Entertainment
Netflix's Very R-Rated King Arthur Epic Is A Sexy, Bloody Road Trip
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Do you ever long for a film that smashes together several very different genres, effectively creating something new? The Green Knight (2021) is currently streaming on Netflix, and what I like best about this film is that it blends together two of my favorite genres: high fantasy and bonkers road trip. That is, it has all the magic and mystical adventure you’d expect from a Lord of the Rings movie and all the wacky supporting characters and inexplicable side quests you’d expect from a National Lampoon’s Vacation movie.
The result is something oddly hypnotic, and this film transforms a dusty text from the 14th century into something provocative and unapologetically sexy. You can enjoy it as a poignant deconstruction of one of the most famous works in literary history, or you can simply enjoy it as a beautiful road trip full of sex, violence, and monsters. With more than a few drops of horror movie blood in its DNA, The Green Knight remains one of the most memorable weird films of the last decade.
Working On His Knight Moves
The premise of The Green Knight is that a young warrior, Sir Gawain, is eager to prove himself by landing a blow on the titular Green Knight, ignoring the warning that, in one year’s time, he’ll need to receive a similar blow from his foe. He doesn’t think that will be a problem after he decapitates his foe. However, the Green Knight calmly picks up his head and reminds the young man of the bargain he made. One year later, Sir Gawain gathers his courage and his honor as he embarks on a road trip that can only end one way: with his own decapitation.
The Green Knight doesn’t have too many big names: the titular villain is played by Ralph Ineson (best known for The Witch), and Barry Keoghan (best known for Saltburn) has a small role as a scavenger. Sean Harris (best known for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) plays King Arthur, while Alicia Vikander (best known for Ex Machina) plays Sir Gawain’s love interest. As for Gawain, he is played by Dev Patel (best known for Slumdog Millionaire), who is mesmerizing as our lead. He sells the initial cockiness of his hot-blooded knight as well as the humbling transformation of his quest, ultimately making one of literature’s most famous characters flawed and compellingly down-to-Earth.
Questions, Axed And Answered
If some of this sounds familiar, that means you haven’t entirely drunk away the memories of your college Literature courses. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a 14th-century verse poem written by an unknown scribe, and it’s considered one of the most popular and influential stories about King Arthur and his court. The original poem inspired Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien, and in a bit of inspired irony, the beautiful picaresque production of the movie clearly takes some visual inspiration from the LOTR adaptations directed by Peter Jackson.
Despite its lush visuals and impeccable casting, The Green Knight didn’t have enough “green nights” at the box office. The movie ultimately earned $20 million against a budget of $15 million, making it far less of a breakout pop culture success than other A24 productions like Hereditary and Midsommar. Nonetheless, this medieval mashup was a huge hit with the critics and with anyone who loves losing themselves in an impossibly detailed fantasy world.
A Scary Good Time
When The Green Knight came out, it was one of those films that delighted critics and baffled general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 89 percent critical score, with reviewers praising the film for being such a fascinating deconstruction of its medieval source material. They also commended the movie as a spectacle, one that successfully cast a spell on the audience. Not everyone who watched felt that way, though: The Green Knight notably has a 50 percent audience score, with general moviegoers complaining that the film deviates too much from the original tale and frustratingly leaves major aspects of the story up to interpretation.
So, with critics loving it and casual audiences hating it, that brings us to the big question: why should you watch The Green Knight? The first, most obvious reason is that this film is a visual feast. From beginning to end, everything feels mesmerizingly dreamlike, and each scene will bring you deeper and deeper into this film’s fantastic spell. While they are very different types of movies, the visuals in The Green Knight often reminded me of the surreal visual landscape of Mandy, which turned every frame into the nightmare fuel of a fever dream.
Dungeons And Dreamers
Plus, at the risk of glazing the picture a little too much, The Green Knight may be the best fantasy movie since the original Fellowship of the Ring. That’s partially because of the amazing worldbuilding. Like the Hobbits in Peter Jackson’s seminal film, those watching this modern medieval masterpiece never know what fantastic vision will greet them next. For better or for worse, The Green Knight also cribs from the original Lord of the Rings texts in focusing less on fantastic battles and more on exploration and introspection. That’s bad news for those expecting endless duels, but great news for those wanting a fantasy movie that makes them really think.
It may not seem like it from the outside looking in, but The Green Knight is also perfectly aimed at men because this tale of knights, fights, and medieval tights is secretly all about exploring masculine ideas. What does it mean to be honorable, this movie asks, and why is it important to put your life on the line for what you believe? What does it mean to dedicate your life to a higher cause, and how is such a decision as confining as it is liberating?
