From the titular character inFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endto the courageous group of heroes inDelicious in Dungeon, the protagonists inanimeshows have stolen viewers' hearts with their moving backstories, thrilling character arcs, and complex personalities. That said, anime also has plenty of secondary characters that pair well with the protagonists, acting beyond mere background figures and adding layers of complexity to the show. The dynamic anime duos aren’t just thrown together for kicks — they’re paired for a variety of reasons, whether it’s due to them being rivals that push each other to new heights or their unwavering bond that allows them to conquer any obstacle....

Marvel Studios Animation and showrunnerBeau DeMayounite, delivering a revitalized take on the belovedX-Men: The Animated Series, the iconic 90s cartoon. With stunning modern animation and a gripping screenplay, the show finally brings the X-Men universe back to life. The stakes have never been higher for the team as the narrative chronicles the poignant loss of Charles Xavier. A daring leap forward,X-Men ‘97embraces a new adult sensibilitythat transforms the characters into more interesting and emotionally complex versions of themselves....

With a particular knack for directing musicals, romantic dramas, and comedies,Vincente Minnelliwas one of the most acclaimed and consistent filmmakers active duringthe Golden Age of Hollywood. His earliest films were released near the start of the 1940s, and he continued to work steadily until the start of the 1970s (technically until 1976, when his last film,A Matter of Time, was released, though he apparently disowned that one). Like any director who was able to churn out one or two movies just about every year for more than a couple of decades, Minnelli’s filmography might not be entirely consistent, though there are more hits than misses....

Unfortunately, being funny doesn’t always equal big ratings. It’s hard enough to make a sitcom where the cast plays off one another perfectly, and the humor lands in the way it’s intended, but then there’s the matter of getting people to watch it. Whether it is due to being on an obscure network or working with a concept too niche for a general audience,there is a television graveyard filled with hilarious, underrated sitcoms....

The thriller genre is among the most popular and enduring in cinema. Who doesn’t love a good movie that blends excitement, mystery, and chills into a riveting and cohesive narrative that challenges as well as entertains? The thriller is also brad and surprisingly versatile, working famously alongside genres like mystery, action, horror, and even the occasional drama. Some of cinema’s best movies are thrillers, from classics likeRebeccato modern masterpieces likeThe Silence of the Lambs....

Aside from a couple voice cameos in Rian Johnson movies,Joseph Gordon-Levitthas been absent from feature films since 2016’sSnowden. Rather than return with a big, splashy role, his first new film,7500, is a small-scale, taut thriller that still showcases why Gordon-Levitt is one of our most talented young actors working today. A film that takes places almost entirely in the cockpit of an airplane, Gordon-Levitt carries all the emotional stakes of the picture on his back, and he makes it look effortless....

Voice from the Stoneis a haunting thriller, set in 1950s Tuscany, that tells the story of Verena (Game of ThronesstarEmilia Clarke), a determined young nursed hired to help a young mute boy, who she realizes has fallen under the spell of a powerful and otherworldly persona trapped in the stone walls of the isolated castle in which he lives. After being contacted by the film’s director,Eric Howell, about writing a song for the film, singer/songwriterAmy Lee(the frontwoman for the bandEvanescence) watched it and was inspired by the strong bond of love between a mother and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death, which compelled her to contribute “Speak to Me,” as her own emotional layer....

Barryis yet another HBO series that became an overnight sensation. First premiering in 2018, the genre-breaking dark comedy starsSNLalumBill Haderas a socially-awkward contract killer who, while performing a hit in Los Angeles, joins an acting class and begins to realize that he doesn’t want to kill people anymore. In addition to garnering plenty of critical acclaim,Barryhas accumulated thirty Primetime Emmy nominations throughout its initial two seasons, with Hader winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series twice....

South Parkreturned with its 27th season last month, and it has already kicked it off with a political bang in its first two episodes. Between satirizing certain American figures and organizations, the second episode, “Got a Nut,” throws in a pop culturereference to a classic ’70s TV showthat saw tourists visit an island where their fantasies came true, just not in the way they expected.Fantasy Islandis the embodiment of “be careful what you wish for,” a notion that makes this drama series ripe for a horror adaptation....

Before he officially picked up the baton for playing shadowy villain figures,Ben Barneswas most beloved for his role as Narnia’s Prince Caspian, the handsome and exiled Telmarine prince who was introduced to the Pevensies inThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Since those days, Barnes has appeared in everything from action fantasies to gothic period dramas to Marvel productions. His most recent role is as General Kirigan aka The Darkling in the Netflix seriesShadow and Bone, whichjust completed its filming of Season 2....

The year is almost over, but there’s never a shortage of movies to keep you warm and cozy as the weather gets colder. Now that October has come to an end, horror fanatics must now pass the torch to those with merriment in mind. For many people, November is one of the best months to watch movies, as many of which are deeply embedded in hearts and minds as an annual tradition to watch with friends and loved ones....

Going into February, many industry analysts saw the comic book filmDeadpoolas having potential to be hugely successful. However, virtually no one saw it nearly tripling its $58 million budget in its 4-day opening weekend, and the film has now grossed $600 million worldwide, leaving every other February release in its wake. Studios for some time will be analyzing who, why, and what madeDeadpoolsuch a success. Looking ahead to March, it appears that the trend started by February of one film grossing exponentially more than the others will continue withBatman v....

Earlier this week, we spoke with the lovely and obnoxiously talentedDavid Koeppfor an upcoming episode of our interview series Collider Connected. Koepp’s new film as a writer/director,You Should Have Left, opens next week.You Should Have Leftis a spooky haunted house thriller withKevin BaconandAmanda Seyfried, and its connection to both the horror genre and to studio Universal had us wondering what the status of hisBride of Frankensteinscript was. If you’ll recall,Bride of Frankensteinwas initially planned as one of the bigger, starrier entries in the failed Dark Universe experiment, meant to unite the classic Universal Monsters in a single shared continuum....