As it does at the start of each month, Netflix has added a bunch of movies to its streaming library today, February 1. There are plenty of intriguing titles to choose from, but the one that sticks out to me right away is The Nice Guys, the 2016 crime comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe that was critically lauded but flopped at the box office. But in the time since its release it has become a cult favorite and people are widely starting to view it as an underrated classic.

Directed by Shane Black, who also co-wrote the script with Anthony Bagarozzi, The Nice Guys follows two private investigators (Gosling and Crowe) in 1970s Los Angeles as they attempt to solve a pair of cases about a missing girl and a murdered porn star. Connecting them is a conspiracy that could impact the entire city.

The Nice Guys is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 91%. Despite that, the movie only made $71.2 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo) on a $50 million budget. As Gosling mentioned in a 2024 interview, The Nice Guys unfortunately got bested by the Angry Birds animated movie and Captain America: Civil War in its opening weekend, which killed a lot of its momentum (and in Gosling’s view any hope for a sequel).

That’s why people need to take the opportunity to watch The Nice Guys on Netflix. The movie is becoming part of a major streaming platforms offerings again after a stint of only being available via digital on-demand platforms in the US (in the UK it has been streaming on MGM Plus). So with that ease of access, people will hopefully be more open to giving it a try (we named it as one our top 12 movies to stream in February)

If you do watch, what you’ll discover is that Gosling and Crowe have great chemistry, there's a mystery that is engaging to watch unfold and plenty of laughs courtesy of Black and Bagarozzi’s script. As Gosling said, any hope for a sequel is probably long gone at this point, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to build a greater appreciation for The Nice Guys, as it definitely deserves it.

Watch The Nice Guys trailer below to get a sneak peek:

You must be a Netflix subscriber to watch The Nice Guys on the streaming service. It will still be available to buy or rent via digital on-demand if you are not a Netflix subscriber.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt brought their star power to Wolfs, the Apple TV Plus original crime movie that premiered on the streaming service on September 27. The pair play rival fixers forced to work together on a particularly complicated situation (if you need help breaking down everything that happened, check out our Wolfs ending explained piece).

While the movie is rated "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes by critics (68% positive), general viewers were more mixed, as 51% of Rotten Tomatoes users who watched Wolfs said they enjoyed it. Well, whether you're someone eagerly awaiting the already announced Wolfs 2 or someone who maybe wishes they had watched another odd couple/crime movie, we have a few recommendations for your next watch.

Here are five movies that we recommend you watch after Wolfs, and how to find them online.

What to watch after Wolfs

48 Hrs. (1982)

The core of Wolfs is the relationship between Clooney and Pitt's unnamed fixers, begrudgingly brought together but by the end working together with at least a solid level of respect, if not outright friendship. Most of our picks are going to follow similar lines, including this one: 48 Hrs.

Eddie Murphy's big screen debut sees him play a criminal paroled for 48 hours to help a hard-nosed cop (played by Nick Nolte) track down a killer. Murphy immediately showed his star potential with his comedic performance here, but also the action chops that allowed him to get his own comedy/action franchise, Beverly Hills Cop. The energy between the straight-laced Nolte and wacky Murphy is a blast to watch.

48 Hrs. is available via digital on-demand in the US; the movie is streaming on Paramount Plus in the UK.

Bad Boys (1995)

Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Michael Bay teamed on this big action movie about two Miami police officers who have a penchant for causing trouble. Bad Boys has of course become a massive franchise, with its fourth and most recent entry, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, releasing earlier in 2024. But let's be honest, like in most cases, the original is still the best. Smith and Lawrence are fantastic partners, and what would become more cliche for a Bay movie truly works in this movie. The relationship between Smith's Mike and Lawrence’s Marcus may not have been rivals like in Wolfs, but their distinct personalities certainly make them a fantastic big-screen odd couple.

Bad Boys is streaming on Netflix in the US and UK. 

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz is more a parody of cop movies like Bad Boys, but it made sure that its key relationship between straight-laced cop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) and the goofy action aficionado Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) was a crucial part of the movie, giving it that connective tissue with Wolfs as they attempt to uncover a massive conspiracy in their seemingly dull English country village. Of Pegg, Frost and Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy, this one is my own personal favorite.

Hot Fuzz is streaming on Peacock in the US; streaming on Netflix and Prime Video in the UK.

Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton is not like the other movies on this list. It's not rivals-turned-friends/buddy cop crime comedy; it's in fact very much a straight-up drama. So why include it? Because in it, George Clooney plays another fixer (this time for a law firm) who gets caught up in a dangerous conspiracy. This one's for the Clooney fans, as Michael Clayton is one of the defining performances of the A-list star (he earned an Oscar nomination for his performance) and among his most well-regarded movies overall (90% "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes).

Michael Clayton is available via digital on-demand in the US and UK.

The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys is the closest movie to Wolfs on this list, and in my opinion, it's the best movie mentioned in the entire article. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling play private investigators whose cases cross paths and they end up working together to solve a major conspiracy in 1970s Los Angeles. Crowe and Gosling are fantastically paired, the former as the tough but sweet bruiser and Gosling as the scrappy, bumbling investigator who is better at his job than he looks. Written and directed by Shane Black, the dialogue and jokes pop and the movie is paced to perfection. Man, writing about it has me itching to watch The Nice Guys again.

The Nice Guys is available via digital on-demand in the US; it is streaming on Prime Video in the UK.

I've been singing the praises of The Fall Guy since it came out back in May. The Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action comedy is an absolute blast, headlined by their fantastic chemistry, big laughs and even bigger stunts. If for whatever reason you haven't yet seen the movie, good news, it's now easier than ever to watch as The Fall Guy is officially streaming on Peacock as of August 30.

Even if you have seen the movie, there's still reason to get excited about The Fall Guy's streaming debut: in addition to the version that was released in movie theaters, Peacock also has a new The Fall Guy extended cut available to watch, featuring 20 never-before-seen minutes from the movie.

The Fall Guy stars Gosling as a professional stuntman Colt Seavers, who takes a job on a new movie with the goal of winning back the girl of his dreams, the director Jody Moreno (Blunt). But when the star of the movie goes missing, Colt must track him down in order to save Jody's movie. The movie is based on the old TV show The Fall Guy. It's directed by former stuntman David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) and also stars Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu and Teresa Palmer.

WTW's official The Fall Guy review gave the movie four stars, specifically praising Gosling and Blunt and the movie's fantastic stunt sequences. It really is an ode to the stunt workers. With The Fall Guy extended cut, expect to see deleted scenes from the movie that highlight more of what made it special in the first place (personally excited to see if there's a stunt or two that didn't make the theatrical cut).

In order to watch The Fall Guy extended cut on Peacock, you must be a subscriber to the streaming service (US only). However, if you prefer not to add another streaming service to your monthly budget, the theatrical version of the movie is also available via digital on-demand platforms. For UK subscribers, The Fall Guy extended cut is available to rent on Sky Store.

The Fall Guy isn't the only Ryan Gosling movie available on streaming right now that we love. His overlooked masterpiece First Man is streaming on Netflix for US subscribers, while his 2023 hit Barbie is available on Max (Sky Go in the UK).

If you need any more convincing, watch The Fall Guy trailer right here:

Ryan Gosling has been in his fair share of critically acclaimed movies, but in what is utterly baffling to me, one of his best movies is constantly forgotten for the masterpiece that it is: First Man. Thankfully, with First Man now streaming on Netflix in the US, perhaps people can remember just how good this movie is.

