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Like James Gunn’s Superman? Check out these 5 similar comic book movies

Writer-director James Gunn unleashed an instant comic book movie classic with Superman. This new superhero blockbuster brought the Man of Steel back to his roots with a zany, lighthearted adventure filled with quirky and entertaining characters, especially with David Corenswet’s version of the titular hero. The movie doesn’t shy away from presenting a solemn, inspiring story with stunning, ultraviolent action.

While some Superman fans have decided to see the film in theaters more than once, there is an alternative option. Those who enjoyed Superman can also check out these other comic book movies, some of which were also created by Gunn, that feature similar stories, styles, themes, and action.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Marvel Studios / Marvel Studios

Long before the release of Superman, this epic space opera produced by Marvel Studios put James Gunn on the map. Guardians of the Galaxy introduced many audiences to obscure superheroes led by Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, as well as Gunn’s distinctive brand of humor and heartfelt storytelling that made these characters into cinema icons.

Though the movie features an even sillier tone than Superman‘s with protagonists who aren’t as righteous as the Man of Steel, it is still an uplifting tale of troubled people finding acceptance with each other and realizing their true potential as heroes.

Guardians of the Galaxy is available to stream on Disney+.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

This wacky, gory film helped set the stage for James Gunn’s DC Universe. This movie has a lot more in common with Guardians of the Galaxy than Superman, as it follows a band of superpowered criminals as they embark on a deadly black ops mission to reduce their prison sentences.

But much like Superman, The Suicide Squad presents a dark satire of global politics as the heroes uncover the U.S. government’s dirty little secrets. It is also not afraid to stay true to the silliness of the comic books with how it presents a talking shark in shorts, a man who shoots polka dots, and a giant, one-eyed starfish that brainwashes people.

The Suicide Squad is available to stream on HBO Max.

Man of Steel (2013)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

Director Zack Snyder gave Superman the “Dark Knight” treatment by presenting a modern, gritty origin story for the Blue Boy Scout, with Henry Cavill portraying the character. Despite its dark tone and doubtful depiction of Superman, Man of Steel tells a bold new tale about an iconic hero that realistically shows how the world would react if a super-powerful being like him suddenly appeared on Earth.

Audiences can see how Snyder’s exhilarating, thought-provoking film influenced James Gunn’s Superman. While they are two very different movies, Man of Steel presents a thrilling and heartfelt story that inspires hope based on what its protagonist aspires to be in a jaded world.

Man of Steel is available to stream on HBO Max

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition (2016)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

Zack Snyder’s sequel to Man of Steel sees Lex Luthor try to pit Superman against the Dark Knight himself in an elaborate plan to destroy him. The fear and distrust people had over the all-powerful Superman in Gunn’s film is on full display in Snyder’s film, with characters like Batman and Luthor being driven to darkness.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice shows the Man of Steel being pushed to his moral and physical limits, raising the question of whether even Superman can stay good in the real world today. This makes for a much darker film than Gunn’s Superman, but this blockbuster is just as compelling and action-packed.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition is available to stream on HBO Max.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

James Gunn’s Superman, as well as many other comic book movies, wouldn’t exist without Richard Donner’s original Superman movie. From the destruction of Krypton to Clark’s childhood on Earth to his days fighting crime in Metropolis, this movie depicts Superman’s origin story with beauty, humor, excitement, and hope, with Christopher Reeve remaining the quintessential Man of Steel.

Though Gunn’s Superman has far more realism in terms of visuals and storytelling than Donner’s film, the latter presents a tale that is just as uplifting and entertaining.

Superman: The Movie is available to stream on HBO Max.

July 13, 2025
This new movie will smash the weekend box office — watch the trailer

Superman is all set to smash the weekend box office, with forecasts suggesting that the second reboot of the movie series will take between $115 million and $135 million in North America, Boxoffice Pro reports.

Opening globally on Friday (check out the trailer above), the movie, directed and co-written by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman, had a reported budget of $225 million, while marketing could reportedly add another $200 million or so to those costs.

Despite the massive outlay, Gunn seems to be not feeling the pressure. “This is not the riskiest endeavor in the world,” the director said in a recent interview with GQ. “Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes 700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”

The reviews have been mostly warm, with Variety commenting: “The new movie isn’t ‘dark’ … so much as it’s a loopy, spinning, multifaceted story with genuine emotional stakes. It truly feels like a comic book come to life,” but adds that it would’ve been better if the movie had slowed down a bit to give the characters a chance to “meditate on their shifting realities.”

