“Barbarian” (2022)

Writer-director Zach Cregger took the horror world by storm with “Barbarian.” The film, an alternately terrifying and gut-bustingly funny horror comedy, was obviously and lovingly made in the shadow of genre artists like Sam Raimi, and yet it stands on its own.

“Barbarian” follows a woman (Georgina Campbell) whose life takes an increasingly horrifying turn after she discovers the Airbnb she reserved was not only double-booked by a mysterious man (Bill Skarsgård) but also contains a strange and dangerous secret. To say much more would be to spoil the fun of a movie that, in the best way possible, takes you on the kind of rollercoaster ride the specifics of which you could never see coming.

“Nightmare Alley” (2021)

Four years after his 2017 film “The Shape of Water” won Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars, writer-director Guillermo del Toro returned with “Nightmare Alley,” a black-hearted technicolor noir based on author William Lindsay Graham’s 1946 novel of the same name. Bradley Cooper leads the film as an ambitious carnival worker whose con-man ways slowly catch up to him after he begins selling himself as a honest-to-God clairvoyant.

An unwaveringly cynical, haunting drama about sin and the inescapability of identity, “Nightmare Alley” admirably commits to the corrosive darkness at the heart of its story. The result is a film that gets under your skin and stays there, and which ranks firmly as del Toro’s most underrated directorial effort.

“The Substance” (2024)

Speaking of movies that refuse to shy away from their most difficult elements, writer-director Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” is a wholly original, striking body horror comedy. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, the film follows an aging celebrity (Demi Moore) whose use of an experimental black market drug results first in the creation of a younger version of her (Margaret Qualley) and later in a vicious, self-destructive battle between the two of them.

Anchored by a career-best turn from Demi Moore and featuring one of the most unforgettably gonzo climaxes of any horror film in recent memory, “The Substance” takes its story as far as it possibly can. In doing so, Fargeat’s film manages to reach conclusions about the poison of ageism and our cultural obsession with youth that leave a lasting collective mark.

“Sacrifice” Season 2 (Paramount+)

It has been nearly five years since the first season of “Sacrifice,” creator Chris Stokes’ thriller about an entertainment lawyer (Paula Patton) navigating the tumultuous lives of her rich and famous Hollywood clients, aired on BET+. Nonetheless, the series has made its return this week on Paramount+.

The 10-episode second season of “Sacrifice” premiered Wednesday on the streaming service, catching viewers back up with Patton’s Daniella Hernandez as she fights to rebuild Blackgammon Records and protect her family’s legacy. If you were a fan of “Sacrifice” Season 1, you might want to add its second season to your watchlist this week.

“East of Eden” (Netflix)

One of this fall’s biggest streaming premieres has finally arrived. Creator Zoe Kazan’s ambitious, seven-part adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” premiered in its entirety Thursday on Netflix. Starring Florence Pugh as the ruthless Cathy Ames, the limited series brings the multigenerational story of the Trask family to life with patience and grace at every turn.

Anchored by Pugh’s ferocious lead performance, which ranks high as one of the best she has ever given, “East of Eden” has quickly emerged as one of the must-see shows of the fall TV season. You would be wise to make some time for it.

“Coven Academy” (Disney+)

Disney+ and Hulu have kicked off October with some witchy fun in the form of “Coven Academy.” Created by “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” creator Tim Federle, the new supernatural dramedy follows a trio of teenage witches-in-training in New Orleans as they work toward protecting their city from the threat of dangerous and ancient forces.

Boasting the exact kind of lightly spooky YA vibes that could make it a perfect early October binge-watch, “Coven Academy” is airing its episodes weekly on Freeform. However, the series dropped its complete, 10-episode first season Friday on Disney+ and Hulu, which means those interested have the opportunity to dive headfirst into “Coven Academy,” if they so choose.

“War” Season 1 (HBO Max)

“War,” HBO and Sky UK’s latest co-production, arrived this week in the U.S. on HBO and HBO Max. Created by “Lupin” and “Hijack” co-creator George Kay, the star-studded new anthology drama’s debut season follows the lawyers of two prestigious London law firms as they battle over a case involving the contentious divorce between a powerful tech entrepreneur (Dominic West) and his movie star wife (Sienna Miller).

A second season of “War” has already been ordered starring Marisa Tomei and “Lanterns” scene-stealer Kelly Macdonald, which means new viewers do not have to worry about the series going away anytime soon. Its first episode is streaming now on HBO Max. The remaining seven chapters of its first season will follow one at a time every week through Thursday, Nov. 19.

“Adventure Time: Side Quests” Season 2 (Hulu)

“Adventure Time: Side Quests,” Nate Cash’s soft reboot of the “Adventure Time” franchise, is back just four months after it made its debut on Disney+ and Hulu. When it premiered in late June, the series took viewers back to the early years of the “Adventure Time” story, catching up with Finn the Human during his childhood and exploring how him and his magical dog, Jake the Dog, became so close.

Now, “Adventure Time: Side Quests” Season 2 promises to continue following its lead duo as they embark on more adventures across the fantastical land of Ooo. All 20 of the season’s episodes are streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu.

“Tip Toe” (Starz)

“A Very English Scandal” and “Doctor Who” writer Russell T Davies has returned this week with “Tip Toe.” A psychological thriller set in contemporary Britain, the limited series follows two next-door neighbors, a gay bar owner (Alan Cumming) and an electrician (David Morrissey), who become deadly enemies, thanks to a combination of lingering resentments, tightly held secrets and the kind of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric that has begun to seep into the internet and contemporary politics again.

The series’ first episode premieres Friday on Starz, just four months after the five-part drama made its U.K. debut this past summer.

“Kill Jackie” (AMC+)

Based on author Nick Harkaway’s novel, “The Price You Pay,” AMC+’s “Kill Jackie” follows its eponymous heroine (Catherine Zeta-Jones) as her former life as an international drug smuggler catches back up to her when she discovers that the world’s most dangerous hitmen have been hired to kill her.

Co-starring Ron Perlman and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” scene-stealer Daniel Ings, “Kill Jackie” promises to be a propulsive, violent, twisty and potentially addictive crime thriller. The limited series’ first episode premieres Friday exclusively on AMC+. Its remaining seven episodes will follow suit, premiering one at a time every Friday.

“Get Jiro” Season 1 (HBO Max)

“Get Jiro” has the potential to be one of this fall’s best new animated series. Based on Joel Rose and the late Anthony Bourdain’s acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, “Get Jiro” is set in a post-apocalyptic, near-future Los Angeles where the world’s most powerful figures happen to be chefs. The series follows a mysterious sushi chef (voiced by Brian Tee) as he embarks on a quest for vengeance in a world where food is both currency and a marker of one’s class.

