Calling all ‘90s kids! Disney Plus is releasing a documentary titled Not Just a Goof, following the making of one of the most beloved childhood classics, A Goofy Movie.

The documentary, which is listed on the streamer’s Next on Disney Plus guide, is said to explore "the untold story of A Goofy Movie" and will premiere on Disney Plus on Monday, April 7.

According to the synopsis, the documentary follows "a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, its initial disappointment, and its surprising resurgence decades later." The documentary will feature interviews and rare behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the movie, ultimately revealing "why it remains a beloved classic for a generation".

Released in 1995, A Goofy Movie follows Goofy and his son Max – a teen who is eager to distance himself from his father and get his own life (and girlfriend named Roxanne). In a bid to bond, the two go on a road trip, but of course, chaos and carnage ensues. The film includes characters from Disney’s Goof Troop but was the titular character’s first stand-alone feature film.

The cast includes Bill Farmer as Goofy, Jason Marsden as Max Goof, Kevin Lima as Lester, and Tevin Campbell as Powerline. Five years later, Disney released a direct-to-video sequel titled An Extremely Goofy Movie.

At the time of release, the film was met with mixed reviews, which is reflected in its lackluster 59% Rotten Tomatoes score. But over time the movie has become a cult classic, best known for its array of catchy songs and relatable parent-teen themes.

Not Just A Goof will premiere on Disney Plus on April 7. For more, check out our list of the best Disney movies, or keep up with upcoming Disney movies heading your way.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

When Shakespeare sat down to write As You Like It over 400 years ago, even his boundless imagination couldn't have foreseen how far the definition of 'players' would stretch. Enter Grand Theft Hamlet, a one-of-a-kind machinima documentary that sees two out-of-work actors – Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen – attempting to put on a production of Hamlet inside the lawless virtual space of Grand Theft Auto Online during the UK's third COVID-mandated lockdown.

But even in that haze of questionable pandemic-era decisions – couch to 5K, an obsession with baking banana bread, Tiger King – why not stick to holding up Los Santos gas stations and buying yachts instead of putting on one of the Bard's most popular and iconic plays about family, revenge, and self-identity from your bedroom?

"[Grand Theft Auto] is such a kind of notorious thing in our culture that people, even if they've never actually played it, think they know what it is and it's notorious for its kind of extreme violence," Crane explains. "And what struck me when I started playing it was, yes, it is kind of chaotic and violent, but it's also incredibly beautiful. And I think that mix of beauty and violence seemed to actually hit the nail on the head of how Hamlet sees the world."

Co-director Pinny Grylls, who acts both as camera operator and interrogating filmmaker during Grand Theft Hamlet, adds, "I think I remember you saying to me quite early on that this is a perfect place for Hamlet. 'The rotten state of Denmark' is like Los Santos – if Donald Trump had designed the world, it would probably look a bit like that in terms of a dog-eat-dog world."

Filmed entirely using the limited toolset of GTA Online – including a first-person view, director mode, and the in-game phone camera – Crane and Grylls battled logistical headaches that, we imagine, Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan have never had to deal with – including a gun-toting audience.

"The streaming viewpoint was through my eyes, so I had to not die. If I respawned near where [the production] was, it was fine" Grylls laughs. "We kind of knew there was going to be something going wrong."

A very palpable hit

"Yeah, they might shoot us. They might think we're rubbish," Crane says. "The feeling that anything could happen from one moment to the next – someone could literally turn up and blow you away – that's actually really exciting and dramatic."

Talk of Grand Theft Hamlet soon landed at Rockstar Games' doorstep, with Crane revealing the developer had "become aware of the project quite early on" and, while they weren't involved in the project, were "really supportive" and "appreciate[d] us as fans."

"It was hard to get in touch with them, but we did manage to in the end," Crane continues. "I think they really appreciated how we were using the game in this creative sandbox way, because that's really what it was designed for."

Grylls adds, "I was reading about how the people who make the game are constantly trying to work out how people could possibly use it… but I don't think they ever expected anyone to put on Hamlet inside there. I think they were delighted by that, actually."

Through the course of Grand Theft Hamlet, Sam and Mark assemble a motley crew of players for their final performance of Hamlet (something described as a "miracle" by Grylls, as the UK exited lockdown and everyone went about their lives). They include Nora, who recently came out as trans to their family, Lizzy, who immediately grasps the unique form of Grand Theft Auto Online's janky animations, and the alien suit-wearing ParTeb, who rides a jet and acts as the play's heavy-hitting security.

But, amid the chaos, Grylls cuts through the sound and fury of Los Santos' sprawling metropolis to prod at both lead actors' mental states, including marital arguments (Grylls and Crane are married with two children) and Mark – living alone during lockdown – struggling with the project. In turn, Grand Theft Hamlet grapples with the documentary's hidden message – a poignant meditation on male loneliness and connection through gaming.

"I do think, increasingly, game spaces offer people who probably find it quite difficult to talk about feelings in real life a kind of safe space to make friends and interact," Grylls offers. "I was really judgmental of those spaces… and I want to show that I've changed my mind about that. I wanted to tell a story about these two guys – almost a Withnail and I sort of story – about how vulnerable they are and how they're feeling about the world themselves."

While you'll have to discover for yourself whether the play was a success, the final act of Grand Theft Hamlet calls to mind another familiar Grand Theft Auto refrain. Namely, San Andreas protagonist CJ's iconic opening line, 'Aw, shit. Here we go again.' As players logged off, Crane was left at a juncture.

"At the end of doing the production, it was an incredible relief, an amazing feeling of achievement" Crane exhales. "But you also get that sense of, 'OK, we've done that. What do we do now?' There's a slightly deflationary feeling that I think people realize from when they've been on any big creative endeavor. You get to the end and it's like, 'Wow, we did it' but there can be a slight blues or something afterwards."

Grand Theft Hamlet is released in UK & Irish cinemas by Tull Stories from December 6, then streams globally on MUBI in early 2025.

For more, check out the upcoming movies headed your way over the next 12 months.

Peter Cushing is being brought back using AI for new Sky documentary Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters. The late actor, best known for his roles in Star Wars and for playing Baron Frankenstein in six Hammer films, died in 1994.

Deadline confirmed the news that AI will be used in the documentary for a "powerful and poignant reveal of Hammer royalty." Per Sky, it will be a "special homage" to Cushing, and his extraordinary impact on Hammer horror movies. 

As well as his roles as Frankenstein, Cushing also played Doctor Van Helsing in five Dracula films for the studio, often starring with Christopher Lee. The new documentary is narrated by Charles Dance and follows the growth of Hammer Productions from its humble beginnings to its heyday from the mid-'50s to the '70s, when several major horror franchises were spawned.

This isn't the first time Cushing's likeness has been used after his death. He appeared in the 2016 movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as his Star Wars character Grand Moff Tarkin, but legal action is being pursued for this use.

The Hammer documentary is produced by Deep Fusion. Head Ben Field told Deadline that all necessary permissions have been secured for Cushing's use in this project. 

"As a figure central to Hammer’s success, Cushing’s presence is crucial to telling the story authentically," he told the publication. "His work, particularly alongside Christopher Lee, was instrumental in shaping the brand and legacy of Hammer Films. Including him allows the project to honor the spirit and impact he had on the studio and its fans, creating a connection between the past and this new exploration."

For more scares, check out our guides to the best horror movies and all the upcoming horror movies you need to know about.

"We need all the heroes we can get," says Christopher Reeve near the start of Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary, a film about a man who truly redefined heroism. Reeve, a handsome New York-born theatre actor, became a global superstar when he took the lead as the Man of Steel and his alter ego Clark Kent in Richard Donner’s Superman in 1978. But it was his accident in 1995, when a fall from a horse left him paralysed from the neck down, that turned Reeve from a popular actor into a beacon of hope for millions.

Bonhôte and Ettedgui have tackled iconhood (2018’s McQueen) and disability (2020’s Rising Phoenix) in their films before; Super/Man fuses both subjects. It was made with the cooperation of Reeve’s family: his now-grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra and Will all contribute, offering some heart-on-sleeve recollections about their father. The fact that Will celebrated his third birthday in the ICU just after Reeve’s accident is just one poignant detail among many.

True, those expecting a documentary fully focused on Reeve’s tenure as Krypton’s last son may come away slightly disappointed. That’s not to say the directors ignore the quartet of Super-movies that made Reeve a star; far from it. There are some lovely nuggets of cine-trivia, not least that Robert Redford, Neil Diamond and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all, at various points, in the frame to don the red cape, pre-Reeve. 

As for the star’s eventual casting, we gain insight from Jeff Daniels, who talks about being in a theatre troupe with Reeve when he went to London to audition for the big role, despite advice from another actor, William Hurt, that he shouldn’t take on such a populist character.

Yet perhaps because Reeve himself eventually became disenchanted with the films (especially the ‘catastrophe’ that was 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace), the film chooses not to say too much more about them – there is so much else to cover, after all. Super/Man essentially hinges on Reeve’s accident and the remarkable courage he mustered after being so badly injured he needed assistance breathing. Employing some startling home-movie footage, Bonhôte and Ettedgui go to great lengths to capture the fortitude with which Reeve endured his changed circumstances.

Among many tear-jerking moments, special mention must go to Reeve’s appearance at the 1996 Oscars, when he arrived on stage in his wheelchair, receiving an emotional welcome from the audience, including his good friend Robin Williams. Footage of how he made the journey to the Academy Awards – secretly airlifted and then wheeled in through the back of the Los Angeles auditorium – also captivates, underscoring the gravity of the occasion: this was the first time Reeve had properly showed himself to the world following his accident.

Of course, the irony is never lost that the actor who played a near-invulnerable superhero was struck by a tragedy that left him reliant on a respirator until the end of his life. But what makes Super/Man so beguiling is how it leaves us in no doubt of Reeve’s fighting spirit. We see how, together with wife Dana, he established the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, spending time with politicians in Washington to raise awareness of physical disability. "America does not let its needy citizens fend for themselves," he says, in one stirring speech.

With engaging contributions from Reeve’s pals Susan Sarandon and Glenn Close, this is a highly engrossing portrait of someone who became a hero to millions, twice over – once as Superman, and once simply as a mortal man. Propelled by some wonderful archive footage, it’ll have you welling up before you know it.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is in US theaters now and is released in UK cinemas on November 1. 

For more upcoming movies, check out our guide to 2024 movie release dates and all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.

Former Nazi hunter, Charlemagne descendant, definitive Dracula, and all-around screen legend Christopher Lee is lovingly profiled in this biographical doc. 

Employing an innovative blend of traditional and experimental animation styles alongside the expected talking heads and archive interviews, director Jon Spira (Star Wars doc Elstree 1976) recounts Lee’s journey in what he imagines to be the late actor’s own words. With actor Peter Serafinowicz delivering a booming vocal impression of Lee, the mighty thespian is brought back to life in marionette form to narrate a whistle-stop tour of his life… and many cinematic deaths. 

The star would probably appreciate how much the film glosses over his Hammer Horror work (1958’s Dracula, et al), capturing the sense of frustration he felt at being typecast. In one of the most striking moments, an old interview reveals Lee’s offence at being described as "the King of Horror" by an unwitting reporter. 

A portrait of a surprisingly sensitive star emerges, one hounded by imposter syndrome throughout his long and storied life (he died in 2015, aged 93). Interviewees Peter Jackson, Joe Dante (who directed Lee in 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch), and actor Harriet Walter (Lee’s niece) are among those who pay tribute, sharing fond insights into the mindset of an often-conflicted man who brought so many formidable screen villains to life, from Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun to the Star Wars prequels’ Count Dooku.  

Elsewhere the tone is light-hearted, irreverent even; it all adds up to a celebration of a bona-fide big-screen icon. Just don’t call him the King of Horror…

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee debuts on Sky Arts on October 24. 

For more, check out our guide to upcoming movies.

At the heart of this likeable, gently moving Netflix doc is a road trip taken by Will Ferrell and his longtime friend and collaborator, Harper Steele, a trans woman who transitioned later in life. Ferrell embraces his friend’s identity without hesitation, but like many would, he has some awkward questions. So, when Steele decides to undertake the kind of road trip that she’s taken throughout her life, albeit for the first time as Harper, Will (and the cameras) come along too.

The biggest strength of the movie (which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival) is the way that it opens up a dialogue between friends, and makes space for understanding, with Ferrell emerging as a sensitive, empathetic inquisitor. 

Director Josh Greenbaum (Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, George Lazenby doc Becoming Bond) follows without intruding, or making the route feel too predetermined. It’s a template that you could well imagine working for other subjects in need of friendly, open dialogue.

By its very nature, it’s hard not to occasionally wonder about how far this ‘candid’ doc has been edited and orchestrated – not least in the moments where Ferrell decides to dig into the dress-up box, or at the very beginning of the film when he riffs (amusingly) on the format’s tropes. Meanwhile, a couple of brands are mentioned so frequently as to give the unwelcome whiff of product placement. But when raw emotions are on display, Will & Harper feels authentic – as do Will and Harper.

Will & Harper is in UK cinemas now and will be available on Netflix on September 27. 

For what else to watch, here's our guide to the best Netflix movies to watch right now.

A moving new Netflix documentary called The Remarkable Life of Ibelin has released its first trailer, as part of Geeked Week. The film tells the story of Norwegian World of Warcraft player Mats Steen, who died from a degenerative muscular disease at age 25.

As seen in the clip, his parents were worried that his life had been lonely and isolated as his condition worsened. It was only after his passing that they discovered he’d actually lived a vibrant online life playing World of Warcraft, and had left a lasting impact on the community he played with. 

Told through interviews as well as a recreation of Mats’ online playing, the documentary reveals the remarkable truth of who this young man was. The trailer introduces us to Ibelin, his online persona, in what looks sure to be a touching mediation on the power of online community, and how it can transcend the boundaries of the physical world.

"I don’t think he was aware of how big an impact he had done to a lot of people," one of the interviewees shares as others speak of how open and understanding he was as a friend. The documentary also contains extracts from Mats’ blog posts to piece together his story. "In there, my chains are broken and I can be whoever I want to be," he says in one.

