violent clicker, who is alerted of their presence owing to the cordyceps branches enveloping the mall's basement. The duo desperately tried to fend off the attacker but, unfortunately, were bitten in the process. Riley, realising she has not had much time on her hands, offers Ellie the choice of shooting one another or spending their final moments together. Sadly, unlike Ellie, Riley wasn't immune to the cordyceps virus and turned into a flesh-hungry zombie, forcing Ellie to shoot her to save her life. Sarah's Death In Joel's Embrace There's no debate that seeing Sarah clutching onto Joel's arms while she desperately grasps for air is the most heartbreaking scene of "The Last of Us" series. The fact that Sarah's death is inevitable isn't meant to lessen its tragedy for anybody who has played the original game. After watching his favorite movie with Sarah, Joel tucks his daughter into bed and leaves for the county jail to pay for Tommy's bail. Sarah is jolted awake by the whir of a helicopter passing above her house and heads out to check on her old neighbor. Sarah is shocked to see that her old neighbor has turned into a flesh-hungry monster, out for blood. Fortunately, Joel intervenes, puts Sarah in her car, and heads toward the border. Unfortunately, the car flipped, forcing the duo to continue on foot. In a twist of fate, Joel and Sarah encounter armed personnel who have orders to eliminate anyone who shows signs of infection. Despite Joel's pleas, the guard opened fire, fatally injuring Sarah. Joel frantically tried to staunch Sarah's bleeding, but she gradually lost consciousness and passed away. The loss of Sarah changed him irrevocably, slowly turning him into a cruel and hostile person who had lost all sense of right and wrong. Joel was an affectionate dad who was quite involved in Sarah's life prior to the pandemic. With the ensuing mayhem of the pandemic's breakout, Joel watches helplessly as Sarah slowly departs from his embrace. His heart has hardened since Sarah's passing, and he frequently rejects the idea of getting close to someone to avoid feeling that harrowing pain again.

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Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's 1920 short story, "The Doom That Came to Sarnath," this new animated Batman film takes fans back to a Prohibition Era Gotham steeped in horror and decadence. It is an adaptation of a parallel-earth storyline introduced by DC Comics' three-issue "Elseworlds" miniseries "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" (2000–2001), written by Richard Pace and Mike Magnola and illustrated by Dennis Janke and Troy Nixey. At the beginning of the movie, Bruce Wayne is shown to be on an expedition to find Prof. Oswald Cobblepot and his crew in Antarctica with his three underlings, Kai Li Cain, Sanjay Tawde, and Dick Grayson. They discover that the crew was shipwrecked and that most of the crew members were dead. Amid the frozen desert, Bruce locates Cobblepot and follows him to a cave, where he finds one of Cobblepot's crew members, August Grendon, a disfigured and creepy-looking figure hard at work trying to chisel out a cosmic deity from the icy cave. At this moment, Bruce catches a glimpse of the cosmic being's true form and collapses in agony. Several mutated penguin-like figures attack Bruce inside the cave, but he is able to fend them off and capture Grendon. The party sets off on a course back to Gotham after a twenty-year odyssey, as proclaimed by Bruce, with Grendon as a captive, but a terrible misfortune follows them on their homeward journey. The film features a star-studded roster of some of the most iconic Batman villains of all time; all mashed together in a classic Lovecraftian horror-mystery narrative. Spoilers Ahead The Penguin (Prof. Oswald Cobblepot) The Penguin appears as Prof. Oswald Cobblepot in the film, a man who has been driven to insanity amid the cold, frozen desert of Antarctica after he and his crew suffered a shipwreck there. One of the oldest adversaries of Batman, The Penguin, first appeared in "Detective Comics" issue #58 and is well-remembered for his signature top hat and monocled look and for carrying a weaponized umbrella, and in the Gotham universe, the Penguin is a master criminal, famously known for being an advisor to the city's underworld. In this film, the character has been used as a sort of catalyst for the exposition of the main narrative. Bruce finds Cobblepot's journal among the ruins of his ship, which contains several secrets and documentation of his adventures and is essential to the plot. Mr. Freeze (August Grendon) In "The Doom That Came to Gotham," Mr. Freeze is alluded to through the character of August Grendon. Grendon is a part of Prof. Cobblepot's crew that gets shipwrecked in Antarctica, after which he becomes an agent of the "cosmic deity' (Iog-Sotha). He is discovered inside a cave by Bruce as he is searching for Cobblepot and is brought back to Gotham. He is responsible for the deaths of two of Bruce's most trusted apprentices: Sanjay Tawde (whom he freezes to death) and Dick Grayson (killed while trying to stop Killer Croc from breaking him out of his confinement). The film features a different version of Mr. Freeze from the original (Victor Fries) version of the main Batman comic book continuity, which has a different backstory and personality. Iog- Sotha The Cthulhuesque-cosmic entity, teased at the beginning of the film, is portrayed as the root of all evil in the film. Its figure bears a striking resemblance to the Lovecraftian imagination of an all-powerful and all-devouring cosmic being that is ruthless in its approach. It is the entity that Ra's al Ghul worships and claims had created life itself millions of years ago. It is seen as an indefinitely large, amorphous being with tentacles whose true form cannot be perceived by human senses. Two-Face (Harvey Dent) When it comes to Batman villains, Two-Face needs no introduction. The character of Harvey Dent, like all the other characters, is given a unique backstory in this film. He was a good friend of Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen and was on his way to becoming the Mayor of Gotham.

And in doing so, he becomes the target of Ra's al Ghul, who wishes to use him as a tool to open a gateway to Iog-Sotha, his master. He is poisoned by poison ivy and consequently becomes two-faced because of the deformity that the poison has caused. Created by Bob Kane, the character of Harvey Dent first appeared in Issue #66 of "Detective Comics" in 1942 and has since then been one of the most enduring antagonists of the Batman universe. Talia Al Ghul Talia al Ghul is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul and is instrumental in executing his plan to unleash Iog-Sotha on the world. She is the only surviving member of her father's centuries-old cult, 'The Cult of Ghul,' and has command over demons and other creatures of the dark. She traps Etrigan after he saves Bruce from Daitya, a demon summoned by her, and resurrects her father to bring forth the destruction that he had promised millennia ago. First appearing in "Detective Comics'' #411, created by Bob Brown and Dennis O'Neil, Talia al Ghul is a recurring character in the Batman universe, alternating between the roles of a supervillain and an anti-hero. In the main comic book continuity, she is even portrayed as a lover of Batman and the mother of Damian Wayne. She is also known as a member of the 'League of Assassins,' headed by her father and heir to the throne of his terrorist organization. Ra’s al Ghul (Cthulhu) Ra's al Ghul is the film's chief antagonist and the leader of the 'Cult of Ghul.' He was resurrected by Talia so he could fulfill his desire to summon Iog-Sotha on Earth. He births Poison Ivy from the inner essence of Grendon to poison Harvey Dent and create a gateway to the cosmic deity using his physical form. In the final battle against Batman, he reveals his true form as the monster Cthulhu and almost succeeds in bringing Iog-Sotha through the gateway to Earth but is finally stopped by Batman and Etrigan. When it comes to the Batman Universe, Ra's al Ghul is definitely one of the most iconic villains of all time, a title spot contested by perhaps only a few others. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Julius Schwartz, and Neal Adams, the character was first introduced in Issue #232 of "Batman," "Daughter of the Demon," in 1971. Killer Croc Killer Croc is introduced as a minor character in the film and is forever at the beck and call of Talia al Ghul. He is tasked by her to free Grendon from Bruce's ship at Boston Harbor and is responsible for the death of Dick Grayson, who tries to stop them. He brutally attacks Batman twice in the course of the film, on the say-so of Talia, and is killed in the second encounter. In the original comic continuity, Killer Croc, or Waylon Jones, was a wrestler who suffered from a genetic disorder that gave him a crocodilian appearance but with superpowers. He turned to a life of crime after being driven insane by the irreversibility of his condition. Poison Ivy In the film, Poison Ivy is born from the essence of Iog-Sotha residing inside Grendon for one chief purpose: to poison Harvey Dent, which she fulfills with ease. She takes on a demonic form while battling Oliver Queen and is killed by him in a final act of self-sacrifice. Poison Ivy made her first appearance in "Batman" Issue #181 in 1966 and was created by Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher. She is a recurring supervillain in the Batman universe and has been featured in several "Batman" issues over the years.

