You won't believe the twists in this psychological thriller starring Cate Blanchett — and you can stream it now on Hulu
It's just the latest role in the actor's incredibly varied and vibrant filmography, which has spanned spy thrillers ("Black Bag"), horror comedies ("Rumors") and psychological dramas ("Tár") in recent years.
That surprise "Squid Game" appearance had us thinking about the Aussie star's previous roles, one of the most memorable being her turn as a tempted teacher in the 2006 Richard Eyre-directed "Notes on a Scandal."
Blanchett's performance as a woman embroiled in a scandalous affair is tremendous, is made even better by scene mate Judi Dench's darkly brilliant turn as a lonely veteran educator who becomes besotted by Blanchett's character, until she uncovers the fellow teacher's illicit affair with an underage student.
"Notes on a Scandal" is currently available to stream on Hulu — here's why you should add it to your watch list.
Get both Disney Plus and Hulu in one bundle, one of the best streaming deals around.
The arrival of willowy, charismatic new art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) ruffles more than a few feather brushes at St. George's comprehensive school in London — the statuesque blonde looks a whole lot like Cate Blanchett, so all the intrigue is certainly understandable.
And one of her many secret admirers is veteran history teacher Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), who has grown bitter and lonely in her spinster existence. Barbara strikes up a friendship with Sheba and thrills over their close bond.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
That is, until she discovers that Sheba is having a secret affair with one of her teenage students (Andrew Simpson), despite him being very much underage and Sheba being married to the much older Richard (played by Bill Nighy).
As Barbara becomes the keeper of Sheba's explosive secret, the relationship between the women turns dark and territorial.
"Notes on a Scandal" is a true tour-de-force two-hander between two of the industry's finest and most skilled performers. Both Dench and Blanchett rightfully earned Oscar nominations for their performances (for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively) in the thriller with Patrick Marber's sharply adapted screenplay and Philip Glass's original score also recognized by the Academy.
With "unshowy authority," the filmmaker "gets the best out of Dench and Blanchett and, with great shrewdness, elicits from these two actors all the little tensions and exasperations — as well as the genuine tenderness — in their tragically fraught relationship," writes Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
Richard Eye's film feels like a pulpy throwback to the kind of smart erotic thrillers that dominated the 1990s. "Sexy, aspirational and post-politically correct, 'Notes on a Scandal' could turn out to be the 'Fatal Attraction' of the noughties," Carina Chocano surmised for the Los Angeles Times. And for The Times, James Christopher sums up the darkly delicious "Notes on a Scandal" most simply, calling it "a potent and evil pleasure".
Watch "Notes on a Scandal" on Hulu now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Taylor Swift Sings High Praise Of Adam Sandler's ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs (L) celebrates with ... More Taylor Swift after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by) Taylor Swift, whose boyfriend, of course, is Happy Gilmore 2 cameo actor Travis Kelce, has posted her enthusiastic response to the Adam Sandler film on social media. Happy Gilmore 2, of course, is the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 sports comedy classic Happy Gilmore, starring Sandler as the title character who puts his hockey skills to good use on the golf course. Netflix produced Happy Gilmore 2, which began streaming on the platform on Friday. The film also features the return of Julie Bowen as Victoria Venit from the original film, as well as Christopher McDonald as Happy's sneering nemesis Shooter McGavin. Kelce, the star tight end from the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, makes a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2 as a waiter. Naturally, Swift watched Happy Gilmore 2 and posted her thoughts in an Instagram story on Friday, which read (via People), 'Happy Gilmore 2 had me cackling and cheering the whole movie! An absolute must watch, 13/10, go watch it on @netflix as soon as humanly possible.' In a red carpet interview at the Happy Gilmore 2 premiere on Monday, Extra asked Sandler if he asked Swift to cameo in the film, to which he replied, "We didn't want to bother Taylor. We just let Taylor entertain the world as she does. I listened to 'All Too Well' three times in a row today with my kid. She's done a lot for our planet, so we love her." 'Happy Gilmore 2' Features Several Cameo Appearances Happy Gilmore 2 also stars Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), John Daly and Margaret Qualley. In addition to Kelce, Happy Gilmore 2 features cameos from several different showbiz notables, including Eminem, Post Malone, Nick Swardson, Steve Buscemi, Eric André and Benny Safdie. Getting big stars to sign up for a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2 wasn't too difficult a task, said the film's director, Kyle Newacheck. 'People love it, and I get that, because I'm a fan of the first one,' Newacheck told Netflix TUDUM. 'A lot of these guys, the golfers and people who are near and dear to Adam Sandler and the movie, they all wanted to come and say hi and play and be a part of it and contribute to the second one.' Among the golf greats who turn up in cameos in Happy Gilmore 2 are Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Nancy Lopez, Annabel Angel and Nick Faldo. Also turning up in Happy Gilmore 2 is Dennis Dugan, who directed the original film and is an executive producer on the sequel. Happy Gilmore 2, which is written by the original film's screenwriters, Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy, is new on Netflix.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
