The 9 best movies coming to Netflix in May
Here are the best movies on Netflix in May.
"Constantine" (May 1) While "Constantine" received mixed reviews upon its 2005 release, it's gained a cult following in the years since.Keanu Reeves plays John Constantine, who has the ability to communicate with angels and demons. Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, and Peter Stormare also star.
"Crazy, Stupid, Love" (May 1) If you're in the mood for a rom-com, you can't go wrong with this one.Steve Carell plays Carl, who experiences a mid-life crisis when his wife (Julianne Moore) asks for a divorce. Carl soon connects with ladies' man Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who decides to help Carl pick up women.However, Jacob meets his match when he meets Hannah (Emma Stone) and falls for her.Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, and Josh Groban also star.
"The Lego Movie" (May 1) This outlandish comedy from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller stars Chris Pratt as a Lego figure whose bland life is interrupted when he's told he's the key to the resistance to overthrow the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell).Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Channing Tatum, Alison Brie, and Charlie Day also lend their voices.
All the "Twilight" movies (May 1) Get ready for a major binge this weekend. Every single movie in the "Twilight" saga is available on the streamer.Go back and rewatch the journey of Bella and Edward, which catapulted Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to superstardom.
"Heart Eyes" (May 8) This horror focuses on a psychopathic killer who sports glowing red heart eyes and searches for victims every Valentine's Day.
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hwang Dong-hyuk: Thanks for everybody who rejected "Squid Game" in 2009!
5 Jun - "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has recently been awarded Creator Tribute at the Gotham Awards. The special award was presented to Hwang by his lead actor Lee Jung-jae, who played Seong Gi-hun in the series. Lee described Hwang as "a storyteller with the imagination that changed the landscape of global TV." "Beneath the thrilling tension and unforgettable visuals, there were themes of strong criticism of inequality, despair, and the resilience of humanity. What director Hwang Dong-hyuk created was not just a drama. It was a mirror reflecting our current society with clear and piercing empathetic eyes. And the world responded with 265.2 million views for Season 1," he expressed. In his acceptance speech, Hwang thanked everyone who rejected "Squid Game" when he pitched it in 2009 "If even one person had said yes then, there would be no work as we know it today," he joked. "I am grateful to everyone who supported and believed in my vision. And I want to thank the cast and staff who have been with me throughout Seasons 1 to 3." He also thanked Lee in his speech, saying, "Although you couldn't save the other participants, you saved this show." Hwang did not end his speech without something to think about, as he spoke about the simplicity of the accolade, saying, "This trophy has a very simple design, is heavy, and solid. It is not a glamorous design like an Emmy or Oscar trophy. I'm not saying the 'Gotham Awards' trophy is ugly. It seems to say, 'Don't be blinded by the glamour of success.' It seems to inform me of the weight of responsibility. I will never forget and will continue to move forward." Season 3 of "Squid Game" will be released on Netflix on 27 June. (Photo Source: Lee Jung-jae IG, Chosun)
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How Shaq 'flipped the script,' grew fortune and became larger than life after retirement
How Shaq 'flipped the script,' grew fortune and became larger than life after retirement Show Caption Hide Caption Shaq talks NBA Finals matchup and NBA on TNT Shaquille O'Neal joins Sports Seriously to talk about all things NBA and his upcoming Netflix docu-series 'Power Moves'. Sports Seriously Shaquille O'Neal towered over three children, leaned down and shared a secret. 'Do you know how I made $900 million?'' he asked in a moment taped three years ago. 