2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) San Francisco 49ers (6-0) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

3.(3) Minnesota Vikings (5-0) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

4.(4) Buffalo Bills (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Bye

5.(7) Denver Broncos (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

6.(11) New England Patriots (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears

7.(12) Chicago Bears (4-2) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots

8.(6) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Bye

9.(8) Baltimore Ravens (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

10.(10) Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

11.(15) Green Bay Packers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Detroit Lions

12.(5) Seattle Seahawks (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

13.(13) Detroit Lions (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers

14.(14) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints

15.(16) Carolina Panthers (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

16.(17) Cleveland Browns (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans

17.(23) Houston Texans (2-4) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants

18.(9) Los Angeles Rams (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

19.(19) Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

20.(18) Atlanta Falcons (2-4) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

21.(20) New York Giants (3-2-1) Week 7 opponent: Houston Texans

22.(28) New Orleans Saints (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

23.(21) Dallas Cowboys (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

24.(24) New York Jets (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins

25.(22) Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

26.(29) Arizona Cardinals (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos

27.(25) Indianapolis Colts (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

28.(26) Washington Commanders (1-4-1) Week 7 opponent: Bye

29.(27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Carolina Panthers

30.(31) Tennessee Titans (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Cleveland Browns

31.(30) Los Angeles Chargers (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Bye

32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-5) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets

Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2026 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

It was quite the QB duel in London between C.J Stroud and Lawrence on Sunday and while the Texans ultimately won the game on a Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal at the end of regulation, Lawrence (306 YDS, 4 TD's, INT, 11 Rushing YDS) proved to be the top dog in fantasy. The Jaguars franchise quarterback has been an up-and-down QB1 play through 6 weeks, and his owners will be hoping for a little more consistency after his Week 7 bye. 

Honorable Mentions: Tyler Shough (Saints), Drake Maye (Patriots), C.J. Stroud (Texans)

Biggest Loser: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Mahomes had a largely uneventful showing against the completely aloof and defeated Chargers, throwing for 272 scoreless YDS, an INT and picking up 16 YDS on the ground as the Chiefs cruised to victory. He'll be a questionable starting option for this week's tough road game in Seattle. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Matthew Stafford (Rams), Brock Purdy (49ers)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs)

In a shocking development coming off the bye, The Chiefs offense once again ran through Walker. Their big free agent pickup needed just 21 touches (19 carries, 2 receptions) to hang 139 scrimmage YDS and 2 rushing TD's on the Chargers abysmal defense. Walker has been unstoppable to start 2026 and his old friends on the Seahawks are going to have put together one hell of showing in order to become the first defense this season to slow him down. 

Honorable Mentions: James Cook (Bills), Bhayshul Tuten (Jaguars), D'Andre Swift (Bears)

Biggest Loser: Derrick Henry (Ravens)

The Browns defense took advantage of the Ravens banged-up offensive line and Tyler Huntley's presence under center and completely stifled Henry-holding him to 58 YDS on 17 carries and forcing him to lose a huge fumble in the 4th quarter that led to the only TD they scored in their 13-10 upset victory. Henry's weekly YPC hasn't exceeded 4.3 YDS since his Week 1 eruption over the Colts, and he could have a tough time returning to his top form this week against a Bengals defense that has been pretty stingy thus far. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Bucky Irving (Buccaneers), Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Tre Tucker (Raiders)

One of this week's top wire targets delivered in a big way, torching the Bills poor secondary for 97 YDS and 2 TD's on 5 receptions. While it's unlikely that he'll turn into a weekly starting option with Brock Bowers gobbling up so many targets from Kirk Cousins, Tucker's status as the Raiders de facto WR1 and explosive play ability should be enough to keep him rostered in most leagues moving forward. 

Honorable Mentions: Malik Nabers (Giants), Germie Bernard (Steelers), Matthew Golden (Packers)

Biggest Loser: A.J. Brown (Patriots)

It was an ugly return to action for Brown, who was activated from IR on Saturday morning after missing 4 games with a high ankle sprain. The Patriots wideout dropped 5 (!) passes and showed an alarming lack of chemistry with Drake Maye as he finished with just 3 catches for 27 YDS in a win over the Jets. Until Brown shows some form of life with his new team, he should be riding the bench in all leagues that have 12 teams or less. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Broncos), Michael Wilson (Cardinals), Denzel Boston (Browns)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Isaiah Likely (Giants)

An in-game QB change didn't impact Likely in the slightest as negative gamescript caused the Giants to throw the ball like crazy in the second half as they attempted to (and just fell short) off pulling a crazy comeback win over the Saints. While Malik Nabers was the top dog in both receptions and YDS, Likely found the endzone, was on the receiving end of a 2 PT-CNV and turned his 6 receptions into an excellent 99 YDS. Whether it's Jameis Winston or J.J. McCarthy under center for the Giants on Sunday against the Texans, Likely will remain a must-start TE1. 

Honorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Colston Loveland (Bears), George Kittle (49ers)

Biggest Loser: Juwan Johnson (Saints)

It was an odd day for the Saints offense as Tyler Shough threw for 3 TD's but only completed 15 passes for 144 YDS and turned to their running game down the stretch as they jumped out to a 34-10 lead with 11:31 left in the game. This unique situation left Johnson completely out in the cold as he failed to catch either of the targets that came his way and put together his 2nd straight dud after being a top fantasy TE through the opening 4 weeks of the season. Johnson will look to return to fantasy relevancy in Week 7 when the Saints travel over to Paris to take on the Steelers. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Chiefs

The Chargers anemic offense got completely picked apart by Steve Spagnuolo on Sunday, registering 4 sacks, an INT and fumble recovery in a commanding 22-6 win for the still undefeated Chiefs. This strong fantasy D/ST has another plus matchup in Week 7 against a Seahawks team that has struggled with allowing sacks and giveaways of late.