5 best new movies to stream this weekend on Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and more
We're barreling through July at a steady clip, and the question of what movies to watch this weekend is back on our minds. The best streaming services are serving up a ton of great new movies this weekend, but narrowing down which ones are worth your precious streaming time can quickly become a headache. That's why we're highlighting all of the hits and none of the duds to make your next movie night one to remember. Leading the pack this week is Adam Sandler's long-awaited sequel "Happy Gilmore 2" on Netflix, which is all but guaranteed to crash the streamer's top 10 on a wave of nostalgia. Also worth noting is Disney's live-action adaptation of "Lilo & Stitch" made its debut on premium streaming this week. Meanwhile, HBO Max just got A24's offbeat horror comedy led by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega: "Death of a Unicorn." Peacock has a rare Christmas thriller, "Violent Night," that's surprisingly fun even with such a hokey premise. For something less fun and more funny (in a bad way), Netflix got the "Until Dawn" video game adaptation that's pretty much only tied to its inspiration in name only. So without further ado, let's dive into the best new movies on streaming to watch this weekend. I have a confession: I watched "Happy Gilmore" for the first time this week. My mom thought Adam Sandler was annoyingly unfunny, so his movies were quietly banned from our household growing up. All the talk of Netflix's upcoming sequel convinced me to finally sit down and see what all the fuss was about, and while I'm still not convinced that the world really needed a sequel, I'm always happy to be proven wrong. It's been nearly 30 years since we last saw Sandler's Happy on the green, but it doesn't look like much has changed. He's still just as loud, impulsive, and foul-mouthed as ever. Everyone's favorite hot-headed golf champion comes out of retirement and rejoins the pro golf circuit, this time to cover the cost of his daughter's ballet school in a new underdog adventure. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Given the nostalgia factor and Sandler's enduring fanbase, it's a safe bet this long-awaited sequel will shoot straight to No. 1 on Netflix's most-watched list. Watch it now on Netflix What happens when you accidentally run over a unicorn with your car? Pure chaos, as Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) and his teenage daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) discover in A24's horror comedy titled (what else?) "Death of a Unicorn." While en route to an important business trip where Elliot hopes to seal a lucrative deal, the pair mows down an honest-to-goodness unicorn. But the real madness begins after they haul the creature's body to the lavish estate of Elliot's eccentric boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant). At the sight of the mythical beast, Leopold's family gets dollar signs in their eyes and immediately starts cooking up ways to exploit the unicorn's mystical healing powers. Elliot and Ridley try to stop them, but end up having their hands full with an even bigger threat: a vengeful herd of unicorns out for revenge. Watch it now on HBO Max Love 'em or hate 'em, the latest Disney animated classic to get the live-action treatment, "Lilo & Stitch," arrived on premium video-on-demand platforms this week. Me? I'm holding off until it eventually comes to Disney Plus in a few weeks, but fans eager to relive all the nostalgia and chaotic charm will be happy to know they can now watch it from the comfort of their couch. The story follows largely the same beats as the 2002 original. When a dog-like alien on the run from intergalactic police crashlands in Hawaii, he forms an unlikely friendship with a lonely young outcast named Lilo (Maia Kealoha). She hopes he will help heal her broken family, but instead, his troublemaking ways only drive her already-stretched-thin sister/guardian, Nani (Sydney Agudong), to her breaking point. Director Dean Fleischer Camp, whose excellent "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" stole my heart, brings his signature blend of warmth and humor to this project. And having Chris Sanders, the original's co-creator and director, return to voice Stitch adds a welcome sense of continuity that longtime fans are sure to enjoy. Buy or rent now on Prime Video and Apple You've heard of Christmas in July, but when it comes to "Violent Night," don't expect the feel-good yuletide classics you grew up with. This bloody, adrenaline-fueled Christmas thriller unfolds on Christmas Eve, when a ruthless team of mercenaries (led by John Leguizamo's cold-hearted Scrooge) crashes the Lightstone family's celebration to hold them hostage and steal millions from their vault. But their plans take an unexpected turn when Santa Claus (David Harbour of "Stranger Things" fame) gets caught in the ray while delivering presents. And this