"Wilma, I Promise You, Whatever Scum Did This, Not One Man On This Force Will Rest One Minute Until He's Behind Bars. Now, Let's Grab A Bite To Eat" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

Early on in 1988's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, when Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is visiting his partner, Nordberg, in the hospital, he happens to say quite a few inappropriate things to the ailing cop's wife, Wilma (Susan Beaubian). One of the funniest comes when he asks Capt. Ed Hocken (Geroge Kennedy) went to lunch right after ensuring Wilma that he would take no breaks on this case.

"Yes, Yes, I Remember. I Had Lasagna" - Airplane!

In Airplane!, Leslie Nielsen's Dr. Rumack comes into play when several passengers mysteriously fall ill, leading him to ask flight attendant Elaine (Julie Hagerty), what the in-flight meal was. After she tells him there was a choice between steak or fish, he matter-of-factly recalls that he, somehow, ate neither of those items.

"Nice Party, Hapsburg. I See A Lot Of Familiar Face-Lifts" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear

In the second installment of the Naked Gun movies from 1991, Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin takes an immediate dislike to Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), the new beau of his former lover, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley). He takes every opportunity he sees to belittle the wealthy oil industrialist, including pointing out how many of his party guests appear to partake in cosmetic surgery.

"I'm Here Today At The... 'Un'" - Scary Movie 4

Leslie Nielsen would reunite with David Zucker, one of the creators of Airplane! and the Naked Gun series, when he took over the Scary Movie franchise, which pokes fun at the best horror movies, for the third and fourth installments. In Nielsen's best moment from 2006's Scary Movie 4, President Baxter must refer to the United Nations logo behind him to identify who he is speaking to but still fails miserably.

"It's An Entirely Different Kind Of Flying" - Airplane!

In Airplane!, when Rumack asks Ted Striker (Robert Hays) about his piloting experience, he says he flew single-engine fighters in the Air Force. When he adds that handling a four-engine commercial jet is "an entirely different kind of flying, altogether," the doctor and flight attendant Randy (Lorna Patterson) take that last word as a signal to both repeat what he said in unison.

"Nice Beaver!" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

One of the all-time funniest spoof movie gags comes from The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! when Drebin stands right below Jane as she is standing on a ladder, rummaging through her attic, and compliments her "beaver." Every unsuspecting viewer understandably had their heads in the gutter until she passed down the recently taxidermied woodland animal to him.

"Children Of The Night. What A Mess They Make" - Dracula: Dead And Loving It

In 1995, Mel Brooks sent up one of the most essential vampire movies with Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and cast Leslie Nielsen in the title role. A funny moment sees the count paraphrasing Bela Lugosi's immortal line from the 1931 original – "Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make!" – to reference a patch of bat guano that appears on his staircase.

"I'm Sure That We Can Handle This Situation Maturely, Just Like The Responsible Adults That We Are. Isn't That right, Mr... Poopy Pants?" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear

For all of his absent-mindedness, we would normally never think of Frank Drebin as particularly immature, except for this moment from The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell of Fear. No one can blame him for feeling petty after how things left off with him and Jane between installments but calling her new boyfriend, Hapsburg, "Mr. Poopy Pants" is inexcusably infantile.

"You Know, I Usually Specialize In Stuff You Can Wrap" - All I Want For Christmas

The first of two times Leslie Nielsen played Santa Claus – the second being the 2000 made-for-TV movie, Santa Who? – was in 1991's All I Want for Christmas. He plays a kindly mall Santa, who is asked by young Hallie (Thora Birch) to help bring their divorced parents back together.

"I Am Serious And Don't Call Me Shirley" - Airplane!

Perhaps the funniest line said by Leslie Nielsen in Airplane! – let alone the movie's funniest line, period – comes after Dr. Rumack asks Striker if he can take over the plane's ill pilots, and land it. When the former pilot responds, "Surely, you can't be serious," the doctor assumes he was calling him a traditionally feminine name.

"It's The Same Old Story. Boy Finds Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Girl Finds Boy, Boy Forgets Girl, Boy Remembers Girl, Girl Dies In A Tragic Blimp Accident Over The Orange Bowl On New Year's Day" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

In the first Naked Gun movie, on their first date at Frank's apartment, he and Jane are discussing their pasts when Frank recalls a lover he once lost to tragedy. The dark joke gets even funnier when Jane asks if the blimp is from Goodyear and he misinterprets the question and responds, "No, the worst."

"I Just Want To Tell You Both, Good Luck. We're All Counting On You" - Airplane!

There is nothing particularly funny about this line the first time Leslie Nielsen says it to Ted and Elaine as they finally make an attempt to land in Airplane! However, it becomes hilarious after Rumack repeats it to them randomly and unprompted twice more during the final act.

"The Truth Hurts, Doesn't It, Hapsburg? Oh, Sure, Maybe Not As Much As Landing On A Bicycle With The Seat Missing, But It Hurts!" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear

In The Naked Gun 2-1/2, Frank discovers that his disdain toward Hapsburg was justified by his secret terrorist involvements. He spews more belittling rhetoric at the criminal that really does sound like a painful scenario.

"I Haven't Seen Anything Like This Since The Anita Bryant Concert" - Airplane!

Anita Bryant was a very controversial figure in the late 1970s, due to her outspoken opposition to gay rights. This line from Airplane!, in which Rumack compares the display of violent illness among the passengers to the crowd at one of the former singer's own shows, is just one of many times pop culture took a jab at her.

"I Just Think About Baseball" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

The Naked Gun movies are known for their hilariously subversive use of double entendres, such as when Drebin tells Jane he used to have a problem with his firearm going off... or so it seems. The discussion takes a strange turn when she asks how he solved his problem but his response sounds like he is referring to something else.

"I've Been Like A Father To You! I Raised You, Just Like Your Father Did! I Believed In You, Just Like Your Father Did! I Slept With Your Mother, Just Like Your Father Did!" - Superhero Movie

After two Scary Movies, Leslie Nielsen starred in a 2008 send-up of the best superhero movies (especially Spider-Man), aptly named Superhero Movie, as the uncle of the young, superpowered Rick (Drake Bell). During an argument, Uncle Albert goes a little too far in trying to prove to his nephew just how well he earned his place as a father figure to him.

“Uh, Then He's Certainly Not Going To Enjoy That Treat I Just Fed To Him” - Wrongfully Accused

Wrongfully Accused, starring Leslie Nielsen as a murder suspect struggling to clear his name, is essentially a parody of great action movies, especially The Fugitive. However, the 1998 comedy is also a mixed bag of gags, such as when Nielsen's Ryan Harrison discovers he has mistaken a dog's rear end for its face.

"It's True What They Say: Cops And Women Don't Mix. It's Like Eating A Spoonful Of Drano. Sure, It'll Clean You Out, But It'll Leave You Hollow Inside" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

All we can really say about this line from the first Naked Gun – directed at Jane after Frank learns she really works for the film's main antagonist – is that you should definitely not eat a spoonful of Drano. Ever.

"You Can't Take A Guess For Another Two Hours?" - Airplane!

This Airplane! line comes from a hilarious exchange between Rumack and Capt. Oveur is full of misunderstandings. Rumack asks him if he can take a guess of how soon he can land the plane and when the pilot says, "Well, not for another two hours," the doctor assumes he is referring to when he would be able to craft a hypothesis.

"A Parachute Not Opening. That's A Way To Die. Getting Caught In The Gears Of A Combine. Having Your Nuts Bit Off By A Laplander. That's The Way I Wanna Go!" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

In The Naked Gun, with Nordberg in critical condition after being ambushed by a "cowardly hoodlum," Capt. Hocken mentions that it is "no way for a man to die." Frank then lists a series of scenarios that he believes would ensure a glorious exit.

"You Carry A UB-21 Schnauzer With A Gnab Silencer..." - Spy Hard

In the 1996 spy movie parody, Spy Hard, Dick Steele's (Leslie Nielsen) impromptu reading of Russian agent, Veronique Ukrinsky (Nicolette Sheridan) is littered with acronyms. The full quote is, "You carry a UB-21 Schnauzer with a Gnab silencer. That's KGB. You prefer an H&K over an A.K. Your surveillance technique is NSA. Your ID is CIA. You received your Ph.D. at NYU. Traded in your GTO for a BMW. You listen to CDs by R.E.M. and STP. And you'd like to see J.F.K. in his BVDs, getting down with O.P.P. And you probably put the toilet paper back on the roll with the paper on the inside."

"Just Think, Next Time I Shoot Someone, I Could Be Arrested" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

Drebin says this Naked Gun line after he is suspended from the Police Squad, which seems to be a much-needed punishment for someone with his trigger-happy attitude.

"Uh, Fire Drill" - Safety Patrol

Leslie Nielsen stars in ABC's 1998 made-for-TV family film, Safety Patrol, as Mr. Penn, who is a school security head, despite his debilitating clumsiness. Case in point: when he falls out of a window and tries to pass off the accident as a planned fire drill escape method when he notices three students witnessed his tumble.

"Didn't I Try To Adopt That 18-Year-Old Korean Girl?" - The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult

In The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult, during a couple's therapy session, Jane asks why Frank does not want to have children. His response seems to be a reference to Woody Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, which had sparked controversy around that time.

"That Doesn't Prove A Thing. She Could Be Related To Joe Cocker" - Repossessed

Repossessed goes above and beyond to send up demonic possession movies, by casting The Exorcist star Linda Blair as another person in need of a priest. Said priest in the 1990 comedy is Father Jedediah Mayii, who likens the supposed possession victim, described as having "an unGodly voice and maniacal facial expressions," to famously over-the-top singer, Joe Cocker.

"You Take A Chance Getting Up In The Morning, Crossing The Street, Or Sticking Your Face In A Fan" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

We strongly recommend not taking the chance of sticking your face in a fan, no matter how admirably courageous The Naked Gun's Frank Drebin may seem.

"The Other Two Pilots, They're Just Fine. They're At The Controls Flying The Plane, Free To Pursue A Life Of Religious Fulfillment" - Airplane!

Even if Dr. Rumack was not lying about the pilots' illness in Airplane!, this would be a pretty absurd way to describe someone with a healthy condition. Of course, what makes the doctor's attempt to comfort the passengers especially funny is how his nose grows like Pinocchio with each dishonest remark.

"Jane, Since I've Met You, I've Noticed Things That I Never Knew Were There Before. Birds Singing, Dew Glistening On A Newly Formed Leaf, Stoplights" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!