Honorable Mentions: Broncos, Steelers, Ravens

Biggest Loser: Texans

As you can safely assume, the aforementioned great play of C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence were coupled with dismal showings from their respective defenses. Despite them being good enough on the last drive to help secure the win, Lawrence's status as the top fantasy QB made the Texans a slightly weaker option. They were held without a sack for the 1st time this season and a redzone INT by Calen Bullock proved to be their lone fantasy highlight in the 34-31 victory. A return to the top of the board is very much in play in Week 7 as they face a Giants team that has turned the ball over an absurd 9 times in their past 3 games. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks

Eric André Ranked

 Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Eric André-whose latest project "Street Fighter" releases in theaters today.

Eric André's Filmography Ranked:

12.The Lion King (D+)

11.Balls Up (C-)

10.I Love Boosters (C-)

9.The Internship (B-)

8.Happy Gilmore 2 (B-)

7.Little Brother (B)

6.Jackass 4.5 (B+)

5.Rough Night (B+)

4.The Mitchells vs. the Machines (B+)

3.Bad Trip (A)

2.Jackass Forever (A)

1.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (A)

Top Dog: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

The brutal commercial failure of Popstar nine years after Hot Rod faceplanted at the box office has effectively killed any chance of The Lonely Island getting the opportunity to make another movie. If Popstar does prove to be the last time the comedy trio get to make a movie together, at least they went out with a bang. Parodying the record label PR-driven music documentaries of the early-to-mid 2010's provided them with the perfect vehicle for their goofy absurdist sense of humor and it leads to some of the funniest songs/situational comedy they've ever written. Special shoutout to them for recognizing that Tim Meadows is one of the funniest people alive and handing him a role that allows him to show that off in literally every scene he's in. 

Bottom Feeder: The Lion King (2019)

Of all the Disney "live action" remakes that I've seen, this is the most soulless and useless. This film feeling like it's about 20 minutes long despite being nearly a half hour longer than the original is a magic trick so grand that it would blow Criss Angel's mind. Guess that's just the power of recreating all of the major scenes from the animated version via CGI without injecting any of the emotion or colorful visuals that made them so special in the first place. 

Most Underrated: Bad Trip (2021)

Handing André a real budget to do his chaotic hidden camera pranks and weaving in a simple but effective road trip narrative to tie them all together leads to easily one of the funniest movies released this decade. It sucks that Bad Trip ended up being a COVID streaming casualty (the pre-Amazon acquistion MGM regime sold it off to Netflix in May 2020) because this would've ripped even harder in a theater full of degenerate André fans.

Most Overrated: I Love Boosters (2026)

This isn't the fairest inclusion as the reception hasn't been particularly rapturous and it didn't even hit $10 million during its box office run this spring/summer. However, I Love Boosters has just enough cache in cinephile circles to push into this spot. I've been very vocal about my disdain for Boots Riley's debut Sorry to Bother You and while this is certainly an improvement over that obnoxious trainwreck, it's still an unfocused and mostly unfunny satire that can't parlay its good politics into a good movie. 

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) San Francisco 49ers (5-0) Week 6 opponent: Washington Commanders

2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

3.(4) Minnesota Vikings (5-0) Week 6 opponent: Bye

4.(5) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

5.(3) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos

6.(7) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans

7.(9) Denver Broncos (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

8.(10) Baltimore Ravens (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns

9.(8) Los Angeles Rams (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

10.(11) Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye

11.(14) New England Patriots (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets

12.(6) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

13.(19) Detroit Lions (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye

14.(20) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

15.(23) Green Bay Packers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

16.(16) Carolina Panthers (2-2) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

17.(12) Cleveland Browns (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

18.(17) Atlanta Falcons (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Chicago Bears

19.(13) Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Buffalo Bills

20.(22) New York Giants (3-1-1) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints

21.(15) Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers

22.(21) Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers

23.(25) Houston Texans (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

24.(26) New York Jets (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots

25.(18) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans

26.(27) Washington Commanders (1-3-1) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

27.(30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

28.(24) New Orleans Saints (1-4) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants

29.(28) Arizona Cardinals (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

30.(29) Los Angeles Chargers (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

31.(31) Tennessee Titans (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Bye

Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2026 Edition

 Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Drake Maye (Patriots)

Remarkably, Maye was even better in Week 5 against the Raiders than he was in Week 4 against the Bills. The Patriots quarterback was dialed in from the jump, slicing through the Raiders defense for 398 total YDS (374 passing 25 rushing) and 5 scores. Best of all, he didn't the turn ball over after logging a league-high 9 giveaways through the opening 4 games. Maye will hope to make it 3 great showings in a row when the Jets come to Gilette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Honorable Mentions: Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Jared Goff (Lions), Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals)

Biggest Loser: Tyler Shough (Saints)

Frankly, Shough didn't stand much of a chance squaring off against the Vikings ferocious defense behind a makeshift offensive line and the results were predictably awful. Being under siege all day and having to rely on sheer gunslinging desperation to try and move the ball downfield led Shough to produce one of the worst lines you'll see from a starting QB this season (96 YDS, 0 TD's, 2 INT's). He's a terrific bounceback candidate for Week 6 against a Giants defense that has had its share of struggles defending the pass so far this season.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Bo Nix (Broncos)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

After a very quiet showing by his lofty standards against the Panthers last week, Gibbs returned to his normal elite form by absolutely obliterating the Cardinals defense (207 scrimmage YDS and 2 rushing TD's on 30 touches) in a blowout win for the Lions. Gibbs' owners will have to shoulder the burden of inserting a vastly inferior RB into their lineup while the dual-threat fantasy monster is on bye.