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When DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn announced the new DCU slate with ten projects on January 31, 2023, fans were convinced that Zack Snyder's time with the DC universe had finally come to an end. After directing "Man of Steel," "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice," and "Zack Snyder's Justice League," it looked like no matter how much Snyderverse fans tried to bring back their favorite director in the superhero franchise, his era was over. The departure of Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, as well as the rumored exits of Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Jason Momoa from their respective DC roles, hammered home the point that Snyder's reign was over. However, is it really over? Recently, Snyder posted a video on Twitter that mentioned the character of Darkseid and the dates April 28–30. This one tweet reinvigorated fans of the director's DC movies and made them wonder if "Justice League 2" was in the works. Zack Snyder Tweets Cryptic DC Video When "Zack Snyder's Justice League" was released on HBO Max, it was supposed to act as a closure for fans of the Snyderverse. Instead, it did the opposite. It reinvigorated Snyder's fanbase, and they began earnestly campaigning for "Justice League" sequels as well as other projects like "Man of Steel 2" and "Green Lantern." Even James Gunn and Peter Safran's appointment as the CEOs of DC Studios and the subsequent release of the 10-project-strong first chapter of the DCU did nothing to deter the ambitions of Snyderverse fans. Instead, they began petitioning Netflix to continue the Snyderverse. The idea was that since Gunn already planned on making projects under the Elseworlds label and was also planning on selling their DC shows to other streamers, it made sense that the Snyderverse could continue as an alternate version of DC canon. However, many industry insiders clarified that it isn't as simple since projects in the Snyderverse involve three of the biggest DC characters: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Also, it involves the premier DC team, the Justice League, with other A-list characters like Flash, Aquaman, and more. As a result, continuing the Snyderverse on a competitor's streaming service would have been a loss for WB. Also, it would be detrimental to their plans to build a cohesive, streamlined universe if they continued the previous one anyway, not to mention the fact that Netflix hasn't shown any interest in buying the Snyderverse. However, recently, Zack Snyder posted a video that said, "Transmission incoming." The words "Lord Darkseid," referring to the DC villain, were also written with the dates of April 28 to 30. This made the fanbase believe that there was a chance that their dreams of Snyder returning to DC were finally coming true. What Does The Video Mean? The teaser clip shared by Zack Snyder on Twitter could very well mean that there's a collaboration happening with WB and DC Studios. After all, the mention of "Lord Darkseid" in the video has riled up the fanbase and made many predict that their dreams of watching "Justice League 2" are coming true. However, the reality is probably different. It's possible that the clip was a hint for Snydercon. On March 22–24, 2019, Zack Snyder held a convention at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. During the two days, attendees got to watch the director's cuts of "Batman v Superman" (2016), "Dawn of the Dead" (2004), and "Watchmen" (2009) with Snyder himself. Also, there were panels, Q&A sessions, signings, and more. There were attempts to get another such convention in the subsequent years, but due to the pandemic and Snyder's work commitments, it wasn't possible. However, it might finally happen this year. As for the reference to Darkseid, it just might be a screening of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" that the fans will get to watch with the titular director himself. Noted scooper Grace Randolph backed up the rumors and claimed that the announcement was for Snydercon. She also said that the convention would signal his departure from the DC universe.

The insider also noted that WB could be involved with the convention to facilitate him moving on to the next phase of his career. If this is indeed true, then it's good news for everyone involved. After all, Zack Snyder's collaboration with Netflix is going well, and he has already made projects like "Army of the Dead" for the streaming service. There's also the upcoming highly hyped film, "Rebel Moon," which he is directing for Netflix.  As for the Snyderverse, there's not much hope that fans will be able to see any live-action continuation of that universe. However, maybe the universe will find its eventual conclusion through books, comics, or even animation. However, even if that happens, it won't be in the near future. But then again, it's possible that Snyder and WB will surprise us with some DC news from April 28 to 30. See more: At Least 11 More DCU Projects Are Left To Be Announced By James Gunn For Chapter 1: ‘Gods And Monsters’

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Picard's time in the Starfleet has earned him countless accolades and, likewise, enemies who'll pay any price and cross any boundaries, morals, or galaxies to see him suffer. Picard has a sterling reputation for having a firm sense of morality and for always acting in accordance with the guidelines established to keep the cosmos peaceful. This has placed him in conflict with individuals who disagree with his ideals or are ready to sacrifice his values for their personal benefit. Picard has been known to make tough calls at times, some of which have caused resentment or other unforeseen effects, like that with the Borgs. However, this time he isn't the target. Vedic, the captain of the massive ship nicknamed Shrike, is actually after his son, Jack, but her reasons and motives are still shrouded in secrecy. Spoilers Ahead A Way Back Home Episode 5 of "Star Trek: Picard" season 3 opens up with rejoicing crew mates who have managed to outsmart Vedic's plans and are now heading home. Unfortunately, their celebration is cut short as Jack barges into the bridge and opens fire at them, killing everyone. Nevertheless, Jack was safely ensconced in his quarters, suggesting that what he saw was just an apparition or a warning that the Titan and its occupants were in grave danger. Meanwhile, Picard, Ryker, Seven, and Shaw are hard at work trying to figure out how a "changeling" managed to infiltrate their ranks. Changelings are capable of mimicking most species available in the galaxy on sight alone and have somehow managed to bypass the Titan's internal security system, leaving everyone on board at risk. During her examination, Beverly learns that even in the absence of any DNA strands, changelings possess blood-like plasma, which helps them pass any traditional blood test. Somehow the changeling managed to completely duplicate human organs, adept at easily fooling Starfleet's scanners, and there's no way to learn of their real identity until or unless they're put through intense dissections. Indeed, these shapeshifters are a lot more advanced and dangerous species than everyone gives them credit for. The Day Storm Conspiracy Meanwhile, Worf and Raffi are denied access to investigate the explosion at Starfleet's recruiting headquarters, prompting them to believe that someone with the highest clearance in Starfleet is hiding its tracks. Raffi, unlike his new partner, has a short temper and, after repeatedly being denied, decides to break into Starfleet's system herself, believing that the key to the entire conspiracy could be hiding inside Daystorm. But Daystorm is guarded by a state-of-the-art AI system, and entry is impossible without proper authorization. But how did the changelings manage to break into the system? In reality, Sneed, a black-market weapon dealer, has provided the changelings with the required technology to accomplish the job, and since Sneed is dead, the duo will have to fend for themselves. With no choice left, the duo decides to enlist the help of Krinn, the Kingpin of the V'Lashi crime syndicate. Unfortunately, Krinn has a very sordid history that spans from theft and extortion to cold-blooded murders, and he is a brother to Sneed. Krinn reveals that the AI guarding the Daystrom Station is not without flaws and can be bypassed using a special device that he had earlier brokered for the shapeshifter changelings for a big paycheck. Who Is Ro Laren, And How Does She Know Admiral Picard? With the news of Starfleet's arrival, Ryker and Will relieve themselves of the command and request Beverly to examine the changelings' bodies to gain more insight to help their case in front of Starfleet. The USS Intrepid orders the Titan to shut down and wait for further orders while they send a shuttle of security officers onto the vessel. Picard and Will find it rather odd, as Starfleet generally utilises transporters to navigate to and from the ship. Picard and Ryker are shocked to see Ro Laren heading

the team, who informs them that Starfleet is charging them with treason, and they are requested to submit for questioning. Fortunately, Picard has already anticipated the possibility and has asked Seven to hide Jack. Picard and Ro Laren shared a tainted history, as decades ago, Ro Laren betrayed her commanding officer (Picard) and joined forces with the enemy. Even though it was a questioning request, Laren's tone heavily implied that their guilt had already been predetermined. However, Ro Laren has other plans, holds Picard at gunpoint, and advises him to step into the hollow point. Neither of them trusted the other since they knew a changeling lurked in their midst. Ro joined Enterprise-D on an operation to penetrate the Maquis hierarchy, an extremist organisation. With her problematic history and propensity for disobedience, Picard is initially reluctant to take Ro into his team. But Picard comes to appreciate and admire Ro when she exhibits her abilities as a lieutenant and her dedication to the federation—until she changes sides for reasons Picard could never understand. After putting aside their differences, Ro Laren reveals that Starfleet has been compromised. Titan isn't the only compromised ship, as there have been reports of the same incidents across multiple starships, which Starfleet has decided to bury. Ro Laren found out about this and has been trying to unearth the truth since. Ro Laren begs Picard to investigate further and advises him to abandon the ship while she returns to the Intrepid to buy him some time. Unfortunately, before Ro could return to the Intrepid, she was trapped and killed inside the navigational shuttle with an explosive device by the changelings posing as her security officers. Fortunately, before leaving the Titan, she had provided Picard with the data chip containing her entire investigation. Also, the Starfleet handler Worf has been referring to was none other than Ro Laren. As the explosion went off, the Intrepid began arming its torpedoes, suggesting that Titan should surrender. In reality, the Intrepid is under the command of changelings posing as Starfleet officers, who intend to frame Picard and Titan for the murder of a Starfleet officer. Picard suggests Captain Shaw warm up the thrusters; however, the latter is hesitant, as refusing to surrender will turn him and his entire crew into fugitives. On the other hand, Jack comes across a group of changelings determined to teleport him back to the Intrepid, but he effortlessly manages to kill them without breaking a sweat. Jack hasn't been himself lately, and his hollow eyes and mood suggest that he hasn't been getting good sleep. Also, the constant voices in his head and visions of him killing innocent crew members tells a whole different story. Beverly notices something odd with her son, and the tears rolling down Jack's eyes suggest the same. But what? Well, that's the story for the next episode.