Hopefully, it does not take falling in love for you to notice that stoplights exist, like what appears to have happened to Drebin after meeting Jane in The Naked Gun.

"I'll Tell Ya What Crazy Is. Crazy Is Walking Down The Street With Half A Cantaloupe On Your Head Saying, 'I'm A Hamster. I'm A Hamster.' That's Crazy" - Spy Hard

This line from Spy Hard might actually be the ultimate demonstration of Leslie Nielsen's masterful deadpan delivery. Without it, such a pointlessly absurd quote might not have worked as well.

"I Was Ready To Plant My Flag Back In Washington D.C., Where Every Congressman Has The Constitutional Right To Be A Felon. Good Old America" - 2001: A Space Travesty

In 2000, Leslie Nielsen starred in a sci-fi movie parody called 2001: A Space Travesty as a marshal for a commercial trip off Earth. The film relies primarily on visual comedy but sometimes sneaks a funny line in there, such as this piece of narration that hints at a dystopian United States.

“I'd Forget My Genitals If They Weren't Superglued In Between My Legs. Water-skiing Accident” - Wrongfully Accused

One fun moment from Wrongfully Accused references the twist ending from The Usual Suspects, with Ryan Harrison coming up with a fake alias and full backstory using words he sees posted around a fishing store. Before making a run for it, he makes a seemingly random remark about the state of his manhood.

"I Just Want To Tell You Both, Good Luck. We're All Counting On You" - Scary Movie 3

Leslie Nielsen's first appearance as President Baxter in Scary Movie 3 features a funny callback to his Airplane! role in which he wishes the protagonists the same good fortune that Rumack extends to Ted and Elaine.

Before 2024 is over we’re going to sequels to two more Disney franchises, Moana and The Lion King. 2025's movie schedule is already looking quite strong for Disney with Marvel Studios set to make a return to multiple yearly releases. Here’s a look at everything Disney has announced including all the upcoming Marvel movies, the schedule of upcoming Star Wars movies, and more.

A Real Pain

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain stars him alongside Kieran Culkin as cousins who reunite to our Poland as a way to honor their grandmother.

Moana 2

Release Date: November 27, 2024

In a surprising announcement, Disney revealed that a planned Moana series for Disney+ will instead be a theatrical movie. According to what we know about Moana 2, after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey into unknown waters. Dwayne Johnson will also return as Maui. The Moana 2 trailer revealed that our hero now has a little sister, so the stakes of this adventure have gone up.

Nightbitch

Release Date: December 6, 2024 (limited)

This new Searchlight project, based on the book of the same name, stars Amy Adams as a woman who recently became a stay-at-home mom and finds herself transforming into a dog. It’s a pretty wild premise, to be sure, but we know Nightbitch is a horror/comedy, so at least some of the plot's outlandishness is intentional.

Mufasa: The Lion King 

Release Date: December 20, 2024

The Lion King was a massive hit as both a traditionally animated film and as a technically impressive CGI remake. While that success meant several direct-to-video sequels for the original, it meant a CGI prequel for the remake. Mufasa: The Lion King will follow the life of Simba’s father, and it’s set to be directed by the great Barry Jenkins, so this one is going to be worth checking out. The Mufasa trailer revealed some new details about Mufasa’s story, including the fact that Mufasa is an outsider to the pride, putting a whole new spin on the relationship between Mufasa and Scar.

Captain America: Brave New World

Release Date: February 14, 2025

The fourth Captain America movie will be the first one not to star Chris Evans in the title role. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson took on the mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, and he’ll take Cap back to the big screen in Captain America: Brave New World. The film will see the new Cap drawn into a race for a new element, adamantium, which is found inside the celestial body left behind in the wake of the Eternals, and yes, Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross will become the Red Hulk.

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Release Date: March 7, 2025

Disney's Snow White

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Before most people saw her in West Side Story, Rachel Zegler was cast in the live-action adaptation of Snow White. After the world saw that dance-filled remake, though, we could not wait to see this updated story. This one goes back to the original hit for Walt Disney Studios, and while we know this Snow White adaptation will make some key changes to the original story regarding the dwarfs, it will also include some new original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of The Greatest Showman. Snow White’s release date was originally set for 2024 but the film was delayed a year. It now seems set to come out in 2025.

The Amateur

Release Date: April 11, 2025

This 20th Century Studios project will star Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer who goes after the terrorists who killed his wife when his agency refuses to help.

Thunderbolts

Release Date: May, 2, 2025

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a proper MCU team-up movie but that will change in the summer of 2025 when the Thunderbolts* release date arrives. Thunderbolts* will bring back Florence Pugh’s Yelena, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, all from Black Widow. The team will also include Wyatt Russell’s US Agent from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hannah John Kamen’s Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier will act as the team leader, which means anything is possible.

Lilo & Stitch (Live-Action)

Release Date: May 23, 2025

Lilo & Stitch will be the latest in the long line of Disney animated films to get the remake treatment. The cast includes Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani and Kaipot Dudoit as David, who will star alongside a CGI stitch.

Elio

Release Date: June 13, 2025

Pixar’s Elio is the story of an 11-year-old boy who gets transported across the galaxy and finds himself mistaken for an ambassador for the planet Earth. Newcomer Yonas Kibreab voices Elio, while Zoe Saldana voices the boy’s aunt. Originally Coco co-director Adrian Moloina was set to direct, but he was replaced by the team of Turning Red’s Dommee Shi and Madaline Sharafina after the film was delayed a full year. While some of Elio’s details have changed, the core story appears to be intact.

Fantastic Four

Release Date: July 25, 2025

The first family of comics will finally make its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut following years of speculation. On Valentine's Day 2024, the long-rumored main cast of Fantastic Four was finally confirmed. Pedro Pascal is Reed Richard, Vanessa Kirby is Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn will be Johnny Storm. Based on what we know about Fantastic Four, the movie is set in the 1960s, though apparently not in the world we know. Whether or not Robert Downey Jr., who is set to return to the MCU as Fantastic Four nemesis Doctor Doom, will make his first appearance here, is unclear.

Freakier Friday

Release Date: August 8, 2025

A sequel to Disney’s Freaky Friday remake seems to be something a lot of people wanted, and now, they’ll get it. The movie, officially titled Freakier Friday, will come out in 2025 and will see Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return as the body-switching mother and child. The new film will see Lohan’s character as a mom, with The Acolyte’s Manny Jachinto playing her husband. Original film co-stars Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray will also be returning.

Tron: Ares

Release Date: October 10, 2025

The Tron franchise has had a rough time at the movies, and yet, the program refuses to end. The long anticipated, and long believed-dead third Tron movie, Ares, starring Jared Leto, recently completed filming. A trailer shown to fans at D23 confirmed that a large portion of the movie will take place in the real world, rather than the Grid. The score is set to be written by Nine Inch Nails.

Blade

Release Date: November 7, 2025

First revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, we knew that Mahershala Ali would play Blade in the same instant we learned a Blade movie was even happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At this point, that’s still basically all we know. Director Bassam Tariq recently left the film, causing a delay in production and release date, but the movie is still reportedly moving forward.

Zootopia 2

Release Date: November 26, 2025

After the first Zootopia made $1 billion at the box office, the sequel was only a matter of time. Previously confirmed for a 2025 release, in the summer of 2024 it was revealed that the movie will introduce reptile characters in the mammal city. The plot of Zootopia 2 will see Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde attempt to track down a snake named Gary, voiced by Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan. A sneak peek at D23 also revealed a location not seen in the previous film, Marsh Market.

 Avatar: Fire & Ash 

Release Date: December 19, 2025

The Avatar films have previously shown us the jungles and the oceans of the world of Pandora. We know Avatar: Fire and Ash will take us to a new biome, the volcanic home of the Na’Vi known as the Ash people. At D23 in 2024 the film’s title was officially revealed, seemingly hinting that Jake and Myteiri’s family will deal with some sort of cataclysm, as well as its aftermath.

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Release Date: January 16, 2026

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: February 13, 2026

Hoppers

Release Date: March 6, 2026

We don't know much about Hoppers yet beyond the fact that it will see a human transfer her consciousness to a robot beaver so that she may live among animals. It's a wild premise, but Pixar has done more with less before.

Untitled Disney

Release Date: March 27, 2026

Untitled Disney

Release Date: April 17, 2026

Avengers: Doomsday

Release Date: May 1, 2026

The MCU multiverse was born in the first season of Loki with the introduction of Jonathan Majors as Kang. With Marvel's decision to split from Jonathan Majors, this movie appeared to cease to exist, and it was only a matter of time before something new would be announced. That finally happened at SDCC in 2024 when Avengers: Doomsday was revealed in place of the previous film, starring a returning Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Release Date: May 22, 2026

We haven't seen a new Star Wars project on the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker, and it seems the plan is that the first one we see in years will have started on Disney+. The Mandalorian & Grogu movie has been officially confirmed as the first new Star Wars movie we get, when it arrives in the summer of 2026.

Toy Story 5

Release Date: June 19, 2026

At D23 2024 we finally got some details about the fifth Toy Story movie that had been previously announced. Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote all the previous Toy Story films, will direct, as well as write the new movie. Among the Toy Story 5 details we have, we know the plot will revolve around the toys dealing with the growing importance of technology in their lives. Some 50 out-of-control Buzz Lightyear toys will also fit into the plot.

Moana (Live-Action)

Release Date: July 10, 2026

Knowing how successful live-action remakes of Disney movies are, we probably could have guessed that a live-action Moana would happen someday, but few probably expected it to happen so fast. Less than a decade after the animated hit was released, the live-action version is set to debut. Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role in the flesh as Maui. Auli'i Cravalho will not be back on screen, opening the door for another newcomer to make a splash, but the original Moana is involved as a producer.

Untitled Marvel 

Release Date: July 24, 2026

Untitled Disney

Release Date: August 14, 2026

Untitled Disney

Release Date: September 18, 2026

Untitled Marvel 

Release Date: November 6, 2026

Untitled Disney Animation

Release Date: November 25, 2026

The only thing we know for sure about this Disney Animation project is what it isn’t. It won’t be Frozen 3. At D23 in 2024 Disney Animation chief Jennifer Lee confirmed this would be an original animated film, but did not say anything more about the project.