Honorable Mentions: Jaylen Warren (Steelers), Bucky Iriving (Buccaneers), Derrick Henry (Ravens)

Biggest Loser: Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals)

Gibbs' counterpart on the Cardinals offense had a much less productive outing. Love got completely stuffed on the ground, turning his 12 carries into just 22 YDS and failed to catch his only target on the day as the Cardinals pivoted to a pass-dominant attack early in the second half once the Lions blew the game wide open. Love, who is playing through the ankle injury he suffered back in training camp, will be a shaky RB2/FLEX play in Week 6 against the Rams.

Dishonorable Mentions: Chase Brown (Bengals), Omarion Hampton (Chargers), Cam Skattebo (Giants)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Puka Nacua (Rams)

While Nacua wasn't making huge splash plays against the Bills last night, Matthew Stafford was going his way on basically every other pass he threw for the entire game. The star wideout set a new career-high by hauling in 17 receptions on 24 targets, which he turned into 138 YDS and a TD as the Rams lost a heartbreaking OT shootout on their home field. Up next for Nacua is a dream matchup with the lowly Cardinals secondary. 

Honorable Mentions: Christian Watson (Packers), Parker Washington (Jaguars), Malik Nabers (Giants)

Biggest Loser: Jaylen Waddle (Broncos)

Sean Payton snatching the playcalling duties from his alleged understudy Davis Webb did nothing to help Waddle's output this week. The Broncos big offseason acquisition was once again pretty invisible despite having a favorable matchup against the Chargers, catching 2-of-5 targets for 19 YDS and gaining 9-YDS on his lone rush attempt. Waddle's next opportunity to put a stop to the incredibly underwhelming start to his Broncos career will be Thursday night against the Seahawks.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Carnell Tate (Titans), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Michael Wilson (Cardinals)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Isaiah Likely (Giants)

Likely was one of the key cogs in the Giants improbable second half comeback that led to one of the most absurd ties in NFL history against the Commanders on Sunday, hauling in a career-high 11 receptions for 94 YDS and 2 TD's. After a quiet first couple games with Jameis Winston under center, Likely has forged a strong connection with the veteran QB and it's incredibly encouraging that his target share hasn't really been impacted by Malik Nabers' return to elite form over the past couple of weeks.

Honorable Mentions: Brock Bowers (Raiders), Tyler Warren (Colts), Sam LaPorta (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns)

Deshaun Watson went back to struggling mightily in the Browns ugly Week 6 loss to the Jets and only Denzel Boston escaped unscathed from a fantasy perspective. Fannin Jr. suffered a particularly cruel fate, catching just 1-of-4 targets for 4 YDS on the day. The talented 2nd year tight end could find himself in a tough spot once again in Week 6 if Watson struggles to get anything going against a Ravens defense that is starting gain confidence after back-to-back strong showings. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Dalton Kincaid (Bills), Colston Loveland (Bears), Juwan Johnson (Saints)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Texans

After 5 weeks, the Texans D/ST has finally showed off the elite form that made them the kings of this position a year ago. The porous Cam Ward-led Titans offense got completely stomped out by their division rivals from Southeast Texas, surrendering 4 sacks, an interception and fumble recovery in a 26-3 loss. The Texans are going to have to dig deep to put up another strong performance this week when they travel to London to take on the AFC South-leading Jaguars.

Honorable Mentions: Broncos, Vikings, Bengals

Biggest Loser: Rams

Neither defense looked particularly good -especially in the second half and OT-during the back-and-forth battle between the Rams and Bills last night, but the losing team was the only one that was owned/played by a good amount of fantasy players. While Chris Shula's group did get a sack, INT and fumble recovery, any good they did was undone by the fact that they had allowed 37 points by the time the final whistle blew. Fortunately for them, redemption could be imminent as they're set to square off with the reeling 1-4 Cardinals in Week 6. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaguars, Steelers, Cowboys

Quick Movie Reviews: Verity, Other Mommy, The Social Reckoning

Verity: There's a serious conundrum that exists at the core of Verity that largely dictated how I ended up feeling about it: It's committed enough to its trashiness to go down as a competent wine mom psychological thriller but restrained enough to make you wonder why they refused to crank up the volume of the camp. Who is the main culprit behind Verity's miscalculated timid streak? Well, it's definitely not the cast. Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett do a pretty good job of selling the slowly escalating flirtation that turns into a tryst that really puts their characters into a jam that they're going to have a hard time wiggling out of while Anne Hathaway relishes the opportunity to chew up some scenery as the titular author who brings all these crazy kids together whenever she's liberated from the catatonic state she spends most of the film in. Screenwriter Nick Antosca also deserves to be (mostly) exonerated. While his script definitely runs into some roadblocks as it lays out its absurd plot that's reverse engineered to inspire debate about the reality of what transpired in the film once the big twist is revealed, but the blueprint for fun trash never falls out of sight and it even becomes pretty fully realized when the temperature finally rises from slightly simmering to a decent boil in the final act. This narrows the suspect list down to one person and he is indeed the guilty party: director Michael Showwalter. Unlike his fellow comedy vet Paul Feig-who pretty seamlessly adapted to this world with his efforts on A Simple Favor and The Housemaid, Showalter has no feel for composing the twisty, trashy rhythms a film like this requires to thrive. His direction is far too icy and distant for such an in-your-face story, and his low energy approach bogs the movie down until the sheer ridiculousness of the material becomes so powerful that it drags his overmatched ass across the finish line despite his best efforts to halt the momentum. Seeing his name pop up in the end credits felt like watching Landry Shamet celebrate on the floor when the Knicks won the title back in June: He may have been on the floor a lot, but he didn't ultimately contribute much of anything to the winning effort. If Showalter has any interest in coming back to direct something like again, he's going to need get back in the gym and work on his jumper (and by jumper, I of course mean not being afraid to go for broke when making a movie that's designed to be a larger-than-life carnival of unapologetically silly excess). 