The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, mostly loved it, saying that Corenswet “makes an outstanding Superman/Clark Kent, his performance loaded with self-irony, charm, and poignant vulnerability.” It also described the lead’s “funny, scrappy” rapport with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane as making “their every scene together a delight.”

It added that while Gunn’s Superman is “overloaded, even muddled at times,” the movie is nevertheless “relentlessly entertaining,” saying: “Perhaps its biggest strength is that it sidesteps all the revisionist murk of superheroes onscreen in the last decade or two and reverts almost to an enchanting state of child-like wonder.”

Boxoffice Pro also notes that DC Studios already has a follow-up lined up with spin-off Supergirl, which is set to open in June 2026.

For an entertaining preview of the new Superman movie, check out this behind-the-scenes reel featuring clips of the cast on the set, together with action shots from the movie itself.

July 11, 2025
This new adventure movie will win the weekend box office. Watch the trailer here

Last weekend, F1: The Movie stood atop the box office podium, but this weekend a very different movie will steal the spotlight.

Jurassic World Rebirth is expected to rake in between $80 million and $100 million on its debut weekend in North America, according to a forecast from Boxoffice Pro. Watch the trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth at the top of this page.

Jurassic World Rebirth landed in theaters on Wednesday and has already been attracting plenty of interest from families looking for some midweek entertainment.

“A new cast led by Marvel icon Scarlett Johansson and Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali lends an element of star power that will surely entice even those most critical of Jurassic Park: Dominion,” Boxoffice Pro said, adding that “the lack of Chris Pratt or any of the legacy players (Dern, Goldblum, Neill, et al) could be perceived as both a liability and a plus in this instance.”

As per the movie’s logline: “Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”

Jurassic World Rebirth sees an extraction team — Johansson, Ali, and Jonathan Bailey — race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, “inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind,” Universal Pictures says of its new adventure movie.

In his review, Digital Trends’ Anthony Orlando describes Jurassic World Rebirth as “a sequel that brings some life back to the exhausted franchise.” While the review praises fabulous performances from Johansson, Ali, and Bailey, it adds that the script is “occasionally held back by on-the-nose, expositional dialogue.”

Orlando concludes: “This movie is far from the best in the Jurassic Park saga. But it’s a decent blockbuster nonetheless.”

July 4, 2025
7 most unnecessary sequels ever

It’s common knowledge that many movie sequels fail to live up to the hype and quality of their predecessors. Film studios usually try to follow the money by making a follow-up to a movie that succeeded in theaters. However, filmmakers can’t always replicate the magic of the original film, which has led to some lackluster sequels.

These films can bomb so spectacularly or miss the mark by so much that some even argue that they had no business existing at all. While almost any film can be deemed “unnecessary,” there are many sequels to critically and commercially successful motion pictures that really didn’t need to be made.

Toy Story 4 (2019)

Pixar / Pixar

While Pixar made mistakes with most of its sequel movies, the Toy Story franchise was consistent with its high quality, at least until the fourth film. While Toy Story 4 showed Woody reuniting with Bo Peep, the movie didn’t add that much to the Toy Story saga. This is evident in how the story pushes several supporting characters, including Buzz and Jess, aside for new ones in an attempt to keep things fresh.

Though Toy Story 4 isn’t a bad film, Toy Story 3 had a beautiful ending to the franchise. After Andy gave Woody and his pals to Bonnie and left for college at the end of the third film, the fourth seemed like a forced chapter to a story that already ended.

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

This DC sequel film showed the Joker seemingly finding his other half in “Lee” Quinzel in a dark musical romance, which seemed like a perfect continuation of the titular villain’s story. Joker: Folie à Deux made a bold meta-commentary about how people perceive and idolize Joker, defying audiences’ expectations with its story and Arthur’s character arc.

However, much of the film recapped the first movie’s events in court, something the audience really didn’t need to see. Likewise, the first Joker movie worked much better as a standalone film, as it offered a sympathetic origin story for the Joker that kept his character a mystery, much like his comic book counterpart.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Robert Zuckerman; Warner Bros. / Robert Zuckerman; Warner Bros.

The Terminator movies started going downhill with Rise of the Machines, as the franchise very much peaked with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The latter film had the perfect ending for the Terminator franchise, with Sarah protecting John and the T-800 sacrificing himself to prevent Skynet’s creation.

