Latest news with #Companion
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 movies like 'Brick' but better
I'm a big fan of campy movies if the premise is interesting enough, but even I found "Brick" a total snooze fest. I'm honestly shocked to see it still holding strong in the Netflix top 10, but then again, the hook feels made in a lab to entice folks to hit "play." Netflix's latest psychological thriller debuted on July 10, and it has a claustrophobic, escape room-style setup with plenty of potential for mystery. A grieving couple mid-break-up suddenly gets trapped in their apartment building when an ominous brick wall entombs everything overnight — now that's intriguing. Frustratingly, while "Brick" manages to build an ominous atmosphere, the vibes aren't enough to outshine its laundry list of problems. Heavy-handed dialogue, undercooked characters, and plot beats that swing between predictable and nonsensical are pain points impossible to ignore. I'm not alone in my assessment. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, "Brick" has a pitiful 35% critics' score, and audiences enjoyed it even less (it's sitting at a 27% score on the Popcornmeter). If you're looking for a truly gripping or original thriller, "Brick" doesn't offer anything new or compelling. Thankfully, you can find plenty of better mystery thrillers across the best streaming services, the kind that keep you glued to the screen, trying to piece together what the hell is going on from start to finish. So, without further ado, here are some movies like "Brick" but better. What makes this sci-fi thriller so compelling is also what makes it hard to talk about (a common theme you'll find among most of the entries on this list). Giving away too much would risk spoiling some of its most surprising and rewarding reveals. Sophie Thatcher is proving to be a regular scream queen after starring in "Yellowjackets," "Heretic" and "Companion." She plays Iris, a young woman who sets off with her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) and friends to a weekend getaway at a remote cabin owned by eccentric billionaire Sergey (Rupert Friend). However, their trip takes a disturbing turn when Iris appears one morning, drenched in blood. What begins as a relaxing retreat quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I'm intentionally keeping things vague because this is one of those films that's best experienced with minimal context. It's a tightly wound mystery that unspools with twist after twist — and trust me, this is one film you'll want to go into with as little prior knowledge as possible. Watch it now on Max If you enjoyed "Brick's" claustrophobic atmosphere, get ready to really get your heart racing with "Buried." This single-location thriller sees Ryan Reynolds play Paul Conroy, a man stuck in a truly desperate situation. Our first introduction to Paul, an American truck driver working in Iraq, is when he wakes up disoriented, trapped in utter darkness. After fumbling for a lighter, he realizes he's been buried alive in a coffin. With no clear way out and only a limited supply of air, time is not on his side. His only lifeline to the outside world is his cellphone. He manages to contact a U.S. department that handles hostage negotiations and learns that those responsible for his situation are demanding a hefty price for his freedom. It becomes a race against time to try to escape his terrifying ordeal without losing his cool. Because the more he panics, the faster he'll burn through what precious little air he has left. Watch it now on Tubi Both "Brick" and "10 Cloverfield Lane" tap into themes of distrust, manipulation, and the uneasy overlap between protection and imprisonment. If you enjoyed "Brick's" slow-burn tension, this makes for an ideal follow-up. And no, you don't have to watch the first "Cloverfield" to follow along. After storming out of her New Orleans apartment over a fight with her fiancé, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up injured from a car crash and at the mercy of her rescuer-turned-captor, Howard (John Goodman). He insists that an alien invasion has made the outside world deadly. The only way to survive is to stay holed up in his bunker with her fellow captive Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). But as cracks appear in Howard's story, Michelle and Emmett start digging for the truth. What they discover pushes them to plan a desperate escape, but the real nightmare doesn't begin until Michelle steps outside to face what's really waiting for her. Watch it now on Prime Video "His House" is one of the most affecting movies I've seen in years. While it definitely leans more toward horror than the other entries on this list, its character-led drama keeps you guessing every step of the way with a poignant twist on the haunted house trope. "His House" follows the plight of a young Sudanese couple, Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), who risked everything to flee to the UK. An accident at sea has them arriving on British shores grieving the loss of their daughter, and their troubles only multiply when they're finally granted asylum in a small English town. Facing hostility and racism in their new neighborhood, the couple struggles to settle into their new life. Tensions between them deepen as a supernatural presence in their home begins to surface, which seems tied to the trauma they thought they left behind. While Rial insists they need to leave, Bol fears that making waves could risk deportation. Left with no support, they must confront whatever's haunting their new home alone, unearthing painful secrets they wish would stay buried. Watch it now on Netflix A bit of an older pick, but the mystery at the heart of "Memento" is so fun to unravel, it's hard to resist being drawn to it again and again. Writer-director Christopher Nolan has gone on to win Oscars for "Inception," "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer," but his breakthrough film kicked off his legacy with plenty of twists that blew audiences' minds. This ingeniously structured thriller stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man suffering from anterograde amnesia. He can't form new short-term memories, and the story unfolds out of order, so audiences share in his disorientation. By extension, nearly every scene functions like a twist, revealing information Leonard once knew but has since forgotten, with misleading clues or outright lies often muddying the waters further. Nolan plays with both style and structure throughout, weaving together black-and-white and color sequences as well as chronological and reverse-chronological order. Piecing together the fragmented narrative is deeply satisfying, but "Memento" remains gripping even when the truth is just out of reach. 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.