Grade: B-

Other Mommy: Rob Savage has made a movie that is so breathless that there's basically no time to think about its underwritten story, goofy CGI or predictable scare patterns. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that Other Mommy takes maybe five minutes to introduce its shape-shifting demonic entity that takes the form of a lonely, unhappy seven-year-old girl's (Arabella Olivia Clark) mother (Jessica Chastain) and never takes its foot off the gas until the credits roll roughly 85 minutes later. The sheer relentlessness of the entire affair paired with the solid performances from Chastain and Clark and Savage's inspired stylized shot compositions that features plenty of playful camerawork made this a nice October diversion.

Grade: B-

The Social Reckoning: Drawing constant comparisons to The Social Network was the inevitable fate that Aaron Sorkin created for himself when he elected to revisit the impact Mark Zuckerberg has made on our society for The Social Reckoning. Having to live in the shadow of a beloved, era-defining piece of cinema is a frankly a no-win game, especially when this new film that has been accurately described as more of a companion piece than an actual sequel is a telling a much drier, less cinematic story and sees Sorkin himself taking over for David Fincher in the director's chair. Despite these albatrosses looming large over the project, Sorkin is able to forge ahead and make something worthwhile.

Underneath all of the tech jargon and creative liberties Sorkin takes to push forth this narrative centered around Facebook data engineer's Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) unexpected journey to becoming a reluctant whistleblower after she contacts Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) upon discovering how the company's changes to its algorithm that were aimed to increase time spent on the platform led to a significant jump in the spread of misinformation, hate speech, etc,  The Social Reckoning paints a pretty damning picture of how much social media companies have helped erode the concept of truth in our world. While the revelations in The Social Reckoning aren't overly surprising to anyone who uses the internet and/or has experience talking to people who've been radicalized by reading fabricated ragebait/fearmongering stories masquerading as fact-based reporting online , it's still chilling to watch a movie that lays out how the people running these platforms knowingly sold out the well-being of the world just to collect bigger checks and endear themselves to politicians who would support the further deregulation of their industry. There was part of me that was concerned that Sorkin was going to paint Haugen's whistleblowing efforts as a bigger triumph than they actually were once she finally decides to go on the record late in the movie. To my surprise, he instead decided to soberly acknowledges that while she did inflict some financial/PR damage to Zuckerberg's empire, she failed to topple the behemoth of unchecked toxicity and lies that serve as the main drivers of his platforms. Framing Haugen and Horwitz's work on the story that became known as The Facebook Files as merely a small victory in a larger war that may or may not be able to be won strengthened everything that came before it and confirmed that Sorkin is much less naive about what truth actually means in today's society than some other of the AARP-aged filmmakers out there today. A solid, well-acted (in addition to Madison and White's strong work in the lead roles, Jeremy Strong's fragile, deeply pathetic take on Zuckerberg is kind of mesmerizing and Betty Glipin threatens to steal the show in her limited screen time as Horwitz's snarky hardass editor at The Wall Street Journal) journalism movie was the best-case scenario for this project and I hope that this won't be the last time that Sorkin gets the chance to sit in the director's chair. 

Grade: B

Way Too Early Oscar Predictions: 2026 Edition

Feel free to file this away and throw it in my face if it proves to be wildly inaccurate, but this year's Oscar races are looking a lot clearer than they usually do at this stage of the process. All of the acting categories save for Best Actor already appear to be down to fields of seven or eight contenders for the five nominations while Best Picture is starting to look like a two-horse race between Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Spanish epic drama La bola negra-which is aiming to become Netflix's first ever BP winner. Why does there appear to be so much certainty compared to the last few years where chaos reigned? I'm not quite sure, but so many heavy hitters either debuting at Cannes in May or releasing before the fall certainly feels like it played a role.

It needs to be noted that despite my belief that the field already feels relatively settled, there are still a handful of potential contenders out there including Dune: Part Three, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, Werwulf and The Mosquito Bowl that have yet to screen publicly that have the potential to shake up the landscape if they generate enough fanfare. With that important caveat now out of the way, here are my way too early predictions for the 2026 Oscars excluding Best Original Song and the Short Film categories. 

 *Indicates the predicted winner

Best Picture:

All of a Sudden

The Debut

Dune: Part Three

Fjord

The Invite

La bola negra

Obsession

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Wild Horse Nine

Best Director:

Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, La bola negra

Martin McDonagh, Wild Horse Nine

Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey*

Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Three

Olivia Wilde, The Invite

Best Actor:

Matt Damon, The Odyssey 

Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary

John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine* 

Robert Pattinson, Primetime

Andrew Scott, Elsinore 

Best Actress:

Virginie Efira, All of a Sudden

Sandra Hüller, Rose

Julianne Moore, The Debut*

Inde Navarrette, Obsession 

Olivia Wilde, The Invite

Best Supporting Actor:

Andrew Garfield, Artificial 

Paul Giamatti, The Debut*

Guitarricadelafuente, La bola negra

John Leguizamo, The Odyssey 

Sam Rockwell, Wild Horse Nine 

Best Supporting Actress:

Penélope Cruz, La bola negra

Mariana di Girolamo, Wild Horse Nine

Anne Hathaway, The Odyssey*

Samantha Morton, The Odyssey

Tao Okamoto, All of a Sudden

Best Adapted Screenplay:

All of a Sudden

The Invite

La bola negra*

The Odyssey

Project Hail Mary

Best Original Screenplay:

Artificial 

Fjord

The Debut

Obsession

Wild Horse Nine*

Best Animated Feature:

Forgotten Island

Ray Gunn

Tangles

Toy Story 5

Wildwood*

Best Documentary Feature:

American Doctor

NAZA

Nuisance Bear

Once Upon a Time in Harlem

You Can See Everything*

Best International Feature:

All of a Sudden

Fjord

La bola negra*

Minotaur

Possible Love

Best Casting:

The Debut

La bola negra

Obsession 

The Odyssey*

Wild Horse Nine

Best Cinematography:

Dune: Part Three

La bola negra

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Werwulf

Best Film Editing:

Dune: Part Three

La bola negra

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Wild Horse Nine

Best Original Score:

Behemoth!