Developed by Alessandro Tanaka and Brian Gatewood, “Get Jiro” premieres Saturday, Oct. 3 on Adult Swim and arrives the next day on HBO Max. If you were a fan of the original graphic novel or just find yourself in the mood for an action-packed new animated series, you may want to put “Get Jiro” on your radar.

Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, Sister Jude, Fiona Goode, Elsa Mars and a Mystery Character To-Be-Revealed

Iconic actress Jessica Lange makes her long-awaited return to “American Horror Story” in Season 13, reprising her Season 1 character Constance Langdon. And based on the episode descriptions, it sure seems like her story is a core throughline of the season. Hey, if you convince Jessica Lange to come back, you don’t waste the opportunity to put her front and center!

Speaking of which, the actress recently revealed she plays five characters this season: Constance, Season 2’s Sister Jude Martin, Season 3’s Fiona Goode, Season 4’s Elsa Mars and a fifth mystery character.

Here’s a quick rundown on those characters.

Constance Langdon: The matriarch of “Murder House,” Constance is mother to also-returning characters Tate (Evan Peters) and Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), as well as two other children. She returned briefly in “Apocalypse,” where we learned that she raised Vivien and Ben Harmon’s son, Michael (Cody Fern), whose actual father was Satan by way of Tate, and who became the Antichrist the “Coven” witches defeated in “Apocalypse.” After traumatic years trying to raise Michael, Constance took her own life in the Murder House so she could spend eternity with her three children there — Addie, who died outside the house, is not with them. However, when the “Coven” witches defeated Michael, they went back in time and killed him before her death, and he died in her arms begging to be brought into the Murder House.

Sister Jude Martin: A strict nun with a dark past, Sister Jude went from running the Briarcliff Manor institution to being committed there and experiencing the horrors of “Asylum” first-hand after she was framed by the possessed Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe). She eventually escaped the asylum and lived with former patient Kit (Evan Peters) until she died.

Fiona Goode: The former “Coven” Supreme and mother to the new Supreme, Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), Fiona was a ruthless and power-hungry witch who destroyed anyone she saw as a rival, including Madison (Emma Roberts) and the Supreme before her. She was so evil that Papa Legba (formerly played by the late Lance Reddick; Orlando Jones inherits the role for Season 13) told her she had no soul to trade with him. She died of cancer after Cordelia passed the seven wonders, realizing she could not kill her own daughter, and ended up in her own personal hell with her former lover, The Axeman (Danny Huston).

Elsa Mars: A German expatriate who suffered a great trauma when her legs were cut off in a snuff film, Elsa came to the U.S. after World War II with dreams of becoming a star but wound up the owner of Season 2’s “Freak Show.” Though she cared for her found family, she was selfish, ambitious and opportunistic, selling off the troupe to the cruel killer Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock), who murdered almost all the freaks in a murderous rampage. She moved to Hollywood and got her dream of becoming a celebrity, until her snuff film was recirculated, leading her to essentially take her own life by calling the spirit of Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley) to her on Halloween night. However, she gets one of the happier endings of the series – he tells her she doesn’t belong wth his troupe of ghosts, and she instead goes to a personal heaven where she is reunited with and forgiven by her family of freaks.

Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode (and a LOT of Other Characters)

Another Ryan Murphy mainstay, Sarah Paulson is one of the most frequent faces in “American Horror Story” and a recent preview confirmed we’ll see a lot of those characters, at least a little bit. However, it seems the Emmy-winning actress will primarily be playing two characters: Cordelia Goode, Fiona’s daughter and the current “Coven” Supreme, who also played a pivotal role in saving the world in “Apocalypse,” and Wilhelmina Venable, the tyrannical ruler of Outpost 3, also from “Apocalypse.”

Cordelia Goode: Daughter to Fiona, the former Supreme, Cordelia had a brutal path to her own tenure in the role, losing and regaining her sight twice, finding out her husband was actually a witch hunter and generally surviving a mother like Fiona. “Coven” charted those struggles, her efforts to educate the next generation of witches as the headmistress of Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, her rise to become the new Supreme as her mother’s death, and her decision to inform the world about the existence of witches.

Her tenure as Supreme hasn’t been much easier. In contrast to Fiona, Cordelia is a caring, kind leader who loves her coven, which made the losses she had to sustain during the fight against the Antichrist in “Apocalypse” all the more difficult. In the end, she sacrificed herself to provoke the even-more-powerful witch Mallory’s (Billie Lourd) powers to fully manifest, allowing Mallory to turn back time and save the day. That means Cordelia is back at the head of Miss Robichaux’s in the new timeline, reunited with her coven.

Wilhemina Venable: A total contrast to Cordelia, Venable is a petty, power-hungry ruler with a chip on her shoulder. First introduced as the ruthless ruler of Outpost 3 in “American Horror Story: Apocalypse,” Venable rules her apocalyptic shelter cruelly, strictly enforcing a caste society and killing for kicks. Eventually, we learn that before the apocalypse, Venable was an assistant for Kineros Robotics, which worked for the Cooperative bringing about the Antichrist apocalypse, and she was assigned to be warden of Outpost 3. When Michael arrived at the outpost saying he would invite only the best of survivors to his sanctuary, she kills the rest of Outpost 3’s residents to ensure entry, only for Michael to force the robotic Mead (Kathy Bates) to kill her. We don’t yet know what happens to her after the timeline reset.

Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau

Another “Coven” titan who returns for Season 13, two-time Oscar nominee and “9-1-1” star Angela Bassett is back as Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Marie has a complicated past with the witches of Miss Robichaux’s, who have at times been enemies or allies.

She made a deal with Papa Legba for immortality, and in exchange, she fed him an innocent human soul every year. She also cursed Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) to immortality, locking the serial-killing slave-owner in a coffin to be buried alive for centuries in an act of revenge. That ploy backfired at the end of “Coven,” when LaLaurie returned and dismembered Laveau, rendering her unable to fulfill her payment to Papa Legba, who, in turn, condemned her to hell.

She returned briefly in “Apocalypse,” where Cordelia and the Miss Robichaux’s witches made a deal with Papa Legba to free her soul from hell, and she helped them defeat the Antichrist, Michael, who ripped out her heart and killed her. However, Mallory’s time reversal spell means that Cordelia’s deal to get her out of hell likely never happened.

Evan Peters as Tate Langdon, James March and Kai Anderson

Evan Peters, of course, returns for “American Horror Story” Season 13, and it looks like a few of his characters will have a significant role to play. The “X-Men” and “Monster” Season 1 star holds the crown for most characters in the “AHS” universe, and three of those have featured prominently in the pre-season marketing.

