The release date forAnya Taylor-Joy's first new streaming series since the breakout hit The Queen's Gambitis right around the corner. Taylor-Joy suddenly found herself in an enviable position after the release and success of the Netflix limited series, which remains one of the streamer's most-watched titles to this day. Taylor-Joy had been knocking on the door of success for several years leading up to The Queen's Gambit, having delivered memorable performances in movies such as Thoroughbreds and Split. After she became a household name thanks to the Netflix series, she quickly landed the biggest role of her career — the titular part in one of the most anticipated franchise films of the last decade.

While not every martial arts movie is about revenge, a good many of them are, which is okay, because revenge works as something to drive the sort of conflict you want to see play out in such an action movie. Martial arts films foreground hand-to-hand combat, be it with or without weapons used at a close range, and that’s probably why revenge works well with such films. Seeing a character get direct and physical revenge with an intimate fighting style tends to be both more intense and ultimately satisfying, both for the person seeking vengeance and the viewer.

Earlier this year, Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy said goodbye to his most beloved franchise, as he donned his flat cap once more as Tommy Shelby in the Netflix feature Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Scoring 25.3 million views in its first three days of release, the movie was a huge hit on the streamer and proved so popular that the plans for it to end the Peaky saga were scrapped, with creator and writer Steven Knight continuing the story with two 6-episode seasons.

In the world of science fiction, we tend to give the greatest reverence to big-name, blockbuster titles, like Star Wars, Alien, Star Trek, and The Matrix. But sprinkled in within the mammoth movies are the films that shine brightly, but we tend not to notice. These movies may have had their moment, but nowadays, we are sleeping on them. Well, it’s time to wake up!

2025 was something of a quiet year in the director’s chair for Ridley Scott, as he only directed one episode of the Apple TV crime thriller show, Dope Thief, which stars Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. Scott will not only return to the big screen with a new movie later this summer, but The Dog Stars will also mark his return to the sci-fi genre — he last directed a sci-fi movie with Alien: Covenant in 2017. While plot specifics about The Dog Stars are still being kept under wraps before its August 28 release date, Scott has assembled a talented cast of Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley to star in the film. Scott’s last feature film came at the end of 2024 when he directed the polarizing legacy sequel, Gladiator II, which did not include Russell Crowe in any capacity.

Apple TV is an impressive streamer that seems to prioritize quality over quantity. Most of their shows are high-quality content, from prestige dramas and mind-bending sci-fi thrillers to character-driven and gag comedies. The last five years have been especially strong, allowing Apple to show off their library and good taste all at once.

When you think of Elijah Wood, what first comes to mind is probably characters who embody innocence or heroism. From his career as a child actor to his performance in the record-breaking Lord of the Rings trilogy, to family films like Happy Feet, he has found great success portraying people who exemplify what is good in the world. However, one role lurks in the shadows of his filmography: Kevin, the sadistic cannibal killer in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s 2005 film Sin City.In a movie full of tough guy actors such as Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Benicio del Toro, it’s Wood that stands out as the most intimidating, as he uses a unique approach to make the audience squirm in their seat.

For whatever reason, Ryan Goslingoften finds himself in space or encountering life from beyond. Thanks to the release and massive success of Project Hail Mary, Gosling is on top of the world, as audiences can't get enough of Phil Lord and Chris Miller's sci-fi extravaganza. His turn as Dr. Ryland Grace is not the first time the Oscar-nominated actor has embarked on a space odyssey or encountered peculiar, non-human life forms. With everyone in love with Project Hail Mary, hopefully, audiences will reclaim First Man, a biopic featuring Gosling as Neil Armstrong, as the overlooked gem that it is. Before he was a space traveler, Ken from Barbie, or even the high school teacher suffering from substance abuse in Half Nelson, Gosling briefly appeared in a forgotten Canadian sci-fi series in which he confronted terrifying forces from outer space. Hosted by extra-terrestrial enthusiast Dan Aykroyd, Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal was a four-season sci-fi show with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by Gosling and many future stars.