'Just by listening to my mommy and daddy. Make sure you listen to your parents.'' Well, boys and girls, it's slightly more complicated than that, even for a 7-foot-1 basketball legend who pulled off this feat: retire from the sport that helped make you rich and famous, then get even more rich and famous. TV commercials. Licensing deals. Other partnerships. O'Neal, 14 years removed from his Hall of Fame career that included four NBA championship rings and three Finals MVPs, seems to be cashing in everywhere. On Wednesday, June 4, Netflix premiered a six-episode docuseries called "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal" about the 53-year-old taking over as president of Reebok in 2023. (Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends Productions partnered with Sony Pictures Television on the show.) This week, he will provide commentary during NBA TV's coverage of Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. 'Shaq's ubiquity today is unmatched and what makes it even more fascinating is that it's post-career,'' Stacy Jones, a marketing expert and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told USA TODAY Sports. 'Most athletes peak in visibility during their prime and Shaq totally flipped that script.'' O'Neal was unavailable for an interview this week, according to his representatives. But his agents, Perry Rogers and Colin Smeeton, help paint a vivid picture of how O'Neal turned his millions in NBA wages into more millions — and became a household name. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Rogers and Smeeton said before O'Neal retired in 2011 they read professional athletes on average lose 4% of the public's awareness after their playing careers end. 'And that freaked me out,'' Rogers told USA TODAY Sports. Also, O'Neal would be losing steady income — his playing salary that earned him a total of $286 million, according to The trick was figuring out how to generate more money. Shaq's instincts lead to big bucks It was July 2011, a month after O'Neal officially retired, and ESPN and TNT (then known as Turner) were courting him as a potential NBA analyst. Rogers said he wanted to wait for offers from both networks and use them as leverage. Then, O'Neal spoke. 'He goes, 'Perry, you heard the pitches,' ' Rogers recalled. 'On the one hand, Turner just said that they're relationship people, that they don't need me, but they want me. I'm a relationship guy. 'Then you heard (an ESPN executive) say, 'Hey, I'm the most competitive (expletive) in the world. I'll build a whole show around you.' And what that means is if (ESPN) doesn't beat (TNT), I'm going to be taking the full blame. I'm not going to have time to develop. I don't have these reps yet.'' Rogers, who relayed the anecdote to USA TODAY Sports, said he complied with O'Neal's wishes and promptly negotiated a deal with TNT. The network's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show proved to be an ideal platform to keep O'Neal visible. He needed time to develop his skills as a TV analyst. He also found the right chemistry working alongside former NBA players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and six-time Emmy winner Ernie Johnson. The quartet is headed to ABC/ESPN next season and O'Neal has agreed to a contract extention worth more than $15 million a year, according to Front Office Sports. 'One thing that's great about Shaquille is he lets you sort of manage him,'' Smeeton, O'Neal's other agent, told USA TODAY Sports. 'But at the same time, he trusts his instincts, and we certainly trust his instincts.'' OPINION: 'Inside the NBA' with Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq gave us so much more than basketball Shaq surrounds himself with talent O'Neal did not treat retirement as an opportunity to take up golf and lounge by the pool. "That's just not the way he's wired,'' Smeeton said. "He's wired for 'OK, I still have this drive that made me one of the best players of all time. Now how am I going to apply that to other parts of my business?' And that was music to our ears.'' Leonard Armato, O'Neal's first agent, played a key role in helping shape the Shaq brand into a lucrative entity before the two parted ways in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. But without Armato and later without his basketball career, the brand kept booming. Rogers and Smeeton, hired by O'Neal after the split with Armato, helped refine the Shaq brand. In 2015, Sports Illustrated published a list of O'Neal's top 50 endorsements. The full list continues to balloon and includes the likes of Carnival Cruise Line, DraftKings, Hershey's, Papa John's and BeatBox Beverages. He also is deeply invested in the food services business, owning more than 30 Big Chicken franchises, which serve some of his childhood favorites. He once owned 155 Five Guys, the burger and fries joint, according to Yahoo Finance. 