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The trailer for Netflix's new show "Beef" has arrived. The trailer does an adequate job of setting up the excitement for us. It is pacy and sharply edited. The bold statement about revenge being served raw can be reflected in the raw energy that the trailer serves. It is exactly how we expect a trailer from an A24 series to be. At first glance, it can be understood that this series is going to chronicle the bizarre actions that the protagonists Danny Cho (played by Steven Yuen) and Amy (portrayed by Ali Wong) are going to undertake after their paths cross in a road rage incident. Their instantaneous anger will push them to undertake certain steps and functions that are going to destroy their personal relationships with their family members and friends. I have always wondered what exactly triggers people to undertake a verbal fight on a jam-packed metro during office hours only because their co-passenger elbowed them; or what caused two motor drivers to be ready to jump at each other's throat in the middle of a crossroad; let alone what pushed Oedipus to unknowingly kill his father King Lauis on his way to Thebes, as referred to in the popular myth. Well, this trailer partly answers my curiosity, and the answer is simple; in fact, it is a big part of our everyday vocabulary—we act the way we do because of stress. Stress is a banal, non-disposable gift of our modern urban existence. This stress is often a precursor to mental health issues. The strange rivalry that the protagonists of "Beef" develop may be an expansion of their personal mental health problems. Amy, who is a self-built entrepreneur and has a seemingly perfect life, locks horns with Danny, who is a construction worker. Danny definitely suffers from anxiety, and his problems keeps him distracted while he is on the road. Tangled up in his own thoughts, Danny backs out of his parking space without signaling properly and almost crashes into Amy's luxury SUV. She drives off and points her finger out of the window in the most inappropriate way possible. This is the beginning of their feud. A feud that is going to transform their lives. It is interesting to see the number of hairstyles and attires Ali Wong's character goes through because an outward makeover really drives the rage she feels for Yuen's character Danny out. Amy is not happy being the perfect woman in business; her role as the perfect wife and mother doesn't give her complete happiness. Danny, on the other hand, is a man who never reaches his full potential. He confesses in the trailer that it was his choices that made him land in his current situation. In one scene, Amy is swearing to rob Danny of every last bit of his possessions, even though she has everything she ever wanted, including European oakwood as her bathroom flooring. This is quickly followed by a remarkable line that will stay with me for quite some time. It states that normal people are just delusional, and that might be very much the truth. The trailer has some spicy heart notes, and it is commendable to see how two people who are suffering from similar mental issues are forming a bond, even if it is one that is built on dislike and hatred. This dark comedy series produced by the dream team of A24 and Netflix drops on April 6. It will consist of ten episodes, each about 30 minutes long. With the sweeping victories of "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" at the 95th Academy Awards, it is quite understandable that Asian stories and characters are going to be the next 'it' thing in Hollywood, and this series revolves around primarily Asian characters and beautiful actors have been cast in it. While the lead roles have gone to Academy Award nominee Steven Yuen, who was fantastic in A24's film "Minari," and Emmy-nominated stand-up comedian Ali Wong, the supporting cast consists of names like Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, Joseph Lee, Maria Bello, Mia Serafino, Remy Holt, David Choe, Andrew Santino, Rek Lee, and Patti Yasutake. The show was created by Lee Sung Jin; he is also an executive producer on the project.

He told Variety magazine in an interview that this show was born out of a road rage incident that he was involved in about three years ago and that he is grateful to the person who yelled at him at a traffic signal. Lee Sung Jin has channeled his rage into a show for Netflix. Shows Like 'Beef' That You Can Watch Before It Airs: Fleabag (2016-2019): This is generally my go-to recommendation for anyone who asks me what they should watch next. This Emmy Award-winning show has two seasons and has been adapted and developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from her play of the same name. The titular character Fleabag, played by Phoebe (yes, that is her name), struggles to find the meaning of her life, where she is going, and where she wants to go. She is struggling with guilt and grief simultaneously. She lost her mother to cancer recently, and her best friend Bo committed suicide when she realizes that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Fleabag is a woman in her late twenties and early thirties who is single, financially unstable, and on the verge of losing her mental balance. The show features a brilliant Olivia Colman as Fleabag's godmother and soon-to-be stepmother. The show reaches its pinnacle in the second season, with Andrew Scott joining the cast as the Hot Priest and Fleabag's only love interest. It is brilliant, relatable, and heartwarming, and it is the story of every urban girl. I am sure you are going to come out of binge-watching the show with a box of tissues and sore eyes from crying your heart out. BoJack Horseman (2014-2020): This show features a 90s television star in the form of an anthropomorphic horse who has been voiced by Will Arnett. He is struggling with the fact that he is no longer famous anymore. He wants to return to the screen, but unfortunately, nobody will cast him. He, therefore, decides to write an autobiography to reestablish his relevance in the scene. "BoJack Horseman" raises issues like addiction, anxiety, depression, and the inability to maintain cordial relationships with friends and family. The medium of animation that the show uses for over 77 episodes makes us realize that animation is not just for kids; it is a way of telling very serious stories that are worth lending an ear to. Normal People (2020): Adapted from the eponymous novel by Sally Rooney, "Normal People" is one of my favorite watches from 2020. It is possibly the best teenage romance and young adult story that I have ever seen. It is a love letter to all loners and how we need just one person to listen to our hearts. Marianne (played by Daisy Edgar Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) are two normal teenagers who have their own share of mental struggles and battles with loneliness and depression. They move in and out of their relationship as conjugal partners, but they create a forever bond of friendship that promises to support each other in every impediment of their lives. "Normal People" is an ode to every modern romantic relationship, and it's worth giving it a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVqKByS20Uc See more: ‘Paint’ Plot, Cast, Release Date, And Everything You Need To Know

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Horror movie fans know how ardently the horror genre survives and often uses religious practices and myths to deliver a film they love. It might be wrong to say it out loud, but extreme religious practices and beliefs unleash the true horrors. From Satanic rituals to blood sacrifices, from soul exchange with the Devil to asking forgiveness for mortal sins, they scare human beings in every form. The latest addition to the religious horror genre is definitely "Consecration." It questions the fundamental belief: do angels protect us? The film plays with extremist religious practices and the desperate wish of the church to condemn the Devil and restore lost relics to make the church all-powerful. If the film has got your attention or you love well-knitted religious horror films, here is a list of seven films you should watch. The Exorcist (1973) "The Exorcist" is a classic horror movie that dominated the religion-horror subgenre for decades. William Friedkin's iconic film is a masterpiece horror film and undoubtedly has to be number one on the list. The film is based on a book by William Peter Blatty, a Roman Catholic. It is the story of a mother (Ellen Burstyn) who is desperate to find a cure for her daughter, Regan (Linda Blair) after she begins behaving strangely. As every medical intervention failed to cure Reagan, her mother turned to the Catholic Church for help. Thus, we witness an exorcism performed by a younger and more science-minded priest (you should rule out the oxymoron here), and we also witness the fears of the Devil in the older priest. Exorcism, as you already know, is the battle between God and demonic spirits. This film very carefully creates a brilliant exorcism scene that will stay with you forever. Rosemary's Baby (1968) If we are to explore religious horror movies, "Rosemary's Baby" is an OG. Roman Polanski knew exactly what was needed to make an iconic horror movie. The movie has a phenomenal cast and a great plot. It explores the depths of Satanic anarchy and Catholicism. The film is one of the first to explore the Cassandra Complex, which involves disbelieving others' valid warnings and concerns. The film centers around a couple, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes), who have recently shifted to a new apartment building. There they met with peculiar neighbors. The elderly couple, the unique neighbors of Rosemary and Guy, offered them a path to turn Guy's failed career around. However, the path to success comes at a horrible price. The movie explores the anxieties that are triggered by religious beliefs and theology about the age-old feud between good and evil. Constantine (2005) Just when you thought priests and holy men were average-looking men, Francis Lawrence, in his directorial debut, "Constantine," drops Keanu Reeves on you. The film is a classic battle between angels in heaven and demons in hell. John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a cynical occult expert who is suffering from terminal lung disease. He made a pact with a half-breed angel named Gabriel to extend his life, and in return, he will keep the demons away from earth. In the meantime, a detective is trying to find the truth about her twin sister's death. The twin sister jumped off the roof of the psychiatric hospital. The detective was convinced that her sister, who was a devoted Catholic, would never commit suicide, so something supernatural must have forced her sister to commit the crime. The film will take you on a visual tour of angels and demons and bring back everything you thought was just a myth. The Conjuring (2013) It is a crime not to have "The Conjuring" on the list of scary religious movies. The film was rated R, not for nudity or violence but for the extreme horror it showcases. The film is based on a true story and thus immediately grabs the audience's attention. Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) were requested to examine the house of a family who had recently moved away from the city and was experiencing paranormal activities.

As Ed and Lorraine enter the house, they feel they are surrounded by demonic spirits. On further investigation, they found there lived a religious mother who had sacrificed her soul to the Devil and had sacrificed several people, including her child. The mother of the family is now possessed, and Ed and Lorraine, along with a team, try to save her and the family. The backstories, the jumpscares, and the entire visual style of the film will intrigue you. Even if you are a horror movie fan, conjuring will make you sleep with your lights on for at least a few days. Eerie (2018) Although the film will not make you scream, it definitely will make you feel like someone is caressing your spine with cold, icy fingers. The story revolves around the suicide of Erika, a young girl in a Catholic school. Soon after her death, there were a series of deaths that the school's guidance counselor was investigating. In the course of the investigation, the counselor gets to know certain facts that change the entire perspective of the film. However, there are no jumpscares, and the building up of horror takes most of the time, but the film enraptures you with a certain creepiness that you cannot shake off. Saint Maud (2019) Director Rose Glas's debut film, "Saint Maud," tells a tale woven in a classic blend of mental illness and religious extremism. It punches your gut and your soul with the narratives of a fanatic Maud (Morfydd Clark). It is the story of saving the soul of a cancer patient (Jennifer Ehle). The film "Saint Maud'' depicts the fanaticism with which the soul needs to be saved. Although saving a soul is God's will, the film sets the dark tone of Satanic ways to save a soul. The film is a major hit among horror movie fans and, for all the right reasons, makes its way to the list of one of the most impressive religious horror movies. There are several other films that you can add to the list. The constant battle between God and the Devil has been an integral part of horror movies since their dawn. However, if you are intrigued by the religious horror sub-genres, these films will encourage you to explore more. See more: Top 7 Films Like ’65’ That You Can Add To Your Watchlist

