nichesitetool.com

Murray Bartlett is one of the stars of the new film Opus, and in a candid chat, he opened up about being repeatedly killed off on screen.

The Australian actor, 53, has been in the industry for decades but came into mainstream consciousness after his appearance as Armond in the 2021 series The White Lotus.

The actor played the hotel manager, who was stabbed to death accidentally by a hotel guest who mistakes him for an intruder in his room.

Following this iconic role, he went on to appear in The Last of Us as yet another character who ends up being killed off on-screen – albeit in a rather more unfunny way.

‘I don’t know why I die a lot on the screen, but you know, I’m not mad at it. My character in White Lotus dies at the end, and there’s something very right about that,’ he told Metro.

‘And there’s something great in a way of that’s the life of that character in that one season. Some of the other characters could come back. He couldn’t like, he’s gone.’

He then joked: ‘I mean, it’s a little scary because then you’re like, I’m now unemployed, but also it’s like, now I get to go on to the next adventure.

‘But when it starts to happen again and again, you’re like, “man, I better bring something different this time, I guess,” seeing as I’ve already died several times.’

While discussing his White Lotus character – best known for some of his more unhinged behaviour – he admitted that the season one cast were lucky that they got to set the bar for shock value in the show.

‘Because it was the first season, no one knew what to expect. And so the sort of surprise factor to those shocking scenes was new.

‘Now you kind of expect that there’s going to be those things that set quite a high bar for shock.

‘We were fortunate in that we were the sort of pioneers of the shock value of The White Lotus. I feel very lucky to be part of that. And I got quite a good helping of those shocking scenes.’

Murray is gearing up for even more shocking scenes as he is set to star in A24’s new movie Opus with Ayo Edeberi and John Malkovich.

The film focuses on a group of journalists who are invited to pop sensation Alfred Moretti’s home to hear about his grand return to music. Of course, things take a very sinister turn and it appears that the group is very much in danger.

Murray stars in the film as Stan Sullivan, a music editor who works alongside Ayo’s character Ariel Ecton and takes every opportunity to dismiss her ideas and put her down.

Speaking about Stan, the actor revealed that the director – Mark Anthony Green – based the character on a real person.

‘He was sort of based on someone who started and ran the Rolling Stone for a very long time. And not specifically, just a compilation of those kind of guys that are sort of in that old boys’ club.

‘The ones that have been in the music business for a long, long time. And, you know, feel kind of entitled in their position.’

He added: ‘There’s a kind of arrogance and a bit of a patronising, you know, misogynistic kind of vibe, that we were sort of hoping to get.’

The actor revealed that he wasn’t even meant to be involved in the project, but was won over by the incredible director.

‘I was meant to leave and go to Australia and see my family. And then the film came up, and he [Anthony Green] talked me into doing the film, because he’s so incredibly charming and I really loved the material.’

Opus’ message is a criticism of celebrity-obsessed culture, which Murray argues is ‘really worth looking at at the moment’.

‘The film brings up about celebrity culture and how we treat celebrities, and how and people in power like that, that we kind of can tend to deify them or put them on a pedestal.’

He explained that it can be dangerous as it means that if they do something ‘crazy or unacceptable’, we just ‘laugh it off or think of it as a quirk’.

‘The way that we view celebrities in our kind of, you know, obsession with celebrity is fascinating to look at.

‘The film kind of plays with those ideas, and also the flip side of it, as a celebrity, what does that do to you? How does that feel?

‘Celebrity culture is very fickle. So, you know, one day you can be, you know, top of the world, and the next day people are tearing you down.’

Murray has seen his fame increase dramatically in recent years but has found that for him it’s a ‘lovely thing’ as ‘it’s not at a level where it’s sort of out of control.’

‘I love if people respond to my work or it has some sort of resonance with them. Yeah, it’s not, it’s not a, it’s not a bad thing for me.’

He added that he still finds award shows ‘trippy’ and running into big-name celebrities is still rather exciting, but fame is something to always be ‘mindful’ of as an actor.

How does he manage fame? ‘I advise living in the woods.’