'Whether during basketball games, NFL games or programming beyond, Shaq has staying power that competes with just about any other celebrity,'' said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst at a company that tracks TV and streaming advertising. Rogers and Smeeton have focused on 'the fun business,'' which has led to O'Neal serving as an ambassador of fun in a slew of new TV commercials. Case in point: In his commercials for Carnival Cruise Line, O'Neal plays the role of the company's CFO — "Chief Fun Officer.'' Perhaps their biggest play came a decade ago, when Rogers and Smeeton brokered a deal to sell 51% of the Shaq brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). O'Neal, in turn, has become the second-largest shareholder in a company that owns brands for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and David Beckham and whose subsidiaries include Champion and Reebok, which ABG acquired in 2022 at the behest of O'Neal. Smeeton indicated the partnership with ABG has helped propel O'Neal toward the $1 billion threshold for lifetime earnings. 'If he's not already there,'' Smeeton said, 'he'll be there soon.' Shaq: 'My biggest mistake was ruining my family' The strength of O'Neal's brand has been tested. By O'Neal himself. During the most recent episode of his podcast, 'The Big Podcast with Shaq,'' O'Neal referred to the infidelities he has said led to divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie. 'I am the voice for those that made a lot of mistakes and want to recover from the mistakes,'' said O'Neal, who has six children, including four with Shaunie. 'Because I always say, my biggest mistake was ruining my family by being dumb.'' There have been other setbacks for O'Neal. Like two civil lawsuits, one stemming from his endorsement of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and another stemming from involvement with the Astrals Non-Fungible Tokens project, which he settled this year for a total of $11 million. O'Neal and other celebrities were accused of misleading consumers into promoting unregistered securities for FTX and promoting unregistered securities for Astrals. But the Shaq brand has taken no discernible hit. Corporate America keeps lining up to partner with O'Neal, who in 2024 played a hands-on role in developing Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies (cannabis free) with The Hershey Company. "He gets involved on a deeper level, and brands love that,'' said Jones, the CEO at Hollywood Branded. "His involvement isn't just about exposure, it's about strategic value. He shows up, he promotes and he often contributes behind the scenes. That's a big reason why brands keep coming back.'' O'Neal also has protected his business interests by steering clear of controversial political issues, said Kimberly A. Whitler, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. 'That model – to maximize the number of consumers who support and appreciate the celebrity – requires focusing on creating broad appeal,'' Whitler told USA TODAY Sports. 'They do this by remaining largely apolitical, so they can appeal to liberals, independents, and conservative consumers.'' Shaq building his empire off Michael Jordan's blueprint - with one exception Michael Jordan is the blueprint when it comes to athletes developing brands, Jones said. 'He took his athletic legacy and elevated it into a luxury brand and that quiet, high-end exclusivity plays perfectly into his legacy,'' she said. O'Neal has embraced something else: the common man. New Air Jordan sneakers can cost upwards of $200. O'Neal's branded shoes on are available for $29.95. Rather than attempting to mimic Jordan's luxury brand, O'Neal's Big and Tall Collection is housed at JCPenney, with ribbed Polo shirts available for $17.49. Then there's his deal with The General, the insurance company known for affordable car insurance rates. 'I called Shaquille and said, 'Hey, look, we're talking to these folks. I don't know how you feel about it,' ' Rogers aid. 'And Shaquille goes, 'Do it.' (I said), 'Hold on a second. I haven't talked to you about anything. Why do you like this? 'And he said, 'I had The General for my insurance company. I know what it means to need affordable insurance.' ' Sometimes, with the cameras rolling and without, O'Neal has given away pizzas, shoes, clothes and hugs. He has bought other people vans, engagement rings and heaven only knows what else. In 2024, he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for raising millions of dollars for charitable efforts through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation. Last month, at the end of the last episode of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal told the show's stage manager 'we put our money together and bought you a gift.'' He handed her a Louis Vuitton gift bag. Said Barkley, 'Shaq, in fairness, you should buy all the gifts. You got the most money.''