Based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, written by Josh Singer (Spotlight) and directed by Damien Chazelle (following up his Best Director Oscar for La La Land), First Man tells the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong as he prepares for the historic Apollo 11 mission. In addition to Gosling the movie stars Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll and more.

Though First Man was "Certified Fresh" upon its release, with popular critic Leonard Matlin calling it a "must-see movie," it wasn't a box office hit. The movie made $44.9 million at the US box office when it had a reported budget of $59 million. Surprisingly, considering it is a story of an American icon, the movie performed better outside of the US, earning $60.7 million at the international box office. Then when it came time for the Oscars, the movie was surprisingly overlooked in all of the major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Gosling and Best Supporting Actress for Foy, though it received a handful of nominations for its sound and production design and won for Best Visual Effects.

When I saw First Man in movie theaters I was absolutely blown away. Chazelle's recreation of NASA's test was fantastic to watch, but it was all capped off by the amazing sequence of the moon landing. It's not an easy task to portray something that we all know the outcome of and infuse it with real drama, but Chazelle managed to do that incredibly well as he puts viewers inside the spacecraft with Armstrong and Aldrin as they descend toward the lunar surface. 

As for the performances, it was a very internalized performance from Gosling, but he was great portraying both Armstrong's determination as well as the pain he had to deal with at home while his family mourned a loss. Foy, meanwhile, may give the standout performance as Janet Armstrong, unafraid to challenge her husband or the men at NASA.

I'm left asking myself why First Man has failed to garner the respect that I think it deserves?

I can't help but wonder if part of it is the La La Land effect. Chazelle's previous movie (also one of the best movies on Netflix right now) with Gosling has been hailed as one of the best movie musicals of the century (rightly so), won a plethora of Oscars, including Best Director, which made Chazelle the youngest in history to claim that prize. Of course, there was the whole Best Picture snafu with Moonlight, but that doesn't take away from what La La Land achieved. All of that could have impacted how First Man was received.

La La Land was so effervescent and entertaining (though also with its moments of sadness) that for Chazelle and Gosling to go immediately to a much more somber movie in First Man may have left many cold. And to be sure, it's not an easy movie, but we should see that as a plus. It was a showcase of Chazelle and Gosling's range of talent that they could go from a brightly-colored musical to an intense historical drama.

Gosling of course has continued to star in acclaimed movies post First Man, earning another Oscar nomination for Barbie and strong praise for The Fall Guy. While we all clearly love Gosling when he is charismatic like in those movies, let's not forget how good he can be with heavy dramatic material.

Chazelle has had a bit harder of a go with it. Though First Man hasn't stayed in the public consciousness, it at least was well-received by most. His follow-up, Babylon, got hit harder, officially being labeled as "Rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes (though I loved it, as I make the case in my Babylon review). 

Hopefully, as time has passed and people get a second look at First Man on Netflix, more will see just how good this movie truly is. Watch the trailer directly below:

Choose whatever idiom you prefer ("time flies," "in a blink of an eye," etc.), but the simple fact is now that the calendar has flipped to July we are officially in the second half of 2024. That also means we're halfway through the slate of 2024 new movies. As an avid movie nerd, the halfway point of the year has me looking back at the movies I've seen so far this year to ID some of my favorites.

I've settled on five titles that truly stood out to me: Dune: Part Two, The Fall Guy, Hit Man, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Problemista. And good news, all of them are available to watch at home right now.

Let me break down why I think these five are in the upper echelon of 2024 movies so far and just where you can watch them right now to judge for yourself.

Dune: Part Two

Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel finally got the movie adaptation it deserved from Denis Villeneuve. While I very much enjoyed Dune: Part One for its scope and creating the world of Dune, the pay-off truly comes in Dune: Part Two, as it earns its epic status with incredible battles, stunning visuals and story filled with rich themes and character moments. It's absolutely stunning filmmaking, with everyone — Villeneuve, Timothee Chalament, Zendaya, Austin Butler and more — on their A game.

While I hope most of you saw Dune: Part Two in theaters (Arrakis really needs to be seen on the big screen), you can watch it right now at home, as the movie is streaming on Max in the US, while it is also available via digital on-demand in the US and UK.

Read our Dune: Part Two review.

The Fall Guy

It's taken a while for the summer box office to pick up (it finally got a kickstart with Inside Out 2 and A Quiet Place: Day One), but that doesn't mean the early entries of the summer blockbuster season aren't worth watching. Exhibit A, the endlessly funny and thrilling The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are fantastic together in this action comedy that is an ode to the stunt man. While it may be labeled as a box office dud, this is a movie I think people are going to love revisiting in the future.

You can do so right now by renting The Fall Guy on digital on-demand platforms in the US and UK. (It is also still available in select movie theaters).

Read our The Fall Guy review.

Hit Man

I thoroughly enjoyed Glen Powell and Richard Linkalter's two previous collaborations (Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1/2), so I was definitely excited to see their new movie Hit Man, which is loosely based on the true story of a college professor who moonlighted as a fake hit man for the police to capture those looking to commit murder. Powell reaffirms his status as a major star on the rise, showing his versatility on screen with his character donning various disguises and behind the camera co-writing the script Linklater. Throw in electric chemistry with Adria Arjona and an ending that will have you wondering what is true and what is fiction, Hit Man is a pure delight.

Hit Man is available to stream exclusively on Netflix worldwide.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Guy Ritchie movies are typically known for their frenetic energy, but he took a bit of a step back with his new World War Two action movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Based on a previously classified mission, Ritchie is able to create simple yet wholly entertaining action sequences. The movie also features a fantastic ensemble, with particularly strong performances from Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is available to rent on digital on-demand in the US. For UK audiences, the movie arrives on Prime Video starting July 25.

Read our The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare review.

Problemista

My favorite hidden gem of 2024 so far, Problemista was written, directed and starred Julio Torres (Los Espookys), and his imagination, humor and heart is on full display. Torres plays a young immigrant who aspires to become a toymaker. However, with his visa expiring, he must find a job in order to stay in the US, which brings him in contact with an eccentric and demanding art socialite, brilliantly played by Tilda Swinton. It's a touching immigrant tale, a funny work comedy and a wholly original creation from Torres that you won't regret checking out.

And you can do that on Max in the US or via digital on-demand. Unfortunately, Problemista is not available to watch in the UK right now.

Discover more of our favorites from the year so far by finding out which are our best-reviewed movies of 2024. 

In a bit of a surprise, Ryan Gosling's The Fall Guy, which unofficially marked the start of the summer blockbuster season in movie theaters, is now available to rent or purchase digitally via on-demand platforms. The arrival on at-home viewing platforms in the US comes just a little more than two weeks after the movie was released in movie theaters on May 3.

Starring Gosling and Emily Blunt and based on the 80s TV series of the same name, The Fall Guy is about stuntman Colt Seavers, who, in an attempt to win back the woman of his dreams, must save her movie by finding her missing lead actor. Directed by David Leitch, the movie is an ode to the stunt community, with plenty of incredible stunt work on display.

You can still watch The Fall Guy in movie theaters, but if you would prefer to watch the movie at home, then it is available to rent or own via digital on-demand platforms like Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home and Apple TV.