Untitled Star Wars

Release Date: December 18, 2026

After many years of confusion regarding the future of the Star Wars universe on the big screen, we finally received some details. At the recent Star Wars Celebration in London, three new movies were confirmed. One of them will see Daisy Ridley return as Rey in a film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. A second film will be directed by Dave Filoni and will act as a culmination of the current Disney+ series that he has produced. A third project, directed by James Mangold will tell the story of the first Jedi. An older project, written and directed by Taika Waititi is also still in development. Which of these projects this one will be is unknown.

Avengers: Secret Wars

Release Date: May 7, 2027

Secret Wars is one of the most popular comic crossover stories that Marvel has ever created, and so there’s already a lot of excitement surrounding a movie of the same name. Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be the official end of Phase Six of the MCU and The Multiverse Saga, but that’s really all we know at this point.

Frozen 3

Release Date: November 24, 2027

We’ve known for a while that Frozen 3 was in development at Disney, but fans will need to wait a bit longer to see it. The Frozen 3 release date for November 2027. In addition, at D23 Disney Animation head Jennifer Lee confirmed that the story is so big it will require two movies, though when we’ll see the second one is anybody’s guess.

Untitled Star Wars 

Release Date: December 17, 2027

With so many different Star Wars movies projects having been cancelled before they ever really happened, it’s impossible to even guess what movie this could be. It could be any of the previously mentioned projects, or it could be something that hasn’t even been revealed yet.

Avatar 4 

Release Date: December 21, 2029

James Cameron has said that parts of Avatar 4 were filmed alongside Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash, but another massive production will need to get underway to finish out the five-movie cycle. One certainly hopes that it won’t take as long to happen as it did to make the first sequel.

Avatar 5 

Release Date: December 19, 2031

The final Avatar movie will finally arrive in 2028, assuming there are not more delays, and Cameron doesn’t get it in his head to write more sequels.

While all of this is, of course, subject to change, and there are a lot of “Untitled” movies we know literally nothing about, there’s plenty here that is likely to keep Disney on top of the box office for several more years to come. Continue below for a look back at recently released Disney films.

Previously Released

The First Omen

Release Date: April 5, 2024

A prequel to 1976's horror classic The Omen, the new film focused on an American woman working at a church in Rome who discovers a plot to bring about the Antichrist.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Release Date: May 10, 2024

The last Planet of the Apes trilogy was a major hit for Fox, and now that Fox is under the Disney umbrella it's time to start again. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes followed on the events of the previous trilogy, but was set many years later, and focused on a new generation of apes that have now taken control of the planet, and do battle with each other.

The Young Woman And The Sea

Release Date: May 31, 2024

Originally planned as a Disney+ movie, The Young Woman and the Sea was instead released in theaters. The film starred Daisy Ridley as Gertrude Ederle, the Olympic gold medalist who became the first woman to swim the English Channel.

Inside Out 2 

Release Date: June 14, 2024

Pixar has released a string of generally well-received original films in the last few years, nothing prepared us for the success of Inside Out 2. The movie became the highest grossing animated movie ever made.

Kinds Of Kindness

Release Date: June 21, 2024

The last time Emma Stone and Lanthimos got together it created Poor Things, a multiple Oscar winner, including Stone's second award for Best Actress. The new film is an anthology, telling theree different stories, one about a police officer reunited with his formerly missing wife, a tale about a woman looking for a somebody destines to become a spiritual leader, and a man without choices who tries to take control of his life.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Release Date: July 26, 2024

Nobody was quite sure what to expect when Deadpool made his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What we got, despite it being a Disney movie, was a movie just as violent and vulgar as the character’s previous outings. Audiences loved it, making it the MCU’s first billion-dollar film in quite some time.

Alien: Romulus 

Release Date: August 16, 2024

The first entry from Disney in the storied Alien franchise set itself in between the first two films in the series, and by many estimates, it belongs up there with them in terms of quality as well. The movie followed a team looking to salvage valuables from a derelict space station, only to discover that something dangerous was there with them.

Between the inevitable release date changes and the number of “Untitled” films that are still waiting to be filed in, there’s still a lot of questions about just what Disney has in development. Keep checking back here as we’ll keep updating this as new details are revealed.

"It's Coming Out Of Me Like Lava!" - Bridesmaids

The bridal-shop bathroom scene from Bridesmaids is the stuff of comedy legend, boosted by McCarthy's hilarious physical comedy and desperate yelling as her character Megan Price deals with the after-effects of some lunchtime mystery meat. In a cast of comedy greats, McCarthy is an absolute stand-out. 

"You're A Loud Kisser, And It's Gross And Unappealing. You Look Like Some Old Toothless Woman Suckin' The Jelly Out Of A Donut." - Spy

There are many things to love about the 2015 action-comedy film Spy but our favorite is getting to watch Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne brutally and brilliantly insult each other as secret agent Susan Cooper and arms dealer Rayna Boyanov, respectively. 

"14 Dollars? Is It Magic Whiskey? Do I Get A Motorcycle With It? Is It Gonna Be Served In Jesus's Shoe?" - The Heat

In the 2013 buddy cop comedy The Heat, Melissa McCarthy played the gun-toting firebrand Shannon Mullins opposite Sandra Bullock's strait-laced special agent Sarah Ashburn. One of the funniest scenes from the comedy sees Mullins loosen Ashburn up with some very overpriced rounds of whiskey shots. 

"I Just Want To Be Upfront And Say I Visually Enjoy You." - Identity Thief

Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman are the drivers behind the mismatched buddy road trip comedy Identity Thief, which sees the comedienne play a Florida-based female con artist who not only steals the identity of Bateman's Sandy Patterson but also tortures him with her come-ons and car singalongs. 

"That's Not Chicken. I Don't Know What It Is, But It's Not Bird...Bird Doesn't Come Out Of A Squeezy Tube!" - Tammy

We don't see Tammy—McCarthy's character in the 2014 road comedy Tammy—winning "Employee of the Year" at Topper Jack's, the fast-food joint where she works. After getting fired for her frequent tardiness, Tammy loudly and disgruntledly reveals to the restaurant's customers that the chicken nuggets they're eating are definitely "not bird." 

"I'm Glad He's Single Because I'm Going To Climb That Like A Tree." - Bridesmaids

While at the engagement party for her brother Dougie (Tim Heidecker) and her soon-to-be sister-in-law Lillian (Maya Rudolph), McCarthy's Megan seemingly has love—or at least a hook-up—on the brain, as she hilariously overshares to Kristen Wiig's Annie. 

“I’ve Already Gone Through The Five Stages Of Grieving: Denial, Anger…I Don’t Remember These Two But They Were Served On The Rocks With Salt!” - Gilmore Girls

One of the best episodes of Gilmore Girls is Season 3's "Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving," in which Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) feast their way through a whopping four holiday dinners. The funniest scene finds Sookie (McCarthy) nursing several drinks to deal with the horror of her husband deep-frying not only the Thanksgiving turkey but everything at the table, including the napkins. 

"I Want To Apologize. I'm Not Even Confident On Which End That Came Out Of." - Bridesmaids

The only thing funnier than Bridesmaids' Megan Price dealing with simultaneous burps and farts is that she does so in full formalwear and, as the bridal-shop worker horrifyingly realizes, while standing on a white carpet. 

"Crying A Little, But Not Blubbering. That's What We Meant When We Said No Crying. No Blubbering." - Gilmore Girls

Sookie's reaction to Rory graduating high school in Season 3 of Gilmore Girls was equal parts silly and sweet—the sentiment was clearly heartfelt but the over-the-top waterworks happening on McCarthy's face were downright hilarious. 

"I Took Nine. I Took Nine. Yeah, I Did Slightly Overcommit To The Whole Dog Thing. It Turns Out I'm Probably More Comfortable With Six." - Bridesmaids

We really can't blame Megan (McCarthy) for secretly snagging more than one "party favor"—i.e. an adorable Labrador puppy—from Lilian's (Maya Rudolph) bridal shower. Just look at how cute they are in their little bowties!

"Female Fight Club. We Grease Up, We Pull In. Lillian Doesn't Know, So it's, 'Surprise! We're going to fight!'" - Bridesmaids

Compared to the usual bachelorette party ideas—you know, a Las Vegas weekend, a trip to a luxurious spa, and so on—Megan's idea of a "female fight club" was clearly a bit more unorthodox than the ladies of Bridesmaids had in mind. They may have shut down her idea but at least it gave us one of the best lines from the beloved comedy. 

"I'd Like To Rear Up And Jackknife My Legs And Kick You Both In The Jaw With My Foot Bone!" - This Is 40

Any scene populated by the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann is going to be ridiculously funny, and that's certainly the case for this hilariously hostile principal's office meeting in This is 40. The only thing better is the bloopers!

"I Swear To God, That Dolphin Looked, Not At Me, But Into My Soul, Into My Goddamn Soul, Annie. And He Said, 'I'm Saving You Megan.' Not With His Mouth, But He Said It, I'm Assuming, Telepathically." - Bridesmaids

McCarthy's Bridesmaids character has had quite a life, from working for the U.S. government to knowing the nuclear codes, but Megan's revelation that she had a spiritual experience with a dolphin after falling off a cruise ship might just be the wildest backstory we've heard in a while. 

"Oh My God, Rayna. Thank God Your Hair Broke Your Fall." - Spy

With the sheer amount of hair that Rose Byrne sports in Spy—director Paul Feig described it to Vulture as an "elaborate Marie Antoinette–meets–Donald Trump" 'do that was "the most complicated hairstyle" he'd ever seen in his life—we're not surprised that it served as the subject of one of Melissa McCarthy's funniest quotes. 

"It Was A Terrible Resume. He Mentioned Prison, And In Special Skills He Said, 'Keeping It Real.'" - The Heat

Only a comedian as gifted as Melissa McCarthy could make a scene about a family tragedy—in this case, her character's brother entering a coma in The Heat, which prompts her to reminisce about her bro's less-than-stellar CV—have as much humor as heart. 

"You Were A Good Cake, Clyde. I Never Should Have Named You." - Gilmore Girls

McCarthy's Gilmore Girls character Sookie St. James was known for both her bubbly enthusiasm and serious culinary skills. Both traits were clearly on display while the chef was whipping up a wedding cake for her BFF Lorelai (Lauren Graham), only for the latter to end up canceling the nuptials. R.I.P. Clyde!

"I'm Just Looking For A Reasonable Ratio Of Wontons To Soup, This Is Madness!" - Ghostbusters

We love that for Ghostbusters' Abby Yates (McCarthy), an unsatisfactory soup ratio is dubbed "madness," especially in a movie where the physicist is regularly dealing with paranormal encounters and multidimensional vortexes. 