He jokes: ‘I mean, I’m very big in the squirrel community. I think they know me, but they’re very respectful.’

Opus is released in cinemas on March 14.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Sharon Stone has fired back claiming she was ‘unexpectedly’ dropped from sequel movie Another Simple Favor ‘for no reason.’

The Basic Instinct actor, 67, made the sensational claim in the comments of an E! News Instagram video about the allegations of a feud between the film’s leading ladies Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick.

In her comment, Stone alleged that she was cast and then removed from a role in the sequel.

‘I LOVED being cast and removed from my role unexpectedly for no reason at all LOVED it,’ she wrote, adding three clapping emoji.

Stone’s casting hadn’t previously been reported and it’s not known what role she was allegedly due to play.

However, Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins, who are also in their 60s, portray the new characters Margaret McLinden and Aunt Linda McLanden in the film.

Another Simple Favor, directed by Paul Feig, is the follow-up to 2018’s A Simple Favor, in which Lively played a con artist named Emily and Kendrick portrayed parenting vlogger Stephanie.

The sequel takes place in the Italian Riviera, where an extravagant wedding unravels into a murder mystery, and features returning stars Henry Golding and Andrew Rannells as well as Italian actor Michele Morrone as Lively’s love interest.

Rumours of a feud between Lively and Kendrick began following the film’s premiere at SXSW in Texas on March 7 due to the Pitch Perfect star’s body language, her unenthusiastic responses in interviews and the lack of photos of the duo together on the red carpet.

However, Feig swiftly shut down the speculation on social media, insisting it wasn’t true, while the former Gossip Girl star included pictures of Kendrick in her Instagram photo round-up of the premiere.

Feig was also forced to silence rumours the film had been cancelled amid Lively’s ongoing lawsuit with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni.

‘This is total BS. Sorry. The movie is finished and coming out soon,’ he said.

The Freaks and Geeks creator added: ‘Don’t believe anything you read on social media these days.’

The original poster, Eric B, hit back at Feig and doubled down that it had been cancelled, leading to the Bridesmaid director opening up on the film’s post-production schedule.

Feig wrote: ‘My friend, it’s called post-production, which generally takes over half a year at least when you factor in editing, scoring, special effects, sound mixing, close captioning and all the technical quality control that has to be done.

‘Our post schedule always had us finishing everything by mid-January. Movies don’t come out the second they’re finished because the studio spends the previous year deciding the best date to release it.

‘We’ve always planned on something in the spring/summer of this year. That’s how movies work. I hope this helps.’

The messy legal battle involving Lively, Baldoni, Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times has continued to escalate.

Gossip Girl star Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment as well as orchestrating a smear campaign against her.

Jane The Virgin actor Baldoni has sued the New York Times and reportedly plans to countersue Lively, claiming he was bullied by herself and her husband.

Another Simple Favor will be released on Prime Video on May 1.

Metro has contacted representatives for Sharon Stone and Paul Feig for comment.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

With the weekend now in touching distance, many of us will be looking for films to binge-watch for the ultimate lazy day.

It can be hard to find the perfect title among a sea of streaming services, but one social media platform can prove vital in curating your watchlist.

Letterboxd is a platform made by film fans, for film fans, where you can share your latest watches, review films, and much more.

As such, it’s the perfect place to find the perfect movie based on Letterboxd’s top-rated films in numerous genres, from horror films to comedy and heart-racing thrillers.

Here, we take a look at what Letterboxd users have deemed the best thriller films – discounting David Lynch’s iconic series Twin Peaks, which came out on top despite not being a movie.

But Twin Peaks aside (sorry, Agent Cooper), these are the top 10 thriller films of all time according to Letterboxd – get your watchlist at the ready.

10. Rear Window (1954)

Kicking off our top 10 we have Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Rear Window.

Starring silver screen icons James Stewart and Grace Kelly, it follows photojournalist L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies who is bound to a wheelchair after injuring his foot.

While stuck in his apartment recovering from his injuries, he observes his neighbours and believes he witnessed the murder of a young woman by costume jewellery salesman Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr).