The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and early reviews have been very positive. Rotten Tomatoes ranks it at 96%, as Collider’s Taylor Gates writes: "There’s a lot of bleakness and hollowness when it comes to the Internet right now, but in the right hands, it can offer a lot of hope and deep connections, too."

Siddhant Adlakha from Variety calls it "a moving, multifaceted masterwork that doubles as a cinematic epitaph to a vibrant (if secretive) young man" while The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg concludes that it’s "powerful as a story, but limited as a film."

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin begins streaming on Netflix on October 25. For what else to watch, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies to stream right now.

From the "wild and craaazy guy" of the '70s to the grumpy old guy leading huge streaming hit Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin has reinvented himself with extraordinary success for nearly 50 years. 

Unsurprisingly, Morgan Neville’s baggy, deeply affectionate, access-all-areas documentary tries and fails bravely to cram Martin’s comedy megastardom, his 55 movies, his authored stage plays and platinum albums into an overstuffed film of two unwieldy halves. 

Neville, who excelled at telling performer’s stories in the Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom (2013), delivers a cracking, archive-packed account in the first part, following Martin’s  rise from teen Disneyland magician to stadium-filling comic idol. 

Using a revealing collage of home movies and onstage clips running from college gigs to Vegas openings (Elvis popped by to complement his ‘oblique sense of humour’), he shows Martin completely reshaping stand-up with the ‘simply silly’ act that offered a sly commentary on the absurdity of performing. 

But trying to capture Martin’s complexity as an artist (including his world-class art collection, his plays and New Yorker essays) is a task that defeats the film’s bitty, over-indulgent second half. Martin’s many movies, whether his ‘funnyman’ period (The Jerk, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid ) or his ‘professional dad’ era (Parenthood, Father of the Bride, etc) are reduced to quick anecdotes. 

Following Martin slavishly as he rehearses with Martin Short, creates a cartoon memoir, or bikes around LA reminiscing, the film mistakes access for interest. It’s intimate, yes, but not insightful, and is sorely missing the smart analysis that Martin’s many-phased movie career deserves.

STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces is available on Apple TV+ from March 29.

For more, check out our guides to the best Apple TV Plus shows to watch right now. 

Haven't seen 20 Days in Mariupol yet? Well, Channel 4 has got you covered if you're trying to watch the Oscar-winning movie, as it's now streaming for free on the UK-based platform.

The 95-minute war film, which was directed by Mstyslav Chernov, and follows a team of Ukrainian journalists who get trapped in the eponymous city in early 2022, just as the Russians start invading, picked up the award for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards on Sunday, March 10. Just a few weeks back, it bagged the same gong at the BAFTA Film Awards. And if that's not all, it currently has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes... In short, you're going to want to check it out.

At the Oscars, 20 Days in Mariupol beat out the likes of To Kill A Tiger, which centers on an Indian farmer seeking justice for his 13-year-old daughter, Bobi Wine: The People's President, which details the life and career of the titular Ugandan activist, Islamic extremist drama Four Daughters, and The Eternal Memory, a Chilean study on the devastating effects of Alzheimers.

Other big winners on the night were The Zone of Interest, which earned two prizes; Yorgos Lanthimos' surrealist comedy-drama Poor Things, which picked up four awards, and Christopher Nolan's biographical thriller Oppenheimer, which won seven accolades. The latter swept several categories, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Picture.

In the US, you can stream 20 Days of Mariupol on pbs.org/frontline, in the PBS App, on FRONTLINE's YouTube channel and on the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. For more, check out our full Oscars 2024 winners list.

Can I Tell You a Secret? No, I’m not about to spread gossip on the internet. It’s actually the name of a chilling documentary series that’s captivating viewers – and storming up the Netflix charts.

The new Netflix documentary focuses on the crimes of serial cyber stalker Matthew Hardy and three of his victims – Zoe Jade Hallam, Abby Furness, and Lia Marie Hambly. 

Across a decade, Hardy stalked, harassed, and spread lies about what is estimated to be over 60 women through social media. Hardy not only messaged his victims, but their friends, family, and loved ones. A uniquely 21st Century crime, the two-part series focuses on the attempts to build a case against the cyber criminal – and why his actions went unnoticed for so long.

“Can I Tell You a Secret on Netflix I can say is one of the craziest and scariest documentary I’ve watched. It’s literally about stalkers and their victims, I recommend y’all to watch, especially women,” one wrote on Twitter.

Another called it “absolutely terrifying,” adding, “I’m only one episode in but it’s CRAZY.”

One commented, “Harrowing. Had to stop it a few times. The effect stalking can have on someone’s life is immeasurable.”

As of writing, it’s currently in the #1 spot for most-watched TV show on Netflix in the UK. According to Flix Patrol, it’s one of the most popular series worldwide, lagging only behind hit limited series One Day.

Need more to add to your watchlist? Check out the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Netflix to watch right now.

Netflix’s newest true crime documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer has proven to be a major success, climbing up the streamer’s rankings and landing a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. 

Released on February 9, the Netflix original currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with both critics and audiences in awe of the shocking real-life story of modern dating gone horribly wrong, and the reviews reflect the score. "Absolutely bizarre and chilling," says Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times, while Nick Schager from The Daily Beast adds, "Even in a crowded true-crime field, it’s something of a doozy."

Directed by Sam Hobkinson, Lover, Stalker, Killer follows the true story of single dad Dave, a divorcee who turns to online dating in hopes of restarting his romantic life. He soon starts casual relationships with two separate women and everything seems well, but as jealousy and paranoia ensue, a twisted love triangle is formed putting Dave and everyone he cares about at risk. Using interviews with those involved, alongside dramatic reenactments, viewers are taken on a four-year nightmare of harassment, digital deception, and murder in America’s heartland.

Many critics praised the team's ability to bring this truly remarkable story to life by mixing real footage with reenactments to build tension, Chris Vognar from Rolling Stone highlights, "Hobkinson deserves credit for creating suspense throughout, with assistance from Nick Foster’s score, which happily flirts with Bernard Herrmann, and cinematography and editing that add to the feeling of disorientation and instability."

The documentary has already made its way into the weekly top 10 films list on Netflix in 40 countries and hit a staggering 10 million watches just three days after landing on the platform. 

Lover, Stalker, Killer is ready to watch on Netflix. For more on the streamer, check out our list of the best Netflix shows, best Netflix movies, and best Netflix documentaries all available to watch right now.  

Steve McQueen’s latest film sees the past collide with the present. The acclaimed director of Shame and 12 Years a Slave returns to the big screen with Occupied City, an almost four-and-a-half-hour-long documentary about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.

Working with his partner, the writer and filmmaker Bianca Stigter, the film was shot in 2020, exploring the dichotomy between the present-day city and the past during World War Two. Shots of the city during the pandemic combine with a voiceover detailing Nazi occupation as the sweeping narrative explores the city, and reckons with its harrowing history. 

Speaking to GamesRadar+ during the BFI London Film Festival, the director says he views it as a reminder of everything we take for granted in modern life. "It’s something you’ve just got to be reminded of – actually what happened to get us to this point, and how I'm going to maintain that freedom from pending dangers which are around us."

Memories and ghosts thrive in the film as the narration relays stories of resistance, collaboration, bravery, and denial as it travels to over 130 addresses in the city. For McQueen, it was an opportunity to give a window into that tumultuous period, as well as hold a mirror up to its relevance to the present day.

"With the example of our film, by coincidence of course, it's almost like history repeating itself a little bit," he continues. "If you remain passive, things are gonna happen. You’ve got no one else to blame other than yourselves, you can't just turn your back."

Historical record

One of the key parts of crafting the narrative of Occupied City was working on the narration that accompanied the images on screen. The premise is based on Stigter’s rigorously researched book, 'Atlas of an Occupied City (Amsterdam 1940-1945)'. Released in 2019, it tells the stories of everyday life in Amsterdam during the war, focusing on both the visible and invisible traces it left on the city.

The narrative of Stigter’s book leans into the factual, sharing incredible true stories, and that’s something that both she and McQueen wanted to keep in its visual retelling. Actor Melanie Hyams lends her voice to the project, which treads the line between cold facts and personal trauma.

"Well, it can’t not be unemotional, but how Bianca wrote it in the book was very factual," McQueen explains, as Stigter adds: "I think with this kind of subject matter, all you have to do is let it speak for itself. Then [you] try to be very open to all the emotions. You don't need us to tell you and warn you – the material will do it itself."

Lengthy matter

With such heavy and detailed subject matter, it’s little surprise that the film is McQueen’s longest to date, at a hefty four hours and 22 minutes. When it’s shown in cinemas, it will be aired with an interval in the middle, but such a runtime may be quite an overwhelming prospect. However, as the filmmakers point out, this is kind of the point.

McQueen explains that they filmed enough for a 36-hour version of the documentary, but they whittled it down in its final cut. "Length is not a deterrent," he tells GR+. "What it is, is this subject matter is asking us to look at it in this way. This couldn't be an hour-and-a-half movie. In fact, it'd be a disservice to it."

Stigter agrees, adding that it adds to the intended impact of the film. "I think the material and the way it was done demands that kind of length," she says. "It's not something snappy, it’s something deep that you can really let yourself be overwhelmed by."

Occupied City is in UK and Irish cinemas now and available to buy on streaming in the US. To see what else you should be watching at the cinema, be sure to check out our Big Screen Spotlight series.

James Cameron and Paul Rudd have teamed up for a new documentary series about a mysterious underwater creature. 

That series is Secrets of the Octopus, which follows on the heels of Secrets of the Whales (narrated by Sigourney Weaver) and Secrets of the Elephants (narrated by Natalie Portman). 

Rudd will narrate the new show, which is coming from National Geographic and executive producer Cameron. Cameron, of course, is both a film director and an undersea explorer, and he's actually National Geographic's explorer-at-large. 

"They're the most mysterious creatures on Earth," Rudd says in the documentary series' trailer. "They're masterminds. Shapeshifters. They're just so incredibly alien, and yet more like us than we ever could've imagined."

"It's been an incredible journey learning about these mysterious creatures and their interconnected lives. I can't imagine audiences won't be as blown away with the secret lives of octopuses as I was working on this series," Rudd said in a statement (H/T Variety). "If you're going to dive deep into natural history, you have to do it with National Geographic. I'm thrilled to be working with James Cameron and the Nat Geo team to deepen our connection with the ocean and all of its creatures and curiosities."

The series will consist of three parts, and it will premiere this April 21 on National Geographic. It will then be available to watch on Disney Plus and Hulu the following day. If you're looking for more nature documentaries, the good news is that Secrets of the Bees and Secrets of the Penguins are also on the way. 

In the meantime, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix documentaries.

New Netflix true crime documentary American Nightmare is leaving viewers hooked and horrified in equal measure.

The three-part series follows the real-life story of Diane Huskins, a woman who was kidnapped after a home invasion in 2015. Diane is later returned after 48 hours – with her story called into question by the police and the media storm surrounding the event inviting comparisons to Gone Girl. What follows is a harrowing, scarcely believable saga about trust, police actions, and injustice.

For many, it’s made their stomach turn – and shone a much-needed light on Diane’s story. 

"I just finished watching American Nightmare on Netflix and…. Yall… WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!!" one wrote on Twitter. Another said they were in a "complete state of shock."

Others, inevitably, felt strong emotions after sitting down to watch the Netflix documentary. As one put it, "The anger that came over me watching this Netflix American Nightmare documentary…"

Another viewer remarked, "American Nightmare on Netflix is absolutely wild. Same producers who made Tinder Swindler, but even better. Just 3 episodes too," while one described it as "horrifying."

"Watching American Nightmare on #Netflix and when I tell you I sat here repeating 'OMG' am in awe of that botched police job. Omg. My heart breaks for her," a viewer wrote.

American Nightmare is now streaming on Netflix.

For more to add to your watchlist, check out some of the best Netflix shows, best Netflix movies, and best Netflix documentaries you could be watching right now.

Netflix is back with another true crime series – and, this time, it focuses on a case that was dubbed the "real-life Gone Girl." 

Back in 2015, Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn were both drugged by an intruder at their home in California, who then kidnapped Denise and held her for ransom. When Quinn went to the police for help, he found himself under investigation – and suspicions were raised further when Huskins reappeared two days later, unharmed, outside her parents' house. Local police said they believed the kidnapping had been staged and demanded that the couple apologize to the public. 

Per Netflix's description, the three-part docuseries "unravels the consequences of our cultural rush to judgment, and the damage done when law enforcement decides the truth can’t possibly be true."

Gone Girl, a novel by Gillian Flynn, first published in 2012, that was adapted into a movie by David Fincher in 2014, follows Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), a woman who fakes her own abduction and whose husband Nick (Ben Affleck) is the police's prime suspect in her disappearance. 

The new series comes from Raw TV, the production company responsible for another Netflix true crime hit: 2022's The Tinder Swindler. That documentary centered on the Scandinavian women who were conned out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by Shimon Hayut, a man who pretended to be Simon Leviev, the son of a diamond tycoon, on the dating app Tinder. He reeled in victims by taking them on expensive dates and forming long-distance relationships, before asking them to take out lines of credit for him under their names – in order to pay for what he claimed to be extensive security needs. 

American Nightmare is streaming now. For more, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other best Netflix documentaries. 

If you love RoboCop – Paul Verhoeven’s classic 1987 tale of a cyborg law enforcer in a crime-ridden near-future Detroit – then you really need to check out RoboDoc. First aired on the Icon Film Channel, this four-part documentary (subtitled The Creation of RoboCop) couldn’t be more comprehensive. It runs for almost five hours, with no narrative tangent or piece of trivia deemed too obscure, and features an impressive array of talking heads, from lowly behind-the-scenes technicians to director Paul Verhoeven and star Peter Weller – many of whom are remarkably candid. SFX’s reviewer loved it, awarding it five stars and calling it “the ultimate treasure trove for fans”.

The series is now available to buy on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, which comes with 60 minutes of bonus features, plus an A4 poster and four art cards. We have three copies to give away – and we’re bundling them with another recent documentary: Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, which sees the star of A Nightmare On Elm Street holding forth in his inimitable style – not only delivering anecdotes about Freddy Krueger but, for example, the time he gave Mark Hamill stolen script pages to convince him to audition for Star Wars, and the day he shot Burt Reynolds’s wig off! 