"Raise your right hand and say, 'May Destiny's Child break up if I count these blueberries.'" - Gilmore Girls

We love the prickly friendship between inn coworkers Sookie (McCarthy) and Michel (Yanic Truesdale) in Gilmore Girls, especially when Michel is on one of his super strict diets and Sookie is hilariously tempting him with a freshly made sweet treat. 

"I Tried A Dorito For The First Time Last Night. It Wasn't Cheese. It Was... Cheese Adjacent, But Not Cheese. It Was Really Good!" - The Boss

A Dorito is a pretty standard snack for the majority of us, but for Michelle Darnell (McCarthy)—a mega-wealthy woman who, after being arrested and losing her fortune, is forced to sell scout cookies to fix her finances—it's an exciting foray into the lower classes. 

"This Car Makes Me Ovulate. I Want To Have Shiny Purple Lamborghini Babies." - Thunder Force

There are plenty of cool gadgets in Thunder Force, the 2021 Netflix superhero comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and her IRL BFF Octavia Spencer as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo working to stop a rise of supervillains known as Miscreants. But it's a shiny muscle car that had McCarthy's character drooling and movie audiences cracking up. 

"I Want To Chime In And Be Supportive, But I Don't Know What You're Talking About." - Gilmore Girls

Those Gilmore gals were known for their fast-talking, which Melissa McCarthy praised of her co-star Lauren Graham—they were heavily caffeinated for seven straight seasons, after all—so it's not that surprising that every once in a while, Sookie would glaze over while listening to her best friend Lorelai speed-ramble.

"You Touched My Upper Breast...I Have Very High Nipples!" - This Is 40

In one memorable scene from This is 40, Peter (Paul Rudd) gets into an argument with Catherine (Melissa McCarthy) about her tween son, whom she claims was bullied by Peter's wife (Leslie Mann). Soon the discussion devolves into insults, threats and awkwardly placed pokes that, according to Catherine, were not on her shoulder after all. 

"That Makes Me So Mad And So Sad. I'm Smad!" - Gilmore Girls

When chef Sookie (McCarthy) gets the news from Lorelai (Lauren Graham) that the inn's big Bracebridge Dinner is off because the group is stuck in Chicago due to bad weather, she's hilariously left dealing with a wide range of emotions. 

"You Wanna Get Back In That Restroom And Not Rest?" - Bridesmaids

Megan's attempted mid-flight seduction of her seatmate Air Marshall John in Bridesmaids is all the funnier when you realize that John is played by Melissa McCarthy's real-life husband and frequent collaborator Ben Falcone.

"Oh God, Your Beard Smells Like Sandwiches, That's Nice." - Identity Thief

During their hijinks-filled road trip in Identity Thief, Sandy (Jason Bateman) comes upon Diana (McCarthy) at a bar drunkenly cozying up to a cowboy-hatted fella known simply as Big Chuck (Eric Stonestreet), whose dance moves and sandwich-scented facial hair sparked her fancy. 

"I'm Here To Swallow Gum And I'm Here To Take Names!" - Saturday Night Live

SNL's presidential impersonations are legendary, but we have a soft spot for the POTUS-adjacent impression that McCarthy whipped up in Season 42 as Sean Spicer, the White House Communications Director under President Donald Trump. Her version saw the former press secretary riding a motorized podium, wearing high heels and chewing ridiculous amounts of bubblegum. 

"Not Me, Nope, Physically, I Don't Bloat." - Bridesmaids

Fellow bridesmaid Helen (Rose Byrne) might not like the idea of eating such a big lunch before a dress fitting but Megan (McCarthy) hilariously claims that she doesn't have to worry about bloating, even as she feasts her way through worryingly grey meat. 

"I'll Shut The Door On You. Will You Lay Down Here And Put Your Head In The Door? Then I'll Slam It About 157 Thousand Times." - The Heat

Though they end up being good partners in The Heat, the initial meeting between Detective Shannon Mullins (McCarthy) and Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is less than chummy, with Shannon less than enthused about Sarah taking over the interrogation of one of her perps.

"This Isn't Funny! I Am Now Desperate, Lonely And A Criminal!" - Gilmore Girls

Chef Sookie's romance with produce vendor Jackson Belleville (Jackson Douglas) is one of the sweetest parts of Gilmore Girls, but their relationship kicked off on a funny note with this first-date freakout, in which Sookie worried that her simply asking Jackson out was akin to sexual harassment. 

"Her Lady Business Is Like An Old Dirty Attic Full Of Broken Christmas Lights And Doll Shoes." - The Heat

When Shannon (McCarthy) had to turn down Robin's (Andy Buckley) advances in The Heat, she assured him, "There's a girl out there for you," and offered up Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) as an alternative—but, of course, not before fully making fun of her. 

"It's so romantic. 'Oh Romeo...blah blah blah and the blah." - Gilmore Girls

Sookie St. James (McCarthy) may know her way around a professional kitchen but may be a little fuzzy on Shakespeare's literary repertoire, as seen in the Gilmore Girls Season 2 episode where Rory (Alexis Bledel) is tasked with portraying Juliet in her school's play. 

"Quiet! I love you, too, now get out." - Mike & Molly

After meeting at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, Mike (Billy Gardell) and Molly (McCarthy) kick off a romantic relationship throughout the first season of their eponymous CBS sitcom. That culminates with a proposal that takes place right in front of Molly's class of eight-year-olds, which adds a welcome dose of comedy to the sweet moment. 

Tracee Ellis Ross

You know Tracee Ellis Ross for starring in one of the best sitcoms of all time, black-ish, and as the daughter of famous celebrity parent Diana Ross. What you may not know is that she founded Pattern Beauty in late 2019. Inspired by her hairstylist’s suggestion for clients to wear wigs to look like Ross, she was instead focused on creating products for textured, curly hair. 

Ross' Pattern Beauty started with four people, seven products, and Macy’s as the only retail partner. It has since grown to 30 employees, over 50 products, and 10 retail partners, including Sephora and Ulta Beauty. The High Note actress credits her business’s marketing strategy with focusing on celebrating hair compared to solving problems using standout products like the Pattern Blow Dryer specifically for textured hair.

Kevin Hart

American comedian Kevin Hart, known for making us laugh in his best movies, founded Laugh Out Loud Productions in 2007 to create and distribute comedy content. Originally a subscription comedy streaming service, it partnered with platforms like Plex, Pluto TV, Peacock, YouTube, and more. Taking a big career step, Hartbeat Productions merged with LOL Productions to create Hartbeat to diversify global comedy. Hartbeat Studios produces films like Netflix’s Lift and Hartbeat Media focuses on digital content, music, and events. 

In 2022, Kevin Hart also entered the alcohol industry, teaming up with 11th-generation tequila producer Juan Domingo Beckman to create the tequila brand, Gran Coramino. Inspired by his experiences in Mexico, the Fatherhood actor’s goal was to make a smooth tequila that consumers would love. $1 from every smooth-flavored tequila bottle sold is donated to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses across the U.S. and Mexico.

Gabrielle Union

When Gabrielle Union noticed that on-set hair stylists didn’t know what to do with her hair, she took mental notes on effective hair products and launched Flawless by Gabrielle Union in 2017. Once those ten successful products of hers sold out, the Bring it On actress revamped the business to be “100% Black-owned, Black-led and Black-marketed.” Union worked with a team of chemists to develop new products for textured hair using naturally derived ingredients. 

Inspired by her daughter Kaavia’s skincare struggles when she was three, Union also decided to create Proudly, with her husband Dwyane Wade, to make products for children with melanated skin. Launched online in April 2022, Proudly expanded nationwide to Target in September of that year.

Snoop Dogg

The Grammy nominee responsible for singles like “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” has embraced being typecast as a weed enthusiast to create many cannabis-based businesses. Snoop Dogg founded the cannabis-focused digital platform Merry Jane which normalizes discussions about the business and politics of the cannabis industry. 

The brand Leafs by Snoop provides fine-quality cannabis like flowers, concentrates, and edibles. The rapper made history as the first celebrity to brand and market legal marijuana products. In July 2024, Snoop Dogg launched L.A.’s first legal marijuana shop S.W.E.D (Smoke Weed Everyday) to provide top-shelf premium products and services for cannabis experts, with August plans to expand in Amsterdam.

Serena Williams

Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022, successfully transitioned into the business world with Serena Ventures. This venture capital firm came about after discovering only 2% of venture capital went to women and less to people of color. 

Through Serena Ventures, the former athlete has invested in more than 85 companies with 79% under-represented founders, 54% women founders, 47% Black founders, and 11% Latino founders. Serena Williams' portfolio includes innovative companies like AI-platform custom wig company Parfait, plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, weight loss app Noom, and more. Remarkably, 14 of these businesses have even reached Unicorn status, being valued at $1 billion or more.

Jay-Z

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is widely considered one of the best rappers of all time, not only because of his chart-topping music but for shaping the entertainment industry with his businesses. After parting ways with Def Jam Records, he founded Roc Nation in 2008 which evolved from a record label into artist management, supporting athletes, and music publishing and distribution. A lot of musicians have benefited from Roc Nation, like Rihanna, Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled, and more. 

Jay-Z is also the first rapper to own a champagne label, acquiring full ownership of Armand de Brignac. In 2014, the “99 Problems” rapper bought the remaining stake and it sold more than 500,000 bottles five years later.

Oprah Winfrey

You see trailblazing media mogul Oprah Winfrey’s name all over the place whether it’s on TV, in movies, on book covers, the radio, and more. A fun fact about Winfrey is that she’s the first Black billionaire, which is unsurprising considering her success with The Oprah Winfrey Show, O Magazine, and Harpo Films. With all of the other businesses Winfrey has, why not have her own television network called…OWN? 

In 1992 after a conversation with her life partner Stedman Graham, Winfrey immediately envisioned OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). Although she co-founded Oxygen, The Color Purple actress wanted complete control of her network. In 2007, Discovery head David Zaslav loved Winfrey’s magazine and proposed to create a channel with a similar vibe. The network launched in 2011 with its first shows The Haves and the Have Nots and Love Thy Neighbor.

Dwayne Johnson

Moana’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, known for blowing up the entertainment industry with his top-ranked movies and as a professional wrestler, expanded his influence into business. For example, he merged the XFL with the United States Football League to form the United Football League and co-founded ZOA Energy Drink. 