Critics were fans of The Fall Guy, including us, as you can read in our The Fall Guy review. Looking at the broad critical reception, The Fall Guy was "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, as well as being given a positive rating by 87% of audiences who weighed in. So why is a movie this well liked not getting a longer exclusive window in movie theaters? The box office.

The Fall Guy opened to $27.7 million in the US and $4.5 million in the UK. Overall, since its release it has earned $127.4 million at the global box office. It's been a slightly underwhelming performance for the movie, so Universal, the studio behind it, opted to end its exclusive run in theaters and is adding an additional source of revenue for the movie sooner.

As of right now, the price to rent The Fall Guy at home is on the upper end of what it would cost for a ticket to the movies — $19.99 — while buying it will you run to $29.99.

At this time, it does not look like The Fall Guy is available for at-home viewing outside of the US.

It certainly is a surprise that a movie with Gosling and Blunt and has been heralded as a great time at the movies did not have a better showing, especially with them both coming off two of the biggest movies in 2023 — Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively. But, the at-home viewing does make the movie even more readily available to anyone who wants to discover it, and for now you can still head to your local movie theater to watch it on the big screen if you want to.

Summer comes a little early with the release of The Fall Guy, the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt blockbuster action-comedy that critics are loving. Want to find out what all the fuss is about? We've got everything you need to know on how to watch The Fall Guy right here.

While it's still technically spring, The Fall Guy is generally the starting gun for the blockbuster movie season. And as we describe in our The Fall Guy review, it is pretty much the perfect encapsulation of the blockbuster spirit, with plenty of laughs, fun action set pieces and two movie star performances from Gosling and Blunt.

If that has you excited to check out The Fall Guy, here is all the info on when, where and how you can watch it.

How to watch The Fall Guy in movie theaters

The Fall Guy is now playing in movie theaters in the US, UK and worldwide. In addition to normal screenings, the action movie is also going to be shown in IMAX where available.

To find out exactly when and where The Fall Guy is playing near you, check out the movie's official website or Fandango, both of which will show all of the times and locations The Fall Guy is playing in your area. You can also purchase The Fall Guy tickets ahead of time through either of these options.

Another option to not only get The Fall Guy showtime info but possibly save on tickets for the movie is through movie theater subscriptions and membership programs. Offered by many US and UK movie theater chains, these programs give movie lovers the chance to earn free, discounted or monthly allotment of movie tickets, as well as get deals on concessions and other movie theater perks.

Is The Fall Guy streaming?

The Fall Guy is also now available for home viewing, as the movie can be rented or bought via digital on-demand platforms like Prime Video, Googly Play, Fandango at Home and Apple TV.

The movie is not yet available on a streaming service, however. We still don't have any details on when The Fall Guy is going to hit streaming, but as a Universal Pictures movie, we are almost certain that when it does make its streaming debut it will do so on Peacock, which is owned by NBCUniversal. You will need a Peacock subscription to watch The Fall Guy on the platform when the time comes.

When we have more information on The Fall Guy's at-home viewing plans, we’ll share them right here.

What else to know about The Fall Guy

As we mentioned, we're not the only ones who enjoyed The Fall Guy, as the movie is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by David Leitch (Bullet Train) and based on the 80s TV series of the same name, The Fall Guy follows professional stuntman Colt Seavers, who after a near career-ending accident is brought back to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and save a major Hollywood movie all in order to win back the love of his life.

Gosling and Blunt star, but are joined by Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Teresa Palmer and Stephanie Hsu.

Watch the trailer for The Fall Guy directly below to see what’s in store with the movie:

After being part of the biggest summer blockbuster "rivalry" in recent memory in 2023 (Barbenheimer), Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have teamed up to help kick start the blockbuster movie season with their incredibly fun action comedy The Fall Guy. The two stars are a winning combination in this ode to the stunt community, which is able to cover up any of its shortcomings by being hilarious and showcasing grade-A action set pieces.

• Also read: WTW's best-reviewed movies of 2024

An adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name starring Lee Majors, The Fall Guy follows stuntman, aka a "fall guy," Colt Seavers (Gosling), as he attempts to win back the woman of his dreams, Jody (Blunt), by finding the missing movie star on her debut directing job. The movie is directed by former stuntman turned action director David Leitch and also stars Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The movie gets off to a bumpy start with some less than stellar narration, but any trepidation around that is quickly replaced by the chemistry that Gosling and Blunt have together. Though both have shown they are fully capable of dramatic turns, they perhaps are never better when they can use their comedic sensibilities to endear their characters to audiences. They do so perfectly with Colt and Jody. There's a chemistry between the two of them that makes their love story seem effortless and natural.

So much of the movie relies on this fact, because if you look past that there really isn't a whole lot going on plotwise. That's a plus and a minus — we certainly don't need a convoluted plot for the breezy affair The Fall Guy is, but at the same time any scene that does not feature Gosling and Blunt together or a big set piece is just filling space. To his credit, screenwriter Drew Pearce pays things off throughout and certainly should get credit for many of the movie's funniest bits, but overall The Fall Guy feels like it is just "sexy bacon;" translation, there's no real meaning/message behind the jokes and action.

The closets thing to an underlying purpose to The Fall Guy it is to honor the stunt community. Aside from Tom Cruise, who famously performs as many of his own stunts as he can, the rest of Hollywood relies on stunt performers and coordinators to create some of the most memorable moments from your favorite movies. The movie expresses that thought directly both at the beginning and at the end (and gets in a quick jab at the fact that the Oscars don't recognize stunt performers), but also by showing the work that goes into creating various stunts on a set. That makes us appreciate the awesome stunts that are performed in the movie even more.

Elsewhere, Duke and Waddingham are the standout supporting performers in the movie; Taylor-Johnson is fine, but we don't get a lot of him. However, the movie definitely feels like a waste of Stephanie Hsu, who gets little more than a glorified cameo. Speaking of cameos though, there are a couple of fun ones that we won't spoil here, but be sure to stick around to the end credits for them.

The Fall Guy is the perfect summer movie — a pair of movie stars at their most charming, big action that plays best on the big screen (the movie is going to be shown in IMAX) and a simple but functionable plot that doesn't overwhelm things. Grab your popcorn and enjoy it.

The Fall Guy releases exclusively in movie theaters on May 3.

If you were wondering why Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt made an appearance together at the Oscars to pay tribute to the stunt community, it is because their 2024 new movie, action comedy The Fall Guy, is one of the more anticipated movies of the year. And now you can get yourself ready for it with The Fall Guy movie tickets available for sale.

Releasing on May 3 (though there are going to be May 2 screenings you can get tickets for right now), The Fall Guy follows a stuntman (Gosling) who returns to the profession after a near career-ending accident in the hopes of winning back the love of his life, the director on a big new movie (Blunt). To help with that, he needs to track down the movie's missing star.

Directed by David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) and also starring Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham and Stephanie Hsu, you can now purchase advance tickets for The Fall Guy online, including on Fandango and the IMAX website, as the movie is one of the latest movies to use the premium format to showcase some incredible action sequences.

This is the first project for both Gosling and Blunt after their big 2023s. Gosling starred as Ken in Barbie, 2023's biggest movie at the box office, earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work, countless memes and giving an incredible rendition of the song "I'm Just Ken" at the Oscars. Blunt, meanwhile, starred in Best Picture-winner Oppenheimer, which finished as the No. 3 movie at the global box office and saw Blunt also be Oscar-nominated for her work. And of course, with both movies releasing on the same day in 2023, it created the cultural phenomenon that was Barbenheimer.