Your Sexy Adventure Awaits
I get that you might have stayed away from The Green Knight because it looks like a frilly, frou-frou fantasy, but trust me: this movie is steeped in the chivalric code of the medieval world, and its exploration of what it means to be a real man almost shockingly echoes the concerns of the modern world. Plus, this exploration of masculine ideals is wrapped in such stunning visuals that you won’t want to miss a single frame. A film about manly men, served up with some serious eye candy. Honestly, what more could you want?
Are you ready to dive into the trippiest literary adaptation ever filmed, or would you rather just read the Cliff’s Notes rather than finish The Green Knight? The only way to find out is to undertake your own epic quest (from the bathroom to the living room) and retrieve the most enchanted object in your home: the remote control. It might not help you cut the head off an immortal warrior, but it will help transport you to the most ambitiously weird blockbuster of the last decade.
Entertainment
This robotic pool vacuum is basically a Roomba that can swim, and it’s $449 off today
SAVE 35%: As of May 6, you can get the Beatbot AquaSense 2 for $849 at Amazon, down from $1,298. That’s a 35% discount or $449 savings.
$849
at Amazon
$1,298
Save $449
I don’t have a pool (well, not a personal one, anyway; I live in an apartment complex), but I do have a robot vacuum, and I know the joy of watching a little machine clean my floors while I do other things. If you apply that same logic to pool maintenance (which I imagine is a lot more annoying than keeping your floors clean), then investing in a robo pool cleaner makes a lot of sense.
Mashable Trend Report
And, right now, you can get one of Amazon’s top-rated models for a fraction of the price. As of May 6, you can get the Beatbot AquaSense 2 for $849 at Amazon, down from $1,298. That’s a 35% discount or $449 savings. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen this model go for. The only problem? Amazon marked this as a “limited-time deal,” and the countdown clock shows it ends in about 16 hours.
This thing works just like an indoor robot vacuum; it maps out its cleaning path and then uses an onboard 4-core CPU and 16 sensors to navigate using an S-path for the pool floor and an N-path to scrub the walls and waterline. It also has a “Double-Pass Scrubbing” feature for the waterline, so it’ll get the grimiest spots twice per pass. Bonus: When it’s done cleaning (or when the battery runs low), it automatically parks itself at the surface of the water so you don’t have to go diving to retrieve it.
Entertainment
Grandma Anne’s Secret Jell-O
I love making food that people appreciate — the kind of meal that makes the whole table go quiet at the first bite. But you know what I kind of love more? Making food that makes the whole table shriek like kids chasing the ice-cream truck.
So, when I happened upon a “secret Jell-O” recipe in chef Hillary Sterling’s new cookbook, Ammazza! — titled for the Roman slang term, which roughly translates to “wowee!” — I knew I had to share.
“This was the defining treat of my childhood,” explains Hillary. Growing up, her Grandma Anne always kept a bowl of Jell-O in the fridge. “She added halved grapes, and they’d hover in the middle while it ‘jellified.’ It tasted so cool, refreshing, and delicious.” As adults, Hillary and her sister tried to replicate it, but never managed to get the taste just right. That’s when their grandpa clued them in to Grandma Anne’s secret ingredient: sweet liqueur. “Turns out, our favorite childhood dessert was one part Grandma, one part frat party.”
Hillary’s own adaptation is a little more cocktail-party than frat, but just as festive: a ruby-red confection, studded with plums and served in a champagne coupe. Plus, it’s incredibly simple, with less than 10 minutes of active cooking time. And while I’ll give Grandma Anne the benefit of the doubt, and say she probably wasn’t trying to inebriate her grandchildren, this recipe has almost a shot’s worth of brandy per serving (wowee, indeed!). So, let’s maybe keep it at the grown-ups table.
Grandma Anne’s Secret Jell-O
from Ammazza! by Hillary Sterling
Serves 4
1/2 cup (115 g) prunes*
3/4 cup (180 ml) brandy
1 85-gram package cherry gelatin
*It’s true, prunes are dried plums. Here, they’re essentially rehydrated in the cooking process.
In a small pot, combine the prunes and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the brandy. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat low, and cook until the prunes absorb all the liquid (about 5 minutes). Set aside. In a separate small saucepan, bring 1 cup (240 ml) of water to a boil. Place the gelatin in a heatproof bowl, then pour the hot water over it, whisking until fully dissolved (about 2 minutes). Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of brandy and 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water.