There wasn’t much the threequel could’ve done to help the franchise innovate after Judgment Day, and it seemed to redo much of what happened in the second film, but with many questionable creative choices. Unsurprisingly, filmmakers tried to retcon this movie twice with Genisys and Dark Fate, and the failures of both films have made a Judgment Day sequel even less desirable.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

Following the events of 1973’s The Exorcist, The Heretic depicts the investigation into Regan’s exorcism and the deaths surrounding it, leading to a very bizarre and widely reviled story. The movie loses the horror that made the original Exorcist so popular and adds concepts like psychic healers and sci-fi technology that didn’t really fit into the franchise.

Considering how Exorcist III and the TV reboot were far superior follow-ups to the original movie, The Heretic seems to be an even greater misstep that took away from the terrifying mystery and grounded realism of the first film.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

The first Space Jam movie was weird, but it certainly had its charm. However, Space Jam: A New Legacy dropped the ball when it came to appealing to audiences. Much of the movie felt like a feature-length commercial for all of Warner Bros.’s IPs as LeBron James traveled across the “Serververse” to assemble the Tune Squad for a basketball game against an evil AI. This sequel was essentially Space Jam meets Ready Player One.

Though this may have been a good idea in theory, Space Jam: A New Legacy lacked the appeal and originality of its predecessor with its thin story and over-the-top product placements.

Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)

20th Century Studios / 20th Century Studios

Speed won over audiences with its thrilling, suspenseful tale, which centered around a bus filled with people rigged to explode if it goes slower than 50 mph. On the other hand, Speed 2: Cruise Control is arguably one of the most embarrassing sequels in cinema history. The second Speed movie literally took the speed out of the franchise by trading the bus for a much slower cruise ship.

Even Keanu Reeves knew this concept wouldn’t be exciting and wisely refused to star in it. Though Cruise Control would’ve been bad even with Reeves, it was only made worse without him, given his chemistry with Sandra Bullock was one of the original film’s biggest highlights.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures

The first two Jaws sequels were unnecessary enough, as they didn’t add anything new or worthwhile to continue the franchise. However, the fourth film literally jumped the shark by somehow making the killer beast a sentient, vengeful creature hunting down Ellen Brody and her family because of her late husband’s actions in the first movie.

With this nonsensical story, the Jaws franchise had lost all basis in reality and was trying to do whatever it could to justify its existence and make a profit, making Jaws: The Revenge one of the worst movies of all time.

June 30, 2025
‘Twilight’ superfans bought Bella Swan’s house for $360,000—now they’re making $140,000 a year renting out the ultimate collector’s item
- Twilight captured the hearts of millennials when it came out in 2008—including entrepreneurial couple Amber and Dean Neufeld, who bought Bella Swan’s house from the $3 billion vampire franchise for $360,000. Now, they reel in up to $140,000 yearly in revenue as its grown-up fans seek to live out their childhood fantasies. Meanwhile, thanks to TikTok, the franchise is experiencing a resurgence and captivating Gen Z.
It’s natural for superfans to want a piece of movie and TV history—from the Walter White Breaking Bad house to Aragorn’s sword in Lord of the Rings. But two Twilight lovers scored the ultimate prize when they purchased Bella Swan’s house from the massively popular vampire franchise.

“I had come up and visited all the filming locations,” Amber Neufeld, owner of the house with her husband Dean, tells Fortune. “When the house popped up on the market, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I know that house.’”

‘Twilight’ captured the hearts of millennials in 2008. Now, 17 years on from its release, its fan base are all grown up with ‘big boy money’—and one couple is crashing Airbnb with the listing.
Courtesy of Amber and Dean Neufeld

The couple bought the house in St. Helen’s, Ore., back in 2018 for $360,000. It sold for $10,000 over the asking value at the end of a bidding shuffle with two other potential buyers. After fixing up some worse-for-wear areas of the house and soft launching at the start of 2019, it was ready for rent, with nightly rates around $400. It took a year for things to take off; but now the property has continuously crashed the Airbnb site, with bookings for a year in advance selling out within minutes on Neufelds’ personal website.

The iconic Swan house from the $3 billion Twilight franchise, which began as a series of novels, now brings in up to $140,000 yearly—and Amber manages the property as a full-time job. The prospect of renting out a movie-famous home could entice some to upcharge and make a pretty penny, but the Neufelds say they’re not interested in making a big profit. The most fulfilling part of owning the house is letting Twilight superfans step into Bella’s world, even if only for a night. Plus, she couldn’t bear the thought of someone else buying the house, and it being stripped of its character.