isn't the jolly ol' Saint Nick you're familiar with: He's a hardened, take-no-prisoners, one-man killing machine. Determined to protect young Trudy Lightstone (Leah Brady), the only one in her family who still believes in him, Santa unleashes a brutal, darkly hilarious beatdown. I didn't have high hopes when I went into "Violent Night" last Christmas, but it instantly became one of my go-to Christmas films. If you enjoy festive movies with a gritty edge, this unconventional holiday thriller is a must-watch. Watch it now on Peacock "Until Dawn" is one of the worst video game movie adaptations in recent memory. It sits alongside "Borderlands" as a rare failure in a veritable golden age of video games on the big screen. But even bad movies can be entertaining if you're in the mood for a good laugh. Honestly, to even call this an adaptation of the hit PlayStation horror game feels like a stretch. It takes only the broadest inspiration, with the characters, setting, and tone all overhauled beyond recognition. Gone is the secluded, snowy mountaintop cabin beset by ancient horrors that stalk the forest. Instead, we follow a group of friends trapped in a remote house that's caught in a time loop. Each reset brings fresh horrors, and the group must survive the night again and again to have any hope of escaping their horrible fate. It's admittedly a fun premise for a video game, but as a movie, "Until Dawn" falls far short of its inspiration. Watch it now on Netflix Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Geek Vibes Nation
2 hours ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
‘Happy Gilmore 2' Review - Insanely Silly And Heartwarming Fun
Take this with a grain of salt, but upon closer analysis, Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2 reveals a comedy that is smarter than it seems. For one, the original Happy Gilmore was about challenging the elitism of a stuffy, purist golf culture that needed a shake-up. A sort of lowbrow Caddyshack—if such a thing is possible—it was a blue-collar redemption story where talent and heart mattered more than etiquette. Which brings me to my point about Happy Gilmore 2: it revives that same working-class story in a setting the titular character once brought to golf—a world that has now gotten way, and I mean way, out of hand. Sandler is back with a sensibility only he can bring to the screen. This time, however, he has cleverly satirized commercialization and the modern evolution of golf. Particularly, the marketing of sports often clashes with tradition. Oh, and the movie happens to be funny, insanely silly, and heartwarming fun. The story picks up years after Happy Gilmore's (Adam Sandler) successful golf career. He's now married to the love of his life, Virginia (Modern Family's Julie Bowen, reprising her role from the original—a recurring theme in the film). They have five kids together, including four rough-and-tumble boys. Their youngest, Vienna (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah's Sunny Sandler), is an aspiring ballet dancer. Oh, and John Daly hilariously lives in Happy's garage. Happy wants to retire, but Virginia believes he won't be—well, happy—without the game he loves. However, after a family tragedy, Happy quits golf, turns to drinking, and loses all his money. Happy now works at a grocery store to support his family (and apparently John Daly). That is, until Vienna accepts a prestigious ballet academy in Paris. Great, right? Well, hold on, because the tuition bill of over $300,000 is too much for them to afford. That is, until Frank Manatee (Benny Safdie—Sandler, rewarding him for directing Uncut Gems) approaches Happy with the deal of a lifetime. The CEO of Maxi Energy Drink wants to sponsor a new kind of game: Maxi Golf. The vision resembles characters from a Mad Max movie, and the courses resemble gigantic mini golf on steroids. Frank wants to make Happy the face of his brand of chaos in a gentleman's game. The real question is whether Happy will be able to find his stroke again to make his daughter's dreams come true. Happy Gilmore 2 was directed by Kyle Newacheck (What We Do in the Shadows). Working from a script from Sandler and Tim Herlihy, who cowrote such golden-age Sandler comedies as Billy Madison, The Waterboy, and The Wedding Singer. The movie tells a sweet story about family while honoring the original in multiple ways. For instance, all Happy's Boys do the same shtick he did on the job when he was on the golf course. An underlying theme is the love for his wife, Virginia, showing the performer's growth as a storyteller. Many will point to an overemphasis on nods to the original and star cameos. However, new ones like Bad Bunny, John Daly, and Travis Kelce steal the scenes they are in. Also, Ben Stiller and Christopher McDonald are comedic gems reprising their roles. However, Sandler always makes his films a family affair. He brings in relatives of members who have passed away, while also using special effects to create poignant cameos for those who have passed on. That is what makes Happy Gilmore 2 worth watching for the nostalgia factor alone, with Sandler bringing back everyone in some shape or form. For one, he returns to his comedic style, but also demonstrates his maturity by honoring those who gave him a helping hand. Not to mention the audience that always lent their support. The movie is a legacy sequel that is so much fun, you forget the controlled comedic chaos of it all, let go, and enjoy the experience for what it is. Happy Gilmore 2 is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