It'll be a tall task for The Fall Guy to reach those same kinds of heights, but the buzz is already starting to grow for the movie. While it is premiering at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where critics and lucky fans will get their first look at it, acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg apparently saw it already and told Gosling that he loved it.

While The Fall Guy is technically a spring movie — where it is included in WTW's list of most anticipated 2024 spring movies — it will help kickstart the summer blockbuster season that begins in earnest at the end of May.

If you get your The Fall Guy tickets but are in need of something to watch in the meantime, the movie is actually based on the 1980s TV show The Fall Guy that starred Lee Majors. You can rent episodes of that show via digital on-demand platforms right now.

Or you can just watch The Fall Guy trailer on repeat directly below.

Though January and February have delivered some fun times at the movies, the 2024 new movie slate really kicks off this spring. To help you prioritize what movies you are going to want to make time for over the next few months, we've put together this preview of our most anticipated and intriguing spring movies.

We're looking at movies that are releasing between March and just before the end of May, which then leads into the annual summer blockbuster season. But if it's larger-than-life adventures and characters that get you heading to movie theaters, don't worry, even without a superhero movie set for release, there are plenty of big movies that we're highly anticipating, as well as under-the-radar titles that have piqued our interest.

No need to dress it up anymore, let's take a look at the 16 spring movies you're not going to want to miss (listed in order of release date):

Dune: Part Two (March 1)

The spring movie season starts off with as big a movie as it possibly could, Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two. The sequel to 2021's epic Dune is expected to be even bigger. After already having Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and more, they’ve added even more star power for the sequel with Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Lea Seydoux, Anya Taylor-Joy and Christopher Walken joining the cast in key roles. Villeneuve's Dune are some of the most ambitious sci-fi movies that we've seen in a long time, and they absolutely deserve to be seen on as big of a screen as possible (like IMAX).

If you feel like you need a quick refresher before you see Dune: Part Two, check out this very quick Dune recap from Warner Bros.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 8)

Though it's been eight years since the last Kung Fu Panda movie, we're looking forward to catching up with Po as he sets out on another totally epic martial arts adventure with Kung Fu Panda 4. While the Kung Fu Panda movies are definitely meant for kids, they're gorgeous animation and humor makes them a fun watch for all ages. While its a bit of disappointment that franchise staples Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross appear to not be in the movie, Jack Black is back once again to steer things, with a supporting voice cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Awkwafina and Viola Davis.

Releases March 28 in the UK.

Damsel (March 8)

Not all of the big spring movies are going to require you to head to the movie theaters. Netflix's big entry to the movie schedule in the coming months is Damsel, a twist on the classic fantasy story. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a princess set to marry her prince charming, only to learn that she is going to be a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt of her betrothed's family. So to get her happily ever after (in this case survival and perhaps some revenge) she has to take things into her own hands. Brown is one of the queens of Netflix, as the star of Stranger Things and the Enola Holmes movies, and Damsel could be another great collab between the star and streamer. 

Love Lies Bleeding (March 8)

Having already screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Love Lies Bleeding is one of the spring movies we already have a good bit of feedback on: and it is pretty good. The movie is "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with 91%,(as of publication)  but even if it didn't have good buzz around it, this Kristen Stewart-led, 80s-set movie that sees her begin a relationship with a female bodybuilder (Katy O'Brian) and get her involved with her criminal family (represented by the legendary Ed Harris), we would definitely be intrigued by what rising filmmaker Rose Glass had cooked up. 

Releases April 19 in the UK.

Arthur the King (March 15)

Get ready for the next big dog movie star, as Arthur the King tells an incredible true story of a stray dog that became an inspirational team member for a group of high adventurers. The human stars of the movie are Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu and Nathalie Emmanuel, while the four-legged star playing the titular Arthur is named Ukai. People love movies about dogs almost as much as they love dogs; OK, that may be a bit of a stretch, but Arthur the King looks to be a great combination of the two. 

Releases March 22 in the UK.

Road House (March 21)

An 80s action classic is getting a modern day revamp as Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the reimagining of the Patrick Swayze movie Road House. In this version of the story, Gyllenhaal is an ex-UFC fighter that takes a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse known for its violent fights. But his arrival causes some problems with a group of local criminals, which includes the character played by real-life UFC fighter Conor McGregor (making his movie debut). So it's Gyllenhaal vs McGregor exclusively on Prime Video? Sign us up. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (March 22)

Who ya gonna call? The Ghostbusters are back, both the new generation that has introduced in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd) and the originals (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts); plus, new cast members like Patton Oswalt, Kumail Nanjiani and James Acaster join the franchise. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire sees the team return to New York as a powerful spirit threatens to bring about a second Ice Age, so we expect a cool time at the movies (sorry, couldn't help myself). 

 Shirley (March 22) 

Damsel isn't Netflix’s only big movie of the spring, as Regina King leads Shirley, a biopic about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman ever elected to Congress who ran a historic campaign for president in 1972. We don’t get to see King on the big screen as much any more as she has focused more on directing (her last movie was 2021's The Harder They Fall), so it's a treat to see her and exciting to have her playing such a landmark figure. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (March 29)

Movie monster icons are teaming up once again with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. After squaring off in some epic fights in the previous Godzilla vs Kong, the titans are now reluctant allies as a new threat emerges. Not much is needed to sell this one: it's Godzilla; it's Kong. Expect some big, fun CGI battles with some human characters along for the ride. Though it will be interesting to see if/how they connect this latest movie to the recent Apple TV Plus series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. 

Monkey Man (April 5)

Action may not be the first thing that you think of when it comes to Dev Patel, but the Slumdog Millionaire actor has shown he can flourish in the genre with movies like Hotel Mumbai and The Green Knight, but Monkey Man is going to ratchet things up quite a bit. Not only is Patel set to be a full-fledged action star that at first glance feels akin to John Wick, but the actor is making his directorial debut with the movie, which he also co-wrote. With Jordan Peele onboard as a producer, this story of revenge against corrupt leaders who murdered his mother could become a sleeper hit this spring.

Civil War (April 12)

Alex Garland may not be a director that general movie goers know off hand, but he has made some of the more exciting, original movies of the last 10 years, including Ex Machina and Annihilation. While he's forgoing some of the straight sci-fi elements in his latest movie, Civil War, he is looking at an alternate reality in which the US enters into a second Civil War. Kirsten Dunst leads a group of individuals caught in the crossfire as they try to make their way to Washington, D.C. I'd expect nothing less than an expertly-crafted, challenging but entertaining movie from Garland and company. 

Abigail (April 19) 

Here's one of the more outlandish movies being offered this spring, a horror movie (with probably a dash of comedy) that focuses on a young vampire that also enjoys ballet. Abigail features a fun cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, William Catlett and Alisha Weir as the titular ballerina vampire. The movie comes from the Radio Silence directing duo (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet) who have delivered some of the most critically acclaimed horror movies of the last few years, including Ready or Not, Scream (2022) and Scream VI. 

Challengers (April 26)

Rejoice Zendaya fans, the actress has two movies coming out this spring for you to enjoy, with Challengers quite a different offering than Dune: Part Two. Challengers is directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and sees Zendaya play a tennis star on the rise who gets into a love triangle with characters played by Mike Faist (West Side Story) and Josh O'Connor (The Crown). The trailers for the movie tease a sexy, dramatic story of jealousy on and off the tennis court. The fact that we were supposed to get this movie in the fall of 2023 (it was delayed because of the Hollywood strikes) only makes us more excited to finally watch it. 