Tate Langdon: Peters’ “Murder House” character is one of the most beloved in the series’ run, despite also being one of the more horrific and treacherous individuals in that season. Constance’s son, Tate romanced the Harmon’s daughter, Violet (Taissa Farmiga), and tried to save her from a suicide attempt, but ultimately failed, meaning they share eternity in the ghost-crowded Murder House. Unfortunately, it wasn’t happily ever after for the duo, as she learned his dark secrets: first, that he was a school shooter who killed fifteen students, and second, that he raped her mother and acted as a vessel to impregnate her with the devil’s son. The pair received a controversial reconciliation in “Apocalypse” after Madison cast a “clarity” spell on Violet that led her to forgive Tate, leaving them in a lovers’ embrace. However, due to the time-reversing spell in the series finale, this may have never happened in the new timeline.

James March: Among the most irredeemable characters in “American Horror Story’s” pantheon of monsters, James March was a serial killer who designed Season 5’s Hotel Cortez in the 1920s, including labyrinthine hallways and dead ends to trap his victims. He was married to the Countess (Lady Gaga) and the original 10 Commandments Killer, and after killing himself on the hotel property, he became a bloodthirsty ghost, and, decades later, manipulated John Lowe (Wes Bentley) to become his successor as a new 10 Commandments Killer.

Kai Anderson: Among the most surprising characters returning for Season 13, Kai was the primary antagonist of the political slasher season, “Cult.” Racist and misogynistic with sociopathic tendencies, Kai was motivated by the 2016 election to exploit the swirling culture wars to violent ends, starting a killer clown cult, before staging violent attacks that propelled him toward political office. He killed his sister Winter (Billie Lourd), who was initially a true believer in his cult, and in the end, his one-time victim Alley (Sarah Paulson) orchestrates both his downfall, leading to his imprisonment, and ultimately, his death.

Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery

No surprise here, bitch – Madison is back again. “Scream Queens” and “Holidate” star Emma Roberts has plenty of “American Horror Story” characters under her belt, including the lead role in the most recent season, “Delicate.” But her “Coven” breakout Madison Montgomery is by far her most beloved – and one of the biggest “AHS” fan favorites, in general. And from what we’ve seen so far, this is the one Roberts character you need to know for Season 13.

First introduced in “Coven,” Madison was a teen movie star and telekinetic witch who attended Miss Robichaux’s, where she emerged as a promising pupil. Too promising, in fact, and the power-hungry Supreme Fiona murdered her for it. It was short-lived; Zoe (Taissa Farmiga) found her body and brought her back to life with the help of necromancer Misty (Lily Rabe).

Unfortunately, that was also short-lived. When Madison refused to return the favor and bring Zoe back from the dead, Zoe’s enraged undead boyfriend Kyle (Evan Peters) strangled Madison to death. She was sent to her personal hell, forced to work at a superstore processing returns for rude customers in eternity. Well, not quite. Madison returned again in “Apocalypse,” when Michael pulled her out of hell, and she joined the Miss Robichaux’s coven in their fight against him. She was ultimately sent back to hell when Mallory completed the time-reversal spell, but Mallory vowed to get her back out in the new timeline.

Jamie Brewer as Adelaide “Addie” Langdon

Another unexpected return, Jamie Brewer is back as Adelaide Langdon, aka Addie, Constance’s daughter and Tate’s sister, who is the only soul in her family not bound to the Murder House. Brewer also played Nan in “Coven,” who hasn’t been in the promo but could pop up this season too.

A key supporting character in Season 1, Addie has one of the saddest stories in the series, a generally kind-hearted girl born into the wrong family, who often finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. She yearned to be a “pretty girl” like she saw in the magazines, and dressed in her “pretty girl” mask on Halloween, only to be hit by a car while Trick-or-Treating. Heartbroken, Constance tried to drag her daughter’s body into the Murder House so her spirit would stay there, but Addie was already dead.

Constance contacted Addie’s spirit with the help of medium Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson), telling her daughter she thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, and Billie Dean said Addie knew, that she was in a better place where she’s “a pretty girl at last” and that she was glad not to be stuck in the Murder House with Tate, because she was scared of her brother after learning his truth.

Billie Lourd as Mallory and Winter

Season 13 also welcomes back “Scream Queens” and “Booksmart” star Billie Lourd, who has consistently appeared in every season since making her “AHS” debut in Season 7. She’s confirmed to return as at least two characters: Her “Cult” character Winter and powerful “Apocalypse” witch, Mallory.

Winter Anderson: Sister and accomplice to Season 7’s primary antagonist and political reactionary Kai, Winter’s vigilante streak coalesces with her brother’s rise as leader of a politically motivated killer clown cult. She becomes his right hand, and works with Ivy to drive Ivy’s wife, Alley (Sarah Paulson), insane, posing as the perfect nanny while undermining Alley’s sanity from within. Kai turned on her after a fellow cult member framed her as a mole, and Winter was strangled to death by her brother.

Mallory: Introduced in “Apocalypse,” Mallory is an extremely powerful witch – more powerful than Cordelia and powerful enough to heal, control time and defeat the Antichrist. A ward at Miss Robichaux’s, Mallory was the presumed next Supreme, so when the apocalypse hit, the coven put a spell to erase her identity and hide her away in Outpost 3 so the Antichrist wouldn’t find her. But he does all the same, prompting the witches to come out of hiding for the endgame battle.

Mallory briefly becomes the Supreme during the fight to defeat the Antichrist, after Cordelia sacrifices herself to force Mallory’s full powers to manifest. After turning back time and killing the younger, powerless Michael by hitting him with a car, Mallory returns to Miss Robichaux’s, gets Misty out of hell and resolves to do the same for Madison. That means she was also left holding the bag as the only person who remembers the previous timeline, and while her spell saved the day for now, the final moments show a new Antichrist was born in the new timeline.

Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie

Another “Coven” member making her return, Oscar-nominated “Precious” and “The Big C” star Gabourey Sidibe returns as Queenie for Season 13. Appearing in Seasons 3, 5, 8 and now, 13, Queenie was a member of the Miss Robichaux’s coven along with Zoe, Madison and Nan, who has the power to inflict whatever harm she does to herself on someone else. She made it out of “Coven” alive, but when she appeared in “Hotel,” she was killed by the bloodthirsty ghost of Mr. March and vampire Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett).

In “Apocalypse,” we learned that Cordelia went to the Hotel Cortez and tried to pull Queenie’s spirit out, but the hotel’s evil was too powerful and she couldn’t do it. Queenie was trapped there playing infinite rounds of cards with Mr. March. During the Antichrist Michael’s rise, he proved his power by successfully pulling Queenie out back into the realm of the living. Unlike the other witches who were saved during “Apocalypse,” we know that Queenie was ultimately saved from her fate at the Hotel Cortez. After the time spell, Mallory intervenes to prevent Queenie from staying there.