9. Oldboy (2003)

Park Chan-wook appears on this list more than once, first entering the fray with the acclaimed 2003 thriller Oldboy.

Loosely adapted from the manga novel of the same name, it follows the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) who is released from captivity after being abducted 15 years prior by an unknown assailant.

He is hellbent on seeking revenge against his captor, tracking him down with the help of young sushi chef Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung) who he falls in love with.

8. Perfect Blue (1997)

Inspiring creatives from Darren Aronofsky to Madonna, Perfect Blue is a terrifying animated thriller from Japanese director Satoshi Kon.

The plot centres on Mima Kirigoe (Junko Iwao) who leaves J-pop group CHAM! to pursue an acting career.

Soon after landing her first major film role, she becomes the victim of an obsessive fan stalking her, losing her grip on reality as a series of murders take place in the area.

7. The Handmaiden (2016)

Park Chan-wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden shocked unsuspecting viewers at the time of its release – and it’s easy to see why.

Set in 1930s Korea during a period of Japanese occupation, Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) is hired as the handmaiden to Japanese heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) by Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) who tasks Sook-hee with convincing Lady Hideko to marry him.

While living with Lady Hideko and her domineering uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong), the women begin to explore unexpected feelings toward one another.

6. Memories of Murder (2003)

A series of murders that went unsolved for 30 years inspired the plot of Bong Joon-ho’s gripping 2003 thriller Memories of Murder.

In the film, detectives Park Doo-man (Kang-ho Song) and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) investigate a series of rapes and murders that take place in Hwaesong, South Korea, in the 1980s.

It is based on the real-life crimes of Lee Choon-jae who eventually confessed to killing 14 people in 2019 – 16 years after Memories of Murder was released.

5. Woman in the Dunes (1964)

Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes kicks off our top five.

It stars Eiji Okada, Kyōko Kishida, and Kōji Mitsui, and follows the story of amateur entomologist Niki Junpei (Okada) who travels to a rural coastal village to inspect tiger beetles.

He settles in the house of an unidentified window (Kishida) after missing his bus home, but soon realises his being stranded in the village is no accident.

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s Golden Globe-winning superhero flick The Dark Knight feels somewhat out of place, but it sits at number four on Letterboxd’s top-rated thriller films.

The Batman Begins sequel features an all-star cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and the late Heath Ledger in one of his most revered roles as The Joker.

Batman (Bale) teams up with police lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman) and district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to tackle crime in Gotham City, but their efforts are cut short by anarchist criminal The Joker who plunges the city into chaos.

3. Le Trou (1963)

Jacques Becker directed French crime thriller Le Trou in 1960 based on José Giovanni’s 1957 book The Break.

The film begins with prisoner Claude Gaspard (Mark Michel) moving into the cell of Geo Cassine (Michel Constantin), Roland Darbant (Jean Keraudy), Manu Borelli (Philippe Leroy), and Vossellin (Raymond Meunier).

They let Claude in on a secret plant they have hatched which involves them literally digging out of prison to freedom.

2. Parasite (2019)

Many film fans have been revisiting the Oscar-winning hit Parasite following the release of Bong Joon-ho’s most recent release, Mickey 17.

Boasting a huge 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the revered 2019 thriller follows the struggling Kim family, including couple Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) and Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), their daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam), and son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik).

When Ki-woo lands a lucrative job for the wealthy Park family, the Kims hatch a scheme to secure jobs from each family member while concealing their real identities.

1. High and Low (1963)

In the number one spot is Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, a Golden Globe nominee which has been highly influential in the police procedural genre.

High and Low tells the story of Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), a businessman struggling for control over a major shoe company.

He plans to buy out the company with his life savings, but his plan is thrown into disarray when a group led by Ginjirо̄ Takeuchi (Yamazaki) mistakenly kidnap his chauffeur’s son to ransom him.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Consider this your official warning: ‘One of the best movies of the century’ is about to disappear from Amazon Prime.

It’s hard to imagine a life without social media, particularly Facebook, which is maybe why The Social Network—a film based on the platform’s creation—is such a fan favourite.