The Fall Guy (May 3)

After being perhaps the perfect Ken in 2023's Barbie, Ryan Gosling takes on the role of stuntman in the new action comedy The Fall Guy. As Gosling's character attempts to win back the woman of his dreams, a director in charge of a massive action movie played by Emily Blunt, it falls upon him to find the movie's star when he goes missing. Can he be a hero when the stunts are real? The movie looks to be a perfect combination of Gosling's comedic chops and fun action sequences, and Blunt is great in practically everything she does, so they should be a fun combo. Throw in Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke, with direction from the man behind Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, sounds like a blast. 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 10)

Even though Andy Serkis has left the franchise, the modern Planet of the Apes movies continue with the all new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The story picks up a few hundred years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, focusing on a new central character as he uncovers hidden secrets of his world while also dealing with a powerful ape contingency. There's definitely some nervousness about what these movies will be sans Serkis, but it continues to use the incredible motion-capture technology, so at least it is going to look great. Plus, as a lifelong fan of the Planet of the Apes movie, they rarely disappoint (we don't talk about Tim Burton's). 

IF (May 17)

John Krasinski's first two directorial outings were The Quiet Place franchise, which while centered around family, weren't exactly family-friendly. That won't be the issue with IF, which tells the story of a young girl (Cailey Flemming) who begins to see imaginary friends that have been left behind by kids they used to help after they have grown up. An all-star cast is on board for IF, including Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Christopher Meloni and more. All the trailers have looked incredibly charming, so we're excited to check out the full movie for a hopefully wholesome time. 

Releases May 24 in the UK.

Ryan Gosling got to show off both his action and comedic chops in the 2024 new movie The Fall Guy, which paired him up with Emily Blunt and the director behind Bullet Train, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

The movie is an adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name that starred Lee Majors, but with some updated, spectacular sequences sure to bring the excitement.

Here is everything that you need to know about The Fall Guy right now, from how to watch it to who's in it.

The Fall Guy how to watch

The Fall Guy is available to stream on Prime Video in the US, as well as being available via digital on-demand platforms. In the UK the movie is streaming on Sky Go and NOW TV.

The Fall Guy cast

As mentioned, The Fall Guy cast is headlined by Ryan Gosling as stuntman Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt as movie director Jody Moreno. The two have had a previous fling that Colt is hoping to rekindle.

Gosling is coming off of Barbie in 2023, but the two-time Oscar-nominated actor is no stranger to action, having starred in The Gray Man, Blade Runner 2049 and Drive. He also has no problem mixing in comedy as he does fight scenes, as evident by his great performance in The Nice Guys.

Blunt also had a big 2023, starring in both Pain Hustlers and Oppenheimer. She also has proven adept at both action and comedy, with her having starred in the likes of Jungle Cruise, Sicario and Edge of Tomorrow.

Joining Gosling and Blunt are Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) as a producer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter) as the movie’s leading man who Gosling's character works for as a stunt double. Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) also star.

The Fall Guy plot

Drew Pearce (Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw) adapted the script from the original 1980s TV series. Here is the official plot from Universal:

"He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?"

The Fall Guy trailer

Check out this super-sized (three-plus minute) trailer for The Fall Guy, which shows off Gosling’s comedic performance and the various stunts that are going to be center stage: 

A second trailer is also available that you can watch right here:

Though they surprisingly never mention The Fall Guy and instead had some fun back and forth about the Barbenheimer rivalry, Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling paid a special tribute to the stunt community at the 2024 Oscars, whose work is front and center in their new movie.

Another promo has Gosling and Blunt going over some of the key details of The Fall Guy in 60 seconds:

You can also watch this behind-the-scenes feature for the movie right here:

The Fall Guy reviews

What to Watch has published its The Fall Guy review, allowing you to find out why we think the movie is a perfect way to kick off the blockbuster season.

But we're not the only ones who liked it, as The Fall Guy is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Fall Guy awards

Here's a rundown of the major awards that The Fall Guy has been nominated for:

SAG Awards

• Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture (nominee)

David Leitch movies

David Leitch started his career as a fight coordinator and stuntman himself, but has moved behind the camera and has become one of the big action directors of the last few years.

Here is the full list of movies that he has directed in his career:

• John Wick (uncredited) (2014)
• Atomic Blonde (2017)
• Deadpool 2 (2018)
• Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
• Bullet Train (2022)

The Doctor Who cast might be set to gain a lot more Kenergy, as it's been reported that Barbie star Ryan Gosling has been approached to star in the hit series.

Ryan Gosling has made no secret of the fact that he's a massive fan of the show. While sharing how he 'geared up for hate' when he was confirmed as the 15th Doctor, new lead Ncuti Gatwa also shared a story about Gosling's support. 

"I remember Ryan Gosling bounding up to my trailer like, 'Doctor Who is the coolest show in the world man! I'm the biggest fan!', Gatwa recalled. And now it seems Gosling's enthusiasm for the series could well have landed him a guest role in the long-running sci-fi series. 

According to The Sun, Ryan Gosling is due to feature in the new show under returning showrunner Russell T. Davies. It's not known whether the guest role he's been 'offered' is a good guy or not.

Their source said: "This would be a huge coup for the show, but also a real honour for Ryan who is something of a Whovian. It's not clear yet what role he'd have, but the writers would tailor a character for him to play if he could find the time in his packed schedule.

If Gosling does end up landing a part in the Whoniverse, it won't be for a while yet. Filming on Doctor Who season 14 (when Ncuti Gatwa takes full control of the TARDIS) wrapped back in July 2023. 

In other Doctor Who recent news, the BBC has potentially leaked the release date for season 14. 

Eagle-eyed Whovians spotted an article on the BBC Culture section that claimed the new series would arrive in Spring 2024 at the end of August. Shortly thereafter, the report was edited, with all mention of the Spring release window removed from the site... coincidence much?

Doctor Who is next on our screens in November for the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials, with David Tennant (one of the best Doctor Whos) at the helm once again as the 14th Doctor. The three-part series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Doctor Who's new US home, Disney Plus.

If you're looking to revisit some of the Doctor's past adventures up to this point, check out our guide explaining how to watch Doctor Who online for free.

Ryan Gosling is one of the stars of the biggest movie of the year in theaters, Barbie, but he is adding to that by having one of the most-watched movies on Netflix right now, as The Big Short is rising up the daily Netflix Top 10 for movies in the US.

After launching on Netflix on August 23, The Big Short has climbed into the Netflix Top 10. Over its first weekend, it reached No. 5 on the US daily Top 10 chart and then on Monday, August 28, it reached the No. 3 spot, trailing only the new Netflix original movie You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mativah starring Adam Sandler and Big George Foreman, a new 2023 movie that released in April and is making its streaming debut.

The Big Short initially came out in 2015. Written and directed by Adam McKay, the movie mixed comedy and drama to take a look at investors that bet against the housing market between 2006-2007, seeing the cracks in the system that would ultimately result in the 2008 housing collapse and US economic recession. In addition to Ryan Gosling, The Big Short had an all-star ensemble that included Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Karen GillanMax Greenfield, Melissa Leo, Tracy Letts, John Magaro, Billy Magnussen, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong and Marisa Tomei.