Cosmopolitan
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
New cast confirmed for season 2 of Prime Video' best thriller series that's the 'perfect mix of grit and wit'
Last year Prime Video released one of the best thriller shows we've seen in a long time - Mr & Mrs Smith. Starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, the eight-part series saw the pair's characters start new roles as spies for a mysterious organisation and as part of their roles they must pretend to be a happily married couple. And as is often the case in these dramas the lines often got blurred between colleagues and a real relationship, resulting in a perfect mix of dangerous missions, hilarious scenes and poignant romantic revelations. And now the show is officially coming back for a second season, but this time it's got a brand new duo playing a new seemingly married couple. Yes! Following the release of the first season Mr & Mrs Smith co-creator Francesca Sloane teased a potential update on another season of the show. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly on 2nd February 2024, Sloane said she was keen for the possibility of another season, explaining there's so much more they could do with the story and concept. "I think that there's definitely a lot more story to tell here,' she explained. 'I think that we definitely feel like this is a fully satisfied story if it were to just live on its own. But it definitely has more legs to keep going, that's for sure." And then on 14th May 2024, Prime Video confirmed they would be making another season of Mr & Mrs Smith. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said of the news: "We are excited to announce that a second season of our groundbreaking spy series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is in the works for our global Prime Video customers. The success of the first season, with its incredibly modern, sexy reinvention of the original film, is a testament to the brilliant creators Donald Glover and Francesa Sloane. We are proud to bring you another season filled with unforgettable journeys and new adventures.' Ok bad news folks, Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are not set to reprise their roles next season, but if you've watched the season finale then that likely won't come as a shock to you. As we discovered in season one, there are many different spies employed to go undercover as different versions of Mr and Mrs Smith, so it looks like we'll have an exciting opportunity to see a new pair of spies take on these iconic aliases. And we now know the next pairing to take on the roles will be Sophie Thatcher and Mark Eydelshteyn. You'll most likely know Sophie from her role in Yellowjackets and the movies Companion and Heretic. Mark is best known for appearing in the Oscar-winning Anora. As mentioned, the eight-part series (which was released in February 2024), follows a couple who are recruited by a spy agency to work together, and partake in a fake marriage as part of their missions. It's loosely inspired by the film (but differs in that the original couple didn't realise each other were also spies), with the official synopsis reading, "Meet the Smiths: two lonely strangers, John and Jane, who have given up their lives and identities to be thrown together as partners – both in espionage and in marriage. It's a Prime Video original, so you'll need to be a Prime member to access Prime Video. Amazon Prime costs £8.99 per month or £95 a year, which works out at £7.92 a month. WATCH HERE
News18
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
From Heads Of State To Kaalidhar Laapata: 5 OTT Titles To Stream This Week
Last Updated: Discover 5 new Hindi and English OTT releases to stream from June 30–July 4. Includes Companion, Heads of State, Kaalidhar Laapata, and more must-watch titles. The first week of July is stacked with must-watch OTT releases across genres—from sci-fi and political thrillers to action-packed sequels and gripping Hindi dramas. Whether you're in the mood for high-stakes international comedy or intense real-life investigations, this list has something for everyone. Here are five Hindi and English titles dropping between June 30 and July 4 that deserve a spot on your watchlist: 1. Companion (English) This taut sci-fi thriller stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid in a chilling tale of artificial intimacy turned rogue. When a rented humanoid girlfriend gains sentience, she sets off on a chilling quest for revenge. With early critical acclaim and a Rotten Tomatoes rating hovering around 94%, Companion blends dystopian drama with emotional tension, making it a must-watch for genre lovers. 