Disclosure Day

Dune: Part Three

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Best Costume Design:

Dune: Part Three

The Odyssey* 

Sense and Sensibility

Werwulf 

Wuthering Heights

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Digger

Dune: Part Three

Michael

The Odyssey

Werwulf*

Best Production Design:

Backrooms

Dune: Part Three

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Werwulf

Best Sound:

Dune: Part Three

Godzilla Minus Zero

Michael

The Odyssey*

Project Hail Mary

Best Visual Effects:

Dune: Part Three

Godzilla Minus Zero

The Odyssey

Project Hail Mary*

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) San Francisco 49ers (4-0) Week 5 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

2.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) Week 5 opponent: Bye

3.(5) Seattle Seahawks (3-1) Week 5 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

4.(6) Minnesota Vikings (4-0) Week 5 opponent: New Orleans Saints

5.(2) Buffalo Bills (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

6.(7) Chicago Bears (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Green Bay Packers

7.(8) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

8.(10) Los Angeles Rams (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Buffalo Bills

9.(4) Denver Broncos (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

10.(11) Baltimore Ravens (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

11.(9) Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Miami Dolphins

12.(16) Cleveland Browns (3-1) Week 5 opponent: New York Jets

13.(12) Las Vegas Raiders (3-1) Week 5 opponent: New England Patriots

14.(18) New England Patriots (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

15.(17) Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

16.(21) Carolina Panthers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Bye

17.(24) Atlanta Falcons (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

18.(20) Indianapolis Colts (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

19.(13) Detroit Lions (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

20.(15) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

21.(14) Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

22.(23) New York Giants (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Washington Commanders

23.(27) Green Bay Packers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Chicago Bears

24.(19) New Orleans Saints (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

25.(25) Houston Texans (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

26.(26) New York Jets (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Cleveland Browns

27.(22) Washington Commanders (1-3) Week 5 opponent: New York Giants

28.(28) Arizona Cardinals (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Detroit Lions

29.(29) Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Denver Broncos

30.(30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

31.(31) Tennessee Titans (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Houston Texans

32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-4) Week 5 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2026 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Drake Maye (Patriots)

If you remained firm in your belief in Maye this week, you were rewarded in a big way. While it wasn't a perfect showing for the Patriots QB as he added to his obscene early season turnover total with another pick and lost fumble, he looked like the guy that finished second in MVP voting last year for the first time this season as he unleashed his full arsenal of skills (269 passing YDS and 3 TD's, 54 rushing YDS on 8 carries) on the Bills defense in an arguably season-saving upset road victory for the defending AFC champions. Maye will face an interesting test in Week 5 when the Pats return home to play a frisky Raiders defense that currently leads the league in takeaways.   

Honorable Mentions: Joe Burrow (Bengals), Bryce Young (Panthers), Jared Goff (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Matthew Stafford (Rams)

Unlike Maye and Joe Burrow, Stafford wasn't able to cancel out his turnovers (2 INT's) with TD's in a crazy comeback win over the Eagles and finished the day with 327 scoreless YDS (317 passing, 10 rushing). Stafford will look to get back in the good graces of his fantasy owners in a very favorable Week 5 matchup against a weak Bills defense that is currently being further hampered by a banged up corner group.

Dishonorable Mentions: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Kyler Murray (Vikings)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Kyren Williams (Rams)

Williams proved to be the catalyst for the Rams insane second half comeback against the Eagles, ripping off 16 carries for 80 YDS and 2 TD's and catching a whopping 10 passes for 67 YDS. Even with Blake Corum continuing to cut into his workload to varying degrees on a weekly basis, Williams has been a solid low-end RB1 option to open the 2026 season and should remain on that level for this week's game against the Bills.

Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs), Javonte Williams (Cowboys), Chuba Hubbard (Panthers)

Biggest Loser: Bucky Irving (Buccaneers)

As expected, Irving was leaned on heavily as undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels made his 1st career start in place of the injured Baker Mayfield at home against the Packers. Unfortunately, Irving only gained 61 YDS on his 16 carries, received 0 targets in the passing game and got a redzone TD vultured by Sean Tucker-who only earned 3 carries the whole game. Irving will have another chance to make a big impact against a suspect defense on Thursday night when the Bucs take on the Cowboys.

Dishonorable Mentions: D'Andre Swift (Bears), Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals), David Montgomery (Texans)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)

With Jalen Coker out of the lineup with the quad injury he suffered against the Browns last week, McMillan became the overwhelming focus of the Panthers passing attack against the Lions abysmal, injury-depleted secondary. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year wasn't just dominant; he was crazy efficient-hauling in 14-of-16 targets for 192 YDS and 2 TD's. McMillan will follow up his busy night against the Lions with some well-deserved rest this week as the Panthers head on bye. He'll have a date with the Eagles when they return to action in Week 6. 