Leslie Grossman as Coco St. Pierre

The last of our returning witches in the core cast is Coco St. Pierre. Played by Leslie Grossman, who, like Billie Lourd, has appeared in every season of “AHS” since she made her debut in Season 7, Coco is an heiress introduced in “Apocalypse” as a snobby socialite who treated her assistant, Mallory, like trash. But when the “Coven” witches arrived, we learned she was put under an identity spell with Mallory (Coco’s personality inspired by Madison, no less) to hide away in Outpost 3. In reality, she’s much friendlier, with the power to sense danger. She was killed in the battle with Michael, but after Mallory’s time-reversing spell, she wound up back at Miss Robichaux’s in the new timeline.

Kathy Bates as ??

It wouldn’t be a proper “Coven” reunion without screen-acting great Kathy Bates, and the actress is confirmed to be a part of the cast, but is expected only to make a brief appearance. (It can’t be easy finding time between leading episodes of her Emmy-nominated “Matlock” reboot.) We don’t know who she’ll be returning as yet, but the vicious, formerly immortal Delphine LaLaurie is a good guess given her history with the ladies of “Coven,” and the fact that she’s been trapped in the afterlife, like so many of the characters on this list. The Oscar-winning “Misery” and “Titanic” actress also played pivotal roles in “Freak Show,” “Hotel,” “Roanoke” and “Apocalypse.”

Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow

Another “Coven” must-have returning for what’s expected to be a brief cameo, Frances Conroy is confirmed to appear as the blazing-haired fan-favorite witch Myrtle Snow. First introduced in “Coven” as the Head of the Witch Council, Myrtle might end up having Madison beat for most deaths. In “Coven,” she was framed by Fiona for blinding Cordelia and burned at the stake for the crime, only to be resurrected by Misty and help prepare Cordelia for the seven wonders. However, once Cordelia became Supreme, she was forced to execute Myrtle for crimes she did commit, once again burning at the stake, this time, shouting “Balenciaga!” She returned again in “Apocalypse” to help defeat the Antichrist, but returned to the dead again after Mallory’s time-reversal spell.

Joey Pollari as Ben DeSoto

Here we meet the first new character of Season 13, Ben, played by Joey Pollari. A newcomer in a series full of regulars, Ben is a caretaker with a phobia of the number 13 and a recent traumatic past who Constance hires to be caretaker for the mysterious (and vile) Mr. Nas.

Pollari’s previous credits include Apple TV’s “Sugar” and CBS’ “SEAL Team,” and more recently, he played Anthony Perkins in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” John Morse in “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,” as well as another Ryan Murphy production, “The Beauty.”

Fedor Steer as Mr. Nas

“The Haunting of Hill House” and “Evil” actor Fedor Steer stars as Mr. Nas, the mysterious owner of the penthouse and the man in Ben’s care. There is obviously something sinister afoot with Constance and Dr. Phibe’s schemes surrounding the old man, but like Ben, we’re still waiting to learn just what those are. 

Paul Anthony Kelly as Young Mr. Nas

Hot off of his breakout role as John F. Kennedy Jr. in “Love Story,” Paul Anthony Kelly is joining “American Horror Story” Season 13 as the younger, far more sartorially inclined version of Mr. Nas. He has yet to make his debut in the show, so we don’t know how the young Mr. Nas will come into play.

John Waters as Mr. Phibes

Season 13 also adds the inimitable John Waters to the lineup, a camp horror mashup made in … well, probably hell, based on what we know about the season’s plot so far. “I’ve always been trying to steal Vincent Price’s career,” Waters said when he announced his involvement in the season. In this case, that’s a bit literal. Waters is playing a “medical specialist extraordinaire,” Mr. Phibes – an overt reference to the Vincent Price horror classic “The Abominable Dr. Phibes.”

Orlando Jones as Papa Legba

The extraordinarily powerful gatekeeper of the spiritual world, Papa Legba is back for Season 13, but with a new actor in the role. Previously played by the great Lance Reddick before his death in 2023, Papa Legba will now be played by “American Gods” and “Sleepy Hollow” star Orlando Jones.

As gatekeeper, Papa Legba is tasked with keeping the balance between life and death, and he’s always willing to make a deal for a soul. He tells it like it is when he makes those deals, but they often don’t turn out too well for the folks on the other side of the bargain, including Marie Laveau and Nan.

John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown

One of the more enduring bits of imagery to come out of “American Horror Story” – and certainly one of the most outright horrific, Twisty the Clown is back for “AHS” 13. Played by prolific character actor John Caroll Lynch, who you may recognize for everything ranging from “Zodiac” to “The Drew Carey Show,” Twisty was exactly what he looks like: a killer clown, introduced in “Freak Show,” who got twisted up with the psychopathic Dandy Mott. However, when his soul was collected by the ghost of Edward Mordrake, we learned that there was a sad and pitiful story behind the monster.

Dropped on his head as a baby, Twisty was happy as a children’s clown, but a false rumor ruined his life and career, and when he unsuccessfully tried to shoot himself, he was left disfigured – hence the big, scary smile mask. Hungry for the love he felt from children as a clown, he began kidnapping kids and killing their strict parents. Mordrake took pity on him and recruited him to his troupe of ghosts.

Mena Suvari as The Black Dahlia

Based on the horrific real-world murder victim, Elizabeth Short, known by the same moniker, The Black Dahlia is a ghostly resident of Murder House in “American Horror Story.” Introduced in “Murder House” and featured in the episode “Spooky Little Girl,” she was an aspiring actress short on money who went to the Murder House in the 1940s for under-the-table dental work, but died under anesthesia. After her death, she was mutilated by mad surgeon and Murder House builder Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross), and in her death, she was unsteady in her identity as a ghost until the much more modern ghost of Ben Harmon’s lover, Hayden, told her about her murder’s legacy in culture.

Played by “American Pie” and “American Beauty” actress Mena Suvari, The Black Dahlia also briefly appeared in “Apocalypse,” when Ben walked in on Michael mutilating her ghost, just as Dr. Montgomery did in the past.

Zach Villa as Richard Ramirez

Another “AHS” serial killer inspired by real-life horrors, Richard Ramirez, aka the Night Stalker, is also confirmed to appear in “AHS 13.” The Night Stalker first debuted in the “Devil’s Night” episode of “Hotel,” played by Anthony Ruivivar. However, it was the slasher season “1984” where the character stepped into a major role, then played by “Destroyer” and “Shameless” actor Zach Villa, who will return as Ramirez in “AHS 13.”

In “1984,” Ramirez was depicted as a serial killer capable of resurrection through the power of Satan. However, last we saw him, he was trapped in an infinite death loop, caught and killed by the ghosts of Camp Redwood every time he resurrected. However, in “Hotel,” it’s said that he died in 2013 – as the real killer did – so it’s unclear if that’s a retcon or if “1984” takes place in its own “pocket universe,” so to speak.