2. Heads of State (English) Streaming from July 2 on Amazon Prime Video What happens when two world leaders—played by Idris Elba and John Cena—are thrown into a high-octane international crisis? Heads of State delivers a riotous blend of action and comedy with political satire, explosive sequences, and witty banter. Perfect for fans of The Hitman's Bodyguard or Red Notice. 3. The Old Guard 2 (English) Streaming from July 2 on Netflix Charlize Theron returns in the much-anticipated sequel to The Old Guard, continuing the saga of immortal warriors caught between modern warfare and ancient loyalty. Expect stylized action, emotional depth, and more mythological revelations as the story expands its universe. 4. Kaalidhar Laapata (Hindi) Streaming from July 4 on Zee5 Abhishek Bachchan headlines this Hindi drama that explores identity, invisibility, and emotional survival. A remake of the Tamil film KD, Kaalidhar Laapata promises a deeply human story woven with wit, melancholy, and moments of unexpected warmth. 5. The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (Hindi) Streaming from July 4 on SonyLIV Delving into one of the most pivotal and tragic events in Indian history, this true-crime docu-drama chronicles the covert operation to capture the perpetrators of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Combining archival footage with dramatic reconstruction, The Hunt offers a gripping account of justice pursued at any cost. First Published:
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Heads Of State's Jack Quaid Never Saw Himself As An Action Hero
Jack Quaid is all smiles on the set of 'Head of State.' 2025 has been one heck of a year for Jack Quaid. Heads of State is his latest film to drop this year, following the crowd-pleasing Novocaine and Companion. "I don't know. It's getting obnoxious at this point," Quaid laughs as we chat over Zoom. "It's been great and I'm very lucky. I feel like I've worked a lot over the past year. It has been strange for me. I didn't realize that all of it would come out within a few months of each other. That's the thing. It's interesting because I did Companion, Novocaine, and Heads of State, and Heads of State is coming out now, but I shot that first." The Boys' Quaid plays a small but pivotal role in the action comedy, which lands on Amazon's Prime Video on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. When the UK Prime Minister and US President, played by Idris Elba and John Cena respectively, become the targets of a foreign enemy, they're forced to rely on one another to thwart a global conspiracy. Directed by Hardcore Henry and Nobody filmmaker Ilya Naishuller, Heads of State also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, and Stephen Root. Quaid loves being an action movie star, but he didn't see it coming. "I think this movie gave me the action bug that I carried forth in Novocaine. Ilya is one of our great action movie directors, and it was such a great opportunity. When the offer came in, I was like, 'I have to work with this guy.' I loved Nobody so much. Hardcore Henry is amazing," he enthuses. "First and foremost, he cares about entertaining an audience, and I love that about him, and he brings a lot of heart." "I think that's something that appeals to me about it. I don't think anyone looks at me and thinks that I'm an action hero in any regard, but I think that's what makes it kind of fun and unexpected when all of a sudden, I am in a very intense action sequence. I love action movies from the 80s and 90s, and I especially enjoy those that are character-driven. I love stuff that's like, 'Well, you care about the characters, therefore you care about the action.' Both Novocaine and this have degrees of that." Something else Quaid loves about the opportunity is that his character, Marty, gave him something that almost no other role he has been offered. "I rarely get to be a person who is trained in combat or a badass in any way. Marty, he's not in the movie for a ton, but he knows what he's doing, and that was fun to do," the actor explains. 'He's a guy with a plan, a guy with actual skill. Knowing that Ilya was going to be behind the camera made it even more special.' Quaid's big moment in Heads of State is an action sequence that took weeks to film due to its complexity, "even though I'm behind a wall shooting a shotgun for a lot of it." "Every beat of it is very dense, whether I'm sliding down my hallway, or explosions are going off by my head, and I have to pretend not to be fazed by it in any way. You have to look psyched about it," he laughs. 'It took a while, and that's not to mention the scenes that we were shooting before that with John Cena and Idris Elba. I was a fan of them beforehand, but they're some of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. They're such great role models for what a number one or number two on a call sheet should be.' The Scream and Plus One actor says that WWE legend Cena took him under his wing and "was basically my dad for those two weeks." "He was like, 'Oh, you don't need to do that stunt in rehearsal. I don't want you to pull something.' He was so unbelievably kind and looked out for my well-being," he enthuses. 