Honorable Mentions: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Nico Collins (Texans), Puka Nacua (Rams)

Biggest Loser: Parker Washington (Jaguars)

Washington was abnormally quiet against the Bengals on Sunday, catching just 1-of-3 TGTS for 7 YDS and logging a single carry for 3 YDS as the Jags offense leaned heavily on Brenton Strange and Bhayshul Tuten in their hard-fought road win. There's no reason to believe that Washington won't be more involved this Sunday when the Jaguars head over to their second home in London to take on the Eagles. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Garrett Wilson (Jets), Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers), Josh Downs (Colts)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Sam LaPorta (Lions)

The Panthers weren't the only ones eating good in Charlotte on Sunday night. The Lions passing offense had a field day of their own against a beat-up Panthers corner group and LaPorta was the second biggest beneficiary of this explosion behind Jameson Williams (6 REC, 102 YDS) as he caught 8 balls for 84 YDS and a TD in this tough shootout loss. LaPorta could be back in this spot in Week 5 as the Lions have another terrific matchup against the Cardinals.

Honorable Mentions: Brock Bowers (Raiders), George Kittle (49ers), Tucker Kraft (Packers)

Biggest Loser: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

For the first time this season, Kelce made a minimal impact-catching just 2-of-4 targets for 15 YDS against a Raiders defense that had struggled to cover tight ends prior to this game. Kelce will have a prime opportunity to return to the TE1 ranks when the Chiefs square off against the embattled Chargers upon their return from bye in Week 6.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dalton Kincaid (Bills), Kenyon Sadiq (Jets), Dalton Schultz (Texans)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Seahawks

Speaking of the embattled Chargers, the Seahawks defense had some fun with them on Sunday. While they surprisingly allowed 23 points to Mike McDaniel's struggling offense, Mike Macdonald's group offset that damage by logging 4 sacks and 4 takeaways over the now 0-4 Bolts. The Seahawks are effectively a lock to have a much quieter day in Week 5 when they host the 4-0 49ers. 

Honorable Mentions: Vikings, Packers, Bears

Biggest Loser: Broncos

The Broncos D/ST has not gotten off to a great start this year and unsurprisingly, they weren't able to turn things around against the 49ers on the road. Their only highlight in this 24-14 loss where they failed to log any sacks or takeaways was a blocked field goal right before halftime. Despite the rash of injuries they're currently dealing with among their starters, they should be able to make some noise in Week 5 against the frequently aforementioned embattled Chargers.

Dishonorable Mentions: Texans, Bills, Chiefs

Jessica Chastain Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Jessica Chastain-whose latest project "Other Mommy" releases in theaters on Thursday. 

Jessica Chastain's Filmography Ranked:

22.The Tree of Life (F)

21.Interstellar (D+)

20.The Debt (C-)

19.Mother's Instinct (C-)

18.It: Chapter Two (C-)

17.Miss Sloane (C-)

16.The Zookeeper's Wife (C)

15.The Forgiven (B-)

14.Ava (B-)

13.The Eyes of Tammy Faye (B-)

12.Dark Phoenix (B)

11.The 355 (B)

10.The Good Nurse (B)

9.Armageddon Time (B)

8.Zero Dark Thirty (B)

7.The Help (B)

6.A Most Violent Year (B)

5.Lawless (B+)

4.The Martian (B+)

3.Crimson Peak (B+)

2.Take Shelter (B+)

1.Molly's Game (B+)

Top Dog: Molly's Game (2017)

Aaron Sorkin receives a lot of flak for the quality of his directorial output, and the volume of that discourse will surely get turned up again later this week when his latest feature The Social Reckoning inevitably fails to reach the heights of its spiritual predecessor The Social Network. While I would never argue his work as a director is on the level of his work as a writer, I do believe that he's good at the job and gets far more shit than he deserves. His debut behind the camera Molly's Game is an absorbing, energetic film that makes for a nice addition to his collection of strong legal dramas. Chastain is in top form as Molly Bloom-a former Olympic skier who made millions running high-stakes poker games in Los Angeles and New York City until she got tied up in an FBI investigation that (flimsily) tied her to the Russian mob, the story does a really good job of painting Bloom as a woman who maintained her integrity in the face of tremendous pressure from powerful forces that were trying to intimidate her into accepting a fate that she didn't deserve without letting her off the hook for some of the bad decisions that put her in this precarious position  and the dialogue often crackles with the biting wit that you've come to expect from a Sorkin script.

Bottom Feeder: The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life will never be anything more than me a pretentious snoozefest masquerading as a profound meditation on life. Terrence Malick is great at capturing imagery that belongs on the pages of National Geographic, but when these beautiful nature images are paired with dry voiceovers from Sean Penn, random bursts of melodrama and a whole of lot scenes where characters are just staring into the abyss, these snapshots of Earth's beautiful landscapes suddenly become hideous monuments to one man's obnoxious love affair with his own artistry.

Most Underrated: Crimson Peak (2015)

At this stage of his career, Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to glowing praise. He's got a trophy case full of awards including 3 Oscars and damn near everything he's made over the past 25 years has been beloved. If there's anything that I personally feel he deserves more credit for, it's Crimson Peak. Sandwiched in between the commercially successful kaiju blockbuster Pacific Rim and Best Picture winner The Shape of Water, this gothic horror romance has managed to become a footnote in del Toro's filmography. While it's not quite as full of wonder or heart as his finest work, it's still a great movie filled with eerie haunted house atmospherics, lush visuals/production design and fun twists that add a dash of campy madness to an otherwise classical horror tale.

Most Overrated: Interstellar (2014)

Some asshole out there has to think that Interstellar sucks and that asshole is me. Christopher Nolan completely flounders in his attempt to make a sentimental ode to fatherhood with this laughably corny, overlong and dull sci-fi epic. 

