Entertainment
Unhinged Comedy You’ve Never Heard Of Is A Compulsive, Soul Searching, Supernatural Trip
By Robert Scucci
| Updated
Everybody copes with grief differently, and most of us don’t even know how to handle and process it until it’s already knocking on our doors. Some people lose themselves in their work, or a passion project, and some people seek therapy. Some people do all of these things. Benny (Barak Hardley), the protagonist in 2018’s Spell, copes with the loss of his fiancé Jess (Jackie Tohn) by taking a solo, soul-searching trip to Iceland, where he finds out he might actually be a pawn in a supernatural game that will either solve his problems or make him wish he never left the United States.
The film is a compelling yet oddball exploration of grief, self-medicating, and searching for greater meaning after your life as you know it has been turned completely upside down. It’s also a hilarious sequence of events thanks to Barak Hardley’s commitment to the role and his character’s various quirks and idiosyncrasies.
That Escalated Quickly
When Spell first introduces us to Benny, he’s a total mess. He’s arriving at an Icelandic airport, and we’re immediately clued into his compulsive behavior. While I’m partial to counting stairs and making sure both my eyes blink an equal number of times so neither of them feels left out, Benny likes to lick shiny metal surfaces like door handles, water taps, and, in one case, a phallic art installation at one of the local museums. To make matters worse, he’s out of meds, dealing with the stress of a new location, and unable to immediately reach his doctor to get a new prescription filled overseas.
Oh yeah, and the grief that brought us here in the first place. Three months before the events depicted in Spell, Benny’s fiancé drowned in their pool while he wasn’t around, and he’s still unpacking that trauma.
He copes by having a one-night stand with Inga (Birna Rún Eiríksdóttir), who encourages him to get a tattoo of a symbol he doesn’t yet understand, but soon will. He wakes up the next day not knowing where Inga ran off to after stealing from him, and he soon connects with a tour guide named Steindor (Magnus Jonsson), who takes him hiking, talks about supernatural entities and ancient mythology, and hints at the fact that Benny is some sort of “chosen one.”
From this point forward, I really can’t go deeper into the film’s plot without revealing major spoilers, and this is one you’ll want to see for yourself. But you’ll want to stick around because there are visions, naked hot spring melees, boozy camping conversations, and the fact that you can never quite tell what’s actually happening to Benny and what’s simply a manifestation of his grief, compulsions, and lack of medication.
Barak Hardley Is A Perfect Lead
Though I can’t presently speak to Barak Hardley’s other work, he’s an absolute treasure in Spell. Benny is a complex character with personal hangups, recent traumas, and the endless intrusive thoughts that somebody with OCD has to deal with, all while navigating an unfamiliar landscape where everybody seems to be screwing with him on not only a human level, but a spiritual one.
He’s rightfully wary for all of these reasons, but whenever pressed, no matter how gently, he simply says “screw it” and does pretty much whatever he’s told. Since Jess’ death, which prompted him to go on this trip in the first place, he’s got nothing to lose and figures his life can’t get any worse, so he just goes along with everything that’s thrown at him.
Benny’s search for fulfillment and meaning doesn’t leave him with any easy answers, but his journey isn’t necessarily linear either. Grief comes and goes, and he’s just going through the motions while trying to unpack his demons in the most unconventional way possible. The question that remains is whether he finds the answers he’s looking for.
As of this writing, you can stream Spell for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
The Underrated Dark Thriller With The Best Action Star Ever Is Streaming For Free
By Steven Nelson
| Published
Step into a world where action meets drama as you queue up 2017’s The Foreigner, featuring none other than the martial arts maestro, Jackie Chan. In this intense thriller, Chan sheds his typically cheerful on-screen persona to deliver a performance that’s riddled with depth, showcasing a grieving father’s relentless pursuit of justice.
Directed by Martin Campbell, the man behind iconic James Bond films, The Foreigner is a gripping tale that unfolds against a backdrop of political intrigue and explosive action sequences. If you’re ready for a side of Jackie Chan you’ve rarely seen, this film promises an exhilarating ride.
A Chilling Revenge Arc
The Foreigner, starring the legendary Jackie Chan, is a riveting action thriller that revolves around the character of Ngoc Minh Quan, a humble London-based businessman with a haunting past. Quan’s world is turned upside down when his teenage daughter, Fan, is killed in a politically-motivated terrorist bombing. Devastated by his loss, Quan embarks on a relentless pursuit of justice, vowing to bring those responsible to account.
As Quan digs deeper, he discovers that the bombing is linked to a group of rogue Irish terrorists. He targets Liam Hennessy (played by Pierce Brosnan), a government official with former ties to the terrorists, believing him to hold the key to the identities of the bombers. Quan’s quest for vengeance takes him into a shadowy world of political conspiracy, power struggles, and hidden agendas.
Quan employs his skills, honed during his time as a special forces operative in the Vietnam War, to uncover the truth. He faces numerous obstacles and challenges as he unravels a complex web of intrigue involving British and Northern Irish politics, all while Hennessy struggles to manage political tensions and maintain his own grip on power.
The film’s narrative is imbued with themes of revenge, redemption, and the moral complexities of justice. Jackie Chan delivers a poignant and compelling performance, portraying a man driven by grief, grappling with loss, and seeking closure, while Pierce Brosnan excellently embodies the role of a conflicted and morally ambiguous politician.
A Hard-Hitting Blend Of Action And Drama
The Foreigner succeeds because it balances explosive action with a surprisingly emotional story. The film keeps the tension high throughout, blending political intrigue, revenge, and suspense while giving its lead character far more depth than audiences might expect from a traditional action thriller.