Divide half of the gelatin mixture evenly among four glasses, filling them about halfway. (“This is the time to break out your heirloom wine glasses or champagne coupes,” says Hillary. “Style and presentation meant everything to my grandmother.”) Arrange the glasses on a small sheet pan for stability. Refrigerate, uncovered, until just set (about 1 hour).
Finally, divide the steeped prunes evenly among the glasses, gently placing them on top of the set layer. Top each glass with the remaining gelatin — the fruit will “float” as it sets. Cover and refrigerate until firm but still jiggly (about 1 hour more). Serve, and enjoy!
Thank you so much, Hillary! And congratulations on your beautiful cookbook.
P.S. More fun party recipes, including a chaotic pavlova and a pasta cake.
(Photos by Kelly Puleio. Excerpted with permission from Ammazza!, on sale now from Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Copyright © 2026 by Hillary Sterling)
Entertainment
The Bradley Cooper Horror Movie That Will Break Your Brain
By Sean Thiessen
| Published
What do you get when you cross Bradley Cooper with a Clive Barker horror story? The answer: 2008’s gory cult classic The Midnight Meat Train. Though a slashed theatrical release buried the film, this disturbing bloodbath has finally been unearthed on Tubi.
Riding The Rails Has Never Been More Dangerous
Bradley Cooper leads The Midnight Meat Train as Leon Kaufman, a photographer keen on capturing the grit of city life. After his portfolio is rejected by a high-profile gallery owner for being too safe, Leon ventures out in search of danger. Spoiler alert: he finds it.
Leon captures a brutal act of violence on a subway and becomes obsessed with tracking down a serial killer who has been enacting carnage on the late-night train for years. Leon spirals down a tunnel of mystery that slowly unravels a conspiracy that goes all the way to the bottom. He struggles to gain the support of the police and even his own girlfriend, portrayed by actress Leslie Bibb. The Midnight Meat Train speeds toward a sinister conclusion that is a must-see for horror fans.
This Bradley Cooper film is unlike any other. The Midnight Meat Train was adapted from Barker’s short story by Pet Sematary (2019) screenwriter Jeff Buhler and directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryûhei Kitamura. The result is a dark, tense, and revolting horror mystery, complete with the hyper-stylized sensibilities of 2008.
The film was originally set as the feature directorial debut of Patrick Tatopoulos, a special effects wizard and production designer who cut his teeth on movies like Independence Day, I, Robot, and Underworld. It was scheduled to shoot in New York City in 2005.
Tatopoulos was replaced by Kitamura and, in an effort to cut costs, Bradley Cooper and the rest of the gang shot The Midnight Meat Train in the Los Angeles metro system. Production finally began in the spring of 2007.
Lionsgate distributed the film but only opened the movie in the secondary theatrical market, limiting the release to about 100 screens. It was then quickly released on DVD, much to the filmmakers’ dismay. Clive Barker openly criticized Lionsgate’s Joe Drake for burying other films in order to venerate The Strangers, for which Drake was a producer.
Critics twho saw The Midnight Meat Train generally liked it, praising the acting from Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, and the rest of the cast. The film carries a 70 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes on the consensus that it delivers the thrills, scares, and gore its target audience seeks.
Bradley Cooper’s Career Took Off After Midnight Meat Train
Bradley Cooper jumped from Midnight Meat Train into the following year’s breakout hit The Hangover. That film launched Cooper from a solid supporting actor to a bankable leading man. The Hangover spawned a lucrative trilogy of comedies that provided a steady stream for Cooper as he expanded to dramatic horizons.
Cooper has since led an exciting and successful career as an actor, director, and producer. His performance in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook earned the actor his first Oscar nomination, which he followed up with nominations for his work in American Hustle, American Sniper, and A Star is Born. As a producer, his films Joker, A Star is Born, American Sniper, and Nightmare Alley were nominated for Best Picture.
Bradley Cooper’s horror background with Midnight Meat Train paired with the gnarly sensibilities of director James Gunn to bring about Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. The character may be Cooper’s most iconic, but it is easy to forget that such a high-profile actor lurks beneath the CGI surface of the lovable a-hole.
The evolution of Cooper’s career is a fascinating one, and The Midnight Meat Train is an important piece of the puzzle. It stands out among his list of comedies, dramas, and action films, and the film’s troubled release leaves it begging for rediscovery.
Now, nearly 20 years after its release, fans of Bradley Cooper can head on over to Tubi and ride The Midnight Meat Train all the way to the end of the bloody line.
Angels rout White Sox for rare consecutive wins
Alexandra Eala fights for victory during rain-soaked day in Rome