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Sony Liv's original series, "Rocket Boys," was released on February 4, 2022. It is a fantastic web series that focuses on the journey of a historical event: India's first rocket launch on November 21, 1963. Directed by Abhay Pannu, "Rocket Boys" established the father of nuclear science in India, Dr. Homi Bhabha, and the father of Indian space research, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, in a remarkable fashion. We have heard or read stories about them, but most of us are still unaware of the nitty-gritty of their contributions and the mindset behind their inventions. The West has been making movies and series about their inventors and scientists very often, but in India, there are only a few projects about our country's inventors and scientists. Luckily, this series exists, and it is one of the best projects in terms of cinematography, long and descriptive shots, background score, and brilliant performances by the stellar cast. If you still haven't watched "Rocket Boys" yet, it is highly recommended. Now that we know the second season is set to be released, here's a recap of the first season of "Rocket Boys." Spoilers Ahead 'Rocket Boys' Season 1: Recap "Rocket Boys" is a historical drama series that tells a tale about how two physicists, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhaba (Jim Sarbh) and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh), contributed to India's first rocket launch in a remote village called Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram in 1963. The first five minutes of episode 1 are just amazing and set the tone very well. We see the introduction of the iconic characters of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. After a conflict between the leads over whether they should make an atom bomb or not, we go back in time and witness the start of their backstory, which sets its premise in the 1940s. How the lead characters are affected by the world war while studying abroad has been showcased very realistically. After they came back to India, they witnessed the freedom struggle going on and felt the immense tension of the serious situation. The shocking aspect is that, as a scientist, a calm environment is needed to work on something, but with so much going on, they have to indulge themselves in being a part of it. We see in the first episode that Vikram is doing experiments with rockets in Cambridge, then he comes back home, and his family supports his decision to send him to Bangalore to work under Dr. C.V. Raman. The first episode is about the coming together of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai and showcasing how the freedom struggle becomes a part of their lives. The ending of the first episode marks removing the union's flag and the putting of the Indian flag up, which gives the viewers of this show an amazing experience. The second episode, however, brings a different tone, and there are many funny segments that people might not anticipate from a series of this nature. The chemistry between Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh is just delightful to watch. We get introduced to the love interests of both characters. The drama is very much needed to show the depths of the characters, and there is a certain depth portrayed in the relationships that allow individual characters to hold onto their unique identities. The scenes of the unit getting shut down and the leads having to raise money for it, and the struggle they face in overcoming their hardships make the show very realistic. However, the constant parallel being drawn between both individuals' ideologies ends in conflict between the leads, and they part ways. The first two episodes establish different mindsets and ideologies for the leads, while the third episode of "Rocket Boys" focuses on the individual growth of the lead characters. For Homi Bhabha, we get a backstory and understand what his dreams and motivations are. Also, we see that his dream has come true, but he can never show that to his father. On the other hand, Vikram is dealing with love; he wants to convince Mrinalini (Regina Cassandra) but is struggling with that because of the constantly growing tension.

Interestingly, the parallel going on between both characters and how both of them are inspiring each other is beautifully captured. We all know how cruel and devastating the incident of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was, and at the beginning of episode 4, we see snippets from the incident. Unfortunately, Homi lost his father and went into a depression, from which he he couldn't come out, and he found himself lost in his own world. Later, we see the scenes from Indian Independence Day, the night of August 15, 1947. As the nation advances, the characters are also advancing: Homi wants to work on atomic energy, and Vikram wants to work at the Textile Institute. In this episode, we get to know more about Raza (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) and his backstory and realize why he gets jealous of the leads all the time. One of the most beautiful things about the series is that we get to see the other side of independence. We have seen how it is always shown from the perspective of the freedom fighters struggling for independence and achieving it, but in this episode, we see how it feels from the common people's perspective and also from the scientists' perspective. The episode ends with a massive introduction to the character of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Arjun Radhakrishnan). The fifth episode of "Rocket Boys" is called "The Outsider," which is very interesting as it can be many people. It can be Raza, or it can be the reporter who comes to Raza, who is a spy for the C.I.A. The outsider can also be Vikram because he is trying to bring technology to the textile industry and is the odd one out. Politics in India is something that gets in the way of every good aspect, and in this series, we also see a lot of politics going on and what the scientists have to do, which is not easy for them to handle. We see a wonderful performance by Saba Azad in episode 5. Although the main focus of this series is the buildup to making and launching the first rocket, it can be felt by the end of episode 5 that the main topic does get diverted. It Is very interesting to see how the drama in the series plays a massive role in the development of the lead characters. By the time we reach episode 6, we will have witnessed some hard-core politics. Now, between the scientists themselves, there is always this dilemma that science needs time and money to make something or create something that will help even after a long period of time. Interestingly, Abhay Pannu establishes a brilliant segment that shows a parallel for both Homi and Vikram. For Homi, it's about spending time building the nuclear reactor, and for Vikram, it's the mill workers who are not happy that machines are coming and taking up their jobs. It Is undeniable that the main focus of the show gets drifted away in the first 6 episodes, but luckily, episode 7 of "Rocket Boys" marks a comeback of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam enters the picture and helps him get back on track with making the rocket. We see the nuclear reactor is ready, but unfortunately, something goes wrong, and they have to rebuild it. The end of episode 7 takes us back to the starting point of episode 1, which establishes the conflict over whether to build the atom bomb or not. 'Rocket Boys' Season 1: Ending - Physicists Who Inspired An Entire Nation The final episode of "Rocket Boys" brings a thriller angle to the storyline. The C.I.A. agent and the conspiracy serve really well to establish a different aspect of this series. This episode also marks the historical event of the rocket launch and shows how the characters felt after putting in the effort and surviving through conspiracies and politics. However, the end of this episode is a bit absurd, as it ends with Prosenjit Dey (Namit Das) explaining an unknown event and a conspiracy theory to Vishwesh Mathur (K.C. Shankar). The Intelligence agencies of the United States never wanted India to hold nuclear power. After Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave the green signal to Dr. Homi Bhabha, the conflict between India and other nations started to take a serious shape.

Raza is established as a villainous character in this series, and his actions and leaks within the entire system caused the death of one of the greatest physicists of India, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhaba. "Rocket Boys" is definitely one of the most exciting Indian web series that will be released in 2022. The lead characters, Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh delivered powerful performances, which make this show worth binge-watching. Season 2 of "Rocket Boys" is being released on March 16, 2023, on Sony liv, and I assume by watching the trailer that it is definitely going to be exciting for the viewers of this series.

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Mystery thrillers are always engaging film lovers, and the new film "Immerstill'' falls right into that category. With gorgeous cinematography and an arresting plot, the film guarantees an interesting watch. Director Eva Spreitzhofer adapts the Roman Klementovich’s novel of the same name into a bleak but beautiful film. With strong performances and feminist undertones, the film weaves an interesting tapestry involving several characters, all of whom are living their lives in Immerstill, a small town in Austria, when suddenly the town's seemingly normal way of life is made to go under intense scrutiny after the disappearance of three young girls. Spoilers Ahead Lisa Returns To Immerstill The film begins with the return of Lisa to her hometown. She lost her mother a couple of years ago and has her dad and younger sister staying in Immerstill while she runs her bakery in Vienna. The reason for her return seems to be the disappearance of her younger sister Marie and Natalie, Marie's friend, who was last seen at a party the day before. The whole of Austria is in a celebratory mood, owing to the annual Carnival. Marie and Natalie, before their disappearance, called Lisa, asking her to come to Immerstill and help them in their search for Kathi, another resident who has allegedly eloped with the town's notorious casanova Markus, but Marie suspects foul play as she is certain Kathi couldn't have gone away with Markus. Lisa, disinterested in her theory, declines to help and lies about her immense workload in the bakery being the reason for not visiting Immerstill, while her bakery is seen to be devoid of customers. Having lied, she returns with a heavy heart now that both of them have disappeared. Her father, Valentin, greets her and seems worn out but is certain that Marie and Natalie will turn up shortly. Hannelore, Valentin's sister, comes to visit Lisa, and seeing her brother's pretty relaxed attitude brings up another such disappearance: that of Renate, the wife of another Immerstill resident, Hubert Lipus. Valentin doesn't quite relate and questions Hannelore's logic as to how Kathi's eloping with Markus and Renate leaving his husband can be equated with Marie and Natalie wandering off after the Carnival party, probably to have some fun. Hannelore pressures Valentin to go to the police for the sake of Natalie, whose parents had entrusted him with her guardianship. Valentin storms off into his garage, leaving Hannelore and Lisa on their own. They visit the police station themselves and find a sign on the door saying, "closed to the public during Carnival." They go in anyway and find a woman officer present there. Hannelore is pleasantly surprised to find a woman in the police force, owing to Immerstill's negligent attitude towards females in general. The officer tells them that others have gone to the pub to celebrate. Hannelore and Lisa visit the pub, where Lisa asks about Marie and Natalie's whereabouts. We get introduced to Patrick and his father, both working in the police. Lisa tells Patrick she wants to file missing persons report for them. Patrick discourages her and tells her that not enough time has passed to call this a 'missing persons' case. Lisa turns her attention towards Kathi's mother, Andrea, who works as the bartender at the pub. Andrea shows Lisa the text messages sent by Kathi. According to the messages, Kathi and Markus have eloped to New Zealand. Andrea appears to have no stress to Lisa but rather appears quite pleased. Lisa bumps into Anna, Markus's sister, and sees a video of the previous night's party where Hubert tried to grope Marie and Natalie, building up suspicion against him. She also learns that Marie and Natalie had started a campaign to start a search for Kathi. They had hacked into Immerstill's online tourist site and defamed several residents and police officers. Sensing some cause for concern, Lisa visits Patrick's home, where we learn they both were in a relationship together, which ended because Patrick didn't move from Immerstill to Vienna with Lisa.