Three lucky winners will receive Blu-rays of both docs. To put your name in the hat for the chance to win this great prize, simply answer the question below. 

Please note: this competition is open to UK residents only. 

Squid Game: The Challenge seems like it's set to live up to the brand name – the Netflix game show, based on the hit Korean drama, is earning rave reviews. 

Squid Game, which became Netflix's most-watched show ever, follows a group of people with financial struggles who are invited to take part in a mysterious survival competition with a hefty cash prize. They must compete in a series of traditional games, but with deadly twists, risking their lives for ₩45.6 billion (that's the equivalent of around $38 million).

Squid Game: The Challenge, however, starts out with 456 real-life contestants. The stakes are (obviously) not as high, and the prize money isn't quite as hefty as the reward in the original series. It's no small sum, though – the winner will take home $4.56 million, the largest single cash prize in game show history.

According to The Guardian's four-star review, the show "not only works, but may turn out to be the most gripping reality TV since The Traitors."

"Squid Game had no shortage of twists, yet this might be the biggest one of all: With its eclectic cast and inventive updates to the original, Squid Game: The Challenge manages to serve up palpable suspense and authentic human drama without murdering a single contestant," reads Entertainment Weekly's review.

"The game show uses the language of modern reality television to realize, in its own strange way, the themes in Dong-hyuk’s parable of capitalism grinding human beings into dust. That reality television itself is an artifact of late-stage capitalism only underscores the point," says Vulture's review.

However, others aren't so sure. "The fear of death and anti-capitalist themes may have been replaced by a rabid consumerism (an apt metaphor for modern America, if not an intentional one), but Squid Game: The Challenge is obviously an epic of its genre," says The Independent's reviewer. "Like most epics, it’s overlong, overblown, and thinks it’s much smarter than it really is. But as a showcase for human desperation, and an illustration of the random brutality of chance, it just about sticks the landing."

All 10 episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge arrives on Netflix on November 22. In the meantime, add to your watch list with our picks of the other best Netflix shows streaming now.

Miss Americana herself Taylor Swift recently received a shout-out from none other than legendary director Christopher Nolan, who praised the singer for the way she chose to release her new blockbuster concert movie The Eras Tour.

During a City University of New York event on October 11, just a few days before Swift’s The Eras Tour opened in theaters, the director discussed the singer’s choice to bypass major Hollywood streamers and studios and partner directly with AMC Theatres to distribute the film instead.

"Taylor Swift is about to show the studios because her concert film is not being distributed by the studios, it’s being distributed by a theater owner, AMC, and it’s going to make an enormous amount of money," the Oppenheimer director said. "And this is the thing, [theatrical exhibition is] a format and a way of seeing things and sharing stories, or sharing experiences, that’s incredibly valuable. And if [the studios] don’t want it, somebody else will. So that’s just the truth of it."

Earlier this year, after negotiations with the major film studios fell through, Swift worked out an unusual deal with AMC theatres in which she gets to take home around 57% of ticket sales, with AMC taking a much smaller distribution fee. The singer’s self-produced smash hit grossed $92.8 million in North America and $123.5 million globally in its opening weekend, making it the seventh-biggest opening of 2023 and the biggest debut ever for a concert film. Variety estimates that Swift stands to make north of $60 million thanks to the AMC deal.

Nolan himself is no stranger to this year's stream of movie success, with his newest box office buster Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy opening to $942 million at the worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing biopic in film history.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is out in theatres Now. Oppenheimer will be available on digital platforms starting November 21. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond. 

A new trailer for Sly, Netflix's upcoming documentary about Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, has arrived.

"What is healthier, to live under the illusion and still have a glimmer of hope that you could have been great, or blow it and realize you're a failure?" Stallone asks over a montage of career-spanning clips. In the trailer, Stallone talks about coming to the realization that at the end of the day, it's not fame and success that's most important – it's family.

Stallone's acting career began in 1969, playing a number of uncredited extra roles before writing and starring in Rocky – which not only launched him into ultimate stardom but also became arguably one of the most significant films in pop culture. After playing John Rambo in the wildly successful First Blood, Stallone would go on to play Rambo in a number of films and cement his status as an action star. He currently stars alongside his daughter Scarlet Rose on the Paramount Plus crime drama Tulsa King.

Per the official synopsis, "this retrospective documentary offers an intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer, paralleling his inspirational underdog story with the indelible characters he has brought to life." Family, friends, and other Hollywood legends such as Quentin Tarantino all make appearances. The documentary received an R rating for language.

The film is directed by Thom Zimny, known for the several acclaimed documentaries he's made with Bruce Springsteen.

Sly is set to hit Netflix on November 3. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix movies to stream right now.

A documentary about the first Black Barbie is headed to Netflix from Shondaland, the team behind the smash hit Bridgerton. 

Per Variety, Netflix and Shondaland have picked up the global rights to the documentary film, which is named Black Barbie and is directed by Lagueria Davis. It debuted earlier this year at SXSW. Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers have joined as executive producers, while Davis, who penned the project, also produces. 

The documentary explores the story of the first ever Black Barbie doll, which wasn't released until 1980 – long after the original Barbie. 

Netflix's synopsis reads: "Black Barbie explores the impact of three Black women at Mattel responsible for the Black Barbie debut in 1980: Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins, and Stacey McBride Irby. Through insider interviews and charismatic retellings of what went down at Mattel in the days leading up to Black Barbie's debut, the documentary examines the importance of true representation – and how dolls aren't just dolls, but childhood symbols that can be crucial to identity formation and imagination." 

Davis, who is related to Mitchell, said in a statement: "Telling Black Barbie's story has been such a personal journey and it warms my heart to celebrate the legacy of my aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins and Stacey McBride Irby in our film." 

She added: "We couldn't have asked for better collaborators than Shondaland and Netflix to bring this story to the world."

As for Shondaland's Bridgerton, next up for the Netflix hit is Bridgerton season 3, which doesn't yet have a release date but will focus on Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. 

While you wait for Black Barbie, which is also currently undated, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix documentaries to stream now. 

No, really. Taylor Swift's The Era's Tour movie is headed for global box office domination – and it's already broken ticket presale records.

The docu-film is set to hit cinemas on October 13 (Swift's favorite number) in over 100 countries – and has already garnered over $65 million in ticket presales.

"The tour isn’t the only thing we’re taking worldwide," Swift wrote on Instagram. "Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13!"

This isn't any old movie event: per the tour announcement, "Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing, and dancing" are encouraged. If you dressed up for Barbie, prepare to come in your best Reputation or Red-era garb and trade bracelets with fellow Swifties while you wait in line for popcorn. And if you're not a Swiftie, you can probably expect to hear 100 teen girls singing "You Belong With Me" while you try to watch The Exorcist: Believer in the next theater over.

Per NME, the doc is being described as a "breathtaking, cinematic view" of The Eras Tour, which spans all of Swift's albums and includes a surprise non-single every night.

The film is projected to make over $100 million in its first weekend, which is a far cry from Swift's last two cinematic endeavors. The performer made a cameo in David O. Russell's Amsterdam, which grossed a total of $31 million against its $80 million budget. And we can't forget Cats, which grossed $75 million against its $95 million budget – and was an overall box office bomb. Her directorial efforts have fared far better, with the music video for the ten-minute version of "All Too Well," starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, hitting over 91 million views on Youtube.

Tickets for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour are on sale now. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.

A new true crime documentary is coming to Netflix – and it tells the real-life story of the trial that inspired The Conjuring 3. The Devil on Trial, releasing on the platform this October, will tell the story of the first and only time demonic possession has officially been used as a defense in a US murder trial.

In Connecticut in 1981, 19-year-old Arne Cheyenne Johnson claimed that he murdered his landlord Alan Bono while under the influence of demonic forces. Testimonies given in court said that Johnson became possessed while attending the exorcism of his girlfriend's younger brother, David Glatzel. The judge didn't accept Johnson's defense and he was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison, but he was released after five.

According to Netflix, the new documentary is "the first time many of the subjects directly involved in the events are telling their stories, sparking a new conversation about what happens when assumptions about reality are in direct conflict with strongly held beliefs."

The case was the inspiration for the plot of 2021's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, with Ruairi O'Connor playing Johnson. In real life, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren also investigated the case and performed the exorcism on David, as they do in the movie, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

The Devil on Trial arrives on Netflix on October 17. While we wait for it to hit the streamer, fill out your watch list with our picks of the best Netflix documentaries available now.

Produced by Uncut Gems directors the Safdie brothers and telling a remarkable true story, Telemarketers has quietly become one of the best-rated shows of the year so far. The HBO true crime documentary series has scored a whopping 95% critics' score and 100% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

The three-part show follows two unlikely office friends who stumble upon a bizarre truth behind the work they’ve been doing at a call center. Their day-to-day job persuading people to give money to charity is a catalyst for exposing the controversy at the heart of the American telemarketing industry. 

"We need to show the world what this place really does," says one of them in the trailer. "The media and the government haven’t been able to stop them, so now it’s up to us."

Most of the reviews so far have been glowing for the crime documentary, which has one of the highest ratings for a show on Rotten Tomatoes in 2023. TIME’s reviewer called it "one of the most exciting docu-series in years" thanks to its approach of "effortlessly dodging, and sometimes subtly parodying, every maudlin cliché of the true-crime genre."

Meanwhile, the Observer says, "Telemarketers is a fascinating portrait of a predatory industry, but it’s even better as a devoted character study, a warm-blooded testament to friendship, and an antidote to cynical acquiescence."

Viewer responses have been similarly positive, with one posting on Twitter: "Are any of you guys watching this? It's fantastic." Another added: "You guys should all watch the new Safdie brothers/Danny McBride produced Telemarketers docuseries because it is fucking insane." 

A third viewer puts it simply: "Slapping a must-watch tag on Telemarketers on HBO. If you're on this side of the internet you won't find a more fascinating watch. Absolutely amazing docu-series."

The show has already aired two episodes on MAX after beginning on August 13 and still has one final part airing on August 27. So there’s still time to catch up on what seems to be one of the most intriguing shows of 2023 to date. 

Check out our guide to the best true crime documentaries currently available to stream too.

"How could these two idiots become so bloody massive?" asks George Michael, rhetorically, at the beginning of Chris Smith’s joyous docu-portrait of 80s pop sensation Wham!.

In just four years, Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, two teenage buddies from Bushey in Hertfordshire, became a global force in music with hits like 'Club Tropicana', 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' and 'Last Christmas'. Their story is a genuine example of living the dream, something Smith conveys to a tee. 

Tracing the band’s stratospheric rise, Smith (American Movie, Sr.) delves deep into the archives, excavating rare footage of the band performing on their debut Club Fantastic tour in 1983. There are no talking heads. Instead, we get narration culled from audio interviews with Ridgeley and Michael. That the latter passed away in 2016 makes the film’s achievement all the more impressive; there are times when it feels like the two former bandmates are in dialogue with each other. 

Like Michael and Ridgeley, Smith’s film doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still finds time to tackle more serious topics, from Michael keeping his sexuality under wraps to the boys’ groundbreaking 1985 tour of China, which hadn’t previously hosted a western pop act. 

Best of all, Smith captures the 'lightning in a bottle' nature of Wham!: the fact that Ridgeley was ultra-supportive of his bandmate’s rapidly evolving talent as a songwriter. It’s rare indeed to find a music documentary that isn’t driven by jealousy and in-fighting, but instead brims with positivity. To borrow from Wham! themselves: fantastic.

Wham! is in cinemas on June 27 and on Netflix from July 5th. For more upcoming movies, check out our guide to 2023 movie release dates

As a kid, Stanley Lieber used to watch his unemployed dad desperately scanning newspaper ads for a job. Duly, Stanley decided early on that he wanted “a steady job” for life, and, perhaps, gained an early understanding of life struggles.  

As a 17-year-old, Stan banked a job and a life in comics, also making sure that his work spoke to people. Slickly assembled using archive footage (claymation fills any gaps) and Lee’s recorded voiceover by director David Gelb, this Disney+ doc is a hurried, surface-level celebration more than a complex study of Stan’s story. But it’s a winning one, which unpicks the through lines of Lee’s thinking with spider-nimble clarity. 

Gelb ushers us briskly from New York 1922 to Timely Comics in 1939, where Stan became - effectively - his own boss. Post-war and happily married, Lee continued writing comics and hit gold with some killer ideas: a sorrowful monster, a teen hero, a superhero team… 

The rest is well-told history, but Gelb shows clearly how Lee created heroes/monsters as complex characters, writing what he wanted to read with a guiding sense of empathy. Lee emerges as a moral entertainer and a receptive prism of late-20th-century American culture, especially circa the Vietnam and civil-rights eras. 

Subsequent years and hidden depths are sketchily detailed, though Lee’s conflicts with Steve Ditko aren’t ignored. But as we watch Lee still encouraging ‘true believers’ well into his old age, it’s hard not to be moved: that kid in ’20s New York would’ve loved the guy.

Stan Lee is on Disney+ on June 16. For more upcoming films, check out our 2023 movie release dates.

Michael J. Fox has raised over $1 billion for Parkinson's research, having been diagnosed with the disease at the age of 29.

Fox was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 13th Governors Awards in Los Angeles in November of last year. The actor founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, and was awarded an honorary Oscar on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for being "an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry."

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, directed by Davis Guggenheim, chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.

In a new interview with Variety that promotes the release of Still and celebrates Fox's life and accomplishments, the actor addresses the way others have reacted to his philanthropy, with many dubbing him a hero.

"It’s just a nice way of people letting me know they are moved by my acceptance of things and by the way that I’ve tried to make a difference,” he said. "But no matter how much I sit here and talk to you about how I’ve philosophically accepted it and taken its weight, Parkinson’s is still kicking my ass. I won’t win at this. I will lose."

"But," Fox added optimistically, "there’s plenty to be gained in the loss."