Starring Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Jesse Eisenberg, the 2010 movie has long been loved by fans, but it’s earning quite a lot of praise recently as many flock to watch it before it leaves its current streaming service home.

The film, which will depart the streamer on Monday, March 24, follows Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse, 41, as he creates a social media site for himself and his fellow students at Harvard University.

Once it’s up and running, he and his business partner, Eduardo Saverin, played by Andrew, 41, watch as their creation turns into a global success, riding the high before then, having to ride a low as the Winklevoss twins, played by Armie Hammer, file a lawsuit claiming the now tech giant stole their concept.

It’s a captivating story in itself, but the fictionalised retelling by the actors and director David Fincher was an immediate winner with fans and critics, going on to earn Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Original Score in 2011.

It also holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many calling it a ‘top ten’ and a ‘classic masterpiece’.

‘This is a “Top Ten” film for me. The performances, direction, cinematography, score, and of course, the incredible Aaron Sorkin screenplay make this film a classic,’ Brandon Collins wrote on the film and TV rating website.

Tina Kakadelis added: ‘The Social Network will go down as one of the best movies of the 21st century, and potentially one of the best movies of all time. It’s Sorkin, Fincher, Eisenberg, and Garfield all at the top of their game.’

‘A tight and intriguing two hours of cinema, which despite its subject matter, manages to remain entertaining and thought provoking throughout,’ Lee Cassanell wrote.

Over on X, @rach_is_talking wrote: ‘The Social Network is the platonic ideal of a movie.’

@nightwingfiim also contributed, writing: ‘If a movie like The Social Network came out today, it would be a frontrunner for best picture easily.’

Critics and fans aren’t the only ones the movie impressed, either. Film heavyweight Quentin Tarantino also enjoyed what it had to offer and told the French film magazine Premiere in 2010, according to Surrey Live: ‘It is number one because it’s the best, that’s all! It crushes all the competition.’

The Social Network has been available to Amazon Prime customers for a while now. However, changes are on the way, and in just 10 short days, it will no longer be an option on the streamer.

Thankfully, it’s not gone from the internet for good. It remains unclear who exactly will take over streaming rights, but the film is available to purchase or rent on Apple TV and Sky for UK viewers.

The Social Network is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

A wild and twisty thriller film has arrived on a completely free streaming service and it has left viewers ‘screaming.’

Invasive, directed by Jem Garrard, follows Kay (Khosi Ngema), a grieving woman squatting in the secluded mountain home of billionaire Pierce (Francis Chouler).

But when Pierce returns home early, Kay’s life is on the line when she discovers there is more to the pharmaceutical boss than meets the eye.

The tense and gripping thriller is available to stream right now on Tubi after flying until the radar upon its release last year.

It has too few reviews to land a Rotten Tomatoes score, but it has had viewers raving about its ‘wild’ plot online.

‘Invasive on tubi was definitely a good movie,’ Jamaira wrote on X.

Foxy8News added: ‘Invasive on tubi yall 10/10 I had to run it back but it’s good.’

TruthfulJai thought it was ‘definitely worth the watch’, while Jamialaray dubbed it a ‘must watch.’

Some compared it to iconic 1960 thriller Psycho, and others said Pierce reminded them of legendary American Psycho villain Patrick Bateman.

‘A well-done cat-and-mouse thriller that moves at a fairly brisk pace. Once it gets going it hardly stops to catch its breath,’ Moviemankev surmised.

Others remarked on how ‘crazy’ and ‘violent’ the unsuspecting film is, with Therealteajah commenting: ‘I’ve never seen such a graphic movie like Invasive on Tubi before …’

It was reported by Collider last year that a sequel to Invasive was on the way.

The publication states Ngema will reprise her role as Kay for Invasive 2: Getaway, which will take place following the events of the first film.

The plot is set to see Kay ‘join her father for a retreat to a secluded island. Seemingly putting the events of the lavish mansion behind them, they dedicate the trip to some much-needed father-daughter bonding.

‘However, their fun soon turns into yet another fight for survival.’

A release date has not yet been confirmed, but it is slated to hit Tubi this year.

Invasive is available to stream now on Tubi.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.