She urges Patrick to do something about the case. Patrick points towards the red tape involved, which makes Lisa furious, and she leaves. Upon reaching home, Lisa is attacked by someone in the dark. Hubert's dog saves her, and Valentin sees Hubert standing at a distance. The morning after, Patrick visits Lisa and inquires about her attacker. After Lisa comes to know that Hubert was standing at the time of her attack, she suspects him of having seen something. She urges Patrick to ask him. Patrick agrees and asks him standard questions. Lisa, disappointed with Patrick's approach, asks him to search Hubert's basement, but Patrick denies it, saying that without a search warrant, it would be illegal. With suspicion already built up against Hubert, Lisa visits Hannelore and shows her the video of the party, making her suspicious as well. Hannelore shares her own case of suspicion against Hubert, one involving his wife's disappearance. Both of them decide to take matters into their own hands and visit Hubert. Meanwhile, Patrick organizes a search operation to find the missing people. Lisa politely asks Hubert some questions while Hannelore, in lieu of going to the bathroom, tries to search his basement in hopes of finding some clues about Marie and Natalie. She finds the door to the basement to be locked, and the plan is thwarted. They reach the search party, and Lisa asks Markus's mother if she has any news about Kathi or Patrick. She says the same things as were told to Lisa by Kathi's mother. Anna pulls Lisa aside and warns her to stay away from Patrick. Lisa advises her to relax as she is not after him and also cautions her to stay away from Patrick as he is not interested in an urban girl. A Dead Body Is Found The search party, comprising the police and the residents, begins their search for Marie and Natalie. Andrea meets Lisa during the search and reveals that she and Lisa's father, Valentin, are in a relationship. Lisa is amused by this revelation. Just before it gets dark, Patrick discovers Natalie's dead body floating in the river, sending shock waves across the small town of Immerstill. Everybody begins to assume the worst now with Marie and also begins to imagine worse fates for Kathi and Markus as well. The town, which was in a celebratory spirit, suddenly finds itself in shock and mourning. Lisa searches Marie's room and finds a diary. Patrick arrives to search Marie's room as Natalie last slept in hers. Lisa hides the diary with her and asks Patrick to search Hubert's basement, but Patrick resists. Instead, He makes a list of people to interrogate and first brings in Markus's parents for questioning. He interrogates them about his whereabouts and receives the standard answer at first. Trying to clear all doubts, Markus's father spills the beans by saying all girls love Markus, including Anna, his own sister. He casually remarks that he once caught her in bed with him. The facade breaks, and Traude, Markus's mother, breaks down, giving away the fact that there may be a motive for Markus to kill Natalie. It is revealed to us that Markus had assaulted Natalie earlier, and she wanted to press charges, but her dad made her withdraw. Traude further adds that Markus is an evil man who pushed her down the stairs before leaving. She is worried he might do something terrible to Kathi or Marie. Patrick orders surveillance of Markus's cell phone. Meanwhile, Lisa finally reads Marie's diary and finds out that Kathi and Marie were in love, so it becomes clear to Lisa that Kathi couldn't have voluntarily left with Markus and that the text messages people have received from Kathi and Markus about having eloped to New Zealand are fake or tampered with. She shares this discovery with Valentin, but instead of helping, he starts blaming her for complicating the case. Lisa notices a hairband in his garage and picks it up, without him noticing. On her way to the police station, she spots Anna. She goes to meet her with the newfound facts about Kathi and Marie being in a relationship.

Anna confesses that she knew, as she heard from one of Markus's friends, that he would get Kathi into bed with him even though she is a lesbian. Anna is guilt-ridden as she withheld this from Patrick, which might have gotten Kathi and Natalie killed. Anna recounts the incident where Markus sexually assaulted her. Lisa calms Anna down, and a bond forms between them. Anna confesses another thing: that it was she who attacked Lisa out of jealousy as she thought Lisa was trying to steal Patrick away from her. Back at the police station, Natalie's autopsy report arrives. The cause of death is revealed to be drowning, but Natalie also had a cracked skull. Lisa arrives with Anna, who presses charges against Markus for rape. Lisa submits the hairband found to the police in the hope it helps in some way find Kathi. She receives a phone call from Hannelore telling her that Hubert has left his house and they can break in and search his basement. She leaves the police station, after which Patrick receives the results of the surveillance on Markus's phone. The location received is Valentin's Garage. Lisa and Hannelore reach Hubert's place and break in. They go into the basement and find Renate's clothes and passport. Lisa calls Patrick to come to see the newfound evidence. Hubert arrives and notices the break-in. He takes an ax, but as soon as he finds out it is Lisa and Hannelore who have broken in, Patrick arrives and takes him into custody. Hubert is interrogated, and Hannelore criticizes the police for not taking an interest in finding Renate and believing Hubert instead. Patrick receives new information that Marie and Natalie were last seen leaving the party with Hannelore. The police receive a phone call that the missing girl, Marie, has been found and is currently admitted to a nearby hospital. Relieved and concerned, Lisa visits the hospital alongside Patrick to see Marie and asks her where she has been and how she set herself free. Marie seems to be in a state of shock and avoids answering the questions. Lisa visits Hannelore's place and searches for Kathi, quite certain she is there. Lisa asked Hannelore why she had Marie and Natalie locked up. Hannelore explains that Marie was pining for Kathi, and as no one was looking for her after she disappeared, she came to her for help. Hannelore and Marie plan to disappear on their own accord for there to be an investigation into Kathi's disappearance. Natalie gets uncomfortable with this plan and decides to leave. Hannelore resists, and in a scuffle, Natalie is struck dead by Hannelore. Lisa starts to dial for Patrick, and as soon as Hannelore begins to stop her from calling, Patrick arrives and arrests her. She cries hysterically that if the police had looked for Renate in the first place, the tragedy with Natalie wouldn't have occurred. A day passes, and Lisa brings Marie back to their home and tells her she will take her back to Vienna. They find an alarmed Patrick outside the garage. He tells Lisa that the hairband she found in her dad's garage belonged to Kathi but had Markus's blood on it, and he goes in. Lisa and Marie follow a passage only to find Kathi there, safe and secure. Marie hugs Kathi as Valentin and Andrea enter the room. Valentin explains that he saw Markus assaulting Kathi, and in an attempt to get him off of her, Kathi hit him on the head, after which Markus died. Thinking Kathi's life would be ruined if this got out to the police, he disposed of Markus's body and, with Andrea's cooperation, fabricated the text messages, making it look like Kathi had eloped with Markus to New Zealand. 'Immerstill' Ending Explained - Why Did Hannelore Kill Natalie? Hannelore was a very close friend of Renate's. After her disappearance, she was distraught, and when the officials showed the same negligent behavior towards Kathi's sudden vanishing, she came up with a plan with Marie's help. Marie, who was in love with Kathi, decides that if she and Natalie were to vanish

suddenly, people would start to look for them and maybe pay more attention to Kathi's disappearance as well. The plan didn't go well, as Natalie didn't take well to the voluntary banishment. When she started to leave, Hannelore stopped her, as she thought this was her only chance to make the authorities look into Renate's disappearance. In a scuffle, she accidentally kills Natalie and dumps her body into the river. Marie goes into shock after this, breaks free later, and winds up in the hospital. Thus, "Immerstill" is a feminist tale with simmering issues of women's oppression, abuse, and overall negligence by society at large, burning under the scenic beauty of the traditional small town that burst open suddenly, taking everyone into their whirl, and making them face the rotten side of traditional small-town values, suggesting vehemently that there is need for an overhaul to ensure peace.

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Walker is an international assassin who kills for money but gets compromised on a mission. His handler sends him to a reassignment center for a new identity, and during this time, the center gets hit by a ruthless assault team that storms the campus searching for someone asked by their boss. Walker gets in touch with Elda and Juliet forcefully, (Juliet is the woman that other assassins came to kill) , and the film deals with the story of these three surviving the night against the killers. "The Siege" starts with Walker entering a hostage situation and killing almost everyone in the scenario. However, one person fled the scene of the crime, and Walker got compromised. Since Walker's identity is compromised, he calls his handler for a new identity and visits the facility or Reassignment Center to get new paperwork for his new identity. The center had other residents while Walker stayed and got massively hit after the lockdown hours because a hitman sent his ruthless troop to kill a woman called Juliet. Before the facility got breached and hit, Juliet was taken in as a ward by another skilled hitwoman, Elda, who then sought the help of Walker in dealing with the killers in order to save Juliet. The film is directed by Brad Watson. Spoilers Ahead 'The Siege' Story In the course of events, it is seen that Juliet is heavily pregnant, and the man wants to kill both the woman and her child, so he has sent a team of trained killers. Walker, in the beginning, did not want to get involved in saving Juliet, but he has always been fighting for the innocent, and in this scenario, Juliet was innocent. Elda had another story when she saved Juliet. She was kidnapped as a girl from the streets of Naples and then became a skilled assassin to save all those women who were wronged the way she was. The group was sent to kill Juliet because she got impregnated by their boss, and the boss wanted to get rid of both the woman and the child. The film has a simple story of the survival of Juliet, who seems to be called a 'little one." The two guards of Juliet share a bittersweet relationship throughout the night. The names of the characters are not presented to us directly, as they had all come to the center to change and get a new identity, yet the characters' names are given because of their importance in their placements. The story also tries to feature a cute, momentary love story between two employees of the center, yet one of the characters dies accidentally. The film belongs to the adventure genre with the story of surviving through the night by killing highly trained assassins. There is little dialogue between each character in the film as everyone is busy killing and surviving throughout the story. The story hints that the three characters, Walker, Elda, and Juliet, are going to get saved at the end of the film, yet the suspense is a nail-biting experience. The story can be predicted; we know what happens in the end, but the experience of watching the film is something else. Nobody can deny the thrill that the film projects to the audience, and that is what makes the film stand apart in the adventure genre of films. Do They Survive? The story runs like a roller coaster with a whirlwind of exciting events. Both Walker and Elda get injured in the process of killing the assassins, and there is some comic relief that brings out the life in all the killings and deaths. Even though some innocent people working at the center got killed, their fight was a larger one, and they kept on fighting till the end of the night. In the end, two of the best assassins are left to be killed after encountering Walker, Elda, and Juliet, and their deaths were also surprising. One gets stabbed, and the other gets run over by the car, courtesy of Juliet. In the end, two rescue cars provided by the handler, Walker, reach the center and take them on different routes as they part for life. 'The Siege' Ending Explained - What Happens To The Boss?