Josh Hartnett Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Josh Hartnett-whose latest project "Verity" releases in theaters today.

Josh Hartnett's Filmography Ranked:

15.Pearl Harbor (D)

14.40 Days and 40 Nights (D+)

13.Wicker Park (C-)

12.Hollywood Homicide (C)

11.Trap (C)

10.The Virgin Sucides (B-)

9.The Faculty (B-)

8.Fight or Flight (B)

7.30 Days of Night (B)

6.Oppenheimer (B)

5.Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (B)

4.Black Hawk Down (B)

3.Lucky Number Slevin (B)

2.Wrath of Man (B+)

1.Sin City (A+)

Top Dog: Sin City (2005)

Seeing Sin City at 13 years old was sincerely one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. The meticulously crafted black-and-white visuals that feel like they're ripped from the pages of its graphic novel source material, immersive sleazy noir atmosphere and outstanding performances from the veteran actors (Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Powers Boothe are the top standouts to me) who were tasked with bringing this collection of mortally dubious characters to life will never cease to blow me away. Plus, the whole thing is just relentlessly cool and badass. 

Bottom Feeder: Pearl Harbor (2001)

Any regular reader of this blog is aware that I'm an ardent defender of the work of Michael Bay. However, there are a smattering of titles of his that I won't go to bat for and Pearl Harbor tops that list. While Bay's maximalist action proficiency come out in full force when the time comes to stage the attack, the rest of the movie is a melodramatic slog driven by a love triangle between Kate Beckinsale, Ben Affleck and Hartnett that is so relentlessly flat that it's borderline psychotic that so much of the film's attempts at building up emotional weight are centered around it.  

Most Underrated: Wrath of Man (2021)

Even Ridley Scott would be stunned by the ridiculous level of output Guy Ritchie has produced during the 2020's. Over the last 6 years, the 58-year-old British icon has released 7 movies, has another 2 that are already shot and awaiting release and is currently involved in 3 television series in some capacity. When it comes to the movie slice of this insanely large creative pie, I believe that Wrath of Man is the best of the bunch. Ritchie reuniting with Jason Statham for the first time since 2005's Revolver provided him with enough of a creative jolt to break free from his quippy crime comedy mold and make a propulsive heist movie that prioritizes meathead grit over snarky levity. 

Most Overrated: Oppenheimer (2023)

There's really not much to say here that I haven't said ad nauseum recently. Oppenheimer is a textbook example of Christopher Nolan undercutting his gift for delivering top-notch spectacle with his overly cute non-linear storytelling, questionable writing of every single major supporting character and steadfast refusal to use ADR during scenes where there's a shitload of background noise that drowns out the dialogue. 

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(2) San Francisco 49ers (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Denver Broncos

2.(3) Buffalo Bills (3-0) Week 4 opponent: New England Patriots

3.(4) Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

4.(10) Denver Broncos (2-1) Week 4 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

5.(1) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

6.(8) Minnesota Vikings (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Miami Dolphins

7.(12) Chicago Bears (2-1) Week 4 opponent: New York Jets

8.(11) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

9.(5) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

10.(6) Los Angeles Rams (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

11.(13) Baltimore Ravens (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Tennessee Titans

12.(18) Las Vegas Raiders (3-0) Week 4 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

13.(20) Detroit Lions (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Carolina Panthers

14.(9) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

15.(22) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Cleveland Browns

16.(25) Cleveland Browns (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

17.(16) Dallas Cowboys (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Houston Texans

18.(7) New England Patriots (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Buffalo Bills

19.(14) New Orleans Saints (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

20.(24) Indianapolis Colts (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Washington Commanders

21.(15) Carolina Panthers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Detroit Lions

22.(28) Washington Commanders (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

23.(23) New York Giants (2-1) Week 4 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

24.(31) Atlanta Falcons (1-2) Week 4 opponent: New Orleans Saints

25.(19) Houston Texans (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

26.(21) New York Jets (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Chicago Bears

27.(17) Green Bay Packers (1-2) Week 4 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28.(26) Arizona Cardinals (1-2) Week 4 opponent: New York Giants

29.(27) Los Angeles Chargers (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

30.(29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Green Bay Packers

31.(30) Tennessee Titans (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-3) Week 4 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

Week 3 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2026 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Brock Purdy (49ers)

While the 49ers certainly weren't in top form in their win over the Cardinals, their QB sure was. Purdy erupted for 297 YDS and 4 TD's through the air and gained an impressive 34 YDS on the ground on just 2 carries. The Brockstar is off to a good start to 2026 and is probably worth starting in most leagues against the Broncos in Week 4.

Honorable Mentions: Tyler Shough (Saints), Bo Nix (Broncos), Matthew Stafford (Rams)

Biggest Loser: Drake Maye (Patriots)

If you weren't already panicking about Maye, now is the time to start. The reigning MVP runner up outdid his poor showings in the opening pair of games with an absolutely dreadful performance down in Jacksonville (199 YDS, 0 TD's, 2 INT, 18 Rushing YDS, FUM Lost) as the Patriots got run over by the Jaguars. Maye's odds of finally getting out of the gutter in Week 4 aren't overly high as the struggling Patriots have the misfortune of having to play the 3-0 Bills on the road. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

As expected, Gibbs' transition to being a workhorse back is going very well. The Lions superstar held down an even larger share of touches (27) than usual versus the Jets as Amon-Ra St.Brown had a very quiet game by his standards (4/19/1) and was able to turn that slightly increased workload into 164 scrimmage YDS (99 rushing, 65 receiving) and 3 scores. Gibbs is a real threat to clear 200 scrimmage YDS for the 1st time this season this week when he goes up against a Panthers defense that has had zero answers for running backs so far. 