Seth Gabel as Jeffrey Dahmer

“The Rookie” and “Scarpetta” actor Seth Gabel returns as Jeffrey Dahmer, 10 years after he played the character in the “Devil’s Night” episode of “AHS: Hotel.” Inspired by the infamous serial killer and cannibal, who Evan Peters also played on the first season of Murphy’s Netflix “Monster” series, Jeffrey will make his return in the second batch of episodes. Gabel’s credits also include “Fringe,” “Salem,” “The Watcher” and “Nip/Tuck.”

Alex Consani as Morwenna

A new witch in the Miss Robichaux coven, Morwenna remains a mystery for now. She’s played by model and influencer Alex Consani.

Avantika as Ophelia

Ophelia is another new witch in the Miss Robichaux’s coven, who has the power of levitation, played by actress Avantika, best known for playing Karen Shetty in the 2024 “Mean Girls.” Her credits also include “Not Suitable for Work,” “Tarot” and “Pretty Lethal.”

Madelaine Petsch as Kira 

Nobody was expecting this character to stick around for the long haul, but Madelaine Petsch makes a welcome addition to the ever-expanding “AHS” cast list as the mysterious “Kira,” revealed in the opening scene to be Ben’s girlfriend, who indeed dies quite quickly. Petsch is best known for playing Cheryl Blossom (and a few other Blossoms) on “Riverdale,” and more recently led the three-part “The Strangers” remake.

Scenes from the morning of TheGrill 2026 at the Directors Guild of America.

TheGrill attendees check-in at the Directors Guild of America.

Badges were printed out for each attendee at TheGrill with information helping people connect and network.

TheGrill attendees chat over breakfast before panel presentations start.

Attendees were treated to some free goodies with check-in including a mini power bank.

Baked goods, fruit and yogurt parfaits were accompanied by a selection of coffees and teas at TheGrill before panels started.

TheWrap’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman shares opening remarks at TheGrill 2026.

Sharon Waxman

Sharon Waxman and CEO Shira Lazar share insights from TheWrap’s AI Creator Day in a panel called “The Wrap-Up: What We Learned at AI Creator Day.”

Sharon Waxman, Jason Robins, CEO & Co-Founder, DraftKings and Harry Sloan, Chairman & CEO, Eagle Equity Partners LLC at the “Prediction Markets and DraftKings: How Trading and Betting Rewrote the Value of an Audience.”

Jason Robins and Harry Sloan

Jason Robins and Harry Sloan

California Attorney General Rob Bonta at the “Spotlight: California Attorney General Rob Bonta” panel.

Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap and California Attorney General Rob Bonta at the “Spotlight: California Attorney General Rob Bonta” panel.

Sharon Waxman and Rob Bonta

Sharon Waxman and Rob Bonta

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General at “Spotlight: California Attorney General Rob Bonta” panel.

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General outside the greenroom at TheGrill.

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General and Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of TheWrap.

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General and Eduardo Acuna, CEO, Regal Global Entertainment and Adam Fogelson, Chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap; Adam Aron, Chairman & CEO, AMC Entertainment; Adam Fogelson, Chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and Eduardo Acuna, CEO, Regal Global Entertainment onstage during “The New Box Office Boom: Inside Theatrical’s Best Year Since the Pandemic” panel.

Eduardo Acuna, CEO, Regal Global Entertainment onstage during “The New Box Office Boom: Inside Theatrical’s Best Year Since the Pandemic” panel.

Adam Aron, Chairman & CEO, AMC Entertainment onstage during “The New Box Office Boom: Inside Theatrical’s Best Year Since the Pandemic” panel.

Adam Fogelson, Chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group onstage during “The New Box Office Boom: Inside Theatrical’s Best Year Since the Pandemic” panel.

Olivia Ferney, Content Creator, Luxury Travel & Event Expert onstage during the “Creator Capital: Navigating the Future of Media presented by City National Bank” panel.

Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar onstage during the “Creator Capital: Navigating the Future of Media presented by City National Bank” panel.

Kim Larson, Managing Director & Head of Creator and Gaming Team, YouTube onstage during the “Creator Capital: Navigating the Future of Media presented by City National Bank” panel.

Marie-Josée Cantin Johnson, SVP, Strategy, AgilLink & Exactuals, Entertainment & Sports Banking, City National Bank onstage during the “Creator Capital: Navigating the Future of Media presented by City National Bank” panel.

Marie-Josée Cantin Johnson, Jo Cronk, Kim Larson, and Olivia Ferney

Olivia Ferney, Content Creator, Luxury Travel & Event Expert Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar; Marie-Josée Cantin Johnson, SVP, Strategy, AgilLink & Exactuals, Entertainment & Sports Banking, City National Bank and Kim Larson, Managing Director & Head of Creator and Gaming Team, YouTube

Roger Cheng, Managing Editor, Business & PRO, TheWrap and Will McIntosh, President, Digital Platforms & Ventures, Versant onstage during “Building Beyond the Core: The New Business of Media”

Roger Cheng and Will McIntosh

Kevin Goetz, Founder & CEO, Screen Engine/ASI onstage during the “Transforming Audience Insights in the Age of AI” panel.

Todd Terrazas, Co-Founder, AI on the Lot & FBRC.ai at “The Future of Filmmaking: A New Production Model for Hollywood” panel.

Eliza McNitt, Filmmaker, Writer & Director during “The Future of Filmmaking: A New Production Model for Hollywood” panel.

Jason Zada, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Secret Level in “The Future of Filmmaking: A New Production Model for Hollywood” panel.

Ori Winokur, Head of Music & Entertainment Partnerships, Artlist in “The Future of Filmmaking: A New Production Model for Hollywood” panel.

Todd Terrazas, Co-Founder, AI on the Lot & FBRC.ai; Eliza McNitt, Filmmaker, Writer & Director: Jason Zada, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Secret Level; and Ori Winokur, Head of Music & Entertainment Partnerships, Artlist during “The Future of Filmmaking: A New Production Model for Hollywood” panel.

Guests enjoy lunch at TheGrill.

Guests network over lunch and attend table discussions with TheWrap’s senior reporters.

Steve Pond, Executive Editor, Awards, TheWrap with attendees discussing Fall Movies.

Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap.

Kayla Cobb, Senior Reporter, TheWrap and Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap at The Creators table during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Tess Patton, TV Business Reporter, TheWrap discusses Microdramas with attendees during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Jeremy Fuster, Box Office/Labor Reporter, TheWrap in conversation about box office during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Roger Cheng, Managing Editor, Business & PRO, TheWrap at the AI table during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Drew Taylor, Senior Writer, TheWrap in conversation with attendees about Movie Production during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Attendees during the networking lunch with table topics led by Wrap journalists.

Ori Winokur, Head of Music & Entertainment Partnerships, Artlist and Todd Terrazas, Co-Founder, AI on the Lot & FBRC.ai at the VIP Lunch hosted by Artist.

VIP Lunch hosted by Artist.