However, Johnson's most significant project was Teremana Tequila, a brand named after the Polynesian word “teremana” meaning “Spirit of the Earth.” Despite launching during the pandemic, the tequila quickly gained popularity, selling 30,000 cases in 2020, 600,000 cases a year later, and the wild stat of selling a million cases last year within the past 12 months.

Patti LaBelle

“Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle is acknowledged for her seven-decade-long singing career. But, her first passion has always been cooking. The “Stir It Up” singer would offer to cook for various musicians like Prince, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones and would label her dishes so people would know they were hers. 

Fifteen years ago, LaBelle launched her own food brand, Patti’s Good Life, starting with homemade hot sauces and barbecue sauces. The food brand has since expanded to frozen meals and baked goods like sweet potato pie, mac n’ cheese, collard greens, and peach cobbler. With plans to introduce a breakfast line soon, Patti’s Good Life grossed nearly $200 million in sales through partnerships with Target and Walmart in 2022.

Dr. Dre

Seven-time Grammy winner Dr. Dre has made his mark on the music industry as a rapper, the founder of Aftermath Entertainment and Death Row Records, and a record producer helping other artists make a name for themselves. In 2006, The Super Bowl LVI halftime show performer helped music enthusiasts listen to music the way he does in the studio with Beats by Dre. 

Collaborating with Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, the “Let Me Ride” rapper’s dream of bringing the sound in a professional recording studio to his premium headphones came true. By 2011, Beats dominated over 64% of the $100+ premium headphone market and was acquired by Apple in 2014. 

Rihanna

Chart-topping artist Rihanna, one of the best-selling female artists of the 21st century, has made a great impact on the beauty industry with Fenty Beauty. Launched in 2017 and named after her surname, Fenty made history as one of the first brands to cater to all kinds of skin tones with its 50 shades of foundation. The business has since expanded to haircare, lipstick, eye makeup, skincare, and more. 

In 2018, Rihanna expanded her beauty services to fashion with Savage x Fenty, a lingerie brand designed to empower men and women “to feel sexy and have fun doing it.” There were even eight limited edition items that were Super Bowl LVII themed when the R&B singer performed for the halftime show. With Fenty Beauty worth $2.8 billion and Savage x Fenty worth $1 billion, the Grammy winner’s business ventures have put her at billionaire status.

Lenny Kravitz

American singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz, known for his catchy music and unique style, has home designing talent through Kravitz Design Inc. As The Hunger Games actor said that he’d be a designer if music didn’t work out, Kravitz decided to put his designer skills to the test by creating a relaxing atmosphere for his clients with his interior and furniture designs. Kravitz Design Inc.'s clients include Morgans Hotel Group, The Setai Resort and Residences, Delano South Beach, and more.

Berry Gordy Jr.

Before Berry Gordy Jr. became a renowned music industry entrepreneur, he worked a lot of jobs like boxing, assembly line worker, record store owner and more. While already a songwriter, Gordy Jr. set out in 1959 to use the lessons he learned in his previous careers to create and manage musical groups and solo artists. 

He founded Motown Records in Detroit in 1960 with just $800 from his family’s savings, combining the words “motor” and “town” to represent the city. Berry Gordy Jr. used his great ear to make music a universal language, breaking down racial barriers with chart-topping songs like “Money (That's What I Want),” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Dancing in the Street,” and more.

Shonda Rhimes

Award-winning television creator and producer Shonda Rhimes took the television world by storm with her global media company Shondaland, creating the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix like Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton. Launched in 2005, Shondaland broke new ground by featuring strong female lead characters and prioritizing diversity and inclusion for people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. 

Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal made Rhimes the first woman to have three TV dramas achieve the 100-episode milestone. Her company has since expanded to shondaland.com, a platform providing articles to empower women and TV show updates, and Shonda Audio, which offers scripted and unscripted podcasts.

Tyler Perry

Inspired after watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that spoke of the therapeutic power of journaling, Tyler Perry discovered his writing talent and transitioned from stage productions to founding Tyler Perry Studios in 2005. The studio now rests on 330 acres of the former Fort McPherson army base in the heart of Atlanta, which he bought in 2015. 

Perry’s films, starting with the Diary of a Mad Black Woman, have opened doors to aspiring actors, writers, and film directors of color. On a busy day, Bloomberg reports that nearly 5,000 people work at the studio, providing plenty of employment. The cast of his BET+ series, Ruthless, said there’s “beauty” and “freedom” working at Tyler Perry Studios in representing people of color and feeling unstoppable on the property. He is seen as the first African-American to own a major film production studio.

These empowering Black celebrities have used their big names and fame to build empires that service the world outside of entertainment. Through their innovative ideas, A-listers have found ways to promote diversity to ensure that everyone benefits from services like hair care, skincare, entertainment networks, venture capital for businesses, and more. The lesson that everyone can learn from their inspirational stories is that if you see an industry where the change you make can have a positive impact on humanity, don’t hesitate to make a difference. 

Make sure to look at our 2024 movie schedule and our 2024 TV releases so you’re updated on the following celebrities’ future projects.

The new release was so good on so many levels as June Squibb gives an incredible performance as a 93-year-old grandma who decides to get revenge on the phone scammers who trick her out of thousands. Richard Roundtree, who died this past October, gets an all-time great last role as an old friend of hers whom she rolls with on an adult scooter throughout the journey. But, I particularly can’t get over how beautifully writer/director Josh Margolin crafted a love letter both to his grandmother and the action-comedy genre. Let me talk about it further! 

Thelma Tackles A Real And Concerning Problem Affecting The Elderly 

When it comes to Hollywood representing elderly people in movies and TV, I often find that they are either the butt of jokes, or in absolutely brutally depressing movies about death. No wonder a lot of older actors call it quits (or just can’t find good roles) when they reach a certain age. But, Thelma treats our elders differently. The movie places June Squibb’s Thelma in the center of a role (her first leading role role) that feels realistic to the experience of aging and is also a ton of fun at the same time. 

The inciting incident of Thelma is when the 93-year-old gets scammed when she receives a phone call from someone claiming to be her grandson (played by Fred Hechinger) saying he’s been in a car accident and he needs $10,000. Thelma believes the phone call and sends over the cash. Later, she discovers that her grandson is perfectly fine and she feels rather dumb for the whole thing. It reminded me of my own grandmother, who is always expressing the feeling that she is behind the times with every new piece of technology that comes out. Sure, it’s easy to brush off the rapid changes in society across the past seven to ten decades that affect the world’s oldest generation, but things like phone scamming is a real issue that often targets older people in order to take advantage of them. The movie gave me empathy for people like my grandma because they grew up in a more innocent world where people wouldn’t even think of doing such a thing, or have the means to. 

Thelma’s Perspective About Aging Is Realistic And Important  

After Thelma gives into the phone scam, she quietly goes into revenge mode, not letting her family know or come along on her fun (and rather dangerous) ride to get her money back. I could see from her perspective while she decided to initially make it a solo mission, because she knew they would discourage her from accomplishing the task and suggest it could not be done. While I can totally relate to her grandson’s sympathetic approach, the movie also reminded me that many older people really struggle with not feeling useful when their family is always hovering over them and perhaps telling them they shouldn’t be doing something because of their age. As one line says: "People don't like old things." I see some of this behavior in my own grandmother, who has her own moments of determination that she doesn’t want to involve family in, likely because she needs to prove to herself she can do it. 

There was something really empowering (even for my 28-year-old self) to see Thelma defy her family and go off her own, just because she decided she could. Of course I’d be scared as hell if my grandparents had ever pulled something like this like her family does when she goes missing, but the movie offered a solid perspective about the frustration that comes with being taken advantage of. Thelma and Roundtree’s Ben as the pair find themselves in their own action moments by breaking away from the norm. Age does not end drive, so why do we often treat older people like they shouldn’t have aspirations, and oftentimes simply not tell their stories? (Even if it’s revenge!) The movie helped me see how isolating it can be when others dismiss the elderly. Thelma can certainly count itself among inspiring movies about getting older because it allows The Silent Generation to be really heard. 

I Love How Thelma Approaches Action Sequences For Elderly Actors

In addition to Thelma’s necessary message about aging, I also really appreciate how the movie treated the action element of the film. When I heard about the movie, I figured it would involve some really wild scenes of June Squibb like high-kicking that most people in their 90s would not be able to do. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Squibb did her own stunts thanks to the movie’s action actually catering to her age. What Margolin understands and beautifully executed through Thelma is changing the stakes of what we’d typically see in an action movie – but absolutely respecting it as if it was a Tom Cruise movie. 

For example, there’s a chase sequence involving adult scooters in a senior home that is just as engaging as a car chase scene. Or, when Thelma needs to acquire something later in the film, the scenes are shot and feel as a heist sequence, but what the character is actually doing is simply going up stairs and finding a way to reach something on a tall shelf. Sure, it incites a chuckle or two, but not in a way that looks down on the elderly. 

All and all, I can’t stop thinking about Thelma. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but the movie left me with such a glowy feeling of respect and appreciation for the filmmaking and the elders in my life and the peculiar experience aging is! It’s a weird concept we’ll likely deal with in our lives, so might as well not let it define us and talk about them more in all their forms. I love that Thelma defies what we usually see from action comedies, but I love even more how its messages about aging alongside it that I'm not going to forget anytime soon. 

The series (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) has been on the air for a long time, so they've had varying successes in how they portrayed queer storylines. While some of the entries on this list weren't pitch perfect in their portrayal, they're iconic characters in Grey's history. In no particular order, here are 10 of the biggest and most groundbreaking characters from the show's tenure. 

Callie Torres

I had to start with perhaps the most beloved LGBTQ+ character in Grey's Anatomy history. Sara Ramirez broke new ground in television for portraying Callie as a strong bisexual woman, one who is unapologetic about her attraction to both men and women. While they portrayed a bisexual icon, Ramirez also came out as non-binary after leaving Grey's and before appearing on ...And Just Like That.

Callie was the heart of this show for her long tenure there. The episode where she stood in her truth as a queer woman and faced her father's judgement was deeply moving, as was her relationship and eventual marriage to Arizona. And, Callie's queerness made way for other LGBTQ+ characters to appear, especially as series regulars.

Levi Schmidt

Despite the years that fans spent watching Callie and Arizona's relationship play out, it took a very long time before a queer man appeared as a main character. This changed with the entrance of Levi Schmidt, a.k.a. Glasses. Portrayed by Jake Borelli, he debuted in the 14th season as part of a new class of surgical interns. 