“What if somebody changes it, and we lose that filming history?” Amber says. “I just wanted to save it.”

Courtesy of Amber and Dean Neufeld

Snagging the Swan house off the market for $360,000

When the Neufelds, who are both 43 years old, first caught wind of the five-bedroom Swan house being on the market, they jumped at the opportunity—even if that only meant getting a chance to look inside the house. Amber admits she fangirled during the tour.

“I’m trying to keep it in check so my realtor doesn’t think I’m just a crazy person,” she recalls.

The couple made an offer immediately, having enough money tied to company stock to afford a downpayment at any time. There were two other offers on the table. But they finally locked down the house for $360,000 by going $10,000 over asking price, being Twilight fans themselves, offering the biggest down payment, and submitting a positive letter from their realtor.

Next came renovations, and making the Twilight house as movie-accurate as possible. Luckily, all of the original flooring, fixtures, and exterior were untouched from the filming days. But the Swan home still needed some TLC, so Dean balanced his full-time job with refurbishing the house: hammering floorboard nails, patching leaky faucets, and fixing leaky water heaters. Meanwhile, Amber scoured the internet for the original movie furnishings or replicas of the set, like a model ship in Bella’s house, and the dining room table and chairs. The repairs and items cost about $20,000 in total.

Courtesy of Amber and Dean Neufeld

“I would go work my nine-to-five, and then I’d go to the house and be there from five until bedtime just fixing stuff,” Dean says. “We actually ran ourselves financially tight. We’re paying two mortgages, paying two water bills, power bills, all that fun stuff.”

Crashing Airbnb and making up to $140,000 yearly

While the Neufelds were eating a ton of costs at the onset of getting the Swan house up and running, it’s been years since they’ve had to worry about financing it.

The entrepreneurial couple first did a soft-launch of the Twilight house in January 2019, opening the listing to the public one month later. They had to fight to gain a following on Facebook, with bookings trickling in irregularly. But everything took off around a year later thanks to TikTok virality. A creator made a video of her stay in the house, humorously recreating a scene at Bella’s bedroom window. The 1.5 million viewers suddenly knew they could rent the house, too.

“Life was never the same,” Dean explains. “Our bookings were filled the moment they were open, and it’s never slowed down ever since.”

The Neufelds began by renting out the house on Airbnb—but the website couldn’t handle the intense online traffic. They’ve since switched to handling bookings through their own website, which go up quarterly and sell out within three to 10 minutes for reservations up to a year in advance.

The couple says the massive success came during the perfect storm of a Twilight resurgence; the series finally hit streaming services, and the book Midnight Sun was added to the series. That meant the teen kids of parents who went to Twilight midnight premieres 17 years ago were now hooked on the series and booking out the house.

“All the Twilight readers were now old enough to have big boy money,” Amber says. “What actually happened, surprisingly often, was it was the teenagers—the second generation—getting into Twilight too.”

Courtesy of Amber and Dean Neufeld

The Neufelds now make $140,000 in revenue from the Swan house during good years, with a majority rolling into overhead and improvements. They’ve refused to raise prices in tandem with the high demand, and a perk of keeping the prices lower is that they can mitigate their own tax burden. Plus, they say it makes enough—drawing profits upwards of $60,000 annually—to cover the mortgages and fees, with money left over for themselves and new improvements.

“We don’t really want to charge more,” Amber says. “It’s not just, ‘How can we make the most money?’ It’s really always been, ‘How much can we charge and still put money back into the house and pay the mortgage?’”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
June 29, 2025
F1 review: A predictable but thrilling sports drama
F1: A predictable but thrilling sports drama

Score Details

“F1 races to the finish line in a blaze of glory, but it takes a road that’s all too familiar.”

Pros

Terrific performances

Thrilling action

Stunning cinematography

Great score and soundtrack

Cons

Formulaic story

Flat characters
Actor Brad Pitt has raced back into cinemas with his latest film, F1. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who previously helmed Top Gun: Maverick, this sports drama follows veteran racer Sonny Hayes (Pitt) when he is called upon by his old rival (Javier Bardem) to return to Formula One racing to partner up with a young rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), in the last few races of the season.