Even though Juliet gets momentarily rescued by Elda and Walker, her mind is divided into fear as the boss might not stop hunting her. People like 'the boss' take pleasure from the fear that they create in innocent people, and in the end, our question remains: who would take care of Juliet if Elda and Walker had not been there? Elda had to leave for her mission which is to save women who were wronged, like Juliet and her, and Walker did not seem to like having personal attachment issues with anyone. At the absolute end of the film, we get to see that Walker storms into the boss's office and kills him after having explained the whole scenario and thus ending it in a complete circle. In the sequence, Walker speaks to the boss and explains the reason for killing him, as he did not wish for Juliet to look over her shoulders and always be anxious about getting killed, and to confirm that the boss had to die. This was the price Walker was willing to pay to save another innocent, and Juliet could have her life without having to worry about her unborn child in the world, which is better and not infiltrated with people like the boss.

[tixersdotcom]

In the previous episode of "The Torso Killer Confessions," we saw how Richard Cottingham mercilessly killed multiple women. In this episode, we will see more details about other women he killed in New Jersey and New York in the late 1960s. Detective Robert Anzilotti spent most of his career trying to get confessions out of Richard Cottingham, and he became obsessed with the cold cases on his desk. According to the detective, he became more protective as a father after hearing the gruesome ways Richard Cottingham killed his victims. Richard appeared to be a typical father of three during the day, commuting to Manhattan for his well-paying job as a computer programmer from his home in suburban New Jersey. Cottingham's facade of respectability, however, crumbled as night descended. He would then go around Times Square and take prostitutes to hotel rooms and kill them there. He also torched most of the hotel rooms to tamper with the evidence. He was caught for murdering five women, but Detective Robert Anzilotti had a gut feeling telling him that Richard was responsible for more murders. After the horrible experience he shared with the judge during his trial for Nancy Vogel, Richard was not ready to talk to Detective Robert. However, that changed when Detective Robert started gaining his trust again. When Detective Robert got promoted to chief of detectives, Richard took pride in it and implied that Robert was in a higher position because of him and his confessions. According to Robert, Richard never showed remorse while confessing to his crimes. During one of his meetings with Richard, he revealed that he had killed an 18-year-old woman by strangling her to death in the spring of 1969. She had gone missing one evening as she waited for a bus to take her back to her mother's house. Her name was Irene Blase. After hearing the gory details about how he killed Irene Blase, Detective Robert conveyed the sad news that he had discovered Irene's murderer, who was already in prison for the rest of his life to victim’s family. However, Detective Robert wanted Cottingham to continue speaking, but in order to do so, he made an odd deal with the victim's family. He asked the family if he could close the case without charging anyone, in order to get justice for the others, Irene's family agreed to the deal and let Robert close the case. After some months, Richard confessed to another murder, that of a 15-year-old girl named Denise Falasca. He lured her into his car and promised her a lift. However, he raped her and then killed her. Even though he said he didn't enjoy killing, the forensic psychologist on the show believes he did enjoy killing the victims. His youngest victim was a 13-year-old girl named Jackie Harp, who was going home after marching practice. When Jackie Harp refused to talk to Richard, he stalked her and eventually murdered her. In 2021, Detective Robert decided to retire from law enforcement. Over the course of his nearly three decades as a police officer, he was engaged in a psychological game with a serial killer for half of that time. When Richard was informed about the retirement, he asked Detective Robert to reconsider. Cottingham teased him with the prospect of one more revelation. The brutal deaths of two teenagers, Mary Ann Pryor and Lorraine Marie Kelly, who went missing in 1974 while attempting to hitchhike to a nearby shopping center. Detective Robert was just about to give in his badge when Richard started talking again. He acknowledged luring them into his car after they gave up trying to catch a bus to take them to the mall where they intended to shop. He took them to a motel instead and said he watched television with them. He kept the two girls in the motel room for three days and then drowned them in the bathtub one by one. According to Detective Robert, this particular case embarrassed him. Upon hearing the details of how he raped and murdered women ruthlessly, Detective Robert decided he would not let him get away with these murders.

Cottingham appeared in court in April of last year and confessed to killing Mary Ann and Lorraine. He received two life sentences to go along with his 200 years in jail. According to Detective Robert, he was just a game to Cottingham. Even though Detective Robert is now retired, he is still in the minds of the victims' families. He never gave up on the cases he had on his desk and gave his best to bring justice to these families. According to Cottingham himself, he has killed over 100 women. Detective Robert said it was sad that it took him so long to solve these cases; however, it highlights the fact that the police did not give up on these cold cases. Retirement was very hard for Detective Robert since he loved his job; however, he did his job well over the years.

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"The Lake" (2022), directed by Lee Thongkam, is a Thai sci-fi horror flick that recreates the classic prehistoric monster-risen-from-the-depths scenario, where a young girl comes across a strange-looking egg in the countryside and decides to take it home. All hell breaks loose when a gargantuan monster rises out of the Mekong River in search of its egg. It wreaks havoc across the countryside in a classic T. rex-meets-Godzilla-style rampage. A second monster, similar in appearance but much smaller and more agile, emerges out of the water, bent on destruction, and decimates the countryside as it makes its way into the city, mauling and killing whoever it finds in its path. The authorities are left clueless when they discover a strange psychic connection between the smaller monster and one of its victims, as they witness that any harm inflicted on the monster itself has an adverse effect on the victim as well. The film takes more than a few pages out of the "Godzilla" and "Jurassic Park" playbooks but places the plot in the Thai countryside. Albeit the somewhat predictable nature of the script, the film promises to be a treat for any fervent monster-movie buff, and if you are one, then here is a list of some other gripping entertainers of this genre. Tremors (1990) "Tremors" (1990) is a classic American monster flick directed by Ron Underwood, which deals with the account of giant, worm-like prehistoric creatures that travel through underground burrows and use sound vibrations to locate their prey. The story is set in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where Val and Earl are native handymen. They discover the body of a man strangely perched on an electrical tower, whom the town doctor later pronounced to have died from dehydration. Rhonda LeBeck is a seismologist who ventures into the area to study the behavioral patterns of the worms, and she concludes that these creatures rely on seismic vibrations to locate their prey. After a series of attacks on the townspeople, Burt and Heather, who are a survivalist couple from the area, form a group to survive and hunt these creatures before they hunt them. Jurassic Park (1993) When it comes to sci-fi monsters, "Jurassic Park" (1993) needs no introduction. It is perhaps the most revered film franchise since "Godzilla" (1954) in the genre. This Steven Spielberg film has truly become a cultural symbol and has garnered an unfathomable fan following all over the globe, owing to its decade-defining concept and technique. It is based on Michael Crichton's 1990 novel, "Jurassic Park," and features a star-studded cast consisting of Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Richard Attenborough. The film centers around a wildlife-safari theme park, but with a twist. Instead of lions and tigers and elephants, it would house dinosaurs cloned from the DNA of frogs and the already existing dino-DNA found in fossilized mosquitoes. The film takes the audience on a joyride across the park until they arrive at the enclosure of the Tyrannosaurus rex! All hell breaks loose once the power lines separating the park from the humans are disabled due to a power outage owing to a massive thunderstorm; that kind of acts as a premonition of what's about to come. The group is scattered, and they embark on an adventure to find shelter and safety from the prehistoric world, where human rules do not apply. This is the film that introduced the iconic T. Rex to the world, raising the pertinent question of whether humans should really interfere with the ways of nature. War Of The Worlds (2005) "War of the Worlds" (2005) is another classic Steven Spielberg sci-fi action thriller that is based on the 1898 novel by H. G. Wells, "The War of the Worlds." It deals with the theme of an extraterrestrial invasion, where giant alien-looking 'tripod' machines emerge from the ground after an electromagnetic storm to decimate the surroundings with energy cannons and harvest humans to use as fertilizer. The film,