One of the things that made The Big Short stand out is that it took the time to explain many of the complex financial elements of the story to the audience. This was done mostly with actors and celebrities portraying themselves and using more common terminology to break it all down. Among these cameos were Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez and Anthony Bourdain.

The Big Short turned into a big hit with critics and audiences. The movie's Rotten Tomatoes score is a "Certified Fresh" 89%, while the movie made more than $133 million at the global box office. That then turned into a nice showing at the 2016 Oscars, where it was nominated for five awards, including Best Picture, and won one, Best Adapted Screenplay (the movie is based on the Michael Lewis book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine) for Adam McKay.

Many Netflix subscribers are happy to have The Big Short available to stream again, though some are a bit worried if its presence may be prophetic:

It's also a bit of a coincidence that The Big Short is trending ahead of the upcoming release of a movie that is expected to be in its vein, Dumb Money, which portrays the GameStop stock phenomenon of a few years ago.

The Big Short is now available to stream on Netflix in the US and the UK. Also, check out some of the best Netflix shows to watch right now.

When dealing with the most iconic fashion doll of all time, the Barbie costumes had a lot to live up to. 

But in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie — one of the most-anticipated summer blockbuster movies of 2023, starring Margot Robbie as the namesake doll, Ryan Gosling as Ken and America Ferrera leading the rest of the Barbie cast — that colorful clothing is as meticulously thought out and well executed as the Barbie Land that surrounds it. 

It's not a shock that the costumes were a hugely important part of the production. "Barbie really is interlinked with fashion, because how you play with her is by dressing her," the movie's costume designer Jacqueline Durran — who won an Oscar for her work in another Gerwig movie, 2019's Little Women — told Vogue. "Clothes are her form of expression."

From sweet 1950s-style confections to early '90s rollerblade fits and everything in between, here are the top 10 Barbie costumes from the Barbie movie. 

The 10 best Barbie costumes from the Barbie movie

10. Original Barbie

Our first glimpse of Margot Robbie as the famous doll certainly makes an impression, not only on the onscreen characters but also on the audience. In a scene that cleverly parodies Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barbie can be seen in her original iteration from 1959: wearing a black-and-white striped one-piece swimsuit with white cat-eye sunglasses, gold hoop earrings, black peep-toe pumps, a classic red lip and a curly blonde ponytail. It's an entrance fit for an icon. 

9. Boiler Suit Barbie

Most IRL female politicians wear pantsuits, but not in Barbie Land. In their quest to take down the Kens' patriarchal new government, President Barbie (Issa Rae) and the rest of the Barbie Land residents don Rosie the Riveter-style boilersuits, rendered in the movie's signature rosy hue. With fuchsia sunglasses, headbands and other unabashedly girly accessories, revolution never looked so good. 

8. Nautical Barbie

From Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey) to Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney), every Barbie looked positively beach-ready in their retro-glam get-ups while enjoying an afternoon of sun and sand. Though Stereotypical Barbie (Robbie) was feeling ruffled due to some foot-related malfunctioning (her signature arch had disappeared), her '60s-inspired nautical look was anything but, with a sailor-striped matching set, novelty anchor earrings and ocean-blue sunglasses.

7. Beach Ken

The Barbs aren't the only ones serving looks in the Barbie movie. The Kens — led by Gosling's Stereotypical Ken but also including Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir — are style icons in their own right, proven by their beachy fits, a parade of patterned short-sleeve shirts and matching pastel shorts. Tensions may be heating up between some of the Kens, but their costumes keep them looking cool regardless. 

6. Road Trip Barbie

In Barbie Land, there's magically no traffic slowing down your drive or, seemingly, any wind blowing off your plucky pink beret even when riding in a Corvette convertible. As Barbie and surprise stowaway Ken leave Barbie Land to visit the Real World, she looks as sweet as can be in a puffy-sleeved, Peter Pan-collared dress, coordinating headwear and dainty hair bows. As for Ken? He brought his own go-to accessory: his rollerblades. (Helpful.)

5. Gingham Barbie

Early on in the movie, we get to see what a quintessential day looks like for our dollish gal. Cutting a sweet vintage silhouette in a flared pink-gingham sundress with a matching belt and hairbow, daisy-shaped earrings and pastel pumps, Barbie looks well-ready to greet the rest of the residents of Barbie Land and start her best day ever.

4. Mojo Dojo Ken

Gosling's Ken was made to serve as Barbie's ultimate accessory, complementing her every move and every ensemble. But after the duo returns from their trip to the Real World, Ken has gone rogue, and his style choices hilariously reflect his rebellion. His "bad boy" look includes a patterned headband, fingerless gloves, a horseshoe necklace, a statement fur coat and not one but two pairs of black cat-eye sunglasses. If you're going to have a world-shaking existential breakdown, might as well look this over-the-top fabulous while doing it. 

3. Disco Barbie

Every night in Barbie Land, our leading lady throws a raging dance party with all of her Barbie buddies at her Barbie Dreamhouse — complete with "planned choreography and a bespoke song," naturally — so it's no surprise that she has a closet full of boogie-down garments at the ready. She looks every inch the disco diva in a glamorous sequined jumpsuit with metallic jewelry, golden pumps and a glossy, voluminous hairdo crowned with a sparkly headpiece. Just don't let those existential thoughts about death ruin a good time.

2. Cowgirl Barbie

Barbie is whoever she wants to be, so if she wants to work a cattle ranch wearing bright-pink bedazzled bellbottoms, a matching halter top, metallic cowboy boots, a paisley bandana and a white rhinestoned rodeo hat, she can! She might be a West Coast gal through and through, but she's looking perfectly Western in this giddy-up get-up. 

1. Rollerblade Barbie

In their first foray into the Real World, Barbie and Ken certainly stand out from the comparatively muted crowd on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Inspired by 1994's Hot Skatin' Barbie, the iconic pair is decked out in matching sporty fits, including brightly-colored unitards and visors, neon-green in-line skates and protective pads, and, of course, plenty of Spandex. It's Barbie and Ken at their campiest best. 

Here's how to watch Barbie right now.

Plucked from some of the sexiest movies that steamed up the screen, these famous movie kisses achieve the near-impossible: making the uncomfortable task of coworkers smushing their mouths up against each other look not only totally natural but downright sultry. 

From black-and-white classics like From Here to Eternity to Kleenex-needed modern romances like The Notebook and even a superhero blockbuster like Spider-Man, these are 10 of the hottest movie make-outs on the big screen. 

10 sexy movie kisses that get hearts racing

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Provocations abound in this 1999 cult classic, which follows a group of terribly wealthy — and often simply terrible — teens in uptown Manhattan. But none of the movie's acts of naughtiness are as notorious as the park-set seduction by manipulative schoolgirl Kathryn Mertueil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the woefully naive Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair), during which the former teaches the latter how to French kiss. Kathryn does such a thorough job, in fact, that Gellar and Blair won the GOAT: Legendary Lip Lock Award during the MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time special more than two decades later in 2020. 

Ghost

Leave it to Patrick Swayze to make ceramics hot. In the hands of anyone else, Ghost's most famous scene — which sees a shirtless Swayze as Sam Wheat join girlfriend Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) behind a sculpting wheel, their clay-covered limbs becoming further and further entwined as The Righteous Brothers harmonize from a jukebox — would be eye-rollingly cheesy. Instead, it's deeply erotic, a voyeuristic peek into the nature of their romance before things get, well, supernatural. 