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is available to stream on Apple TV Plus. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

The first trailer for Netflix's Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary – aptly titled Arnold – has arrived, and it teases a behind the scenes look at the actor/bodybuilder/politician's epic and unbelievable life story. 

The trailer, which you can watch above, features Schwarzenegger talking about his life, interspersed with plenty of archival footage. "There was a lot of things that I had to learn. Obstacles that I had to overcome," Schwarzenegger says in the clip. "You can get an injury, then all the athletic stuff is over. But the only thing that no one can take from you is your mind."

The documentary will arrive in three parts and is billed as covering Schwarzenegger's "journey from the countryside of Austria to the highest echelons of the American dream." The series will also feature interviews from the actor's "friends, foes, co-stars and observers," intriguingly enough. Lesley Chilcott directs and executive produces what promises to be a fascinating look behind the curtain at an action legend. 

This isn't Schwarzenegger's only project at Netflix, either. He's making his very first TV show for the streamer, starring in FUBAR opposite Monica Barbaro, who will play his daughter. The show sees father and daughter discover they're actually both CIA operatives, which prompts them to realize they really don't know a thing about each other. The rest of the cast includes Jay Baruchel, Aparna Brielle, Andy Buckley, and The Last of Us's Gabriel Luna. 

Arnold will release on Netflix this June 7, while FUBAR arrives on May 25. Fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies to stream now. 

The first clip from Stephen King on Screen, a new documentary described as "the ultimate guide to the King of your nightmares", is here.

The brief snippet features Mike Flanagan – a longtime King aficionado and Haunting of Hill House creator – discussing the "terrific female characters" of the writer’s work, as well as the impact certain women have had on King’s life.

Flanagan, who brought King’s horror novel Gerald’s Game to life on the big screen back in 2017 and then Doctor Sleep in 2019, also talks about the role King's wife Tabitha had in shaping (and saving) one of the author's most iconic works in Carrie.

"If you listen to him talk about Tabitha and you realize that she pulled the manuscript of Carrie out of the trashcan when he threw it in there in complete despair; when you imagine her being the first set of eyes on one of his stories and getting him that first critical feedback… it’s very easy to see where he gets a lot of that fortitude and mettle that his heroines have," Flanagan explains.

GamesRadar+ and Total Film also has the exclusive first look at the artwork for Stephen King on Screen, which features King and iconography from some of his most famous stories.

As per the synopsis, Stephen King on Screen features a legion of famous faces sitting down to talk about their own experiences with King’s work.

"Fans of the beloved nightmare writer are given the chance to meet the directors and creatives who brought unforgettable stories to the big screen from Carrie to IT, Misery, Stand By Me, Cujo, Children of the Corn, and more. Join Hollywood legends Frank Darabont, Tim Curry, Tom Holland, James Caan, Mike Flanagan, and more as they discuss their own journeys into the fantastical world of Stephen King."

Stephen King on Screen is heading to digital in the UK on June 26 and will be released theatrically in the US and Canada later this summer.

Welcome to Wrexham season 2 is coming to Disney Plus and Hulu later this year. The documentary following actors Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynolds buying a Welsh football team was a runaway hit when its first season aired in 2022.

Across 18 episodes, it followed the stars learning about how football actually works as well as implementing a series of changes in the club. Called a bit of a real-life Ted Lasso, it charted the team’s luck across the season as they aimed to get promoted. 

Disney shared the news that the show would be back this year on social media alongside an image of co-owners McElhenny and Reynolds holding a trophy. While it’s a bit of a spoiler alert, those who’ve been following the football club will know that a lot has gone on since the end of season one.

The underdog club has been promoted to the Football League (League Two – the fourth tier of English football) for the first time in 15 years. McElhenny and Reynolds have been celebrating the news with a few famous friends since it happened.

Ant-Man star Paul Rudd partied alongside the pair after watching the team come from behind to beat Boreham Wood 3-1 in their match on April 22. Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo also joined the post-match celebrations as well, bringing more Hollywood to the Welsh town.

There will certainly be a lot for the documentary to cover when it airs later in 2023, but at the moment we don’t have a release date for the series.

In the meantime, check out our guides to the best Netflix documentaries and the best Disney Plus shows to stream right now.

He gets knocked down, but he gets up again; you’re never going to keep him down. That’s the main takeaway from this intimate survey of Michael J. Fox’s life and times, one that movingly juxtaposes the giddying highs of his 80s heyday ("I was bigger than bubblegum") with the daily struggles he now faces from the Parkinson’s disease he was diagnosed with in 1991.

The title of Davis Guggenheim’s documentary works two ways, reminding us its subject is still the boyish scamp from Back to the Future while also alluding to one of his defining attributes: a nervous, skittery energy that, while integral to Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and Spin City’s Mike Flaherty, must now be restrained lest it cause him serious physical injury. 

"You knocked me off my feet!" he tells a fan amiably after a brief New York encounter sees him tumble on the sidewalk. A little stillness would not go amiss, at least as far as doting spouse Tracy is concerned. 

Yet it’s heartening to find Fox so fearlessly unhumbled by his condition and the mobility problems that come with it. One of the star’s stipulations before consenting to this film was that it would have "no violins". By its end you’ll be happy to give him the whole flipping orchestra.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie will be in select cinemas in the UK and streaming globally on Apple TV Plus on May 12. For more upcoming movies, check out our breakdown of all of the 2023 movie release dates.

Apple TV Plus has released the first trailer for STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie.

Here's how Apple describes the documentary: "Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like… well, like a Michael J. Fox movie."

In the trailer, which can be viewed above, we see a montage of clips from Fox's long film career, including a popular scene from Back to the Future in which Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) tells Marty (Fox) that he built a time machine out of a DeLorean. The actor is perhaps best known for the role of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy as well as the sitcom Family Ties.

"What does it mean to be still?" asks director Davis Guggenheim (He Named Me Malala). Fox replies: "I wouldn't know, I was never still."

Throughout the trailer's brief recap of Fox's career, the actor talks about when he noticed early signs of Parkinson's Disease – leading him to be diagnosed at the young age of 29. The documentary also features Fox's wife, actress Tracy Pollan, whom he married in 1988. The two have been together for 34 years.

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie will is set to hit Apple TV Plus on May 12, 2023. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

The first full trailer for Evil Dead Rise is here and, well, it's every bit as intense, disgusting, and terrifying as you were likely hoping.

Although Evil Dead Rise isn't a sequel to the 2013 reboot, from the trailer it appears to carry the same dramatic weight and generally dark, foreboding tone as compared to the much sillier original trilogy. Ironically, Evil Dead Rise reportedly "builds off" the original trilogy, and as such, the series' creator, Sam Raimi, and its iconic chainsaw-wielding leading man, Bruce Campbell, are executive producers.

The first Evil Dead Rise trailer is absolutely gruesome and genuinely terrifying. Never mind the needle that gets up close and personal with a human eye or the cringe-inducing use of a cheese grater as a torture device - or maybe worst of all, the abrupt scalping of a character by hand - the trailer capitalizes on a debilitating and fundamental human fear: a filicidal mother, seen here deranged and possessed by the Necronomicon, promising her petrified daughter that her ailment is "nothing a big old kiss from you can't fix."

The fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise stars estranged sisters Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan as Ellie and Beth, respectively, whose reunion in downtown Los Angeles goes south when flesh-possessing demons emerge from the bowels of Ellie's apartment. It looks like the main antagonist will be the possessed Ellie, but I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see other characters (and items) become possessed by the Book of the Dead as well.

Evil Dead Rise is due to possess theaters on April 21, 2023. In the meantime, here are some more upcoming horror movies to make your neck hairs stand to attention.

The live-action My Hero Academia movie is going to be produced by Netflix.

Deadline reports that Netflix has come on to produce and distribute the live-action film adaptation of the My Hero Academia manga and anime, in partnership with Legendary Entertainment. Shinsuke Sato is still on board as director and executive producer.

Joby Harold is writing the film's screenplay. Harold wrote and directed the Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba-led thriller Awake back in 2007, and has more recently written the screenplays for films like King Arthur: Legend of of the Sword and Army of the Dead. He also wrote the script for the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

You'd be forgiven if you've forgotten that a My Hero Academia movie is in the works, but the project has been kicking around since 2018. In 2021, we learned that Shinsuke Sato was on board as a director. Sato has previously directed a number of live-action anime and manga adaptations in Japan, including Gantz, Death Note: Light Up the New World, Bleach, Inuyashiki, and Kingdom. My Hero Academia will be his first English-language film.

Despite fan backlash to previous anime adaptations like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, Netflix is continuing to push forward with them. A show based on the long-running One Piece series is perhaps the most notable of these upcoming projects.

My Hero Academia is about a world where the vast majority of the Earth's population has been born with Quirks - essentially X-Men-style superpowers. The My Hero Academia Season 6 release schedule is well underway, and you can follow that link for details on where to stream the latest episodes.

From the classics to the latest hits, you shouldn't miss any of the best anime.

The Harry and Meghan Netflix series may have only just been released on the streaming platform, but plenty of viewers will have already watched the first three episodes. The series gives viewers an intimate insight into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's life, from their first meeting to their time in the Royal Family, and finally their current life living in California. 

Billed as a ‘Global Netflix Event’, the documentary is probably as close to appointment television as it gets in the age of streaming. So if you've already seen the first three episodes, you'll likely be keen to know when exactly it will be back. We've broken this down for wherever you're streaming from – and luckily you won't be waiting long.

Harry and Meghan release schedule: when is Volume 2 on Netflix?

Harry and Meghan volume 2 will be available to stream on Netflix on December 15. The final three episodes will be released at midnight Pacific/3:00 AM Eastern, which is 8:00 AM GMT.

The first three episodes were made available on December 8, so luckily viewers won't have too long to wait between the Volumes. 

The complete Harry and Meghan release schedule looks like this:

• Harry and Meghan Volume 1 (episodes 1-3): out now!
• Harry and Meghan Volume 2 (episodes 4-6): December 15

How many Harry and Meghan episodes are there?

Harry and Meghan will be six episodes long and, according to Netflix, will cover "the span of their relationship, from the early days of the couple’s courtship to the challenges and controversies that prompted them to step back from the royal family."

For more from the streamer, check out our collection of the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies you should be watching right now.

Netflix's new documentary series Pepsi, Where's My Jet? is proving a hit with critics, netting a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The show tells the true story of John Leonard, a college student who ended up battling PepsiCo in court over the company's Pepsi Stuff commercial, which promised you could exchange Pepsi Points for certain rewards. One in particular caught Leonard's eye: a Harrier jet valued at 7 million Pepsi Points. Though PepsiCo said the jet's inclusion was a joke, the ad didn't feature any disclaimer. Leonard set out to get the jet, ultimately spending $700,000 on Pepsi Points (with the help of his wealthy friend Todd Hoffman).

"The filmmakers do a good job of putting this story into perspective," says Decider's Joel Keller. "It's goofy and silly, but it's definitely illustrative of what could happen if even companies as big as PepsiCo and their advertising firm don't close as many loopholes as possible. It's arrogance, a stance that no one would possibly try to trade points for a fighter jet. But you knew that someone was going to try to take advantage of Pepsi's mistakes."  

"Netflix has a habit of stretching ideas well past their breaking point, turning something that could maybe be one episode of 20/20 into a mini-series. I presumed that would be the case here, but [director Andrew] Renzi keeps the entire thing lighter on its feet than most Netflix docu-series," writes RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico. "It's got a playful spirit that matches the Pepsi ad campaigns of the era with pop music from the '90s and even fun bits like making every interview subject take the Pepsi Challenge – a blind taste-test of Pepsi and Coke. Renzi is clearly an ace interviewer, and it helps a great deal that Leonard and Hoffman are just remarkably likable (even if Pepsi would disagree)."

"The docuseries from Netflix, Pepsi, Where's My Jet? tries to encapsulate a marketing age that promoted exclusivity. The series is part cola wars and part millennial Mad Men while being absurdly addictive, if not two episodes too long," writes M.N. Miller for Ready Steady Cut. 

"The case made history and is now included in legal textbooks and teaching in the US. As television, it's absolute gubbins – and very gentle documentary-making indeed," writes Lucy Mangan for The Guardian. "A David and Goliath case in which Goliath has just as reasonable an argument as David and the moral stakes are so low as to be negligible is not the stuff of legend, even if it is of case law. But if you're up for the viewing equivalent of a can of sweet fizz and empty calories, this will slip down just fine."

You can stream all four episodes of Pepsi, Where's My Jet? now – and if you're looking for more viewing recommendations, check out our guide to the best Netflix documentaries to fill out your watchlist. 

Tom Hardy is set to narrate a new documentary series for Sky Nature.

Predators centers on six apex predators – Polar Bears in Canada, Wild Dogs in Zimbabwe, Puma in Chile, Lions in Botswana, Brown Bears in Russia, and Cheetahs in Tanzania – in the wild that will "face the ultimate test to survive as their rapidly changing world impacts both their own lives and that of the wild kingdoms over which they rule." In this ever-shifting landscape, each predator must overcome new challenges and take new opportunities in order to survive.

Per Sky Nature, the predators will "grapple with multiple responsibilities" as "deadly hunters, caring parents, and cunning survivors who hold secrets and thrilling stories in their quest to survive."

The series marks Sky's first-ever co-production with Netflix.

Hardy just wrapped up production on Netflix's Havoc, which stars the actor as a detective who must fight his way through a seedy criminal underworld to rescue a politician's son. He's currently filming The Bikeriders alongside Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus, Michael Shannon, Austin Butler, Boyd Holbrook, and Mike Faist.

David Attenborough, now 96, is perhaps best known for narrating multiple nature docs for the BBC and Sky. He's also set to narrate Our Planet 2 on Netflix in 2023.

Predators is set to air on Sky Nature and streaming service NOW on December 11, 2022.

For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2022 and beyond, or, check out our round-up of the best Netflix TV shows to stream right now.

The best documentaries on Netflix are often overlooked, with the streamer more likely to be associated with its movies and TV shows instead. If you're in the mood for something factual and informative, though there's no shortage of real-life stories on the platform, covering topics from sports to true crime. 