After taking on the world of aerial combat, Kosinski brings his distinctive brand of cinematic flair to this depiction of competitive racing. Naturally, this makes for another captivating, blood-pumping blockbuster achievement. Though it seems to have left a better story in the rearview mirror, F1 makes up for it with a bevy of charismatic performances, engrossing visuals, and stirring moments.

The story runs a familiar track with mixed results

Apple Original Films / Apple Original Films

F1‘s opening scene hooks its viewer with its introduction of the laid-back Sonny and his dazzling first race. This presents enough thrills and mystery to leave audiences wanting to see more of his character and learn more about him in the coming attractions. But beyond that, F1 presents a predictable story of an aged athlete, described in the film as “the greatest who never was,” as he tries to educate a younger protégé and regain his former glory. It’s essentially Top Gun: Maverick with race cars, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Though the story of F1 is familiar, it still presents the right amount of severe character drama and lighthearted quips between Sonny, Joshua, and their teammates to make this an enjoyable summer blockbuster. Nevertheless, the script could ease up on the amount of expositional, on-the-nose dialogue, as journalists and news personalities fill the audience in on the story with heavy-handed commentary with very little subtlety.

Also, F1‘s story seems to brush past the challenges that the characters face, such as forged legal documents, Sonny’s vision problems, and his post-traumatic stress, without much difficulty or consequence. Despite its potholes, F1 features plenty of emotional and even inspiring moments that fit well in the sports film genre, particularly that fiery crash scene and Sonny’s climactic “flight” to the finish line. Overall, F1 presents a fun story with a decent amount of tension. However, the film struggles to ground itself in reality.

Traditional characters with compelling actors

Apple Original Films / Apple Original Films

In F1, Sonny Hayes is a cocky, loose-cannon racing veteran who doesn’t play by the rules, similar to Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. Meanwhile, Joshua Pearce is Sonny’s younger, equally arrogant partner, who’s desperate to prove himself and reach the top, which naturally leads to friction between the two. While this is the kind of dynamic seen between Maverick and Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick, Sonny and Joshua lack any prior history together to make their conflict more engaging.

Instead, their relationship is more of a clash of like-minded egos, and the film doesn’t spend enough time dissecting them and their backstories to make their characters feel true and unique. Likewise, Sonny and Joshua’s development feels rushed at times. Though the latter experiences the most growth in the film and follows Sonny’s example, his character presents so much more dramatic potential. Joshua talks about having to climb out from nothing to become the famed racer he is today, which could say a lot about the state of modern athletes. Instead, the film fails to expand upon his character to make him seem especially distinctive or relevant.

Likewise, Sonny is presented as a divorced husband and father coping with a gambling addiction and a traumatic racing accident, and there are some nuances to his character aching to be unlocked. However, F1 seems to speed past all that without adding anything fresh and captivating to his character. Pitt at least touts his trademark charisma in the role of Sonny, making his jerk of a character a lovable, entertaining presence in the film.

At the same time, many members of the film’s supporting cast shine just as brightly as Pitt. Idris brings the right balance of solemn intensity and cocky swagger as Joshua. Javier Bardem brings plenty of drama and humor as Sonny’s friend and struggling new boss, Ruben Cervantes. Kerry Condon, in particular, wins with her performance as Sonny’s tech director/love interest, Kate McKenna, sharing palpable chemistry with Pitt. Her character also stands out for the way she keeps her team together, arguably making her the movie’s secret weapon.

Stunning action and visuals

Apple Original Films / Apple Original Films

Like with the pilots in Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski places viewers right in the driver’s seat with the drivers as they battle each other with their cars like the chariot riders in Ben-Hur. This film immerses its audience thanks to the thrilling, up-close camerawork of the racers and their vehicles by Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda (who also worked on Top Gun: Maverick). The panning shots filmed atop the moving cars are among the film’s most distinctive visual achievements, giving viewers a heart-pounding view of all the excitement.

F1 keeps up the intensity with super-swift editing courtesy of Stephen Mirrione, jumping from one character to another, from inside the cars to outside on the sidelines. The movie hardly gives its audience the time to breathe with its breakneck depiction of Formula One racing, making it all the more gripping. The thrills and emotion are also elevated by an excellent soundtrack and original musical score from the ever-reliable Hans Zimmer.

Is F1 worth a watch?