VIP Lunch hosted by Artist gift bags.

Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap and Makan Delrahim, Chief Legal Officer, Paramount Skydance speak onstage during the “Spotlight: Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim” panel.

Makan Delrahim, Chief Legal Officer, Paramount Skydance speaks onstage during the “Spotlight: Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim” panel.

Sharon Waxman and Makan Delrahim

Makan Delrahim, Chief Legal Officer, Paramount Skydance inside the greenroom.

Makan Delrahim, Sharon Waxman and Yves Bergquist, AI Researcher, Entertainment Technology Center, USC inside the greenroom.

Makan Delrahim, Chief Legal Officer, Paramount Skydance and Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief

John Kulback, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP onstage at “The M&A Gold Rush in Media: Who’s Next?” panel.

Erik Hodge, Partner, Raine onstage at “The M&A Gold Rush in Media: Who’s Next?” panel.

Ross Gerber, CEO & President, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management onstage at “The M&A Gold Rush in Media: Who’s Next?” panel.

Roger Cheng, Managing Editor, Business & PRO, TheWrap; Erik Hodge, Partner Raine; John Kulback, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP, and Ross Gerber, CEO & President, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management onstage at “The M&A Gold Rush in Media: Who’s Next?” panel.

Roger Cheng, Erik Hodge, John Kulback, and Ross Gerber

Roger Cheng, Erik Hodge, John Kulback, and Ross Gerber

Rameez Tase, Co-Founder & President, Antenna onstage at “The “New” New Fall Season” panel.

Rameez Tase

Networking break during TheGrill 2026.

Networking break during TheGrill 2026 .

David Permut, Producer, “The Invite” & “Being Heumann” and Rachel O’Connor, Producer, “Project Hail Mary” & “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

Ori Winokur, Head of Music & Entertainment Partnerships, Artlist at a networking break during TheGrill 2026.

Kayla Cobb, Senior Reporter, TheWrap and Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal speak onstage at “The Business of Big Moments in a Fragmented Media Landscape” panel.

Kayla Cobb and Mark Marshall

Kayla Cobb and Mark Marshall

Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal

Tess Patton, TV Business Reporter, TheWrap hosts the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Jana Winograde, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, aTwist speaks onstage at the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Nate Parker, CEO & Co-Founder, Mansa speaks onstage at the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Tess Patton, TV Business Reporter, TheWrap hosts the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

David Oyelowo, Actor, Producer & Director and Mansa Co-Founder speaks onstage at the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Guy Shimoni, CEO & Co-Founder, Shortical speaks onstage during the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Tess Patton, TV Business Reporter, TheWrap; David Oyelowo, Actor, Producer & Director, Nate Parker, CEO & Co-Founder, Mansa; Guy Shimoni, CEO & Co-Founder, Shortical and Jana Winograde, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, aTwist & Founder and CEO, speak onstage during the “Microdramas: Hollywood’s Next Big Story” panel.

Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Susan Rovner, and Guy Shimoni

David Oyelowo, actor, producer & director and Sharon Waxman, Founder & Editor-in-Chief inside the greenroom.

Photographer Steve Limones, Nate Parker, CEO & Co-Founder, Mansa and David Oyelowo, actor, producer & director at TheWrap’s Portrait Studio

David Oyelowo, actor, producer & director and David Permut, Producer, “The Invite” & “Being Heumann.”

Inside the greenroom at TheGrill 2026.

Yves Bergquist, AI Researcher, Entertainment Technology Center, USC at the “Zeitgeist Intelligence powered by AI: Finding the Signals in Pop Culture” panel.

Yves Bergquist

David Permut, “The Invite” & “Being Heumann” speaks during the “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Josh Peters, producer, “Josephine” speaks onstage during the “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Rachel O’Connor, producer, “Project Hail Mary” & “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” speaks during the “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Rodrigo Teixeira, producer, “Paper Tiger” speaks onstage during “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Susan Sprung, CEO, Producers Guild of America speaks onstage during the “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Susan Sprung, CEO, Producers Guild of America; David Permut, Producer, “The Invite” & “Being Heumann”; Josh Peters, Producer, “Josephine”; Rachel O’Connor, Producer, “Project Hail Mary” & “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and Rodrigo Teixeira, Producer, “Paper Tiger” & “Furies” speak onstage during “Producers Roundtable” panel.

Josh Peters, David Permut, Rachel O’Connor, Susan Sprung, and Rodrigo Teixeira

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

TheWrap’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman at the networking cocktail reception.

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

Todd Terrazas, Co-Founder, AI on the Lot & FBRC.ai at the networking cocktail reception.

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

Emily Vogel, director of programing at networking cocktail reception.

Scenes from the networking cocktail reception.

Sharon Waxman, Founder & CEO, TheWrap
Shira Lazar, Founder, CEO & Host, What’s Trending at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

On the scene at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

Shira Lazar, moderator, CEO & Host, What’s Trending, James Douglas, VP, Experience Center (Creator Economy and Gaming), IAB
Karen Robinson, SVP & Deputy General Counsel, Adobe Inc.
Rebecca Grone, Head of Impact, 11:11 Media at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

Roger Cheng, Managing Editor, Business & PRO, TheWrap and Jon Flynn, Head of FoxNXT, Fox Entertainment at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

TheWrap Founder and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman, David Bianchi, Colin Petrie-Norris and Chris M. Williams at AI Creator Day

TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

TheWrap senior reporter Kayla Cobb interviews UTA’s Oren Rosenbaum at AI Creator Day

Backstage at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

An attendee meets David Bianchi

TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

Shira Lazar at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

Karen Robinson, SVP & Deputy General Counsel, Adobe Inc.Rebecca Grone, Head of Impact, 11:11 Media at TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day

TheGrill 2026: AI Creator Day attendee reads TheWrap Magazine

Sharon Waxman, UTA’s co-head of the creator division Oren Rosenbaum and Shira Lazar

Madonna Calls In Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX to Help Her Open the Show

The Queen of Pop made her return to the VMAs this year, opening the awards show for the first time in 23 years. To say she did so in style would be an understatement. The music icon brought the past, present and future of pop music together, kicking things off with Sabrina Carpenter for a live rendition of their 2026 duet “Bring Your Love.” Madonna followed that up with a live performance of her and Charli XCX’s dance track “Danceteria Afterhours.”

XCX joined her onstage for the song, as did a number of other guests, including Debi Mazar, Seth Rogen and Julia Garner (the latter of whom was personally chosen by Madonna to play her in a biopic that may not ever get made now). It was a fun, energetic opening for the show, one that further cemented both XCX and Carpenter’s considerable stage presence and nodded to Madonna’s ongoing influence on the music industry and its contemporary stars.