Eventually, he connected with ortho resident Nico Kim, and the pair started an on again, off again relationship. While they never reached the level of fan shipping as Calzona, it was refreshing to finally see LGBTQ+ men in a relationship onscreen. Borelli has continued to portray Schmidt's love life, although there are rumors he may be departing the show. 

Casey Parker 

A ton of surgical classes have come and gone throughout Grey's Anatomy's decades on the air, and not all of these new doctors got to stick around for the long haul amid Grey's casting shakeups. Actor Alex Blue Davis portrayed surgical resident Casey Parker, who is the first transgender doctor in the show's history.

Casey was a bit of a mystery during his time on Grey's, with fans (and the other surgeons) having to earn his backstory throughout his 28 episodes. Despite interesting details like being a veteran and a hacker, he was written off after having a near death experience when a car crashed into Joe's bar in Season 16, which was the last we heard of Davis' character. 

Erica Hahn

Before Arizona debuted, the show offered Callie another female love interest: Erica Hahn, portrayed by the great Brooke Smith. The pair of surgeons started a friendship which eventually blossomed into something romantic, serving as a sexual awakening for both of them. 

While Arizona was endlessly perky, Hahn was a stern cardio God who truly only ever had a soft spot for Callie. After they had sex for the first time, Smith delivered a moving monologue about her character's sexual awakening. Unfortunately, she was written out of the show shortly afterward, and we never really got to see Erica and Callie's relationship reach closure. But, those of us watching the show during her time on it will always remember her impact. 

Mika Yasuda

Yasuda was one of the new interns introduced in Season 19, and is my favorite of the bunch. Actress Midori Francis played her unapologetic ambition perfectly during her two seasons, as well as her growing attraction to Taryn Helm. 

While many queer characters in Grey's Anatomy struggle with their sexuality at first, Yasuda knew exactly who she was from day one. That includes what she was and was not willing to tolerate. She and fellow intern Jules Millin nearly kissed in the Season 20 finale, so it should be fascinating to see what comes next for her. 

Darren Covington

Long before Grey's would introduce queer doctors with Schmidt and Kim, we were given queer men characters in the form of patients. Darren Covington (played by guest star Benny Ciaramello) was a patient involved in Derek and Meredith's clinical trial back in Season 4. 

Darren was in the U.S. Army during the time of "don't ask don't tell", which is where he fell for his fellow soldier, Todd. Their love story is a tragic one, as Darren wasn't able to live in his truth, especially in front of his father. After refusing to speak with Todd, Darren would die in surgery. While the two men's kiss has become a bit of  a meme on social media in recent years, their actual story is touching and sobering. 

Arizona Robbins

Of course, one couldn't make this list without one of the biggest queer characters in Grey's Anatomy history: Arizona Robbins. Played by Jessica Capshaw (who recently returned as as guest star), Robbins is a brilliant pediatric surgeon and proud and out lesbian when we met her back in Season 5. Her chemistry with Callie is palpable from the start, and they'd end up eventually getting married and having a daughter together, albeit with Mark Sloan as the father.

Calzona is one of the show's most beloved couples, considered one of the best lesbian couples in TV history. It was a huge shock when Arizona and April were written off Grey's, although they've both since returned as guests. Arizona's story was one that has, no doubt, inspired countless queer Grey's Anatomy fans over the years. 

Amelia Shepherd

Caterina Scorsone's Amelia Shepherd started as a character on Private Practice, before making the pivot over to Grey's Anatomy. She's had a long and rough journey on the screen, thanks to her struggles with addiction, losing both her lover and Derek, as well as having a brain tumor. She has primarily had male romantic partners, but Amelia is very much a bisexual woman.

Fans got to see new sides to her romantic life when Amelia had a crush on Carina DeLuca, as well as her later relationship with Kai Bartley. They might have broken up, but her unapologetic portrayal of bisexuality stands out in the TV canon as a whole. 

Donna Gibson

Trans actress and icon Alexandra Billings had a brief but memorable guest appearance on Grey's Anatomy back in Season 3. She played Donna Gibson, a trans woman who was seeking treatment for a sex reassignment surgery by Sloan. 

This plot line may have some misgendering and cringe moments now that the public knows more about the trans experience, but this portrayal was groundbreaking in many ways. It showed another sign of Sloan, who was caring and affirming to Donna throughout the episode. While future portrayals of trans characters on the show were somewhat problematic (Remember when Rachel Brosnahan played a trans man?), Billings' casting offered an early example of proper representation. 

Kai Bartley

Kai Bartley was played by Shrill actor E.R. Fightmaster throughout Grey's Anatomy Seasons 18 and 19. The show once again made a big step towards representation, debuting the first non-binary surgeon on the long-running medical drama. What's more, Fightmater also identifies as non-binary. 

Kai was super charming throughout those two seasons on Grey's, and they and Amelia seemed to have excellent chemistry. But the pair would break up thanks to work and life complications, and we haven't seen them back on the screen since. It's too bad, because Kai would presumably be a big help with Amelia and Meredith's latest work around Alzheimer's.

Obviously, there have been a number of other characters that could have been included in this list. Hell, even Teddy was revealed to be queer late into her run on the show. But, these 10 left the most iconic legacy. 

These days there’s no need to go to your local Blockbuster to grab these titles, you can stream them all at home! Here are our must-watch picks and how to watch them. 

Scream (1996) 

Do you like scary movies? If so, it’s always a good time to revisit one of the best horror movies of all time, Wes Craven’s Scream. The slasher saw the debut of one of the genre’s most popular icons, Ghostface, as high schoolers living in the town of Woodsboro become the mysterious murderer’s target for brutal murders. Neve Campbell leads the cast as Sidney Prescott in a final girl origin story that would inspire tons of sequels in the ongoing franchise. She’s joined by Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich and Drew Barrymore in the unforgettable opening sequence. 

Stream Scream on Max.
Rent/Buy Scream on Amazon. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 

Shakespeare’s hold on storytelling has remained evident in modern cinema, as filmmakers find fun ways to retell his famous stories. 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You is a new take on The Taming Of The Shrew which places the general premise in a high school setting. It stars Julia Stiles’ Kat Stratford, a black sheep of a teen girl who is the obstacle in the way of her more popular sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) dating, since their father will only allow one to date if they both do. So, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Cameron pays Heath Ledger’s high school burn out, Patrick, to romance Kat so he can pursue Bianca. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+.
Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Hulu.
Rent/Buy 10 Things I Hate About You on Amazon.

Election (1999) 

Alexander Payne’s high school comedy, Election, is another classic teen comedy from the ‘90s that we nominate for addition to your watchlist. The movie stars Ferris Bueller’s Day Off icon Matthew Broderick (back in high school after being in one of the best 80s movies of the genre) as Jim McAllister, a social studies teacher who sabotages the candidacy of Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick when she runs for student body president.  

Stream Election on Paramount+.
Stream Election for free on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy Election on Amazon. 

Clueless (1995) 

A ‘90s teen movie list without Clueless? As if!! This is one of those movies that first comes to the mind when we think of this era of high school comedies, and for a good reason: it’s just that good. The movie follows Alicia Silverstone’s iconic Cher Horowitz as a popular and privileged teen living in Beverly Hills who makes a new student (Brittany Murphy) her makeover project for the semester, as unexpected feelings and realizations come up for Cher regarding love and romance. 

Stream Clueless on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Clueless on Amazon. 

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) 

Back in 1999, Natasha Lyonne starred in the high school satire But I’m A Cheerleader alongside Clea DuVall, Melanie Lynskey and RuPaul. The movie follows Megan, a high-performing student in class and cheerleader who gets sent off to a boot camp meant to make her straight when her parents think she’s gay. It’s an iconic queer high school movie of the ‘90s. 

Stream But I’m A Cheerleader for free on Tubi.
Stream/Rent/Buy But I’m A Cheerleader on Amazon.

Dazed & Confused (1993) 

Another ‘90s go-to movie about teens is Richard Linklater’s Dazed & Confused, which had Matthew McConaughey uttering “alright, alright, alright” in his first movie ever. The movie follows numerous high schoolers across different social groups celebrating their final day of high school in Austin, Texas in 1976. The movie also features Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey and Renée Zellweger before the were famous. 

Rent/Buy Dazed & Confused on Amazon. 

The Virgin Suicides (1999) 

Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides, is based on the ‘90s novel of the same name about the story of the five Lisbon sisters, who lived in Detroit in 1975, as told through a group of neighborhood boys years later. Coppola’s dreamlike direction (which benefitted from Kirsten Dunst’s performance) would later lead into her other works, such as Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring and Priscilla. In Virgin Suicides, she comments on the teenage experience, discussing topics like repression, sex, death and longing through its narrative. 

Rent/Buy The Virgin Suicides on Amazon. 

Boyz N The Hood (1991) 

Similar to The Virgin Suicides, Boyz n the Hood is not a comedy about a group of teens, but rather a drama set on the streets of South Central Los Angeles in the ‘90s. John Singleton’s coming-of-age film is so well-renowned it was chosen for the National Film Registry and nominated for two Oscars. The movie is about Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and what happens when his friends Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut) get drawn into the neighborhood’s gang and drug culture. 

Stream Boyz n the Hood for free with ads on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy Boyz n the Hood on Amazon. 

Varsity Blues (1999) 

What’s a list about high school movies without talking about the varsity football team? The sport is an essential part of so many American high school experiences, and in 1999’s Varsity Blues, James Van Der Beek had audiences swooning over his character of Mox as he goes from being the team’s benchwarmer to its star quarterback because of their ruthless coach (Jon Voight), after the team’s star athlete (Paul Walker) gets injured. 

Stream Varsity Blues on AMC+.
Rent/Buy Varsity Blues on Amazon. 

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996) 

One year before Leonardo DiCaprio became the ‘90s No. 1 crush with Titanic, the actor starred in Baz Luhrmann’s stylish take on William Shakespeare’s teen romance gone wrong. The movie is unique in terms of the dialogue remaining in Shakespearean English but taking place in modern times in Verona Beach, with the Capulets and Montagues being rival gangs. DiCaprio stars as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet in this essentially ‘90s take on perhaps the most well-known teen love story ever told. 

Rent/Buy Romeo + Juliet on Amazon.