For those looking for an eye-catching, heart-pounding underdog story to enjoy in theaters this summer, F1 is the right choice. Kosinski’s movie doesn’t add that much depth or innovation in terms of storytelling, but it is still a sight to behold. F1 is a cinematic roller coaster from start to finish, with the film making up for its shortcomings with compelling performances from the cast and immersive action.

F1 is now in theaters.
June 27, 2025
5 zombie movies like 28 Years Later

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s new film, 28 Years Later, brought their iconic zombie franchise back to the spotlight. Centering on a new group of survivors long after the Rage virus that has devastated the United Kingdom, 28 Years Later sets up a sprawling and exhilarating tale of action and horror that will surely heighten people’s appetite for good zombie movies.

Thankfully, fans of the film can treat themselves to several similar zombie movies that have been released over the years. Given how popular the zombie subgenre has become, it can be a challenge for one to narrow down their viewing choices when there are so many options available. However, those who loved 28 Years Later should now have these five films at the top of their watchlist.

REC (2007)

Filmax / Filmax

This Spanish horror film follows a reporter and her camera operator when they are quarantined inside a building where a virus is spreading, turning those inside into zombies. Similar to 28 Years Later and its shaky iPhone camerawork, REC presents its story with “found footage” taken by one of the characters, making for an immersive and heart-pounding viewing experience. Though Boyle and Garland’s new film is far less claustrophobic than REC, the latter also seems to incorporate a supernatural element into its terrifying depiction of the zombie apocalypse.

REC is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Overlord (2018)

Paramount Pictures / Paramount Pictures

This zombie movie begins with a group of U.S. soldiers who end up fighting for their lives in a dangerous land already ravaged by war: Nazi-occupied France. There, they discover the Third Reich conducting human experiments on villagers, turning them into savage members of the undead. Both Overlord and 28 Years Later feature a healthy dose of over-the-top gore and action to satisfy hardcore zombie fans, all while presenting the horrors of war and violence carried out by humans and zombies alike.

Overlord is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

I Am Legend (2007)

Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures

Loosely based on Richard Matheson’s classic novel, I Am Legend centers around a scientist seeking to find a cure for a virus that has wiped out most of humanity and mutated the survivors into vampiric cannibals. Please note that the film’s alternate ending, which was replaced with the one seen in theaters, is widely regarded as the canonical, superior conclusion. Like 28 Years Later and its predecessors, this modern adaptation of I Am Legend explores grief, loss, and humanity’s potential for evil, with some characters appearing to act even worse than the zombies, making for an especially dark and thought-provoking narrative.

I Am Legend is available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Army of the Dead (2021)

Netflix / Netflix

Army of the Dead follows a team of former mercenaries who try to rob a casino in Las Vegas years after a zombie plague has ravaged the city. Like 28 Years Later, director Zack Snyder’s action-packed zombie film follows its heroes as they leave the comfort of their homes to explore a zombie-infested land. It also features different breeds of zombies, including the slow-walking shamblers and the quick, intelligent Alphas, adding different levels of terror and action to the story. Snyder’s film even mirrors the fantasy-inspired aesthetic of 28 Years Later, with the Alpha zombie, Zeus, ruling over his undead army in the ruins of Las Vegas like a medieval king.

Army of the Dead is available to stream on Netflix.

28 Days Later (2002)

20th Century Studios / 20th Century Studios

This is a fairly obvious choice, but fans of 28 Years Later should catch up on the film that started Boyle and Garland’s whole horror franchise. Led by actor Cillian Murphy decades before Oppenheimer, 28 Days Later follows a man who wakes up from a coma in a post-apocalyptic London, where he is forced to survive against hordes of infected zombies and radical human survivors. 28 Days Later is known for popularizing super-fast zombies with the frenetic, frightening visuals replicated in the threequel. While 28 Years Later takes place long after the initial zombie outbreak, the original film also explores how people try to rebuild and maintain society while blurring the line that separates humans from the infected.

28 Days Later is available to stream on Pluto TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.

June 21, 2025
We’ll never see a movie like Jaws ever again. Here’s why

Jaws premiered in theaters on June 20, 1975, and the film industry was never the same. Essentially a slasher movie set on the high seas, many filmmakers wouldn’t dare to shoot such a movie, knowing the challenges that came with it. However, a young, up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg boldly helmed this adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel, presenting a suspenseful but heartfelt motion picture unlike anything seen before.