'Idris Elba is the coolest dude I've ever met in my life. I was making these dumb mashups on my phone, and I showed him one of them. He's a very accomplished DJ, so just getting a 'That's dope, man' from Idris Elba was the greatest moment of my life. I had a blast working with those two, and they crushed it in this movie.' Jack Quaid at the Deadline Contenders Television 2025 held at the Directors Guild of America in Los ... More Angeles, California. Jack Quaid Says 'Heads Of State' Hits All The Right Iconic Beats Quaid's stand-out action sequence even surprised the actor when he got the chance to screen the movie. Impressed by the final product, he was especially surprised by the choice of music in the film, which featured one of his all-time favorite tracks, Sabotage by the Beastie Boys. "I had no idea. It wasn't Sabotage when we were on set, I think they were playing a heavy metal song, but I'm not exactly sure what it was," he recalls. "Ilya had a certain beats per minute that he needed to hit. It needed to have a certain rhythm. He cares about every single sequence in his movie, and I didn't expect him to get that much face time with him, honestly, but we were having meetings about what the sequence should be about. The scene comes at a very pivotal part in the movie that is often referred to as the 'fun and games' section, which is all about getting the audience excited and hopefully laughing, to fulfil the promise of the premise." "The whole time I'm like, 'What's going to be the song? It has got to be an absolute banger, 'and we were texting different ideas back and forth. At one point, we were both excited about the idea of it being ABBA because it would be a little bit unexpected to have an action scene set to an ABBA song, or for my character to be an ABBA fan. You never know what you're going to get the rights to in the moment." He continues, 'I remember watching the movie for the first time. I was in London again, about a year later, and Ilya was like, 'Come on down and see the movie.' It was like me, Priyanka, and Katrina Durden, who plays one of the villains of the movie. My sequence came on, and they started playing Sabotage, and I lost my mind. I love that song. I work out to that song. It's perfect. I was so unbelievably happy and surprised that it was a Beastie Boys track. That was sick.' John Cena and Idris Elba in 'Heads of State.' While Quaid would have loved to have been in the film more, he's very happy with his work and how Heads of State turned out. He'd love to return to Marty if the opportunity came up. "A sequel all depends on whether or not an audience enjoys the first movie, so hopefully they do. I would play this character again in a heartbeat. I think there's a lot left unexplored with him. I came up with my backstory, which I love, but you never know what's canon or not," he muses. "Case in point, I remember I came up with this whole elaborate backstory for my character in Scream then Scream VI happened, and it's like, 'Oh, I have a family and I have siblings,' which is great, but not what I'm thinking in my head at the time. I would love to explore this character further, because he is so intriguing. He's such a loon. What I was trying to tap into the most was that this is a guy who has lived by himself alone in a CIA safe house for seemingly years, and he doesn't socialize with a lot of people, so what does that look like when all of a sudden the President and the Prime Minister show up at his door? He's such a fan of the President, and at that moment he thinks that he's dead." "I knew my role in helping their arc, where I'm supposed to be just fawning over the President and making Idris feel a little insecure about himself, and in a polite, nice way, plant a little bit of doubt in their relationship that they get over. That was fun to play as well. I remember really meeting John Cena for the first time and just being like, 'I'm going to hug you a lot. Is that okay?' He was very sweet, nice, and kind about it. It was really great hanging out with those guys. Obviously, I'd be down for a sequel, if that's something Amazon was interested in doing." Jack Quaid attends the 'Novocaine' Los Angeles Premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los ... More Angeles, California. Quaid also wouldn't say no to a follow-up to another of his 2025 movies, the acclaimed box office actioner Novocaine. "Oh, my God, yes," the humble actor concludes. "Honestly, I want to thank anyone who checked out anything I've ever made out. Seriously, that means the world to any actor, and I'm no exception. The fact that anyone has seen anything I've made in this past year, or ever, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart."