Raye Crushes Her VMAs Debut

It was a big night for rising British singer-songwriter Raye, who made her VMAs debut with a show-stopping joint performance of “I Will Overcome.” and “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” Raye showed every side of her star persona throughout the performance, meeting the moment with a level of fearlessness, intensity and playfulness befitting of a star of her talent and charisma.

“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” seemed to get everyone in the Peacock Theater out of their seats (because of course it did), and anyone watching at home could tell that Raye had crushed it by the time the applause came. (Something tells us she knew, too.)

Kacey Musgraves Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Dolly Parton

Like the Emmys before it, this year’s VMAs took time out of its broadcast to pay tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton. “Middle of Nowhere” singer Kacey Musgraves took to the stage dressed and adorned in a way that would have made Parton proud before giving a moving, pitch-perfect rendition of the latter’s iconic ballad, “I Will Always Love You.”

Musgraves may not have yet reached the same legendary status of Parton or Emmys performer Reba McEntire, but she did the “Jolene” singer proud. On a Sunday night when it rarely seemed interested in slowing down, the VMAs took its time with its Parton tribute. It was worth every minute.

Taylor Swift Lifts Up the Second Hour

There were questions heading into Sunday night about whether or not Taylor Swift would even be in attendance for this year’s VMAs, but her presence was thoroughly felt throughout the show’s second hour. Not only did she and Dakota Johnson team up to unveil the music video for Swift’s latest single, “Patient Zero,” but Swift was also awarded MTV’s first-ever VMA Artist Director Honors trophy. At a time when music videos seem to hold less of a cultural space than ever, the “Life of a Showgirl” singer wisely used her acceptance speech to highlight the beauty, craft and importance of the form.

Later, Swift returned to the VMAs stage to accept the Video of the Year award for “The Fate of Ophelia.” And just in case Swift’s doubters had any thought that she might not be able to send the night off on a high note, she proved them wrong by dedicating her win to Parton. “Everything that happened in her life or her career, she channeled back into love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans. I am lucky I got to be one of them, and I will always be one of them,” Swift said of the music legend, whom she deemed “the ultimate showgirl.”

Sienna Spiro Announces Herself

One of the ideal outcomes for an awards show like the VMAs is that an up-and-coming star announces herself along the way as a force to be reckoned with. That happened this year with Sienna Spiro. Standing alone on a stage with nothing but her voice and presence to carry her, Spiro gave a spell-binding performance early in the night of her 2026 track “Great Expectation.”

What felt like the start of a coronation was completed later when Spiro took home the award for Best New Artist. “I didn’t think this would happen, so I just have to say thank you so much,” Spiro said as she held the award, which may very well not end up being the last Moon Person trophy she wins throughout her career.

Madonna Gets Her Flowers

It was fitting in a night that felt like a celebration of pop’s history and future that Taylor Swift and Madonna ultimately took home the biggest wins at this year’s VMAs. The Queen of Pop was, indeed, heavily awarded throughout the night, taking home the 2026 trophies for Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Dance Song. While accepting the Artist of the Year award, she offered some hard-won advice and wisdom for the other musicians in attendance.

“I spent the last year-and-a-half finding myself, believing in myself and really making the music that I wanted to make,” she said. “To me, that really is the definition of being an artist. And my hope for all of you here tonight is that you spend the next year, or the next 10 years or the rest of your life, doing the same. Finding yourself and believing in yourself.”

“The Love Hypothesis” (2026)

“The Love Hypothesis” has brought some rom-com levity to Prime Video this week. Based on the novel of the same name by Ali Hazelwood and directed by “Set It Up” filmmaker Claire Scanlon, the new film follows a professor (Tom Bateman) and a PhD student (Lili Reinhart) who start up a fake relationship in order to put their theories about love to the test.

The film’s reviews have been largely positive, and anyone who gives “The Love Hypothesis” a little bit of their time will likely understand why. Powered by the charisma of its two stars, “The Love Hypothesis” is a fun, lighthearted rom-com that takes itself just seriously enough. It’s a joyful way to spend a few hours this weekend.

“L.A. Confidential” (1997)

“L.A. Confidential” is one of the best crime thrillers you can find on streaming right now. Directed and co-written by Curtis Hanson and based on James Ellroy’s 1990 novel of the same name, this 1950s-set noir follows a trio of police officers with wildly different approaches to law enforcement who find themselves battling a web of corruption that extends deeper than any of them understand.

Featuring an Oscar-winning supporting performance from Kim Basinger and two early-career, breakout turns from Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, “L.A. Confidential” is a hard-boiled, immensely satisfying crime drama. It patiently and elegantly builds its considerable, cumulative dramatic power over the course of its 138 minutes.

“Little Women” (2019)

As a director, Greta Gerwig has yet to make a misstep. While she may be best known now for directing 2023’s “Barbie,” her greatest achievement remains 2019’s “Little Women.” A layered, non-linear adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s seminal 1868 novel of the same name, Gerwig’s film charts the adolescent and adult lives of the March sisters; Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen) and Amy (Florence Pugh).

Overflowing with memorable images and thoughtfully earned emotions, “Little Women” is a frequently mesmerizing piece of work. There is a scene late in its second hour between Ronan’s Jo and Timothée Chalamet’s Laurie that is so astonishingly well-staged and full of so much palpable yearning it may still be the best thing Gerwig has ever brought to life onscreen.

“Inglourious Basterds” (2009)

You can make the argument for a few different movies being Quentin Tarantino’s greatest achievement, but few of his films engineer such a constant, commanding hold of your attention better than 2009’s “Inglourious Basterds.” A novelistic World War II epic, the film follows a squad of Jewish American soldiers killing Nazis covertly throughout Europe and a French Jewish cinema owner (Mélanie Laurent) as they both follow through with their own plots to kill Hitler, all while facing resistance from a deviously intelligent, maniacal SS colonel (Christoph Waltz).

Featuring at least two or three of the most astounding scenes Tarantino has ever executed onscreen, “Inglourious Basterds” is a drama overflowing with tension, wit and righteous fury.

“Jennifer’s Body” (2009)

A critical and financial failure that has since rightly been reclaimed as a contemporary cult classic, director Karyn Kusama’s “Jennifer’s Body” is a feminist horror comedy with real bite and, perhaps, the best performance of star Megan Fox’s career.

Written by “Juno” scribe Diablo Cody, the film follows a possessed high school student (Fox) who begins to kill her male classmates in order to keep herself alive, all while her best friend (Amanda Seyfried) grows increasingly suspicious. Witty, angry and more clever than it gets credit for being, “Jennifer’s Body” turns female rage into dastardly pulp fun, and it has an infectiously fun time doing it.

“Babylon” (2022)

Like “Jennifer’s Body,” 2022’s “Babylon” failed to garner the financial and critical success it deserved when it was initially released. However, writer-director Damien Chazelle’s outrageous, shattering ensemble 3-hour epic about Hollywood’s transition from its Silent Era to that of the talkies has quickly been reclaimed over the last four years by cinephiles.