Although Jaws faced numerous challenges from script to screen, Spielberg and his team overcame the odds and delivered the world’s first summer blockbuster. After fifty years, three sequels, and several imitators, no one has come close to replicating the extraordinary magic and success of Spielberg’s oceanic horror adventure. Although stories like Alien and Stranger Things have thrived from drawing influence from Jaws, audiences may never experience another blockbuster quite like Spielberg’s breakout hit.

Jaws could’ve sunk in theaters

Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures

Jaws has become infamous for its troubled production. The mechanical sharks designed to portray the movie’s poster beast broke down in the water while the crew filmed at sea. These technical difficulties caused Jaws to go way over budget. Filming lasted 159 days, much longer than initially planned. In fact, Spielberg told EW that the production was so stressful that it left him with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), forcing him to repeatedly revisit Quint’s boat on the Universal Studios lot to process his trauma.

Though the broken shark nearly sank Jaws, Spielberg decided to change tactics and present the shark attacks from the beast’s point of view. This is a shining example of a filmmaker accomplishing so much more with a whole lot less, as it turned Jaws from a hokey monster movie to a Hitchcockian thriller. With John Williams’ score playing in the background of the scenes, this approach ultimately made for some of the most heart-pounding moments in all of cinema.

It became a massive success

Universal / Universal

Jaws broke new ground with its widespread release and heavy marketing campaign, with the film reportedly debuting in over 400 theaters simultaneously. After the film generated so much hype, Jaws made around $477.9 million in theaters worldwide against its $7 million budget, usurping The Exorcist as the highest-grossing horror movie at the time. The success of Jaws inspired other studios to release more big-budget, high-concept summer blockbusters like it.

Jaws also received considerable praise during awards season. The film won the Academy Awards for Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. The film received a Best Picture nomination, a rarity among horror films. Though Spielberg had released his first critically acclaimed feature, The Sugarland Express, a year before Jaws, the latter’s success jump-started the young filmmaker’s career. This paved the way for Spielberg to direct many other cinema classics, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List.

Jaws transcended and reinvented horror

Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures

Jaws doesn’t rely on cheap scares to terrify its audience. By keeping the shark off-screen for most of the film and using props to signify its presence, Spielberg creatively evoked the terror in the unseen, ratcheting up the suspense until the beast finally reared its head. With such gruesome depictions of the shark feeding on its prey, Jaws made an entire generation of people too scared to swim in the water.

While there are plenty of terrifying, visceral moments in this film, Jaws also makes room for lighthearted humor and tender drama, which have become a mainstay of Spielberg’s films. Scenes such as Brody’s son copying him at their house and the Show Me the Way to Go Home sing-along are prime examples of the film’s heart and humanity. There’s also plenty of thrilling action out on the water, with Brody facing the shark one-on-one in an explosive and unforgettable battle of humanity against nature.

The boat was filled with iconic acting

Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures

Jaws established many talented actors as household names today. Roy Scheider sold the terror to audiences as Chief Brody, particularly with his delivery of his now-iconic improvised phrase, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Richard Dreyfuss stole the show as the snarky, charming shark expert, Matt Hooper.

However, Robert Shaw made every one of his scenes as Quint just as memorable. His drunken, five-minute monologue about surviving the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis made for the most chilling part of the entire film.

Jaws is a once-in-a-lifetime film

Universal Pictures / Universal Pictures

Overall, there are few filmmakers who would want to face the elements that caused so many delays and difficulties on the set of Jaws. Even if one succeeds in making a shark-centric horror film, Jaws set a very high bar to reach in terms of horror and heart with its storytelling. Though the film’s groundbreaking release model may be replicated by countless blockbusters today, that’s precisely why no other film will achieve the kind of innovative success as Jaws.

Jaws is available to stream on Peacock.

June 19, 2025
Like How to Train Your Dragon? Watch these five live-action movies

DreamWorks and Universal’s live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon has already become one of the hottest films of the summer of 2025. After the original 2010 film introduced audiences to the epic animated tale of Hiccup and Toothless, director Dean DeBlois brought the duo back to cinemas in his realistic, awe-inspiring adaptation, reinvigorating the franchise for modern audiences.

Though a sequel has already been set to premiere in 2027, audiences may be anxious to see more pieces of fantasy cinema just like it in the meantime. While it’s easy to suggest watching the original How to Train Your Dragon film trilogy, there are plenty of similar live-action movies that can satisfy fans’ hunger.