The Staircase follows the case of Michael Peterson, an author accused of murdering his wife, while David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet takes a look at the impact of climate change on animals and humanity alike. There are some classics of the genre on here, too, like Seaworld exposé Blackfish, as well as docs covering famous figures like Michael Jordan and Jim Carrey.

We've rounded up the 25 best documentaries on Netflix to add to your watch list, so sit back, relax, and get stuck into your new favorite doc. For more real-life tales, you can take a look at our picks of the best true crime podcasts, too.

The best documentaries on Netflix

The Deepest Breath

The documentary: This new doc follows freediver Alessia Zecchini and safety diver Stephen Keenan as they take on the ocean in an attempt to break a world record. Directed by Laura McGann, whose previous work includes a documentary about female roller derby skaters in Ireland, the movie premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. 

Why it's worth a watch: Beautiful (and terrifying) footage of the ocean is coupled with a compelling story and a twist of tragedy to make a tense, thriller-esque watch. For anyone interested in what lurks beneath the surface of the sea, and the people determined to explore it.

Pepsi, Where's My Jet?

The documentary:  John Leonard was a college student when he saw the Pepsi Stuff commercial, an ad that promised you could exchange Pepsi Points for certain rewards. One prize in particular, though, caught Leonard's attention: a Harrier jet, valued at 7 million Pepsi Points. The ad didn't feature any disclaimer that, as PepsiCo argued, the jet's inclusion was merely a joke – so Leonard set out to get his jet. The quest took him all the way to battling PepsiCo in court. 

Why it's worth a watch: The docu-series has proved a hit with critics, netting a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and tells a wild true story with low enough stakes that it makes for a laid-back but thoroughly enjoyable watch. 

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

The documentary: Despite passing away in 1995, painter Bob Ross' place in pop culture remains as strong as ever. Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed looks beyond Ross' outwardly cheerful disposition to uncover a legacy that has been hijacked in what Ross' son Steve calls a "shameful" act.

Why it's worth a watch: Bob Ross is ubiquitous even now, but have we ever questioned why that is? Happy Accidents, Betrayal, & Greed shines a much-needed light on the murky underbelly of profiting on a celebrity long after they've passed - and who seeks to gain from it. 

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

The documentary: Renowned documentary maker David Attenborough takes a step back from looking at nature to see how humanity has wreaked havoc on the animal kingdom and the environment, all while describing first-hand how the world has changed since he began his career in the '50s.

Why it's worth a watch: David Attenborough’s nature documentaries are often jaw-dropping. A Life on Our Planet is, too, but for different reasons than usual. Acting as a wake-up call for a planet sleepwalking towards global disaster, Attenborough’s message is a sharp shock to the system – but an essential one if we want to keep marveling at the creatures we share a planet with.

Athlete A

The documentary: Athlete A follows the journalists who helped break one of the biggest stories in US sport: the sex abuse scandal that tore through American gymnastics and ruined countless lives.

Why it's worth a watch: Netflix is fast becoming the place to watch some of the most gut-wrenching, yet necessary, stories of our time. Not only is Athlete A an eye-opening look into the continued brilliance and hard work of investigative journalists, but it’s also a grim reminder of the evil that often hides in plain sight.

Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King

The documentary: Gerry Cotten, founder and CEO of Canadian cryptocurrency QuadrigaCX, owed his fellow investors over $250 million – then he died. The film, directed by Luke Sewell, follows the investors as they investigate Cotten’s death and figure out just where the money might have ended up.

Why it's worth a watch: It’s a bizarre story that explores multiple theories surrounding Cotten's death – with a particularly strong one being that he faked his death and ran off with the cash. It also features a dude in a 3D-printed raccoon-head mask speaking in one of those distorted voices meant to hide your identity.

The Social Dilemma

The documentary: A deep dive into social media and how it’s used as a tool of misinformation and corruption in a world where everyone is almost always online.

Why it's worth a watch: Not many documentaries will make you rethink having a Facebook account, let’s put it that way. Social media continues to dominate our lives, but not many have put much thought into the impact of that – until now. The Social Dilemma is a captivating, chilling watch on how everything from algorithms to AI is secretly controlling and manipulating our lives.

The Most Hated Man on the Internet

The documentary: In 2010, Hunter Moore ran a website called IsAnyoneUp?, which allowed anonymous users to post nude photos of their ex-partners with the intention of ruining their lives. Moore made sure to post their full name and other identifying information, including links to their social media. Several underage girls were posted to the site as well, and Moore earned roughly $8k to $13k in monthly website revenue. 

Why it's worth a watch: While many remember the website's existence, followed by Moore's abrupt exit from the internet, many don't know the truly horrifying impact his actions had on the lives of so many young women. It took the combined effort of an angry mother named Charlotte Laws who was destined to get justice for her child, a former Marine named James McGibney, and the internet's own Anonymous to finally bring Moore down and end his reign as a self-proclaimed "professional life ruiner." 

The Last Dance

The documentary: Charting the Chicago Bulls' 1997/98 season, The Last Dance documents that fateful year with archival footage and interviews with Michael Jordan and some of his closest allies and enemies. The ups, the downs, and the slam dunks all feature.

Why it's worth a watch: You don't need to be a basketball fan to get the most out of The Last Dance. The joint ESPN/Netflix production dives deep into what makes one of the biggest icons of the 20th Century tick: feuds, fights with the front office, and family stories all feature heavily here. It's all presented in a way that lets you learn as you go, without being condescending. Plus, if you are into b-ball, then you can rest easy in the knowledge that you're seeing a hidden side of one of the sport's greatest dynasties. Hundreds of hours of previously unseen footage were used for The Last Dance, and it offers a unique, complex take on the man they once called 'Air.'

Mercury 13

The documentary: Tackling a topic that sadly still permeates our culture, Mercury 13 is nevertheless a must-see, diving into the reality of being a female astronaut in the '60s. Don’t remember these women? The film explores why that’s the case, revealing the truth behind their absence in history. Dubbed the Mercury 13 – after the first US space mission, Mercury – these women underwent the same rigorous testing as their male counterparts, and yet were denied the chance to take flight.

Why it's worth a watch: A piece of history that many of us just don't know about, this is one of many examples of sexism that’s so ingrained in our collective past that we don't realize it. If you’re a fan of untold backstories, you’ll be both enthralled and, at times, enraged by the story of these remarkable women and how their dreams were backburnered because of their gender. Told via interviews with the remaining members of the group, this is a fascinating cultural document. 

The Bleeding Edge

The documentary: Healthcare. Anyone who’s been shocked to hear their pharmacist utter the words, "That’ll be $800, please" for a 30-day prescription knows this is a lucrative industry. That’s what makes The Bleeding Edge such a succulent topic for a documentary, as delves into another medical avenue, the $400 billion medical device industry. Yes, you heard that correctly. Exploring five devices and the havoc they’ve caused patients, this is jaw-dropping – and very necessary – viewing.

Why it's worth a watch: Whether you live in a country with free healthcare or not, the sheer gall of some companies in rushing out products prior to being thoroughly vetted is astonishing. Which, of course, makes for compelling viewing.

Hot Girls Wanted

The documentary: Porn is something that none of us feels 100% comfortable talking about, but, if we're honest, we're all familiar with it one way or another. If you've ever wondered what it's like to work in the multi-million dollar porn industry, American documentary film Hot Girls Wanted is for you. Directed by filmmakers Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, the documentary follows the lives of several 18- and 19-year-old pornographic actresses and premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2015 before being snapped up by Netflix.

Why it's worth a watch: This documentary doesn't pull any punches and shows some of the best and worst aspects of working in the porn industry. Netflix was obviously pleased with its reception, as it released an accompanying documentary TV show called Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On to further explore the story.

Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond

The documentary: If you're a fan of comedian Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey, or the 1999 biopic which starred Carrey as Kaufman, Man on the Moon, this is the documentary for you. Director Chris Smith focuses on Carrey during the filming of Man on the Moon, in which he stayed in character as Kaufman throughout production, using contemporary interviews with Carrey and never-before-seen footage of the making of Man on the Moon. 

Why it's worth a watch: It's almost scary how easily Carrey brings his idol Kaufman back to life. The studio reportedly didn't want the behind-the-scenes footage to ever be released and, once you see it, you'll understand why. It's clear that Carrey's commitment to the role caused problems on set, but Jim and Andy is a compelling story about two of the world's biggest comedians and why they do what they do. 

Icarus

The documentary: Icarus is definitive proof that twists and turns aren't reserved for the fiction of Hollywood. Filmmaker and cyclist Bryan Fogel planned to make a film about doping in the sports industry, choosing to load himself up on steroids and document the experience. Think of it like Super Size Me, but with pharmaceutical-grade meds instead of Big Macs. His plan was to see how easy it is to get away with doping in professional sport. 

Why it's worth a watch: That concept – of trying to get away with doping in sport – is an intriguing enough premise in light of Lance Armstrong's shenanigans. However, what Fogel winds up discovering after speaking with a Russian doctor completely changes the purpose of the doc, turning Icarus into a powerful, political thriller.

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The Staircase

The documentary: In 2001, a 911 operator received a call from a distraught husband after discovering his wife’s body at the bottom of the stairs. That individual is author Michael Peterson, who became the subject of a documentary that unfurls over the course of a decade. Did Kathleen Peterson really fall? Or was she the victim of domestic violence? The French filmmaking crew who tackle the case began rolling immediately after Michael’s indictment, and are given free rein of the entire Peterson family, which in itself is surrounded by as many bizarre twists as the murder case. 

Why it's worth a watch: So you can enjoy spiraling into the vast array of fan theories afterward! This is a compelling true crime series much like Making a Murderer. Unlike that series, The Staircase has a huge biased edge: as the doc was filmed intermittently over the course of a decade, the editor of the documentary grew close to Peterson and ended up dating him. Seriously, get this watched.

Cheer

The documentary: It’s a behind-the-scenes look into the world of competitive cheerleading told through the eyes of the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team and their coach Monica Aldama.

Why it's worth a watch: Cheerleading is much more than shaking some pom-poms and screaming "Go team!" It’s a competitive, team-based sport that can take a toll on both the mind and body. Cheer is a heartwarming docuseries about drive, passion, and unity, told through the lens of characters that you just can’t help but root for. Season 2 takes on a much darker tone, as it deals with serious allegations against a former team member and highlights the brave victims who brought them to light.

My Octopus Teacher

The documentary: A cross-species friendship like this is something you'd probably expect to see in an animated movie rather than a documentary. My Octopus Teacher chronicles the bond between an intrepid young octopus and filmmaker Craig Foster. Foster not only earns the octopus' trust but is also given the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of her life, while picking up some more profound lessons along the way. 

Why it's worth a watch: This doc scored an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature and has scooped plenty of wins and nominations for other awards, as well as critical acclaim, since its 2020 release. It's not your average nature documentary, with its close focus on one subject and the relationship between octopus and filmmaker, and there's much to reflect on about humanity and nature by the time the credits roll. 

Meltdown: Three Mile Island

The documentary: The Three Mile Island accident saw the partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor – and is still to this day the worst nuclear accident in United States history.

Why it's worth a watch: The doc is a four-part slow-burn that really builds and builds the impending terror in the days leading up to the disaster. It effectively illustrates how America was just minutes away from its own Chernobyl disaster and highlights the way thousands of civilians were able to narrowly escape being affected by radiation.

The Tinder Swindler

The documentary: Simon Leviev, while masquerading as the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul, used the dating app Tinder in order to meet women and emotionally manipulate them into lending him hundreds and thousands of dollars.

Why it's worth a watch: Though it may seem like a story about a scammer on a dating app, it's actually a terrifyingly honest look at the way narcissists and abusers prey on and purposely seek out vulnerable people. The lives of each victim were ruined, and many are still struggling to rebuild.

Virunga

The documentary: If you thought Gorillas in the Mist was harrowing, then prepare yourself for what the inhabitants of Virunga National Park face. We're not just talking simians, but the brave park rangers whose attempts to rescue these mountain gorillas from extinction is an utterly heart-wrenching feat. The film scored an Oscar nomination for its exposé on the Congolese park, the horror of poachers, and the devious tactics of oil companies.

Why it's worth a watch: Be prepared to shed absolute buckets at the horrors. It isn't entirely bleak, though, as the real message here is the lengths that people will go to in order to save a species.

Chef's Table

The documentary: You've seen Masterchef, you've gobbled up Bake Off, and now it's time to dip into the process of culinary perfection. Profiling six prestigious world-renowned chefs, whose discipline and determination are staggering, the series visits each of them in their own restaurants. It's like watching artists at work. There's no contest here to maintain your interest and no drive to the finish as popularized by most cooking shows. 

Why it's worth a watch: Okay, sure, there's no contest so you might be wondering what the appeal is. This isn't about the commercialism of the restaurant industry, either, it's simply about how the creative process is born in each chef and the joy they derive from plating up their masterpieces.

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

The documentary: Chronicles the tale of the infamous Fyre Festival of 2017, which promised a paradisiacal getaway to the Bahamas, but quickly turned into a scene straight out of Lord of the Flies thanks to the wild mismanagement of its overconfident organisers – and particularly its chief fraudster, Billy McFarland.

Why it's worth a watch: In 2019, nothing gets more cathartic than watching the irresponsible follies and misdeeds of America's elite finally come back to hit them where it hurts. Fyre provides exactly that kind of guilty euphoria, as director Chris Smith (Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond) successfully paints an alarming picture of "entrepreneur" Billy McFarland's arrogance, arguably sociopath tendencies, and sheer deluded sense of desperation. 

Blackfish

The documentary: The truth behind keeping whales in captivity is chronicled in this Netflix Original, tracing the story of an Orca named Tilikum who killed three humans at Sea World. While there's no doubt those deaths were tragic, filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite delves into why the killer whale acted in this way. Is it in his nature? Or was it because he was torn away from his family at two years of age and kept in isolation and confinement for twenty years? Hearing the testimonies of his former trainers will only further break your heart.

Why it's worth a watch: Both sides of the nature versus nurture coin are explored here in an attempt to make sense of a chewy moral dilemma. This story is one that continues to make waves – should animals be kept in captivity for our entertainment? – making this a must-see Netflix documentary.