Cruel Intentions (1999) 

Back in 1999, director Roger Kumble put together a rather iconic cast for a modern retelling of the 1782 French novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, in a way that centers the storyline on well-off high school students. Among the leading cast is Ryan Phillippe, who becomes the center of a game of seduction that Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair are part of. While the movie was made on a small budget, it became a huge hit when it came out, even leading to multiple follow ups and a musical inspired by it.
 
Stream/Rent/Buy Cruel Intentions on Amazon. 

Empire Records (1995) 

Remember record stores? Sure, they still definitely exist and have their collectors, but there’s something about being an employee at a record store in the ‘90s, before MP3 players or music streaming services existed. This 1995 movie is about the teen employees of an independent Delaware record store that is set to become sold to a national chain. The clerks take it into upon themselves to keep the store independent, with mixed results. 

Stream Empire Records for free with ads on Pluto TV.
Stream Empire Records on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Empire Records on Amazon. 

She’s All That (1999) 

She’s All That is the ultimate high school fantasy in a lot of ways. It’s about the most popular kid in school, Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who makes a bet that he can make any girl in school popular after his girlfriend dumps him. His sights are set on Rachael Leigh Cook’s Laney, an awkward art student, who he romances in the weeks leading up to prom. As real feelings begin to emerge, Zack and Laney prove that social divides between students can be overcome. 

Stream She's All That on Paramount+.
Stream She's All That for free with ads on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy She’s All That on Amazon.

American Pie (1999) 

Then there’s 1999’s American Pie, which is about five high school seniors who pledge to each other that they will all have lost their virginity by graduation. With that premise in mind, American Pie becomes a raunchy and rather funny sex comedy about doing the deed, an act that is often thought of as a rite of passage among teens. The movie is flooded with stars in the comedy space, with Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge. 

Rent/Buy American Pie on Amazon. 

Happy streaming for all of these great '90s teen movies!  

Now, it’s not like the Harry Styles comparison for The Idea Of You is coming out of left field. An entire franchise of romance films called the After movies are actually inspired by the “Watermelon Sugar” singer, and there’s of course a whole segment of the internet who writes their own narratives about the pop star. Upon watching The Idea Of You trailer, it’s easy to spot some similarities between Nicholas Galitzine’s Hayes Campbell and Harry Styles. They are both brunette British men with artsy tattoos and boy bands. But there’s more to the movie than fantasy fuel for Directioners!

Is The Idea Of You Inspired By Harry Styles Fanfiction? 

The short answer is no. While it’s become a popular belief that The Idea Of You is based on Harry Styles fanfiction like After is, its author, Robinne Lee, has actually shared disappointment over the popular comparison. That said, he is an influence. Lee has shared prior that she was up late one night, watched Styles music videos online and was inspired to write the novel. However, he’s not the only man she thought of. She also injected the likes of Prince Harry, Eddie Redmayne and even her own past lovers to create the male lead in The Idea Of You.

What Has The Idea Of You Author Said About The Comparison?

When speaking to Entertainment Weekly upon the release of The Idea Of You movie, Robinne Lee clarified her influences. Here’s what she said:

As Lee also explained, she grew up as the daughter of two Jamaican parents before its independence from the British, and she admits to being “a bit of an Anglophile” who has found herself particularly attracted to posh British boys. She continued:

Nowadays, Lee says she actually regrets citing Harry Styles as an inspiration due to the way the novel has been compared to the singer so widely. She chalks it up to Styles being “just what people gravitated to,” perhaps because he’s one of the most popular pop stars out there right now!

Did Nicholas Galitzine Base Hayes Campbell On Harry Styles? 

When it comes to the making of The Idea Of You movie, the actor behind the male lead of Hayes Campbell, played by Nicholas Galitzine, has sung a similar tune when it comes to Harry Styles comparisons. Here’s how he responded to his character being compared to Styles:

Be that as it may, of course the internet noticed the similarities between Hayes Campbell’s boy band to One Direction in the movie as soon as the trailer dropped. As I watched the movie itself, I would agree that while Galitzine could pass off as a Harry Styles lookalike, he really doesn’t give the impression of someone who is doing an impression of the singer. Additionally, from the outside, one could make the comparison between Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s whirlwind romance since they hold a quite similar age gap. However, the novel was written years before the couple formed, so that’s purely coincidental.

And unlike Styles, the trajectory of Hayes is someone who has been in a boy band for many years and has not branched out into the solo world of pop stardom like Harry. He’s clearly a celebrity who has amassed a lot of attention and love, but he’s wrestling with wanting to find something real in a world that is always watching and perhaps, objectifying him.

Why I Think You Should Watch The Idea Of You Regardless Of Your Thoughts On Harry Styles 

While I thought The Idea Of You was going to be specifically made for the Harry Styles stans, after watching it I can confirm that it’s truly an enjoyable romantic comedy regardless of your thoughts on the One Direction singer. It’s totally its own thing, in my opinion, even though of course August Moon feels inspired by the popular British boy band. Since the movie came out, a lot of viewers have been comparing it to romantic comedy classic Notting Hill, and it's getting rave first reactions. I would agree with this hype.

I was particularly attracted to the grounded love story at the center of The Idea Of You. While I thought it would be a kind of Fifty Shades Of Grey-esque romance with bad dialogue, I found myself really buying the romance between Hathaway and Galitzine. This is especially in terms of Hathaway’s character, who kind of lost her sexuality in 20s because she fell in love and had her daughter at a very young age. As the movie progresses, her character gets to confront healing her own wounds while Hayes heals his own regarding the loneliness her’s acquired with his fame.

All and all, The Idea Of You is simply a great and rather unique entry into the romantic comedy genre that you’ll enjoy whether you’re into One Direction and Harry Styles or not! You can enjoy it now with an Amazon Prime subscription!

But, I need to talk about how Billie Eilish is challenging what we’ve come to expect from what we might see from the red carpet with female looks, thanks to her innovative fashion moments over the years. Along with going for unconventional styles, she often speaks out about the trolling she receives, whether its for her baggy looks or for when she chooses to dress more feminine. Either way, it's clear she won't be boxed in! Here’s some of Eilish’s best ensembles from over the years that cemented her as a revolutionary in women’s red carpet fashion: 

Billie Eilish Rocks A Prada Menswear Set For Billboard Awards Event 

Back in 2019, when Billie Eilish had those neon green roots, the singer turned up to Billboard’s Women Of The Year event in an ensemble from Prada’s Spring 2020 Menswear Collection. She wore an oversized beige jacket with matching shorts, socks, shoes and shades. At the time, Eilish would regularly wear oversized clothing because the 19-year-old didn’t want to be sexualized by the public. Even though beige isn’t necessarily the most flattering color, somehow she found a way to stand out with the look. 

Billie Eilish’s Matching Plaid Set With Bedazzled Headpiece For American Music Awards 

The same year, Billie Eilish turned up to the American Music Awards in a matching plaid set paired with an embellished crystal netted hat from the Burberry Menswear Spring 2020 collection. Once again, the singer brought a completely unique energy to the red carpet by making an oversized masculine-skewing style completely her own. 

Billie Eilish Sweeps The Grammys In A Sparkly Gucci Number

The “bad guy” singer won all four major categories at the 62nd Grammy Awards (the youngest to do so) by taking home Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. While the artist could have gone off brand for the biggest night of her career at the time, she remained true to her own fashion sense with another oversized look from Gucci, which was really tied together by long green nail art that apparently took four hours to paint on. 

Billie Goes To Her First Academy Awards In A White Chanel Ensemble 

A couple of years before she and her brother, Finneas, wrote No Time To Die’s Oscar-winning theme song together, Eilish attended her first Academy Awards in 2020 to perform that year’s in memoriam performance. Sure, at this point her big looks followed around the same formula, but there’s power in her subtly. The artist was completely distinct from the other ladies walking the red carpet, and looked a lot more comfy than 90 percent of them. 

There’s, of course, nothing wrong with putting on a ballgown, but the singer/songwriter did a great job of disrupting the norm of the teen pop star by placing the focus away from her body and onto the work. 

Billie Eilish Wears A Full Ball Gown To Get One Fashion Brand To Go Fur-Free 

Eilish has long been an environmental activist, and took that passion to the red carpet in 2021 when she attended the Met Gala. After going viral for dyeing her hair blonde for her second album, Happier Than Ever, she made a rare appearance in a full ball gown for the red carpet. The peach Oscar De La Renta dress served as a statement by the singer because she would only work with the fashion brand if the designer stopped selling fur. She made it happen, and gave us a starstruck red carpet look to remember all at once. 

The Singer Goes Goth For The 2022 Academy Awards 

The talent once again opted for a rare appearance in a dress to walk the red carpet at the 2022 Oscars, where she and Finneas won their first Academy Award for No Time To Die’s theme song. Eilish stayed true to herself by going for a gothic ruffle-filled dress that allowed her to get away from showing her curves. When one social media post named her “worst dressed,” she took to TikTok to flip them off while on the toilet. 

Billie Puts Her Own Spin On Barbiecore For The Barbie Premiere

During the Barbie press tour, much of the cast had a blast going full Barbiecore in promotion of the movie – especially Margot Robbie! When Eilish rolled up to the premiere over summer, she put her own Billie spin on the trend by going for a button-up pink shirt, a pink tie and some oversized tennis shoes that looks straight out of a cartoon.

Eilish Accessorizes A Pinstripe Suit With Grills For Academy Gala 

Following Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” getting a viral reaction from the world after Barbie’s release, the singer attended tons of events in promotion for Greta Gerwig’s movie and her song’s many award nominations (and wins). Among them was this innovative look of the star rocking a sultry pinstripe suit with glasses, a headscarf and some silver grills. She once again showed literally no one is doing red carpet looks like her! 

The Singer Takes Her Oversized Look To New Levels For The Golden Globes

Eilish is well known for oversized fashion, but she took that to new places for the 2024 Golden Globes, where she won Best Original Song for Barbie with her brother. It’s another simple and understated look for the red carpet, as far as red carpet looks go, but also completely Billie. 

Billie Eilish Wins Her Second Oscar With Another Blazer Moment 

And here’s one more from her latest Oscars win, which ended up to be one of the best moments of the night! All and all, Eilish has never gone for the ordinary or the typical red carpet look, and it has challenged what we have come to expect from women’s fashion in Hollywood. 

Through her unique sense of style, Billie Eilish communicates that women do not have to be sparkly, uncomfy or show a lot of skin if they want to look gorgeous and express themselves! 