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

Avatar (2009)

20th Century Fox / 20th Century Fox

Fans of high-flying action adventures like How to Train Your Dragon will want to revisit James Cameron’s record-breaking science-fantasy blockbuster. As Jake Sully travels across the stars to help colonize Pandora, much like Hiccup, he ends up fighting against humanity to defend his new loved ones on the alien planet from destruction.

While Avatar has a different tone from the more family-friendly How to Train Your Dragon, both films explore similar mature themes, specifically war, prejudice, and the conflict between humanity and nature.

Avatar is available to stream on Disney+.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Marvel Studios / Marvel Studios

People looking to watch more comedic, heart-pounding Viking movies should check out the God of Thunder’s third solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which he tries to save Asgard from Hela and its impending doom. From the fiery bowels of Muspelheim to the arenas of Sakaar, Thor: Ragnarok presents a vast and vibrant adventure across the cosmos filled with spectacular action, humor, and visuals.

Thor’s lighthearted but emotional journey also reflects Hiccup’s as he grows closer to his violent brother Loki and his beastly buddy, the Hulk, which should appeal to fans of How to Train Your Dragon.

Thor: Ragnarok is available to stream on Disney+.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures / Paramount Pictures

Actor Chris Pine leads a band of misfits and outsiders in this magical heist film based on the classic fantasy role-playing game. Though there are ironically fewer dragons in this film than in How to Train Your Dragon, Pine’s fantasy film similarly explores friendship and family in the unlikeliest of places as the heroes venture through the darkest regions of the Forgotten Realms.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves wasn’t as much of a hit in theaters as any of Hiccup or Toothless’s past films. However, it still features enough action, humor, and love as How to Train Your Dragon, which warrants a watch from those who liked the latter film.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is available to stream on Netflix and Paramount+.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Universal / Universal

While this iconic Steven Spielberg film doesn’t take place in a fantasy world of Vikings and dragons, there is an extraordinary amount of magic in both E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and How to Train Your Dragon. The unexpected, symbiotic friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is very similar to the one forged by Elliot and the alien E.T.

With Elliot trying to hide and protect his magical new pal from the adults trying to capture him, Spielberg’s film mirrors How to Train Your Dragon is presenting an uplifting tale of love and empathy overcoming the odds that inspired a generation of children and adults.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is available to stream on Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

New Line Cinema / New Line Cinema

Just as How to Train Your Dragon adapted a series of beloved children’s books for live-action, The Fellowship of the Ring brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic piece of fantasy literature to the big screen with both beauty and realism. The Lord of the Rings may be one story stretched across three films, but the trilogy’s first film parallels How to Train Your Dragon as the start of an unlikely hero’s epic quest.

With Frodo filling the role of Hiccup, The Fellowship of the Ring tells an inspiring tale of someone defying expectations and rising to protect their loved ones in their own way in a sprawling, action-packed adventure filled with heart and lore.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is available to stream on Max and Amazon Prime Video.

June 15, 2025
Amazon’s MGM is reportedly making a film about Sam Altman being kicked out of OpenAI
- A film based on the coup against OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is reportedly in the works. While no deals have been signed, Andrew Garfield is said to be the leading contender to play Altman. The film would be directed by Luca Guadagnino.
When Sam Altman was kicked out of OpenAI, it didn’t last long. Within five days, the co-founder of the artificial-intelligence giant was back in charge. But the drama surrounding that attempted coup is the sort of stuff Hollywood lives for.

Now, Amazon-owned MGM is reportedly fast-tracking a film about the events called Artificial. The Hollywood Reporter says that while nothing has been officially green-lit, the hope is that production will begin as early as this summer. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers) is being eyed to direct the film—and while no actors have been signed, pending Guadagnino’s deal closing, Andrew Garfield is the odds-on favorite to play Altman.

Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) is rumored to be in line to portray Mira Murati, and Anora actor Yura Borisov would play Ilya Sutskever.

There could be as much drama offscreen as on with this film. Amazon has invested heavily in Anthropic, an OpenAI rival, which will have onlookers combing the frames for any perceived corporate bias.

Altman was abruptly kicked out of OpenAI on Nov. 17, 2023 in an effort led by Sutskever. Murati was named interim CEO, but relinquished that role soon after to Emmett Shear. Altman formally returned on Nov. 22, with Sutskever, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley removed from the board.

Sutskever and Murati have since left OpenAI to launch their own artificial-intelligence companies.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
June 9, 2025