Making a Murderer

The documentary: Have you heard about Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit? Two years after his exoneration he was found guilty of murder. So, did he do it? This docuseries covers his life extensively, beginning with his first brush with crime right up until the present day.

Why it's worth a watch: One of the best documentaries on Netflix – if not one of the best true crime documentaries ever made – this is utterly compelling storytelling. It's the murder trial episodes that carry the most tension, as Avery's defense team argues he was framed by the Manitowoc police department and backs it up with some pretty convincing evidence. There's a reason this show has captured the public's interest.

Amanda Knox

The documentary: The case of Amanda Knox is a controversial one. In 2007 the American student was put on trial for the murder of Meredith Kercher. Both had been studying abroad in Perugia, Italy when Kercher was found brutally butchered. A hotbed of speculation sprang up surrounding Knox's involvement and the media painted her as the villain. She, her boyfriend, and a third party were all tried for murder with the former pair eventually walking free after serving four years behind bars. 

Why it's worth a watch: Told as a story, the case itself is fascinating. However, what makes it so compelling are the one-on-one conversations captured on film, including interviews with Knox.

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Finding the best horror remakes can be a difficult task, because no genre is subject to remakes quite as often as the scary movie – and the results are usually varied. That's where we come in. We've rounded up the best fresh spins on a horror classic to bring you 25 of the greatest remakes to try this Halloween. Whether you're in the mood for body horror, the walking dead, slashers, or even vampires, we've got a film for you on our list.

Maybe you feel like checking out a Stephen King tale, in which case go for It, or you want a terrifying alien story, like Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. For blood-suckers, look no further than Nosferatu the Vampyre or Let Me In, and for zombies, there's Dawn of the Dead and The Crazies. So, if you're ready to get scared silly this Halloween, scroll on to check out the best horror movie remakes ever.

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25. House of Wax (2005)

Laugh all you like. This mid-noughties remake has aged nicely, or should that be, horribly. Not a straight-up remake of the Vincent Price 1953 flick – it borrows more from 1979 cult PG slasher Tourist Trap – don’t let semantics or Paris Hilton’s presence prevent you from diving into this surprisingly gory flick. Populated by a cast of impossibly beautiful twentysomethings, the blood soon starts to flow when a group of stranded friends stumble across a ramshackle tourist attraction filled with wax figures. But they’re not artificial – they’re real people! This is way nastier than you’d expect, with one sequence featuring Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki likely to make your lunch violently reappear. Well, it’s to be expected, this movie does involve teenagers encased in wax while they’re still alive. 

24. Sorority Row (2009)

The original House on Sorority Row isn’t considered one of the best horror movies of all time. It’s not counted among the best slashers, either. To be honest, it’s kinda awful. That’s what makes Sorority Row’s very existence so interesting. Why did anyone think to remake a terrible college slasher? In that regard – and to paraphrase Yazz – the only way is up, baby. Landing at the end of the '00s when horror remakes dropped into multiplexes every other week, it’s a fun, over-the-top romp that’s seldom interested in logistics or being believable and more concerned with a death count and hammy one-liners. Its starry cast of former up-and-comers are given free rein to camp it up, yet none match the shotgun-totin’ madness of Carrie Fisher. Yes. Carrie Fisher. Destined to be a cult classic. 

23. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

Twisting the 1981 film’s storyline as a way to avoid replicating the original beat-for-beat in itself makes My Bloody Valentine 3D stand apart from other remakes. It tacks on the last act of the original to its opening, then springboards forward into its own sadistic tale. The backstory goes like this: a mining accident leaves a group of men caved in, yet luckily one of the miners survives. After beating the rest to death so he can have their oxygen, of course! Ten years later, the small-town of Harmony fears the surviving miner Harry Warden has returned. Tense and claustrophobic, and entirely happy to surrender to its own silliness (Kerr Smith plays a Sheriff called Axel), this holiday-themed remake from Patrick Lussier packs in a decent amount of scares and some inventive death scenes. Just don’t watch it in 3D.

22. The Town that Dreaded Sundown (2014)

If Ryan Murphy’s name is attached to a movie you might expect it to include singing, camp, Jessica Lange, or all three. The American Horror Story creator holds back on all fronts for The Town That Dreaded Sundown remake, taking a producer credit alongside Blumhouse maestro Jason Blum, and handing the directorial reins over to his AHS alum Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. The resultant slasher is a nasty, gory homage to the original, cleverly operating on two levels: it’s a remake and a sequel that’s SO meta, as Gale Weathers might say. The movie opens on Halloween 2013 at a Texarkana drive-in movie theater that’s showing… the 1976 original. This new killer is obsessed with the first film and seeks to recreate its death count. If you thought intertextual horror ended with Scream 4 then you might want to check this out.

21. The Blob (1988) 

Chuck Russell’s remake of The Blob wouldn’t be the rampant sci-fi triumph it is were it not for the effects work accomplished by Rob Bottin six years prior on The Thing. The Blob’s practical-effects-heavy approach gives it its winning edge. Granted, The Blob is an altogether different beast. An undulating mass of alien goop that pillages towns, gobbling up citizens left and right, it induces less of an identity crisis panic like the creature from The Thing, instead adopting a cookie monster approach to annihilation: NOM NOM NOM. It eats people and the more it consumes, the bigger it gets. A tidy allegory for 1980s decadence? Certainly. It also happens to allow for revolting sequences of the pink, oozing mass’s consumption of an entire California town. Sadly, this sci-fi horror mash floundered at the box office, despite its funny, unconventional script, co-written by Russell and Frank Darabont, both of whom wrote Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. 

20. Thirteen Ghosts (2000)

Roger Ebert famously planted Thirteen Ghosts on his most-hated for the year list in 2000. Little did he know that his fervent dislike of the flick would stoke curiosity. Because, c’mon, could a horror from Dark Castle Entertainment, who two years prior dropped another supernatural abode stuffed to the rafters with ghouls in The House on Haunted Hill, really be that bad? At time of release, the consensus was, yes, this story of a house haunted by 13 very specific, and evil, ghosts, is awful. In the years since, Thirteen Ghosts has managed to do what many late ‘90s/early ‘00s horrors could not: maintain a cult following.  From its bombastic aspirations to slick action, to its over-the-top CGI and facepalm-inducing dialogue, to its lavish production design, it’s easy to see why it’s so adored today. 

19. Piranha 3-D (2010)

The 1978 original, helmed by Joe Dante and produced by Roger Corman, is a slice of camp excellence centred around a popular vacation spot overrun by flesh-eating piranhas. How can a remake improve on such a silly, gleeful premise? Ramping up the budget and installing High Tension director Alejandra Aja at the helm, for starters. While it’s hardly a brutal assault on the soul like Aja’s High Tension (aka Switchblade Romance), putting its characters through a myriad of harrowing encounters, Piranha 3-D ain’t shy of blood-letting either. Faces are ripped off, crotches are mauled. It’s gross. And, the best part of all is the cast, all of whom look like they’re having a blast, never taking themselves or the movie too seriously.

18. Friday the 13th (2009)

Friday the 13th breaks free of the remake shackles by doing double duty as both a reboot of the franchise’s first four films and a sequel. The result is a familiar-feeling modern slasher with echoes to its past. Jason is still the hockey-mask-wearing killer wielding a machete and he’s still slicing up teens. But it’s not the exact storyline we’ve seen trotted out in countless sequels. Nope, horror scribes Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who cut their chompers on genre mashup Freddy vs. Jason, introduce new story beats along with fresh elements to Jason’s mythology. Haven’t we all wondered how he gets around so fast? Easy. He’s got TUNNELS all over Camp Crystal. And damn, they’re not exactly the most hospitable place to be, littered with carcasses and skulls, making the final sequence all the more shudder-inducing. 

17. Silent House (2012)

Elizabeth Olsen, aka Marvel’s Scarlet Witch, stars in a tense thriller saddled with lacklustre reviews when it debuted in theaters, which has since gone on to earn a solid reputation. A remake of the 2010 Uruguayan movie La Casa Muda, the film largely follows the same story: Sarah (Olsen) returns to her family’s summer home to help her father and uncle fix it up after squatters leave it a shambles. Shortly thereafter, she begins to hear sounds coming from within the walls. Separated from her family and trapped inside the house by an unknown attacker, she must figure a way out of the boarded up home. Purportedly filmed in one shot, the directors actually lensed it in 12-15 minute takes, then sewed them together in post-production, but the effect remains the same: a devastating and claustrophobic dive into a haunted house unlike any you’ve likely experienced.

16.  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 

You can’t really better the greatness of Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of the most savage horror classics, can you? Luckily, Marcus Nispel knew that when he accepted the gig from Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production outfit to direct the reboot. Much like his later remake of Friday the 13th, the director's 2003 redo shuns the idea of a beat-by-beat rehash, instead going for the general premise. A bunch of gorgeous, ripped teens pick up a strange hitchhiker in rural Texas, who promptly blows her head off with a gun, leading the youngsters to the front door of one Thomas Hewitt – aka Leatherface. The similarities, including the fact that Scott Kosar’s script is also influenced by the crimes of serial killer Ed Gein, end there. It’s still bloody and brutal, packing in some horrific moments – like one poor kid trying to raise himself up from a butcher’s hook only to THUNK back down on it repeatedly -–that’ll make you brace. 

15. Evil Dead (2013)

Okay, yes, the original is a classic, we all know that. But if you forget the wonder that is Ash (from Housewares) and watch this on its own merits, you’ll appreciate how genuinely terrifying it is. Director Fede Alvarez foregoes a straight-up remake, losing the camp splattergore of Sam Raimi’s original, carving out a brutal, savage work all of its own. A group of friends hole up at a remote cabin to help their friend detox from heroin addiction, but drug use is the least of their concerns once they find the Book of the Dead. It doesn’t deviate too far from the original in terms of the bare bones plot, though it takes itself far more seriously and comes out the better for it. There’s little to find funny about possessed youngsters jabbing at themselves with nailguns. You will never feel the same about the kitchen again.

14. Willard (2003)

The original Willard is okay. The remake is another matter entirely. It’s hardly a bombastic balls-to-the-wall horror reboot, like a Platinum Dunes teen hack n’slash, but this subject requires an altogether delicate, creepier touch. Crispin Glover was born to play the role of Willard, an oddball loner whose affinity with the vermin overtaking his father’s old decaying abode spirals out of control. And by that, we mean: when a rat is killed, Willard leads the rest of the horde in a revenge murder spree of sorts, wherein he sets the scuttling nibblers on anyone who’s ever wronged him. Pretty much everything you could want from a black comedy horror about murderous rats, Willard revolves around Glover’s performance. 

13. The Ring (2002)

Arguably the best of the J-horror lot, Ring remains terrifying and it’s hard to see how an American remake could better its simple premise executed so perfectly. Enter: Gore Verbinski. Yes, that same director who would, the very next year, go on to direct the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The haunted VHS tape motif slides into American suburban life so effortlessly, you could imagine Scream’s Casey Becker popping it into her VCR. Verbinski douses the screen in overcast Seattle blues to emphasise the dreariness and isolation of Naomi Watts’ reporter Rachel Keller, who is determined to discover the truth behind a videotape that kills anyone who watches it seven days later. Watts’ solid performance is what will keep you watching, alongside the haunting mix of bizarre, eccentric visuals (suicidal horses, anyone?) with the horrific, will-keep-you-awake-for-days effects work on Sadako’s victims. 

12. The Crazies (2010) 

Something strange is happening to the inhabitants of a small town in rural America, and you have just enough time to get to know the residents that you feel their loss as things steadily degrade into chaos. George Romero’s original dove into the spiky truth of white-picket livin’ and how everyday folks respond to apocalyptic circumstances. So in a sense, The Crazies is like a Stephen King novel brought to life by someone else. The 2010 remake is a take on zombie tropes that slyly avoids a lot of the typical cliches and pitfalls. Timothy Olyphant is on hand doing what he does best – languidly wearing a badge and cowboy boots – proving that, despite what you saw in Hitman, he really can be a leading man. 

11. Suspiria (2018)

Nobody sits down to watch Suspiria for its intricate plotting. In fact, if there exists a plot deep beneath the original's thick stylish layer of story, it’s probably a surprise to Dario Argento. Less concerned with cleverness, the first Suspiria is all about the unmistakable mark of its director: and in a sense, so is the remake. Reworking an Argento movie is a guaranteed recipe for backlash. And that’s perhaps why Luca Guadagnino threw out most of the film’s recognisable elements, replacing them with his own approach to the material – one of those being: the witches are real, you guys – while keeping the European dance school backdrop. Dakota Johnson snags the juicy lead dancer previously played by Jessica Harper, whose acceptance into the school finds her spending her time fluttering and cooing opposite one of many characters played by Tilda Swinton. Heavily stylized to the point where it’s hard to tell if the humour is a byproduct of seriousness or a deliberate contrast to the violent body horror, Suspiria is an experience to behold. 

10. Fright Night (2011)

Tom Holland’s 1985 original is a near-perfect slice of suburban vampire schlock, asking the question: what would you do if a vampire lived next-door? Arriving in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, Fright Night has homosexual repression in the subtext, buried into the marrow of the movie’s themes. Fast forward 16 years and those aspects, along with its head vamp, have changed. Where that flick installed Chris Sarandon as the terrifying-sounding Jerry Dandridge,Craig Gillespie’s 2011 remake ups the ante by casting Colin Farrell as the dark, brooding fang-banger, who’d likely seduce your nan if given the chance. Farrell’s sexiness aside, the real stars here are Anton Yelchin as teenage detective Charley, desperate to take out the creep next door, and David Tennant as celebrity vampire hunter Peter Vincent. Quietly garnering a loyal fanbase in the years since its release, this take on Fright Night is a bona fide cult classic.

9. Let Me In (2010)

Way before he jumped aboard the Planet of the Apes franchise train, Matt Reeves excelled with his remake of Tomas Alfredson’s Let The Right One In. Although, you could say they’re both merely different approaches to the same novel. Let Me In matches the tone, pace, and visual style of the original without lacking its own ideas. How can you replicate an aesthetic and still be your own thing? The Hollywood redo masterfully carves its own identity. From the slow burn of its characters, to its beautifully-crafted shots and understated performances it telegraphs the current era of stylish, arthouse horror. What’s most unusual about this tale of adolescent idolatry, steeped in a misty vampire yarn, is that it wasn’t a bigger hit at the box office. 