narrated by Morgan Freeman, revolves around the quest of Ray Ferrier (played by Tom Cruise), a father of two, to get his children to safety across devastated lands. Ray decides to get them to Boston, where Ray's ex-wife Mary Ann lives with her parents, but the path is filled with serious perils all along the way. Robbie, the elder of the two children, decides to join the fight against the invasive force, while Ray and his daughter, Rachel, are forced to flee. Battered and bruised, the pair reaches Boston, only to find that the alien machinery is failing and the force fields protecting them are disabled. They reach Mary Ann's house, and to their surprise, they are reunited with both Mary Ann and Robbie, whom they had earlier presumed to be dead. It is revealed at the end that the death of the aliens was caused by the microbes on Earth, which is presented as an act of God. King Kong (2005) An iconic monster adventure, "King Kong" (2005), revives the story of the massive, ape-like creature that is the resident of Skull Island. Set in the age of the Great Depression, the plot follows the voyage of a film crew on a quest to shoot a new film by bankrupt filmmaker Carl Denham on the SS Venture. Carl Denham's true intention is to film on the mysterious Skull Island. Once the crew lands on the island, they are overcome by intense obstacles as they are attacked by the natives and several other prehistoric inhabitants of the island. Ann Darrow, the female lead in the to-be film, is offered up by the natives as a sacrifice to Kong, but she manages to stay alive and wins Kong's affection with her brevity and flamboyance. The plot follows Kong into New York, where, after being captured, he is brought for presentation. After a few mishaps, Kong breaks free from his chains and climbs atop the Empire State Building but is finally brought down after succumbing to the wounds from the gunfire launched at him by navy airplanes. Cloverfield (2008) "Cloverfield" (2008) is a 'found footage' style monster film by Matt Reeves that features the incidents as recorded in the footage from a camcorder found by the U.S. Department of Defense after the destruction of Manhattan. The footage follows the events of a farewell party arranged for Robert Hawkins (Rob) by his brother Jason and his girlfriend Lily on May 22, 2008, the day a ginormous creature appeared in Manhattan and wrecked the city. The camcorder is operated by Rob's friend, Hudson Platt (Hud), as he was tasked with recording testimonials for Rob. Hud keeps recording as the chaos starts after a violent earthquake shakes the entire city of New York, and five friends, including Rob, Jason, Lily, Hud, and Marlene, venture into the streets amidst massive chaos and decide to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to reach safety, but the creature attacks the bridge as they were about to cross, killing hundreds, including Jason. Rob decides to venture into Midtown Manhattan to try and rescue Beth, a girl he has feelings for, and on the way, Marlene is bitten and infected by one of the smaller parasitic creatures that emerged from the larger monster, and she finally dies. One after the other, the whole group is lost, and the camcorder is shown to have been found in Central Park, where Rob and Beth were buried under a falling bridge after the bombing of the city, and the events are thus documented. Pacific Rim (2013) "Pacific Rim" (2013) is a film that ticks all the boxes when it comes to sci-fi action thrillers: colossal extraterrestrial monsters (Kaiju) rising from the sea, giant robots (the Jaegers), great action sequences, soaring background scores, and themes of retribution and glory. It tells the story of Raleigh Becket, a Jaeger pilot from America who used to co-pilot the Jaeger Gypsy Danger with his brother Yancy. But after the death of Yancy in a mission against a Category-3 Kaiju, Raleigh quits the Jaeger program out of trauma. But as destiny would have it, Gypsy Danger is called

back into action when the Kaiju are observed to be evolving, and more and more Jaegers are being destroyed. Raleigh is now paired with Mako Mori, Marshal Pentecost's adopted daughter, to pilot Gypsy into action. In a final showdown against a Category-5 Kaiju, Marshal Pentecost and Chuck Hansen sacrifice themselves along with their Jaeger, Striker, paving the way for Gypsy to kill the Kaiju. Raleigh triggers the self-destruct protocol on Gypsy's nuclear core after ejecting Mako in an attempt to seal the 'Breach.' Raleigh and Mako are rescued from their escape pods, which are floating on the Pacific Ocean, and the film ends in their warm embrace. Godzilla (2014) "Godzilla" (2014) is an American sci-fi action thriller by Gareth Edwards that rediscovers the already acclaimed "Godzilla" franchise of the 1950s. It surrounds the story of a prehistoric apex predator, Godzilla, that resides deep under the ocean, well away from the human population, but surfaces when it senses that a new threat is imminent. The action begins in Honolulu, Hawaii, where a massive unidentified terrestrial organism, or MUTO for short, is found feeding on the radiation from the weaponry of a missing Russian nuclear submarine. Sensing its presence, Godzilla emerges on land, causing a massive tsunami. A second MUTO emerges from a dormant spore found in Nevada, which is larger and later discovered to be female, and the two MUTOs are observed to be heading towards each other in the pursuit of building a nest to procreate. Dr. Ishir Serizawa tries to thwart the navy's plan to lure all three monsters into the ocean and nuke them, stating that nuclear warheads would only add to the strength of the MUTOs and that Godzilla is the only creature equipped to destroy these monsters. The final showdown is set in San Francisco, where the three Titans fight it out in an epic battle to the death, where Godzilla emerges victorious after killing the two MUTOs and finally plunges back into the ocean after saving the day. See more: Top 7 Films Like ’65’ That You Can Add To Your Watchlist

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Back in school, mathematics was another name for terror for me. Not that I was bad at it; just the objectivity of the numbers always transcended my limited sense of understanding. The fact that an entire universe could be hidden in numbers was incomprehensible to me. But what I enjoyed was a good story. So, when I got my hands on an abridged version of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," I realized for the first time the power science harnessed within itself. It was a tale of horror; it was a tale of science fiction. Since that day onwards, sci-fi has become a beloved genre of mine. What a fantastic innovation—one takes the traditional forms of storytelling, which have been responsible for building and sustaining civilizations, and punches scientific ideas into them; in doing so, the audience is simultaneously entertained and educated. The recently developed ecosystem of original television series produced for the OTT has given rise to the number of sci-fi shows. In fact, these T.V. shows have become the go-to entertainment options for the millennials and Gen Z people who grew up with their fascination for Marvel and D.C. Comics and films like "E.T., "Star Wars," "Jurassic Park," and many more. In the 21st century, climate change and its consequences are a part of our earthbound existence. So, it is only natural when plots related to environmental issues slip into our television viewing experience, and more often than not, they are presented to us packaged in the form of ecological sci-fi thrillers. The recent German television show "The Swarm," produced for ZDF, is one such sci-fi ecological thriller that imagines the world going through an apocalyptic doom. Various anomalies in the mutations and adaptations across numerous marine species around the world's oceans urge a group of scientists to come together to find a remedy to save the world from the verge of destruction. This group includes mainly marine biologists, an astrophysicist, and a medical pathologist. They are backed by a rich Japanese shipping tycoon who wants this problem to be cured because the shipping routes across the globe are getting blocked. The global pandemic has made us realize that the part where millions of people get affected by a sea-borne virus can very much be a reality. The group of scientists and researchers eventually figured out that all the strange mutations were being caused by a swarm that lives in the depths of the Arctic Ocean. They named it "YRR." After initial communication, it was established that the "YRR" is the intelligent sea spirit—a swarm of single-celled organisms from which all life on this planet has evolved—and that it has resided in the waters since the time of the Panthalassa (the Super Ocean). The way the scientist establishes communication with the "YRR" will surely remind you of the 2015 film "Arrival" by Dennis Villeneuve. After the scientists discover all the secrets about the "YRR," the series eventually takes the shape of a superhero film, pushing the viewers to judge it like a supercop vs. supervillain situation. The only twist here is that the supervillain was once a nurturing force of nature whom mankind hurt so badly that it eventually charged up to take its revenge on the human race. "The Swarm" is streaming on Hulu. Now, here are some other shows from the sci-fi genre that anyone who liked "The Swarm" can add them to their watchlist: The Last Of Us (2023-) The recently released popular HBO Max series "The Last of Us" follows the protagonist Joel as he escorts a young girl named Ellie, who is the last hope for saving the human race from the fungal growth that has been scathing America for the last 20 years. In the wake of having lived through a global viral pandemic, "The Last of Us" is gut-wrenching and will definitely bring back memories from the recent past. The show was developed from a popular 2013 video game of the same name. It features Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay, who were earlier parts of the famous HBO series "Game of Thrones," in lead roles.

"The Last of Us," like "The Swarm," gives the viewer an opportunity to judge what the destruction of the environment would seem and feel like. Chernobyl (2019) "Chernobyl" is a 2019 limited miniseries produced by HBO. It fictionalizes and records the aftermath of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl that occurred in April 1986 in the entire continent of Europe. "Chernobyl" records true events and probably cannot be classified under the genre of sci-fi shows, yet it exposes us to some violent images showing what really happened in Soviet Russia. It also shows us what harmful effects gamma radiation can leave behind. The effects of those gamma rays are still felt in Russia. Black Mirror (2011-22019) When we talk about the sci-fi series, we cannot help but mention the British anthology series "Black Mirror." It is a T.V. show from the future with episodes that have plots highlighting the weird manipulative power of science and technology. The interactive film "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" can be viewed as a great accompaniment to the series, which was extended over five seasons. So, if you are a fan of dystopian reality and want to indulge yourself in some speculative science fiction and thrillers, "Black Mirror" should be at the top of your watchlist. Stranger Things (2016–) "Stranger Things" on Netflix was one of the first shows that got many of us hooked on our phone screens. The show follows the supernatural incidents that happen in Indiana in the mid-1980s when a government laboratory experiment produces a number of unwanted, unasked-for villains that start threatening the lives of the people in the fictitious town of Hawkins. Created by the Duffer brothers, "Stranger Things" is a thrilling watch for audiences of all age groups. There are four seasons to this show, and a fifth and final one is in production, all set to be released sometime in 2024. Dark (2017- 2020) Even if someone argues they fully understand the German television show "Dark," you should listen to their explanations with active skepticism. A lot of things began happening in the little town of Wilden in Germany after a couple of kids go missing. "Dark" is a complicated drama about dysfunctional families, their overlapping pasts, and hidden secrets, which is further complicated with the sci-fi twist added to the narrative. There is a fair share of time travel happening on the show, and the presence of the wormhole that takes the protagonists to parallel worlds in 1921, 1954, 1987, 2020, and 2053 is a wonderful and awe-inspiring take on the theory of Schrodinger's cat. Westworld (2016–2022) We live in a world where our phones are getting smarter, and our worlds are shrinking every day. "Westworld" is a science fiction show that warns us about the negatives of our overdependence on technology. Created by HBO, "Westworld" deals with a futuristic dystopian reality. Based on a 1973 film with the eponymous title, the series takes us on an adventurous theme park ride where all of a sudden, the robots and automatons are breaking the code provided by their programmers and indulging in abrasive behavior. Alice In Borderland (2020–) Adapted from the manga by Haro Aso, "Alice in Borderland" is a science fiction series that is available on Netflix. It follows an obsessive gamer named Arisu who, in a strange turn of events, finds himself and his friends in an emptied Tokyo of a parallel gaming universe where he and his friends have to undergo various challenges and dangerous adventures to keep their visas alive and in turn to survive. See more: ‘The Swarm’ Cast And Character Guide, Explained: Everything About The Major Casts