Punctuated by a handful of gobsmacking, ridiculously ambitious set pieces, “Babylon” emerges over the course of its super-sized runtime as both a love letter to Hollywood and a takedown of it, as well as a eulogy for the brief period in the entertainment industry’s history when it was not yet controlled by the values and financial interests of America’s East Coast, Wall Street elites. Flawed and yet staggering, it’s a wonder.

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”

Ahead of “Sunrise on the Reaping,” circle back to “Catching Fire,” still the best film in the “Hunger Games” franchise. With the first film having already disposed of the lift of introducing audiences to this sci-fi dystopian world, Francis Lawrence (as well as screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn, adapting the novel from Suzanne Collins) are able to hit the ground running in the sequel. The games are bigger, the ideas are deeper, the relationships are thornier and the film, shot by Jo Willems, is on the whole more cinematic. Not to sound like an annoying film bro, but this one is worth the watch for the aspect ratio shift alone.

“The President’s Cake”

Hasan Hadi’s feature directorial debut, “The President’s Cake” landed on the shortlist for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards as the official entry for Iraq. Competing against a buzzy quartet of Neon features and the critically acclaimed “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Hadi’s first film didn’t make it to the eventual Oscars lineup. That’s a shame. “The President’s Cake” is an intense, well-directed piece of commentary, anchored by a wonderful child performance from Baneen Ahmad Nayyef and featuring a massively impactful ending.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming”

On Sept. 16, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” passed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to become the highest-grossing film in the history of the domestic box office. Tom Holland’s fourth Spidey-led feature effectively reboots the franchise, putting a fresh spin on his adventures as the wallcrawler.

“Brand New Day” has a much different feeling than Holland’s first solo feature, “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” That film, directed by Jon Watts, effectively functions as a meta commentary on the character’s new placement in the MCU: Peter Parker wants to be an Avenger, joining Iron Man and Captain America in the blockbuster crossovers, but he learns the value of sticking to the character’s roots as a friendly neighborhood hero. This theme may be slightly unwound by subsequent films, but an effective high school story and Holland’s winning performance make this one well worth the revisit.

“Tuner” (Paramount+)

Four months after it hit theaters in the U.S., “Tuner” has made its streaming premiere on Paramount+. Director Daniel Roher’s ingenious crime thriller flew a bit under the radar earlier this year, but that does not mean it is not deserving of your time and attention.

The film follows a piano tuner (Leo Woodall) with heightened sensitivity to sound who uses his unique talents to crack safes and accrue enough money to pay off his mentor’s (Dustin Hoffman) medical debt. Featuring an all-star cast, “Tuner” is one of this year’s most unique and endearing genre films. If you are in the mood for a crime thriller like it, the film deserves a spot on your watchlist this week.

“Brothers” Season 1 (Apple TV)

Former co-stars and real-life friends Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson reunite this week in “Brothers.” The two actors play fictional versions of themselves in the new Apple TV original comedy series. After they decide their families should all live together on McConaughey’s Texas ranch, the series follows the two stars as their friendship is put to the test by a family secret that suggests they might actually be brothers.

The show’s first two episodes premiered Wednesday on Apple TV. The remaining six episodes of its first season are slated to follow one at a time every week through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

“The Love Hypothesis” (Prime Video)

“The Love Hypothesis” has the potential to be one of this fall’s most charming straight-to-streaming premieres. Based on the novel of the same name by Ali Hazelwood and directed by “Set It Up” filmmaker Claire Scanlon, the film follows a professor (Tom Bateman) and PhD student (Lili Reinhart) as they agree to begin a fake relationship designed to put their separate theories about love to the ultimate test.

Early reviews have been largely positive, so if you find yourself wanting to indulge in some rom-com fun this week, you might want to consider “The Love Hypothesis.” The movie is streaming now on Amazon’s Prime Video.

“Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie” (HBO Max)

“I Am: Celine Dion” director Irene Taylor explores the life of deaf female bodybuilder Shelley Beattie in her new HBO feature documentary, “Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie.”

Featuring interviews with Beattie’s loved ones and famous admirers, including deaf activist and Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, “Siren” charts not only Beattie’s famous participation in the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia bodybuilding contests but also her personal struggles with beauty, love and mental illness. If you want to watch a portrait of a singular athlete and public figure, look no further this week than “Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie.”

“American Horror Story” Season 13 (Hulu)

FX’s “American Horror Story” returns this week from a 2-year hiatus with its star-studded 13th season. Boasting a murderers’ row of past “American Horror Story” cast members and characters, the season will feature the returns of Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett, among others.

Paulson, Peters, Lourd and Lange are all set to reprise multiple of their past “American Horror Story” roles in the new season, which unveiled its first three episodes Thursday on Hulu. Three more installments are set to drop next week, making the three-part “American Horror Story: 13” premiere this week a fitting addition to any fan’s streaming watchlist.

“A Different World” Season 1 (Netflix)

Netflix brings “A Different World” back to life this week. The streamer’s new revival of the late 1980s NBC sitcom of the same name catches back up with some of the original show’s returning characters, including Jasmine Guy’s Whitley Gilbert-Wayne and Kadeem Hardison’s Dwayne Wayne.

The revival follows Whitley and Dwayne’s free-spirited, rebellious youngest daughter (Maleah Joi Moon) as she attempts to escape her parents’ shadow during her freshman year at Hillman College. The revival unveiled its 10-episode first season Thursday on Netflix, exactly 39 years after “A Different World” made its original debut on NBC back in Sept. 1987.

“The Great British Baking Show” Season 17 (Netflix)

Get ready, “Great British Baking Show” fans. The beloved cooking competition series makes its return this week. The series’ 17th season premieres Friday on Netflix, bringing with it yet another batch of show-stopping baking challenges and lovable new competitors. The show’s latest episodes are more noteworthy than usual, however, for being the first to feature Nigella Lawson as Paul Hollywood’s new, fellow judge.

Lawson stepped up to fill the shoes of longtime judge Prue Leith, who announced back in January that she was stepping away from “The Great British Baking Show” (or, as it is known in the U.K., “The Great British Bake-Off”). Now, fans will get to see exactly how well Lawson fits within the show’s well-established, addictive format.

“Unabomber” (Netflix)

Netflix caps off its packed week of streaming premieres on Friday with “Unabomber.” Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen (“Andor” Season 2), the new film tells the real-life story of Ted Kaczynski (Jacob Tremblay), the domestic terrorist who became known as “The Unabomber” for his 17-year-long mail bombing campaign.

The film, which also stars Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Shailene Woodley, alternates between Kaczynski’s attendance at Harvard University and the decades-spanning manhunt that was waged against him throughout the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. If you are a true-crime fan, you will likely want to check out “Unabomber.”