8. We Are What We Are (2010)

Watching Jim Mickle's third feature, a skilfully presented remake of the 2010 Mexican movie, it's hard to believe this up-and-coming horror auteur is only four movies into his career. Gore and cheap scares aren't his forte. If you've seen the superior vampire horror-drama Stake Land, you'll already know Mickle' crafts strong, deep characters and lets their personal journeys guide the descent into horror. And, if a story is gripping enough then it shouldn't matter that its central group of characters eat people. There's much more at stake here than flesh-eating theatrics. The tale of two young girls desperate to break free from a lifestyle of cannibalism forced upon them by their father is a heart-wrenching. Still, papa's not going to be happy about it.

7. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) 

What’s not to love about Werner Herzog’s take on the original vamp? It’s a remake of a remake. Herzog’s affection for F.M. Murnau’s 1922 movie is apparent from how closely it resembles that version while establishing its own reputation as one of the best horror movies ever made. Herzog was unable to secure the rights to shoot in the same locations as Murnau – which he fully intended to do – and instead did the next best thing: cast Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula. Sinister as hell, Kinski, like Max Schreck who tackled the part in the original, isn’t supposed to be a charmer like modern day vamps. Instead, his bloodlust is horrifying, selfish and brutal, countering his inherent loneliness that Herzog draws out with some of the most stylish visual choices of his career. 

6. Maniac (2012)

The original '80s Maniac is the stuff of nightmares. A psychotic killer – played by Joe Spinelli – stalks the women of New York City, slicing their scalps free to adorn the mannequins of his apartment. It’s a vile, misogynist piece of ‘80s grimecore with flashes of early Scorsese amidst the horror. The Hills Have Eyes and Piranha 3-D director Alexandra Aja co-wrote the script and produced the remake, and while he stepped away from the director’s chair here, his bloody handprints are all over this savage work. The remake is made all the more disgusting thanks to a handful of unique choices made by Aja and director Franck Khalfoun. For starters, the film is shot entirely from the killer’s perspective, forcing you to almost be complicit in the crimes as he commits them. He, being the second reason this remake is so effective. Elijah Wood, having flirted with psychopathy in Sin City, fully commits to the horror genre, giving one of his best-ever performances in a role that hardly has him onscreen. 

5. It (2017)

Stephen King adaptations tend to be hit and miss. But remakes? That’s a different realm. Fair enough, it could easily be argued that 2017’s It isn’t technically a remake of the 1991 TV mini-series, but another stab at the source novel. Let’s not kid ourselves: Tim Curry’s iconic take on Pennywise is the basis for comparison when it comes to clownish nightmare fuel. For this modern remake, director Andy Muschietti improves on the original in every way by splitting the narrative into two parts (although, It Chapter Two didn’t really live up to this first film). Where the series hopped back and forth in time, following The Losers Club as tweens to adults and back again, this one sticks solely with its terrific younger cast whose command of the material is top-notch. That focus on the kids and their encounters with the shape-shifting ancient evil known as Pennywise, is a masterstroke. It’s their part of the story, when they’re hanging out back-chatting one another, goofing off and bonding, that makes it all the more terrifying when they meet Bill Skarsgard’s haunting Pennywise. 

4. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978)

Where the 1993 remake retained the best part of the title – simply Bodysnatchers – and the 2009 remake kept the nondescript part – The Invasion – the 1978 version keeps it all together under one mantle, proudly taunting a hideous takeover. Yes, this tale of  corporeal thieving has been remade A LOT. Philip Kaufman’s seventies film is a marked improvement on what came before, uprooting the story from a small-town and relocating it to San Francisco. That upgrade makes sense when the antagonists, extraterrestrials intent on sabotaging the human race, need as many bodies as possible to take over. Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, and Jeff Goldblum all deliver excellent performances, bringing believability to strange happenings at the SF Health Department. What firmly places this remake in the horror category, more so than any other version, is in the takeover of a human body. None of this happens behind closed doors, instead the audience is invited in to see this pink goop envelop the recently-deceased, only to let them emerge, blemish-free, as emotionless simulacra of their former selves. Now if that ain’t horrific…

3. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Zombies shuffle. That’s their thing. George Romero’s original Dawn of the Dead happily reflects the absent-minded consumerism of the era by making its antagonists amble along like shoppers. That’s the point. James Gunn and Zack Snyder, who wrote and directed the remake, are less concerned with subtle social commentary. These flesh-eaters don’t meander – they charge. Partly why Snyder’s debut is so much fun is that he makes the material his own. It’s a crush of action-horror with some truly revolting set pieces (i.e. a zombie baby being born). The story also echoes the same beats: a random group of people find themselves trapped in a mall during a zombie outbreak. It’s stylishly shot, which counters the lo-fi, naturalistic production of Romero’s original, and the music cues are downright superb. The script is funny as hell, bringing out excellent turns from its entire cast. 

2. The Fly (1986)

The grossest love story of all time could only come from body horror maestro David Cronenberg. Adopting the same story as the '50s original, the late ‘80s iteration, while absent of the superb Vincent Price, does one better by casting Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, the classic egocentric mad scientist desperate to innovate in his grimy apartment. In a jealousy-fuelled moment of late-night drunkenness, he fires up his teleportation device like a normal person fires up a pizza before passing out on the couch. The horrible aftermath of that one night – a parallel to the late ‘80s AIDS epidemic – follows his slow, agonising mutation into a housefly. Cronenberg’s confident grasp on the story sidesteps the fun, frivolous sci-fi feel of the 1958 version, instead going for slick, shocking horror that earned its effects team an Academy Award. The chemistry between real-life couple Goldblum and Geena Davis truly hammers home the heartbreaking reality of Brundlefly’s fate.

1. The Thing (1982)

The Thing opened the same week as Blade Runner, and while both E.T. and Poltergeist were filling multiplexes, too. With that in mind, the now-classic sci-fi horror never stood a chance. Audiences didn’t turn out to see it, and critics deemed it dirge, failing to celebrate Carpenter’s moody, sombre tone seeping into the gory theatrics of Rob Bottin’s Oscar-winning practical effects work. 

Today, it’s another story. Highly-regarded as one of the best horror movies ever made, The Thing is a caustic, chilly rumination on what makes us human. The Antarctic backdrop serving as a perfect mirror to the isolation felt by the scientists at its heart, who discover shortly after taking in two loose dogs, that one of the canines is an extraterrestrial creature with designs on them. The film includes a string of iconic set-pieces that have, arguably, never been bettered onscreen. From the chest-opening sequence, to the blood-test scene (so iconic, it was blatantly ripped off in The Faculty), to its highly-debated ending: The Thing is not only a great horror remake, it’s simply one of the greatest horror movies, full stop. Its poster, as well as incorporating a killer graphic, includes the best tagline ever, guaranteed to give you the willies, and make you reach for the remote: man is the warmest place to hide. 

Need more Halloween recommendations? Then be sure to check out our pieces on the best haunted house movies, best horror sequels, best witch movies, and best vampire movies.

The Creative Arts Emmys saw big wins for Chadwick Boseman, Barack Obama, Stranger Things, Euphoria, The White Lotus, and more ahead of the 2022 Emmys, which take place this September 13. 

The late Boseman won Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for his role as T'Challa in Marvel's "What If… T'Challa became a Star-Lord?" A tribute to the actor has also been shared on his official Twitter account: "He put every part of himself into every role he ever took on. It was a true honor for Chad to receive a posthumous Creative Arts #Emmys Award for his voice work in Marvel Studios' What If...?."

Former US President Obama, meanwhile, took home the gold for Outstanding Narrator for his voice work on Netflix's Our Great National Parks series, specifically the "A World of Wonder" episode. 

That was far from Netflix's only win, with others including Stranger Things picking up five Emmys, Squid Game and Arcane winning four, and Love, Death and Robots winning two. The streamer took home a total of 23 Creative Arts Emmys. Elsewhere, Euphoria and The White Lotus scored five awards each, while Barry and Only Murders in the Building won three each, and Apple TV Plus' Severance won two. Succession picked up one award for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. 

Overall, HBO and HBO Max came out on top with 25 awards, while Netflix came in second with 23 wins, Disney Plus and Hulu placed fourth with six each, Prime Video came seventh with five wins, and Apple TV Plus came eighth with three awards. You can see the full breakdown of winners over at Deadline. 

See the complete list of 2022 Emmy nominees here ahead of the ceremony – and fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best TV shows of all time. 

If you’ve been scrolling through Netflix recently, you might have noticed a new entry topping the movie charts. Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee follows fugitive tech pioneer John McAfee in his final years on the run before dying in 2021. Through a combination of interviews and archive footage, a picture is painted of a man that makes Tiger King look tame by comparison.

A man who once tweeted he had "47 genetic children", McAfee was a hugely controversial figure that rose to fame as the creator of the McAfee anti-virus software. He later found himself embroiled in several major scandals, including tax evasion and being named a person of interest by Belize police in a homicide investigation.

It's proving a hit with viewers – but not everyone is convinced by Netflix’s latest success story. "If you haven’t watched Running With The Devil on Netflix, please go do so. What a wild documentary," said one on Twitter. Another added, "What a ride." One viewer wrote, "It's bizarre, weird and tragic all at the same time," and another has described it as "pure insanity."

On the flip side, many have taken umbrage with how the documentary was put together. "A waste of almost 2 hrs of footage by filmmakers who don't fact check or know how to create suspense or intrigue. So many missed opportunities," lamented one. Another has called it, "one of the most disjointed docs I’ve ever seen," adding that it "just seemed like random camera footage with no substance."

Another summed up many of the frustrations, saying, "The most boring doc I’ve seen in a long time. He’s not interesting… Sorry Netflix, it’s not good."

The jury, then, is still out on the documentary. For more tales of true crime and thrilling life stories on the streamer, be sure to check out our curated list of best Netflix documentaries. If you're more of a listener, then be sure to check out our list of the best true crime podcasts available right now.

Evil Dead 5, titled Evil Dead Rise, is no longer debuting exclusively on HBO Max – the horror sequel will be getting a theatrical release next spring.

The movie will follow Beth (Lily Sullivan) as she visits her older sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three kids in LA. However, their long overdue reunion is disrupted when they uncover a mysterious book in the basement of Ellie's apartment building, which unleashes hell on the family. The movie was written and directed by The Hole in the Ground helmer Lee Cronin. Franchise director Sam Raimi and original star Bruce Campbell are on board as executive producers. 

The first Evil Dead movie was released in 1981. Written and directed by Raimi, it follows a group of college students who accidentally unleash a swarm of demons and spirits while staying in an isolated cabin. They all become possessed, except one – Ash, played by Campbell, must fight off the onslaught of gore and terror that ensues.

Raimi wrote and directed two sequels, 1987's Evil Dead 2 and 1993's Army of Darkness, both starring Campbell, who also appeared in the sequel TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead. The show ran for three seasons on Starz between 2015 and 2018. Another movie, titled Evil Dead, was released in 2013.

Another Warner Bros. title, House Party, which is a remake of the 1990 movie of the same name, is also side-stepping streaming for the big screen. That movie was also meant to be an HBO exclusive, but it will now release in theaters on December 9, 2022. 

Evil Dead Rise will arrive on the big screen on April 21, 2023. While we wait, check out our picks of the other best upcoming horror movies on the horizon. 

Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 is now streaming on Netflix – and many viewers are shocked and outraged at not only the festival-gone-horribly wrong, but the way the docuseries itself handled some of Woodstock '99's most gruesome aspects.

The New York state festival was intended to be the third in a series of peaceful music festivals that first began in 1969. Instead, corruption, greed, and mob mentality overtook the event and resulted in multiple fires, riots, destruction of property, physical violence, consumption of septic water, and multiple sexual assaults.

The docuseries, directed by The Hunting of Ted Bundy helmer Jamie Crawford, contains previously unseen footage and multiple interviews with attendees as well as Woodstock '99 festival promoters Michael Lang and John Scher. Many viewers weighed in on the docuseries, upset at both the events that took place and the choices that the series itself makes.

"This Woodstock '99 documentary is a vision of hell," said writer Ronan Fitzgerald.

"The Netflix docu-series Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 is a testament of the fact that with every year that goes by, human morals and values deteriorate drastically," one user said.

"That new Woodstock 99’ Netflix documentary is fucking wild & also disturbing… because WTF," said a viewer.

"Highly recommend. A lot of psychological insights, herd mentality, generational disconnect, teenage angst, music influence, old white dudes not taking responsibility. Very interesting documentary. Watch it," commented another. 

"The Woodstock '99 doc needs a 4th episode dedicated exclusively to the festival's public health failures & outcomes: poop water & mud, trench mouth, lack of sanitation, emergency/disaster medicine, sexual violence & health, herd mentality, large-scale trauma/PTSD, etc.," said Rolling Stone editor Elizabeth Yoko.

"Bags were searched as people entered. Security took food and water but left marijuana, ecstasy, mushrooms, etc???" someone responded in disbelief to Yoko's tweet.

Many viewers were disappointed in the way the docuseries handled the numerous sexual assaults that took place at Woodstock '99, as the doc only spends a brief moment on it in a singular episode – and shows unblurred footage of an assault.

"How horrifying to have been assaulted at a music festival and then have it caught on film that’s then used in a Netflix doc," one Twitter user expressed.

"Probably the worst thing about the Netflix Woodstock 99 documentary is that it tacks on the rapes as an afterthought instead of portraying it as *part* of the festival. The idea that it's some small thing that happened mostly in secret at the end of the fest is absurd," said a viewer.

"Since everyone’s going on about that Woodstock ‘99 documentary, let me give you the warning I wish I’d had that this programme (barely) deals with sexual assault. After reading the reports it actually gives in my opinion an unforgivable lack of weight and focus to them," commented comedian Grace Petrie.

"There’s a moment in Netflix’s documentary about Woodstock ’99 where one of the festival’s producers reasons that, with over 220k people, the number of rapes was lower than in a similar-sized town," one user said.

Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 is three episodes long, all of which are now streaming on Netflix. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix documentaries to stream right now.

Netflix's latest docuseries, The Most Hated Man on the Internet, has been released – and viewers have a lot to say about the man who branded himself as a "professional life ruiner." The three-part series introduces viewers to what feels like a bygone era of the Internet: the rise and fall of Twitter famous scene kid Hunter Moore's revenge porn website, IsAnyoneUP? 

From 2010-2012, Moore allowed anonymous users to post nude photos of their ex-partners with the intention of ruining their lives. Moore made sure to post their full name and other identifying information, including links to their social media. Several underage girls were posted to the site as well, and Moore earned roughly $8k to $13k in monthly website revenue. 

It took the combined effort of Charlotte Laws, the mother of one of the victims, former Marine James McGibney, and the Internet's very own Anonymous (a widespread group of hackers) to finally take Moore down. Many Netflix viewers of the doc were unaware of Moore and his revenge porn empire, and we gathered some of their reactions.

"Well I made the mistake of watching The Most Hated Man on the Internet before bed and now I want to punch a wall," reporter Kaley Lynch tweeted.

"The scariest part of the most hated man on the internet wasn’t Hunter Moore in my opinion, it was the thousands and thousands of followers who have such a strong hatred for women they’ve never even met," one Twitter user said.

"Hunter Moore (The Most Hated Man on the Internet guy) only getting jail time for hacking and not like inciting violence (rape, murder, stalking, etc) does not sit right in my spirit," said another.

"Some people are evil for real. And even if the website doesn't exist anymore, revenge porn is still a thing and it's just disgusting?! How can you be this evil and proud of yourself for destroying lives ?!" a viewer asked.

Some women recalled being a teenager on the internet during Hunter Moore's terrible reign, and being afraid they'd be posted to his site.

"I was a teen during the era of Is Anyone Up? and it’s wild to me thinking back about how so many people thought that website was cool and fun and normal. I remember being so scared I’d end up on it!" said one viewer.

Many praised Charlotte Laws, including actor Rahul Kohli.

"I just gotta say that mom is a BAD ASS BITCH and straight up went to war for her daughter and every other person impacted. I stan," one viewer said.

"So @CharlotteLaws you are truly incredible! Your daughter and dozens of other victims of Hunter Moore's are so lucky to have you in their corner. Your determination has gone on to help THOUSANDS of revenge porn victims. Laws now exist because of YOU!" another said.

A few were disappointed that the doc didn't delve deeper in terms of talking about the culture around revenge porn, with others commenting that we, as a society, are in need of a reset.

"I'm wildly provoked by the fact that The Most Hated Man on the Internet doesn't deal with the actual and very violent misogyny and sexism expressed, but some weird form of 'neutral' revenge porn, as if it just floats around out there on its own" commented one viewer.

"What really gets me isn't just this despicable human being, but his thousands of followers who thinks it's OK to treat women like this. That's a whole cultural mindset that needs to be reset," said another.

The Most Hated Man on the Internet is now streaming on Netflix. For more, check out our roundup of the best documentaries on Netflix.

The Girl in the Picture, Netflix’s new true crime documentary, is being described as "horrific and sickening" by shocked viewers. 

The one-off documentary, which is now topping Netflix’s charts, follows the story of a woman who is found dying at the side of the road in 1990. As per Netflix, "A young mother’s mysterious death and her son’s subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman’s true identity and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all."

Those who have seen it have been met with gut punch after gut punch as the tragic tale, involving serious abuse and abduction, begins to unravel across 100 heartbreaking minutes.

The Girl in the Picture "is absolutely one of the most horrific, sickening, frightening things I’ve watched. I’m at a loss for words," one viewer wrote. “I don’t think I’ve seen a true crime story with THAT many plot twists," said another.

"Seriously one of the most horrifying documentaries I’ve seen in a while," one commented. "Like what in the actual F. What a crazy rabbit hole to go down." A viewer also said, "every time I thought it couldn’t get any worse…it did."

The documentary, which has grown in popularity in the weeks since its release, has left those arriving to it late feeling emotional: "That documentary is probably one of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard of," wrote one viewer. Another echoed others, saying, The Girl in the Picture "is one of the most insane things I’ve ever seen. What a devastating life. My heart goes out to everyone who was impacted."

The Girl in the Picture is now streaming on Netflix. For more from the streamer, be sure to check out some of the best documentaries on Netflix.

New Netflix documentary Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet has shot up the platform's streaming charts. The true crime series now holds the number two spot after releasing on June 15, in second place only behind Stranger Things season 4.

The six-part anthology docuseries "tells stories of people caught in a dark and twisted web of modern misinformation and digital deception", according to the streamer's synopsis. 

The first episode deals with the practice of 'swatting', which involves making a hoax call to the police and telling them that a serious crime is taking place at someone's address, resulting in a SWAT team descending on an innocent person's home. One tragic example of swatting in 2017 resulted in a man being killed, and this case is the subject of episode 1. Other episodes center around cyber-blackmail, election fraud, and white supremacist hate speech. 

The series was directed by Brian Knappenberger, who's also helmed documentaries including The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story Of Aaron Swartz and We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists, and Ron Howard is on board as a co-producer.

Netflix has a solid track record when it comes to releasing popular documentaries – recently, Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives and The Tinder Swindler racked up the views on the platform, while the former received a perfect score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

If you've already seen all six episodes of Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other best Netflix documentaries.

Movies about the 20th century’s greatest musicians are having something of a moment at Cannes Film Festival. Sandwiched between Ethan Coen’s archival Jerry Lee Lewis documentary, and Baz Luhrman’s all-singing, all-dancing Elvis biopic is Moonage Daydream – a David Bowie doc like no other about an artist without equal.

This is because Moonage Daydream isn’t your typical talking head, cradle to the grave tale of rags to riches, excess and success. Part concert movie, part psychedelic art installation, part elliptical account of the major stages in Bowie’s artistic evolution, it’s a film that defies trad documentary convention to create something thrillingly unique in the space – there’s little question Bowie would have loved it.

Reportedly assembled using some 5 million pieces of material from the Bowie archives, and in the works for half a decade, director Brett Morgen’s (Kobain: Montage Of Heck, The Kids Stay In The Picture) focus isn’t David Jones – the person, but David Bowie – the performer; the shapeshifting rock god that Bowie presented to the world over the best part of five decades. Truly personal insights are few and far between, but artistic and philosophical revelations are plentiful.

Narratively, there’s just enough of a throughline for those with even the bare minimum of background biographical info to keep up with what can generously be called a story here. But where the film really sings (literally) is the stunning remastered performance footage. Remixed in multi-channel surround sound by Paul Massey from Bowie’s original stems, listening to Moonage Daydream on an Atmos, or 12.0 IMAX audio (Morgen’s preferred presentation) sound sytem, is like hearing Bowie anew.

Where your mileage may vary is when it comes to the film’s ‘experiential’ interludes, which come in the form of animated sequences, clips from music videos or films (Metropolis features prominently, as well as several of the movies Bowie starred in, and clips from his time on stage playing John Merrick in The Elephant Man), or any number of kaleidoscopic screensavers that add not one jot to the narrative, but are integral to the atmosphere of transcendental psychedelia that Morgen cultivates.

Clocking in at 140 minutes, it’s not a film that’s in a rush, but neither can it be comprehensive in a way you might reasonably expect from one of the first major Bowie documentaries since his death in 2016. Morgen, however, is smart about choosing his focus points, ensuring that everyone from the most ardent Ziggy Stardust fanatic to those who only know of Bowie from The Life Aquatic soundtrack will find something to take away. 

As the film film draws to a close, a stunning musical moment sums up the genius of Bowie in a way that no 10-part talking head documentary ever could. In it, Morgen cosmically connects “Silly Boy Blue” from Bowie’s self-titled ’67 album and “Blackstar” – the title track from his final studio album – in a revelatory flash of sonic synergy that will leave you wondering if Bowie had, somehow, impossibly, planned every step in his 50-year musical odyssey from the start. Who would put it past him?

Moonage Daydream releases in IMAX cinemas on 16 September in the UK and US, and wide in UK cinemas from 23 September. Stick with Total Film for all the latest coverage from Cannes 2022 – check out our review of David Cronenberg's Crimes Of The Future, through that link.

Ethan Coen has revealed his reasons for temporarily stepping away from movie-making. With his brother Joel Coen, Ethan has directed 18 movies, with one solo directing credit for the upcoming documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind. 

"Oh, nothing happened, certainly nothing dramatic," Ethan told the Associated Press of why he stopped wanting to make films. "You start out when you're a kid and you want to make a movie. Everything's enthusiasm and gung-ho, let's go make a movie. And the first movie is just loads of fun. And then the second movie is loads of fun, almost as much fun as the first. And after 30 years, not that it's no fun, but it's more of a job than it had been. 

"Joel kind of felt the same way but not to the extent that I did. It's an inevitable by-product of aging. And the last two movies we made, me and Joel together, were really difficult in terms of production. I mean, really difficult. So if you don't have to do it, you go at a certain point: Why am I doing this?"

He added: "It was the production experience and having been doing it for – I don't know how many years, maybe 35 years. It was the experience of making a movie. More of a grind and less fun."

But, Ethan is making another film with his wife Tricia Cooke this year, and he put that decision down to "all kind of circumstance," explaining that the script was finished and he and Cooke thought it would be "fun" to make. 

As for Joel, he recently helmed The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand – and Ethan didn't rule out another collaboration, either, saying they "might make another movie."

Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind arrives this year after premiering at Cannes Film Festival. In the meantime, check out our roundup of 2022's major movie release dates for everything else the year has in store for us. 

Will Smith refused to leave the Oscars when asked, the Academy has said.

At the 94th Academy Awards, Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and G.I. Jane. The protagonist of that movie has a shaved head, and Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia. Smith then returned to his seat and shouted "keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth" twice.

The Academy's latest statement on the incident, which follows a meeting of the Board of Governors, reveals Smith stayed at the ceremony despite being asked to leave, and also says the actor potentially faces disciplinary action. 

The statement from the Academy, per Variety, reads: "The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.

The Academy has given Smith 15 days to respond. "Mr. Smith's actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television," the statement continues. "Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests, and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.

"Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently."

The Academy launched an official review into the incident following the ceremony, and, before that, issued a statement against violence that did not mention Smith by name. Previous reports indicated that removing Smith from the Oscars was "seriously" considered – but the actor remained at the ceremony. Another report revealed the backstage reaction to the moment. Rock has declined to press charges.

Smith initially addressed the altercation in his Best Actor acceptance speech without mentioning Rock, saying: "I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees." He has since apologized directly to Rock online.

"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris," a statement posted to Smith's social media reads. "I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

For more from the Oscars, check out our Oscars 2022 winners list and our roundup of the five biggest talking points from the night.

Amy Schumer says she's still "waiting for this sickening feeling to go away" after seeing Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022. 

The comedian, who presented the 94th Academy Awards with Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall, took to Instagram on Tuesday (March 29) to seemingly plug her new Hulu show, Life and Beth and upcoming tour. The post, however, also turned out to be a reflection on the altercation, as she admitted that she's "still in shock".

Alongside a photo of herself, Schumer began: "I think we can all agree that the best way to unpack what happened is to stream my series @lifeandbethhulu and see me on tour this fall.

“But for real. Still triggered and traumatized. I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing," she continued.

"So much pain in @willsmith. Anyway, I'm still in shock and stunned and sad. I'm proud of myself and my co-hosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed."

Just a few moments before he was given the gong for Best Actor on Sunday (March 27), Smith clashed with Rock while the latter was introducing the Best Documentary Feature nominees.

Rock poked fun at several famous people in the audience, including Javier Bardem, but his comparing Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith to the fictional buzzcut-sporting character G.I. Jane didn't go down well. 

Smith laughed initially, but ended up walking onstage and hitting Rock when he saw how unimpressed Jada – who opened up about her alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, in 2018 – was by the remark.

The King Richard star then returned to his seat and shouted, "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!"

The Los Angeles Police Department released an official statement after the Oscars, explaining that Rock would not be pressing charges. "LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program," the statement read.

"The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."

Smith has publicly apologized to Rock since, writing on social media: "I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

For more from the Oscars, check out our Oscars 2022 winners list and our roundup of the five biggest talking points from the night.

Ricky Gervais has shared how he would have opened the Oscars 2022 had he been hosting – and the start of his imagined speech is very in keeping with his brand of controversial comedy.

Following the Academy Awards' 94th ceremony, which saw Will Smith slap Chris Rock for seemingly poking fun at his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia, fans have been comparing past hosts, and wondering whether the same thing would have happened had somebody else engaged in similarly barbed banter. 

Given his willingness to roast celebrity guests at the Golden Globes, an event he has presented five times, Gervais's name came up a lot and, in response, he took to Twitter to share a short preview of how he'd have kicked off the evening.

"I'd start with 'Hello. I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you're unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn't be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given'," the first tweet read.

"'I'm proud to announce that this is the most diverse and progressive Oscars ever. Looking out I see people from all walks of life,'" the second continued. "'Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. Fuck them.'"

As for Rock's onstage remark, which saw him compare Jada – who revealed that she shaves her head due to hair loss brought on by alopecia in 2018 – to buzzcut-sporting fictional soldier G.I. Jane, Gervais retweeted a clip from The Office. In it, his character David Brent says: "Particularly for his wife. And she's got alopecia. So... not a happy homelife."

While appearing on The View back in January 2022, Gervais admitted that he would probably front the Oscars "for free" were he ever given the opportunity. He's under no illusion, though, that the likelihood of him being asked is slim.

"I might be allowed to host [the Oscars] if I did what I was told, but there’s the rub," the After Life star told Sunny Hostin. "The good thing about the Globes was [that] they said I could write my own jokes, say what I want, and not rehearse. That is just too good for a comedian to turn down, whereas I don't think the Oscars would ever allow me that freedom, and rightly so. I think they would be mad."

For more Oscars-related news, check out our roundup of the biggest talking points from the 94th Academy Awards and our winners list, too.