1. Welcome To Chechnya (2020) - 100%

Coming at No. 1 of Rotten Tomatoes’ best LGBTQ+ movies of all time is HBO’s documentary about the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community which occurred in the republic of Russia in the late 2010s. It particularly follows the daring work of activists in the late 2010s as they risked their lives to rescue survivors of torture and secretly shot footage of themselves doing this. As the Rotten Tomatoes score suggests, Welcome To Chechnya, received universal acclaim, as reviews called it a “collective profile in courage,” “a chilling undercover thriller” and “urgent call to arms.” 

2. Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020) - 100%

The life of famed Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic and queer icon Walter Mercado was explored in the 2020 documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado. This uplifting telling of the vibrant and intriguing individual was released just months after Mercado died at the age of 87. The movie that is available to watch with a Netflix subscription has been hailed a victorious tribute to Mercado’s story and legacy. 

3. A Secret Love (2020) - 100%

The 2020 Netflix documentary, A Secret Love, tells the story of a lesbian couple who has been keeping their relationship private for seven decades. Terry Donahue is a former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player in the 1940s. The movie was conceived out of the director, Chris Bolan taking a trip to visit his two great aunts and asking them their life story. 

4. We Were Here (2011) - 100%

2011’s We Were Here is a documentary that told the story of the HIV/AIDS crisis in San Francisco, California through interviews with five key people who were affected or involved in the epidemic. Examples of people interviewed: an HIV-positive man who lost two partners to AIDS, a political activist, a counselor to the gay community there, a man who had a flower stand who often supplied his inventory to funerals and a nurse who assisted in administering clinical trials for the management of HIV/AIDS.

5. Mädchen In Uniform (1931) - 100%

The oldest movie on this list (by far) is the 1931 German film, Maedchen In Uniform, which translates in English to “Girls In Uniform.” The movie reportedly includes the first “real” lesbian kiss in a movie, per The Criterion Collection. It’s about a teenager who is sent away to a boarding school and forms a romantic bond with her teacher, leading to a school-wide scandal. 

6. BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017) - 99%

BPM (Beats Per Minute) is a French drama set in the early 1990s that debuted at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and won one of its most prestigious prizes, the Grand Prix. It’s about a young man who joins a group of Parisian HIV/AIDS activists only to learn about a particularly radical approach they take to their protests. The movie’s screenwriters were inspired by their own experiences being involved in ACT UP during that time. 

7. Girl Picture (2022) - 99%

In 2022, the Finnish film Girl Picture dazzled the Sundance Film Festival by earning the Audience Award in its World Dramatic Competition. The coming-of-age movie centers on three teens’ experiences across three consecutive Fridays. The movie has been praised for its performances and “honest” and “realistic” portrait of girlhood transitioning into womanhood. 

8. Moonlight (2016) - 98%

Moonlight is probably best known for its viral Oscar moment with La La Land, but the movie itself lives up to it being Barry Jenkins’ masterpiece. Moonlight’s cast is stacked full of talented actors led by Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris’ profound performances. The movie tells the story of Chiron across three defining chapters of his life and through him discusses toxic masculinity and its intersection with being a Black queer man. 

9. Flee (2021) - 98%

2021’s Flee received high acclaim for telling the story of a queer man from Afghanistan who leaves his home country for Denmark as a refugee through a beautifully animated film. Flee is actually a documentary about a real person, but the name Amin Nawabi is a pseudonym that was used to protect his identity. 

10. God’s Own Country (2017) - 98%

In 2017, Josh O’Connor and Alec Secăreanu starred in God’s Own Country, from writer/director Francis Lee. The British movie is about a sheep farmer living in Yorkshire whose life changes when a Romanian migrant worker comes into his life to help out during lambing season. The movie is based on Lee’s own experiences growing up in Yorkshire. 

11. All About My Mother (1999) - 98% 

Pedro Almodóvar is one of the most celebrated queer filmmakers the industry has, as illustrated by having multiple films on this Rotten Tomatoes list. The first is 1999 Oscar-winner, All About My Mother, which weaves in some important conversations about the LGBTQ+ community and AIDS epidemic after a mother who loses her teen son to a car accident seeks out her son’s other parent, who is a transgender woman. 

12. How To Survive A Plague (2012) - 98%

Along with Welcome to Chechnya topping the list, director and investigative journalist David France also made an LGBTQ+ documentary in 2012 about the early years of the AIDS epidemic after covering it for decades. The movie compiles over 700 hours of archived footage, mostly regarding activist groups like ACT UP and TAG standing up for the cause. 

13. Paris Is Burning (1990) - 98% 

1990’s Paris Is Burning delves into and celebrates the diverse subculture of the 1980s known as ball culture or the voguing scene of New York City. These balls feature LGBTQ+ people (mainly of Black and Hispanic ethnicities) as they take part in fashion competitions, dance battles, and such. The subculture remains influential today, including being a major influence on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has since amassed big winners across sixteen seasons.  

14. Disclosure (2020) - 98% 

The 2020 Netflix documentary, Disclosure, takes a look at how Hollywood has presented transgender people over the years with examples such as Tootsie, Bosom Buddies, and Victor Victoria. The movie features a ton of interviews with notable people in the trans and Hollywood community like Laverne Cox and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.  

15. Circus of Books (2019) - 98%

The West Hollywood and Silver Lake neighborhoods of Los Angeles are home to Circus of Books, which is a bookstore and gay adult movie shop. The documentary of the same name tells the story of the store, which was taken over by a couple in 1976 before becoming the biggest distributor of gay adult films in the United States.

16. Call Me Kuchu (2012) - 98%

“Kuchu” is a word of Swahili origin that is used to refer to queer people in Uganda. In the 2012 documentary, Call Me Kuchu, the filmmakers explore the experiences and struggles of those in the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda, particularly through an openly gay man named David Kato, as he and other activists work to oppose new legislation that would make loving freely punishable by death. 

17. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) - 98% 

My Beautiful Laundrette is a love story between a young Pakistani man (Gordan Warnecke) living in South London and his childhood friend (Daniel Day-Lewis). The queer romance explores the culture-clashes that come with an interracial relationship along with speaking to the marginalization of the LGBTQ+ community in 1980s England. 

18. Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019) - 97% 

France’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a slow-burn love story between two women (played by (Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenell) living in the 18th century, one an aristocrat and the other the painter that has been commissioned to do her portrait. 

19. The Half Of It (2020) - 97%

After writer/director Alice Wu previously brought queer representation to the screen with 2004’s Saving Face, the filmmaker made her first movie in 16 years with Netflix’s The Half Of It. The movie is loosely based on Cyrano de Bergerac and is about a loner high-schooler Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) who is approached by a football player (Daniel Diemer) to write love letters to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), a girl in school she also secretly desires. 

20. Booksmart (2019) - 96%

Olivia Wilde’s 2019 directorial debut, is a hilarious teen buddy comedy about two best friends (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein) who are “booksmart” that decide to break all the rules on their last night as high schoolers by going to all the parties they can. Within the movie’s funny happenings, Dever’s Amy gets to have a romantic encounter with her female crush that feels honest and authentic. 

21. Pain And Glory (2019) - 96% 

Pedro Almodóvar’s 2019 movie, Pain and Glory, had the Spanish filmmaker once again teaming up with Antonio Banderas, this time to play a fictional director who is in the middle of a creative crisis reflecting on his past. The movie is an especially personal one for Almodóvar who drew on his own life experiences for Banderas’ role. 

22. Parallel Mothers (2021) - 96%

Almodóvar followed up with Pain and Glory with Parallel Mothers, which stars Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit as two expecting mothers who share the hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and got pregnant by accident. After having their children, they go their separate ways, but keep in touch over the years. 

23. The Handmaiden (2016) - 96%

Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden is a Victorian thriller about a con man who plans to seduce a Japanese heiress, Hideko, in order to marry her and then steal her inheritance. He hires a pickpocket named Sook-hee to be the heiress’ maid and help him out. But, Hideko takes a liking to Sook-hee, unravelling into what has been called an erotic lesbian masterpiece. 

24. Shiva Baby (2020) - 97%

Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby is a tense comedy that stars Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a young woman who finds herself in an awkward situation when the Jewish funeral service she is attending with her parents turns out to have both her ex-girlfriend and sugar daddy in attendance. 

25. Tangerine (2015) - 96%

Sean Baker’s Tangerine is unique because it was shot completely on three iPhone 5S smartphones. It is about a trans woman who finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. It was particularly celebrated upon release for its representation of transgender people, especially through openly transgender actress, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez’s performance. 

26. Tomboy (2011) - 96%

Years before Portrait of a Lady on Fire, its filmmaker Céline Sciamma made Tomboy. The French drama is about a 10-year-old gender non-conforming child who experiments with their gender after moving to a new neighborhood over the summer. 

27. Gods And Monsters (1998) - 96% 

Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters imagines the last days of James Whale, the director behind 1931’s Frankenstein. Whale (played by Ian McKellan) was a queer man but as the movie delves into, he wasn’t accepted at the time for his sexuality. The movie follows Whale as he befriends his gardener Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser) in the wake of Whale suffering a series of strokes and battling depression. 

28. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - 96% 

Al Pacino’s crime film, Dog Day Afternoon is inspired by the true story of one man’s New York City bank robbery turning into a hostage negotiation. Pacino’s character of Sonny is a queer man who as we find out, is robbing a bank in order to pay for his partner’s gender reassignment surgery. 

29. Good Manners (2017) - 96%

Good Manners is a 2017 Portuguese horror fantasy about a woman who takes a nanny job from a mysterious wealthy woman. It turns into a lesbian werewolf movie with things to say about class and racial divides in Brazil along with queer motherhood. 

30. Pariah (2011) - 95% 

Dee Rees’ Pariah is about a 17-year-old Black teen who comes to terms with her identity as a lesbian after hanging out with her similarly queer friend. The movie was chosen to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" to film history. 

31. Heavenly Creatures (1994) - 95% 

Before Peter Jackson became famous for making the Lord of the Rings movies, he made 1994’s Heavenly Creatures starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in their first movies. It focuses on the relationship between two teen girls ahead of the notorious 1954 Parker–Hulme murder case. 

32. Weekend (2011) - 95% 

Andrew Haigh’s Weekend rounds out this list, though the entire list goes up to 200! Weekend is a British romance about two gay men who form a relationship just before one of them plans to leave the country for Oregon. 

There’s been so many great LGBTQ+ movies to come out over the years. Hope you check one (or a few) out!