The Notebook

"It wasn't over. It still isn't over!" Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) roars at Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) under a deluge of Carolina rain, proving the veracity of his words with a searing kiss that warms the soaked-through pair. It was a dam-breaking not only for the characters but allegedly for the actors playing them, who went on to date for two years. "When that door got unlocked, I didn’t need to direct nothing. These kids were on each other," director Nick Cassavetes revealed to Rotten Tomatoes. "I think that was the moment, because they weren’t together before that kiss. But they were together after that kiss.” We can certainly see why. 

Disobedience

It's another scorcher from Rachel McAdams, though this time she's paired with Rachel Weisz, as two Jewish women reckoning with romantic feelings for each other amidst the ultra-conservative Orthodox religion. There are several snogs between Esti and Ronit in Sebastián Lelio's Disobedience, but one in particular is a spit take, literally, with Weisz's Ronnie dripping saliva into Esti's mouth while they're making love. It's explicit, sure, but it's also incredibly intimate, signaling the depth of the connection between the two. 

Titanic

Talk about the ultimate '90s swoon: Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater sharing their first kiss during sunset at the majestic bow of the Titanic while "My Heart Will Go On" softly croons in the background. It's a moving, sensual kiss as fittingly epic as the movie that surrounds it, fully selling the level of devotion that the young pair conjures up during their tragically short time onboard.

Brokeback Mountain

The sheer intensity of that long-delayed reunion kiss between forbidden lovers Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) is written all over Michelle Williams' face. Ennis has been waiting ever-so-impatiently for his old sheep-herding buddy to arrive for a visit, so much so that when he does he can't resist racing down the steps and meeting Jack outside, where they share a feverish and secret lip-lock — or so they think. 

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Yes, Ryan Gosling again, but in Crazy, Stupid, Love, he's more the smooched than the smoocher. That would be Emma Stone, whose ticked-off, rain-soaked Hannah takes Gosling's Jacob by surprise when she interrupts his conversation and impulsively plants a big one on the lad in the middle of a bar. "Do you remember me? Do you still find me attractive? Do you still want to take me home?" she asks him when they finally come up for air, and his breathless responses are hilariously and understandably limited to one word: Yes.

Call Me By Your Name

Few characters have felt desire as fervently on film as Timothée Chalamet's Elio Perlman does for Armie Hammer's Oliver in Call Me By Your Name. The sexual tension between the two young men is damn-near suffocating in Luca Guadagnino's coming-of-age charmer, fueling long summer days of swimming and dancing and the shortest of short shorts, until finally, in a sun-soaked field found "somewhere in Northern Italy," Oliver finally gives Elio what he craves: a kiss as sweet and tender as a ripe peach.

From Here to Eternity

Often parodied but never equaled, the sandy embrace between Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) and another officer's wife Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr) is one of celluloid history's most unabashedly romantic moments. Soundtracked by George Duning's soaring score, the famous beach scene finds the pair passionately lip-to-lip while lying down in the Hawaiian surf (which, as cinematic legend has it, was Lancaster's idea, much to the chagrin of those 1950s censors). When Karen gasps, "I never knew it could be like this. No one ever kissed me the way you do," you believe her.

Spider-Man

The first of the Spider-Man movies also features its finest make-out moment (no offense, Tom Holland and Zendaya.) The so-called "Spider-Man kiss" became a pop-culture phenomenon, not only for its novelty — in thanks for saving her life, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) macks on the friendly neighborhood superhero (played by Tobey Maguire) while Spidey is hanging upside down, pulling his mask off just enough so she can gain access to his lips — but also for its palpable heat. 

Be sure to also check out What to Watch's rankings of the sexy TV shows and supposedly sexy TV shows and movies that failed to bring the heat.

Netflix is doubling down on The Gray Man, as the streamer has plans to turn the Ryan Gosling movie into a full cinematic universe with sequels and spin offs. The news comes just days after the movie, reportedly Netflix’s most expensive original movie ever, was the most-watched movie on the streaming service for the week of July 18-24.

The Gray Man, based on Mark Greaney’s ongoing Gray Man series, stars Ryan Gosling as the skilled operative Sierra Six, known as the Gray Man because there is no record of him. In this first movie, Six is forced to go on the run when he discovers dark CIA secrets. But the agency hires a sadistic private contractor to track him down and retrieve the info. 

In addition to Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, Billy Bob Thornton, Julia Butters, Dhanush and Alfre Woodard all starred in the movie, with Anthony and Joe Russo (the Russo Brothers) as the directors and Stephen McFeely, Christopher Markus and Joe Russo credited as writers of the script.

Gosling and the Russo Brothers are returning for the sequel in their respective roles, as is McFeely, already working on the script for The Gray Man 2. Gosling may be the only confirmed cast member as of now, but it’s likely more characters from the first movie are going to return from what Anthony Russo hints at.

"I can’t get too specific about where we see the character going in the next movie because it’s so early days, but we designed a big ensemble in this film because we love ensemble storytelling," Russo told Netflix’ Tudum blog. "Having a bunch of interesting characters creates a lot of possibilities in terms of where you’re gonna go in future storytelling, because there’s so many compelling characters played by so many compelling actors and they’re all worth further exploration."

Netflix teased that there is more than enough source material for an ongoing Gray Man franchise (Greaney has written 11 Gray Man novels as of 2022), plus enough for a spinoff movie that is being worked on by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool, Spiderhead).

Though critics weren’t enthusiastic about it — What to Watch’s The Gray Man review called it a "drab action thriller" and its Rotten Tomatoes score is a "Rotten" 48% — fans had a different take. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an audience score of 91% positive and, perhaps most importantly, The Gray Man was watched a total of 88.55 million hours in the first three days of its release on Netflix (July 22-24). That not only makes The Gray Man the most popular movie on Netflix right now, but also gives it the second most viewing hours in a movie’s first three days on Netflix in 2022 behind The Adam Project.

Netflix did not give a timeline for when The Gray Man sequel or its spinoff could arrive.

The Gray Man is streaming exclusively on Netflix. However, the movie is still playing in a few select movie theaters, in case you’re not a subscriber and want to check it out. Though it is unclear how long that will remain the case.

Writer-director Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to his sizzling, Oscar-winning jazz drum drama Whiplash, La La Land is a dazzling homage to the golden age of Hollywood musicals – with more than a touch of Jacques Demy’s 1960s French New Wave musicals The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort thrown in for good measure, too.

Opening with a bravura sequence in which a traffic jam on an LA flyover turns into a stunningly choreographed dance routine, the movie goes on to explore the bittersweet love story of two LA hopefuls whose meet cute is a fleeting, fractious encounter in this traffic snarl-up: Emma Stone’s aspiring actress Mia and Ryan Gosling’s purist jazz pianist Sebastian.

With Stone and Gosling in utterly beguiling form in the leading roles, Chazelle’s movie balances joyous uplift with a touching undercurrent of sadness.  It charmed audiences as the opening film of this year’s Venice Film Festival and looks set to do the same here in London.

La La Land shows today at 10.30am at the Odeon Leicester Square and also shows at the Curzon Mayfair on Sunday 16 October at 8pm. Its UK release is scheduled for 13 January 2017.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling display a breezy chemistry as rival private eyes reluctantly teaming up to find a missing girl in The Nice Guys, a cracking action comedy set in sleazy 1977 Los Angeles.