Critics gave the film a mixed-to-positive reception, and it currently holds a 66 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Much of the praise centered on the lead performance, which traded familiar action-comedy beats for a more restrained and dramatic approach. While some reviewers felt the political plotlines occasionally became overly complicated, many appreciated the film’s willingness to pair hard-hitting action with genuine emotional weight.
Fans were even more receptive, embracing the combination of intense set pieces, gripping drama, and a darker, more mature tone than viewers were expecting. The result is an underrated thriller that delivers both as an action movie and as a story about grief, vengeance, and the personal cost of pursuing justice.
For anybody looking for a tense, well-crafted thriller with strong performances and plenty of action, The Foreigner remains an easy recommendation.
As of this writing, The Foreigner is streaming for free on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and The CW.
Entertainment
‘Don’t make this a thing:’ Elmo picks Team USA for World Cup, still loves everyone
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 in full swing, and fans from all over the world traveling across the United States to cheer on their home teams, beloved Sesame Street character Elmo took to X in a Team USA jersey to declare his support for the American squad.
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The explicit partisanship isn’t an accident but an inside joke. Earlier this month, as the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks battled for a championship, Elmo expressed hope for both teams to have fun.
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The social media world wasn’t having it. Knicks fans, already riled up by the intensity of the series, weren’t pleased.
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Other brands got in on the joke. The roasting continued after the Knicks won, with at least one fan dressing in an Elmo suit to hold up an apology sign at the victory parade in New York.
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Even Cookie Monster didn’t hold back, saying he would teach Elmo how to pick a team.
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As a public figure with an international audience, Elmo is definitely in a tough spot, but declaring that you love everyone while wearing your nation’s soccer uniform is probably your best shot at minimizing the fallout.
Topics
Sesame Street
FIFA World Cup
Entertainment
The Sci-Fi Action Movie On Netflix Continues An Epic Franchise
By Steven Nelson
| Published
Prepare for an intergalactic showdown unlike any other. Skylines, the exhilarating third installment in the much-talked-about Skylines franchise, is now soaring its way into Netflix’s streaming galaxy. The saga continues as humanity and extraterrestrial life collide in a fight for survival, intertwining past legacies with futuristic ambitions.
Whether you’ve been a fan since the first ship landed or are just embarking on this cosmic journey, brace yourself for a sci-fi adventure that promises to be a spectacle of thrilling confrontations, otherworldly landscapes, and mind-bending twists. Let the battle for Earth’s destiny begin!
In Search Of A Vital Artifact
In Skylines, the story picks up after the events of the previous movies, catapulting viewers into an intensified interstellar conflict. When a virus threatens to turn Earth’s now peaceful hybrid alien population against humans, Captain Rose Corley (Lindsey Morgan), a human-alien hybrid with extraordinary abilities, is summoned.
Having proved herself in the previous encounters, Rose is the linchpin in humanity’s desperate plan to prevent the impending alien attack.
Drawing from her lineage’s strengths, she assembles an elite team of soldiers to join her on a mission into the extraterrestrial world. Their objective? To retrieve an artifact from the aliens‘ home planet that is key to saving both their species. However, as they journey through space, they encounter challenges and adversaries that put their skills, determination, and alliance to the ultimate test.
While the goal is clear, the path is fraught with battles, betrayals, and unexpected alliances. The mission becomes a race against time as they navigate through the alien world, battling enhanced creatures and trying to secure the vital artifact.
With the fate of both species hanging in the balance, Skylines is an adrenaline-pumping roller-coaster that pushes the boundaries of friendship, duty, and survival.
There Are Plans For Another Skyline Movie
The Skylines saga may not be over just yet. A fourth installment, Skyline: Warpath, was originally slated for an October 2025 release, but as of 2026, the film remains unreleased and no new launch date has been announced.
While updates have been scarce, interest in the franchise remains strong among fans who have followed the series from its beginnings. Frank Grillo has previously expressed interest in returning, and the ending of Skylines leaves plenty of room for the story to continue expanding into new corners of its universe.
That said, if Skyline: Warpath never materializes, Skylines still serves as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, bringing its central conflicts to a satisfying close while leaving the door open for future adventures.
Speculating about the next Skyline movie is exciting, given the universe’s potential to expand and evolve. With the Earth somewhat stabilized after the events of Skylines, the story could further delve into the expansive universe. New planets, teeming with unknown life forms, could be discovered, presenting both opportunities and threats. As the survivors of Earth venture into the cosmos, they might seek alliances with other civilizations to fortify against shared adversaries.
Another angle could be the discovery of remnants of the alien race that had previously wreaked havoc on Earth. The survivors might unearth secrets about their adversaries, leading to potential reconciliations or fresh conflicts. Delving deeper into the origins and motivations of the aliens could add layers of complexity and empathy to the narrative.
On a more personal note, characters that survived the past ordeals might face internal struggles. The trauma of previous battles, combined with the challenges of navigating an expansive universe, could take a toll on their mental well-being. New characters, potentially from other civilizations, could be introduced, bringing with them unique skill sets, philosophies, and technologies.
With a universe as expansive and intricate as that of Skyline, there’s no telling where the story might lead next, especially with potential future sequels on the horizon.For now, fans can immerse themselves in the spectacle and drama of Skylines on Netflix, savoring the evolution of a story that promises to remain a mainstay in contemporary sci-fi cinema. Dive in and let the celestial odyssey unfold.
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