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Do you like reading or watching crime thrillers? Do you like the suspense, and thrill of seeing films that delve into the shadowy sides of humanity? If so, you're in luck because there are a ton of great crime-thriller films just waiting to be savoured. Complex storylines, likeable protagonists, and nail-biting tension combine in these films to leave viewers chewing on their nails. If you're seeking fresh crime-thriller films to add to your to-do list, you must go no further than the films listed below. Last Seen Alive (2022) The film is a riveting drama focusing on a lady named Emily who vanishes, leaving everything behind. Throughout the frenzied hunt for Emily, her spouse, as well as the authorities, find a labyrinth of scandals and falsehoods that raise suspicions that her abduction might not have happened voluntarily. The deadline is drawing near, and they need to locate Emily quickly before they receive the bad news. The film's outstanding direction and execution keep viewers chewing on their nails from beginning to end. The unexpected changes in the story are handled well, as are the personalities, which are fully fleshed out. All of the actors, but especially the female lead, do a fantastic job, and the film's photography and score further enhance the film's tense situation. Regression (2015) This film unfolds in a tiny hamlet in Minnesota during the 1990s. Sergeant Bruce Kenner is the protagonist of this narrative, and he looks into a situation concerning a teenage girl who claims that her parents have sexually abused her. Nevertheless, when Bruce investigates more, he finds evidence of a much larger scheme as well as ceremonial torture associated with the devil that extends the details of what he was told. The narrative has multiple shocks and detours that keep the viewers on their toes until they reach the climax. The film's photography is also excellent, contributing to the film's ominous mood by making effective use of Little hamlet's chilly, gloomy backdrop. The Silencing (2020) The film chronicles the life of Swanson, a retired poacher, and drunkard who now resides in a rural region of the US. As the leading candidate in the abduction of a little girl, Swanson is compelled to return to active duty. In his efforts to exonerate himself, he becomes involved in a perilous death dance with the true culprit. The storyline is littered with a multitude of shocking detours that keep you wondering right up until the very conclusion. The wide and gorgeous Pacific Northwest environment serves as a stunning background for the film's events. It's hardly the most creative or original thriller ever, but it's well-done and gratifying, with an ending that resolves everything well. The Postcard Killings (2020) The movie puts the audience in the shoes of Jacob, who travels thousands of miles to look into the deaths of his married daughter and her spouse. When he investigates more, he learns that the murderer has been mailing postcards to a reporter before every death in a number of comparable cases throughout the country. Jacob enlists the aid of a news journalist named Dessie in an effort to find the murderer and deliver justice. The story is intricately woven together, keeping the audience wondering right up until the very end. As impressive is the film's imagery, which makes excellent use of the stunning European settings to enhance the film's ominous mood. It doesn't do anything particularly unique for the category, but it's well-performed, expertly filmed, and gratifyingly tense. A Kind Of Murder (2016) The film depicts Walter, a famous designer who gets fixated on a homicide investigation that has received a lot of coverage in the press. He gets obsessed with the story of Kimmel, a guy who is being tried for the killing of his spouse. Walter's relationship is falling apart just as his passion for the investigation is reaching a fever pitch. His partnership with Clara, who is suffering from severe depression, worsens with time.

As Clara's body is discovered in bizarre settings, her husband is thrown into everyone's crosshairs. While Walter is adamant about clearing his reputation, he starts to doubt his rationality as the proof acquitting against him piles up. A Walk Among The Tombstones (2014) Independent detective Matthew Scudder is recruited by a mob boss to track down the people responsible for his wife's kidnapping and gruesome death. Mathew has a sordid past as both a drunkard and a police officer. As Mathew investigates more, he finds a sequence of atrocities committed throughout the town that appears to be related to the same vicious murders. Liam Neeson gives an outstanding portrayal of Matthew, bringing a menacing depth to the part. The drama excels, in part, because of the authenticity and atmosphere it creates of the Big Apple in the nineties. The film successfully depicts the city's sordid underworld as a hostile and unfriendly environment. This setting provides an excellent background for the dramatic events taking place inside the plot. See more: Top 6 Action Thriller Films That Will Keep Your Adrenaline Pumped Up

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Back in 2020, "Ted Lasso'' surprised everyone with its quirky charm and do-good optimism. The Apple TV+ show went on to become a major hit, with audiences praising its blend of heartwarming story and laugh-out-loud humour. The show emphasises community, friendship, and a sense of belonging, something that was much needed in such an uncertain time. Jason Sudeikis wins hearts with his optimism and goofiness, along with the rest of the ensemble cast. If you are a fan of the show and are yearning for something similar, then look no further. Here are seven shows similar to "Ted Lasso." The League (2009-2015) Originally airing on F.X., "The League" is about a bunch of friends who are really into fantasy football. The show has the same quirky energy we've come to love from "Ted Lasso," along with some eccentric but extremely likeable characters. The core of the show hangs on the relationship between these guys, and the group dynamics here is delightful. With numerous football references and occasional cameos from premier athletes, "The League" is a love letter for American football fans as well as fantasy football enthusiasts. Welcome To Wrexham (2022-) This documentary sees Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") as they become the new owners of a struggling English football club, Wrexham A.F.C. The show follows the duo's attempt at rejuvenating the team. Just like Ted Lasso, these two actors also don't have any clues about handling a professional football club. But they seem to be deeply invested in the mission. Surprisingly heartfelt in its intentions, the show dives deep into the small town of Wrexham. Once a flourishing mining town, Wrexham is well past its golden days after the closure of its mines. The show tries to show the deep bond between the club and the working-class locals while also capturing the initial reaction of fans to the buyout by these American actors. The show also gives insider glimpses into the psyches of Ryan, Rob, and the Wrexham A.F.C. players. Eastbound And Down (2009–2013) After getting dumped from major league baseball, Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) returns to his estranged hometown to teach physical education at his former middle school. The show is unique in the fact that we, as an audience, follow a generally unlikable guy, Kenny, who is a racist and a piece of white trash who is seldom respected by the people of his hometown. But Kenny's enormous ego and overconfidence, do provide plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. But we still feel some sympathy for the character as he falls to rock bottom time and again. Danny McBride shines as the egotistical ex-baseballer and is supported by some great characters such as ex-lover Katy Mixon (April Buchanon), principal Terrence Cutler (Andy Daly), and Kenny's brother Dustin Powers (John Hawkes), among others. Ballers (2015-2019) "Ballers" sees Dwayne Johnson as Spencer Strasmore, a retired American footballer who embarks on a new career as the financial manager of current N.F.L. players. The show has an "Entourage" sort of vibe here as we follow Spencer as he forms new clients and friendships while navigating through the business side of the popular league. Dwayne' The Rock' Johnson carries an otherwise unremarkable show with his intense charisma and acting prowess. "Ballers" provides a nuanced take on top-level businesses, along with the drugs, parties, and other shenanigans that come with sports stardom. Coach (1989-1997) "Coach" follows the university football team's head coach, Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson). Fox lives and breathes the game and is willing to go above and beyond to make his team successful. The bulk of the show, however, is about his relationships with his family and colleagues. "Coach" is an old-school sitcom with great writing and a heartwarming story. Fox starts out as a gruff man but turns softer in the later seasons and is backed by a host of endearing characters,

such as assistant coaches Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) and Bill Fagerbakke (Dauber Dybsinski), along with his daughter Kelly Fox (Clare Carey) and wife Christine (Shelly Fabares). "Coach" ran for nine seasons before it was wrapped up in 1997. 21 Thunder (2017) This Canadian television show chronicles the lives of the under-21 players and coaching staff of the fictional football team, the Montreal Thunder. "21 Thunder" follows an ensemble cast of diverse characters as they navigate through the highly competitive world of club soccer. The show is dubbed to be more than just a show about soccer and is filled with behind-the-scenes drama, conflicts, romances, and much more. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) Inspired by H.G. Bissinger's non-fiction book, "Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream," the show follows members of the local football club, the Dillon Panthers, of the fictional town of Dillon, Texas. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, head coach of the Panthers, along with his wife Tami Taylor (Connie Britton), Taylor Kitsch, and Zach Gilford, among many others. Praised for its heartfelt and sincere portrayal of small-town America, along with its nuanced handling of issues related to racism, substance abuse, and unemployment, among many others, "Friday Night Lights" managed to garner critical acclaim soon after its release. The cinematography is exquisite, with showrunner Peter Berg making sure that the cameras follow the actors as they move around unrestricted in their space, making for authentic and close-to-real-life filmmaking that lets the actors immerse themselves inside the world of the show. The show uses its small-town setting to tell a poignant story of football and small-town American communities, adding sprinkles of existential crisis to deliver a deeply profound and endearing show. See more: Top 7 Series Like ‘Star Trek: Picard’ That You Should Add To Your Watchlist