In September 2018, Blake Lively and Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick starred in the pitch-black crime comedy A Simple Favor, based on the eponymous book by Darcey Bell. Directed by Paul Feig, the film follows the unlikely friendship between Stephanie, an overly eager stay-at-home mom, and Emily, a glamorous yet off-putting career mom whose disappearance launches a crisis within the community.
Although seemingly a thriller in the vein of Gone Girl, A Simple Favor is actually a delightful, biting, and campy satire that lampoons the thriller and missing-person genre. A sequel is currently in production, and the film is among the most popular on Netflix right now. For all those who can’t get enough of A Simple Favor‘s wicked, kitschy tone, these three Netflix movies are perfect companions, sharing the same sensibilities as Feig’s comedic gem.
Riverdale‘s Camilla Mendes and Stranger Things‘ Maya Hawke star in the biting teen dark comedy Do Revenge. A yassified version of the Hitchcock classic thriller Strangers on a Train, the film follows Drea and Eleanor, two teenagers who agree to “do” each other’s revenge plots against those who wronged them.
Do Revenge knows exactly the type of movie it is, and it’s all the stronger because of it. Covered in pastels and with two wicked lead actresses who share excellent chemistry and enough confidence to sell some of the film’s sillier lines, Do Revenge is a modern teen classic in the making. It’s funny, suitably fashionable, and with a truly surprising twist that few will see coming. The illegitimate child of Cruel Intentions and Gossip Girl, Do Revenge is a hell of a good time.
Do Revenge is available to stream on Netflix.
A Simple Favor does not attempt to hide its inspirations, especially David Fincher’s Gone Girl. So what better movie to recommend than one starring Amy Dunne herself? The incredible Rosamund Pike stars in J Blakeson’s pitch-black comedy thriller I Care a Lot as Marla Grayson, a con woman who works as a court-appointed guardian, stealing the property of unsuspecting older people. However, she finds herself in trouble when her latest target is the mother of a dangerous criminal.
I Care a Lot is a truly nasty movie, unafraid to show the ugliest side of those who abuse vulnerable people. Pike delivers a ruthless portrayal of fierce ambition, crafting a devilish character worthy of going toe-to-toe with Amy. Supported by a brilliant cast, including Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, and Dianne Wiest, Pike soars in I Care a Lot and takes the film along for the ride. Many will find it hard to enjoy, but at least no one can say I Care a Lot is timid.
I Care a Lot is available to stream on Netflix.
For those who liked the mystery angle in A Simple Favor, Netflix’s Glass Onion should be the perfect choice. A sequel to the 2019 Oscar-nominated hit Knives Out, Glass Onion sees the return of Daniel Craig as flamboyant detective Benoit Blanc. This time, he is invited to a private party hosted by a tech billionaire. Soon, things descend into chaos, and Blanc will be the only one who can bring back order.
Although inferior to Knives Out, Glass Onion remains an intelligent and hilarious whodunnit. Writer and director Rian Johnson is in his element, and Craig is very clearly having the time of his life as the male diva Benoit Blanc. A scene-stealing cast, including Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and Janelle Monáe, completes this chaotic and irreverent tapestry, resulting in a messy but enjoyable mystery that is sure to satisfy fans of the mystery genre.
Glass Onion is available to stream on Netflix.
China just gave Hollywood a cautionary tale about AI filmmaking. Sanxingdui: Future Past, billed as the country's first fully AI-generated movie, hit theaters on October 23 and bombed at the box office.
According to Futurism, the film's reported $1.5 million production budget landed on more than 10,000 screens. Yet it pulled in only about $181,000, averaging roughly $20 per screen, making the budget difficult to recover.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?