San Francisco Chronicle
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
What's reborn in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth'? Spoiler: It's not the plot
Strictly speaking, there's no 'rebirth' in 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' which should clue viewers in for the experience they're about to have. The seventh film in the 'Why are you messing with carnivorous dinosaurs?' series finds apparent mercenary Zora (Scarlett Johansson, also in theaters in ' The Phoenician Scheme ') hired by slick corporate guy Martin (Rupert Friend of ' Companion ') to take idealistic paleontologist Henry (Jonathan Bailey of ' Wicked ') into the restricted zone where dinosaurs thrive. They seek blood samples from three particular live ones for revolutionary medical research. Zora recruits four helpers, including trusted confederates Duncan (Oakland native and two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali) and Bobby (Ed Skrein of ' Rebel Moon ' and ' Deadpool '). They rescue a family shipwrecked by one of the beasties, but having civilians, including kids, along doesn't dissuade the team from their dangerous mission. They traipse, virtually unarmed, into man-eating monster territory. Who will become dino dinner? Who won't? And there's your movie. As nothing is reborn in the story, the title really refers to the franchise, which nobody thought was ending after the last trilogy sort of concluded with ' Jurassic World Dominion ' (2022), which raked in a billion bucks despite being coldly received by critics. So even the title announces there's really nothing more to tell about the story, but here comes another movie. Make no mistake, it delivers what the fans want and expect, no more, no less. There's only one new element in 'Rebirth' — that mutant dinosaurs resulted from experiments conducted for no good reason. Once we know that's a thing, we know what the big bad will be for the final chase. But the mutant dino isn't explored at all, even with an expert present. We see every turn that's coming; we recognize which folks are 'red shirts' (the 'Star Trek' fan term for characters marked for death). We know, when we meet the little girl who's afraid of dinosaurs, she'll befriend a cute one. One signs a contract to suspend disbelief when watching an adventure movie about dinosaurs and humans, but 'Rebirth' seems determined to test viewers' patience with one incredible stroke of luck after another. There are Easter eggs for franchise fans — a bus is marked for 'Crichton Middle School,' a nod to 'Jurassic Park' novelist Michael Crichton; a familiar 'When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth' banner is being taken down. Unfortunately, the film also reminds us over and over (and over) again of the previous signature shots of people facing the camera while dinos enter the frame behind them. Those visiting these Iles de Death by Dino really should be inoculated against plot deafness, which enables these very large animals moving in water or foliage to become undetectable by human ear or nose. The number of times this particular cinematic tic spasms in 'Rebirth' tests the limits of sanity. Zora is purportedly a highly sought-after mercenary with many years of experience in tough spots. She inspires to-the-death loyalty from Duncan and Bobby. But there is absolutely nothing about Johansson's realization of Zora that says 'warrior,' 'veteran,' 'leader,' or anything along those lines. The best performance comes from Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Netflix's ' The Lincoln Lawyer '), who conveys urgency and love as Reuben, the shipwrecked father protecting his family. David Iacono also turns in memorable work as Xavier, the layabout boyfriend of Reuben's daughter. Bailey gets the best dialogue, but the bar isn't high in this functional script. The dino action is just fine, though as this reviewer's screening companion said, 'There wasn't enough dinosaur-on-dinosaur violence.' Except for a small handful of shots, the visual effects are excellent, per director Gareth Edwards' reputation cultivated with ' Godzilla ' (2014) and ' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ' (2016). All that said, this movie is likely review-proof. The franchise is doing just fine without critical approval. This one is less of a slog, but there is precious little interesting or new in 'Jurassic World Rebirth.' It'll likely earn a billion dollars anyway.