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Sirens: The dark psychology of how people really get drawn into cults
Macall Polay/Netflix Joy Cranham explores how Sirens on Netflix masterfully blends the eccentricity of cult-like behaviours with the unsettling reality of coercive control. Like other quirky TV shows that explore coercively controlling groups, Sirens leans into the 'wackiness' of cult life. Set on a remote island, an affluent community exists under extravagant rule of Michaela Kell aka Kiki (Julianne Moore). Her devoted followers – many of whom are employed by her – are committed to ensuring her every whim is met. This carefully curated existence appears bizarre but flawless, until outsider Devon (Meghann Fahy) arrives looking for her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) and begins to illuminate the control and cult-like behaviour being used as tools of oppression. It is easy to laugh along with Sirens, to get caught up in the eccentric characters and absurd rituals – from assistants being instructed to sext Kiki's partner to rituals around perfuming her underwear drawer each morning. We shake our heads at the characters' choices and reassure ourselves: 'I would never fall for that, I would just leave.' But the uncomfortable truth is it's not that simple. What portrayals of cult communities in sitcoms often miss, or gloss over, is the deeply manipulative psychology behind why leaving a cult is incredibly difficult. Research into cult experiences has shown, cults do not just trap people physically. They entrap them mentally and emotionally, too. I have seen this in my own research into how to help children and their families resist exploitative and coercively controlling individuals and groups. We do see such entrapment in Sirens, but it is often obscured by the wackiness of Michaela's cult-ish community. Isolation and love-bombing In the real world, entrapment starts with isolation. New recruits are gradually cut off from their support networks, separated from their friends and family. We see this in Sirens between Simone, who is Kiki's assistant, and her outsider sister Devon. In one episode, for instance, Simone makes it clear to Devon that their matching sister tattoos were no longer valuable to her. What was once a show of love has become viewed as 'trashy' by Simone. This is a reflection of how Simone was being manipulated away from her previous values. Rejecting the importance of familial relationships is a tool often used by cult leaders, enabling them to construct rifts between the person in the cult and their loved one on the outside. In Sirens, we see a sisterly relationship become ruptured at the instruction of the powerful Kiki, who exploits the vulnerability of Simone to her own advantage. Then comes the love-bombing – a flood of praise, attention, and affection. It feels amazing, especially to someone who has been overlooked or undervalued. When the person expresses surprise, the group responds with lines like, 'that's because we truly see you' or they belittle the person's previous relationships. The message from the group is clear: only we value you. Only we understand the real you. Fear and dependence But the honeymoon phase does not last. Soon, the fear of being cast out takes hold. The group convinces the person that they can only become their best self within the group, that they are fulfilling a higher destiny by being guided by the leader. Leaders in cults use authoritarian tactics, often portraying themselves as messianic figures with mystical powers. They demand unwavering loyalty and devotion. Questioning their authority is not tolerated. Any concern or question is reframed as a personal failing rather than as legitimate concern. Punishment for dissent reinforces the leader's dominance and sends a clear message to the rest of the group: Do not question. The leader and their doctrines are irrefutable. Macall Polay/Netflix This sort of control can lead people to do things they never imagined they would. Take the scene where Simone willingly chews gum that has just been in Kiki's mouth. We might cringe at this, think it's gross and abnormal, but it's symbolic of something much bigger: it depicted total control being exerted over another. Here we watch as Kiki insults Simone, telling her her breath stinks. Instead of being seen as cruelty, it is perceived as care, and Kiki then giving Simone the gum she has just chewed to rectify the problem is perceived as kindness. Simone is grateful and doesn't question it at all. Simone's mind has been manipulated. Devon asks her: 'Does Michaela have her talons so deep in your brain you cannot tell, you are in trouble?' Through using thought reform techniques, cults hack minds. They override critical thinking and replace it with fear and dependency. The constant sense of danger and fear keeps members in a state of acute stress, impairing their capacity to think clearly or make rational decisions. However, this constant fear is happening in a place they are repeatedly told and are convincing themselves is where they have never been happier. The cognitive dissonance of this can contribute to the group's ability to retain members even when exposing them to prolonged psychological and or physical abuse. Even after someone leaves, the effects of this trauma can linger for years – sometimes a lifetime. Survivors often exit these groups with very few tangible resources. Education and employability may have been restricted, and housing and financial independence are often tightly controlled by the group. Many survivors suffer from mental health issues and other stress-induced physical ailments. As a result, survivors require various forms of support and different interventions over the cause of their recovery. And yet, in pop culture, cults are often played for laughs. The trauma is reduced to punch lines. To be fair, shows like Sirens effectively capture the bizarre nature of cult life, and hopefully, reading this piece has helped you look beyond the laughs to see the dark nature of how these groups operate. For survivors, cult life is not eccentric or surreal – it is traumatic.