They’re the latest mismatched buddy duo to spring from the pen of writer/director Shane Black, whose previous double acts include Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon movies and, more recently, Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Unsurprisingly, the formula is much the same as before: sassy banter interspersed with brutal violence.

Crowe, chunkier-looking than usual, is great as the more heroic of the pair, Jackson Healy, an unlicensed thug with a conscience who beats up people for money. But it is Gosling, losing his cool to play boozy, unscrupulous private dick Holland March, who is the film’s revelation, showing off an unexpected flair for slapstick comedy as his character goes through a series of bruising pratfalls.

Given that one of the film’s running gags is Holland’s sheer hopelessness as a detective, it hardly comes as a surprise that the real brains of the outfit is his precocious 13-year-old daughter Holly, played by Angourie Rice (a real find). And it is she who helps the pair join the dots that link the death of a pneumatic porn star (Murielle Telio) with corporate skulduggery in the US auto industry via the disappearance of a flighty political activist (Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell).

The plot is as convoluted as a Raymond Chandler novel, but Black and his cast deliver the action with such brio and panache that the film remains hugely entertaining even if, like Gosling’s hapless hero, you’ve barely a clue what is going on.

Certificate 15. Runtime 116 mins. Director Shane Black

The Nice Guys available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Download, courtesy of Icon Film Distribution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQR5zsLHbYw

This is a true story.

You won’t know whether to laugh or cry when watching this dazzling dark comedy about the guys who made a killing from the global financial crash of 2008.

Based on the book by Michael Lewis (author of Liar’s Poker, Moneyball and The Blind Side), director Adam McKay’s film The Big Short shows how a ‘bunch of weirdos and outsiders’, including Christian Bale’s eccentric, heavy-metal-loving genius, Steve Carell’s furiously indignant fund manager and Ryan Gosling’s reptilian Wall Street trader, spotted what no one else did: reckless mortgage lending by greedy banks meant that the US housing market – and with it the whole world economy - was on the verge of collapse.

McKay finds entertainingly tongue-in-cheek ways of explaining the intricacies of credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations, putting The Wolf of Wall Street actress Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to expound on sub-prime mortgages, for example. And he makes the fact-based plot as gripping as a thriller.

All the same, it’s hard not to feel queasy rooting for the film’s protagonists. They were the ones who bet against the banks and won, but, in the aftermath of the financial Armageddon that ensued, we remain the losers.

Certificate 15. Runtime 130 mins. Director Adam McKay

The Big Short is available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD from Universal Pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HkbSbwEPNc

The Notebook, 2004

Director: Nick Cassavettes 

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams play two teenagers in love, in this film adaptation of the book by Nicholas Sparks. This is a beautiful story about a first love, which is ultimately ruined by socio-economic factors and interfering families – typical love story right? 

Somehow, the cheesy scenes (“If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.”) can be forgiven with the help of Gosling’s chocolate-like voice narrating the love story throughout, making you so weak at the knees you’ll probably never walk again.

Best Movie Quote: “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that’s what you’ve given me.” 

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Ryan Gosling says that being a child TV star made him fearless.

The Drive star, who got his big break as a Mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club in 1993, credits his early acting days for giving him that confidence boost as he makes his directorial debut with dark drama Lost River, which he also wrote and produced.

“I did start very young, but I’m glad that I did because I didn’t have the fear of failure, you know,” he said.

“I tried it. I think if I’d waited until I was a little older, then I think I might have been a lot more self-conscious, or afraid of failing.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Mlkw9bJwc&feature=oembed

Former Doctor Who actor Matt Smith stars in Lost River, alongside Saoirse Ronan, Christina Hendricks and Ben Mendelsohn.

“I think he’s incredible. When I was working on a draft of the script, I heard his voice on TV and it was an episode of Doctor Who,” Ryan recalled.

“He was just doing this scene where he was screaming at all these aliens on a microphone and there were spaceships and just really in the universe. As an actor, I know that’s a hard scene because I’m pretty sure those spaceships weren’t there. He was just so engaging and so strong and there’s no one quite like him.

“He just reminded me of one of those actors from the 1970s that they’re only like themselves. So I thought, I really want to work with him and was really excited that he agreed to do the film.”

Eva Mendes (Jordan Strauss/AP)

Eva Mendes, Ryan’s girlfriend and the mother of his child, Esmeralda Amada, also appears in the film.

“She was around when I was writing it and she was very helpful in many aspects of the process,” the filmmaker said. “She interned with the costume department, and with the production design team and she was also acting in it so she wore a lot of hats on the film.”

Lost River is in UK cinemas now.

Brash, loud and risibly anachronistic, Gangster Squad is flashier than a mobster’s suit, but if you’re not too fussy about finesse then Ruben Fleischer’s stylised crime film is a hugely entertaining cops-’n-crooks romp through a cartoon-like version of 1940s Los Angeles history.

Very loosely based on actual events (as recounted in Paul Lieberman’s eponymous book), the movie purports to tell how an elite band of two-fisted, straight-shooting cops fought Mob boss Mickey Cohen and his thugs for the soul of LA.

The group’s leader is Josh Brolin’s square-jawed police sergeant John O’Mara (a real person), who has returned from the war to find that Cohen and his cohorts have an increasing hold on the city. With the police, politicians and judges in Cohen’s pay or looking the other way, O’Mara takes an unofficial assignment from police chief ‘Whiskey Bill’ Parker (Nick Nolte playing another historical figure) to form the Gangster Squad: a secret crew of LAPD outsiders who will take the fight to the enemy - and go outside the law to achieve their ends.

His handpicked team, chosen with help from his shrewd, heavily pregnant wife (Mireille Enos), comprises Giovanni Ribisi’s tech whiz Conwell Keeler (also real), who becomes the group’s wiretapping expert and moral conscience; Robert Patrick’s Old West throwback, quick-drawing lawman Max Kennard; and Anthony Mackie’s knife-wielding patrolman Coleman Harris and Michael Peña’s rookie Navidad Ramirez, the squad’s black and Hispanic members and the script’s token nods to anachronistic diversity.

Last to join is Ryan Gosling’s slick, skirt-chaser Jerry Wooters (again, a real person), who initially takes a laid-back approach to LA’s crime wave, figuring that as the city is underwater then he’d rather reach for a bathing suit than a bucket. The fact that he’s sleeping on the sly with Cohen’s moll, Emma Stone’s slinky redheaded Grace Faraday, only adds to his scruples.

Yet the film isn’t really interested in scruples or moral complexity, notwithstanding Keeler’s occasional qualms about the squad’s extra-legal methods. This is very much a black-and-white fight between good and evil and we’re meant to be rooting for the cop vigilantes all the way.

The film’s Mickey Cohen, played with hammy relish by Sean Penn, is a figure of satanic evil from the start. The first time we see him he is standing over a rival Mafia boss, who has been chained between two revving cars, and then orders his minions to drive off.

Fleischer’s filmmaking is similarly unsubtle, full of showy tracking shots and flashy edits - such as the brazen cut between a Mob victim’s bloody head and a sizzling slab of barbecue meat. Yet it’s all done with such shameless verve that if you can stomach the violence and suspend disbelief in the movie’s lurid pulp-fiction version of real events then it’s ridiculously enjoyable.

In cinemas from Thursday 10th January.

Gangster Squad: The True Story of the Battle for Los Angeles by Paul Lieberman is published by PanMacmillan.