Honorable Mentions: Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Derrick Henry (Ravens), Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs)

Biggest Loser: Omarion Hampton (Chargers)

For the first time this season, Hampton didn't find the endzone. Without a touchdown to boost his line, Hampton's lack of passing game productivity (0 receptions on just 1 target) and inefficient running (56 YDS on 15 carries) that's at least partially brought on by his woeful offensive line play landed him in this unfavorable spot as the Bolts dropped to 0-3 with a loss to the Bills. Things won't get any easier for Hampton this week as he'll be tasked with trying to find rushing room against the Seahawks stout front.

Dishonorable Mentions: TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots), David Montgomery (Texans), Bucky Irving (Buccaneers) 

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)

JSN's blazing hot start to 2026 continued in Week 3 as he caught 10-of-14 targets for 128 YDS and 2 TD's in what was otherwise a surprisingly ugly performance for the Seahawks in an upset road loss to the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders. Assuming he can remain healthy and the Seahawks rushing game continues to struggle, he's going to have a good chance of repeating as the #1 fantasy WR in 2026.

Honorable Mentions: Drake London (Falcons), Garrett Wilson (Jets), Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

Biggest Loser: Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)

It was a very weird afternoon for the Panthers top pass-catchers as both McMillan and Jalen Coker were held under 20 YDS (McMillan caught 2 balls for 17 YDS) on a day where Bryce Young threw for 291 YDS and they suffered a shocking 21-18 loss to the Browns. McMillan should be back in business against the Lions porous secondary this Sunday night, especially if Coker is forced to sit out with the quad strain he sustained against the Browns that knocked him out of the game in the 3rd quarter.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Broncos), Malik Nabers (Giants), Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: George Kittle (49ers)

Kittle was the top beneficiary of Purdy's big day against the Cardinals, hauling in 6 receptions for 82 YDS and 2 TD's. After back-to-back strong performances, the 32 going on 33-year-old star looks to have fully recovered from the Achillies tear he suffered back in January and can be comfortably fired up as a weekly TE1 in all leagues.  

Honorable Mentions: Brock Bowers (Raiders), Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns), Juwan Johnson (Saints)

Biggest Loser: Dalton Kincaid (Bills)

It was a pretty ugly showing for the entire Bills offense as they turned the ball over a whopping 5 times against the Chargers. Unlike James Cook and Josh Allen, Kincaid wasn't able to redeem himself with a TD after losing a fumble in the 3rd quarter and ended up here in fantasy purgatory thanks to his modest 2 reception/38 YD output. Kincaid will look to get back to the elite form he showed in Weeks 1 and 2 against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon.

Dishonorable Mentions: Isaiah Likely (Giants), Tucker Kraft (Packers), Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Vikings

What a glorious day for the Vikings D/ST in Tampa. Their 6 sack/2 INT/punt return TD effort was ultimately the difference in a 23-16 victory that kept the Vikes unbeaten on the year. The Vikings defensive talent, Brian Flores' motivation to embarrass his former employers and the Dolphins lack of talent/interest in winning football games seems like the perfect recipe for this group to end up in this very spot for a second straight week.

Honorable Mentions: Jaguars, Broncos, Texans

Biggest Loser: Eagles

Being on the receiving end of Case Keenum's stunningly productive return to NFL action is a tough pill to swallow. This talented group didn't log a single sack or takeaway as the 38-year-old journeyman who was standing on the sideline with an earpiece a week ago punched them in the mouth for 4 quarters and led the Bears to a stunning 27-7 blowout victory. Despite their issues with turnovers so far, playing them this week against the Rams doesn't seem like the best idea.

Dishonorable Mentions: Seahawks, Patriots, 49ers

Movie Review: Primetime

NBC's To Catch a Predator only ran from November 2004-December 2007. For a show that only aired for a little over three years, it left behind quite a legacy. Host Chris Hansen is a pop culture icon who spawned multiple catchphrases ("Why don't you take a seat?", "You see how this looks right?") that remain in the lexicon today and the show's questionable ethics have become an even hotter topic of debate in recent years as several copycat shows have emerged on social media platforms like TikTok. 

It was just last year that a documentary examining the show's history and legacy entitled Predators received a limited theatrical release before heading onto Paramount+. Now, a dramatized look at the show and Hansen himself from director Lance Oppenheim- who is ironically a documentarian making his narrative feature debut-entitled Primetime has arrived to reignite conversations about To Catch a Predator among a much wider audience. 

Primetime is adapted from a 2007 Esquire article Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die" by Luke Dittrich. The entirety of the film is set in 2006 right after To Catch a Predator had been moved to a primetime slot (Wednesday nights at 9 EST) and largely deals with how Hansen and his team become obsessed with the idea of luring somebody of a higher societal status like a politician, celebrity or law enforcement official with the hopes of further boosting their ratings now that the show is airing in a slot where it's commanding more eyeballs than it was in its previous time slot on Friday nights at 10 PM EST. They got their wish when they entrapped an assistant district attorney from Dallas/FortWorth named Bill Conradt and caused him to commit suicide on camera when the show's crew arrived alongside local police at his home in Terrell, Texas to serve him multiple warrants that stemmed from the conversations he had with the people from the show that were posing as a underage boy. This incident proved to be the beginning of the end for the controversial show and Conradt's estate later successfully sued NBC for damages related to his suicide (the settlement took place outside of court, so it's not known about how much Condradt's estate received) 

To Catch a Predator is not a series that I saw much of when it was on. My parents weren't watching much Dateline before, during or after its run and ironically, I was spending my Wednesday nights watching Lost when it shifted to the Wednesday at 9 PM slot in the fall of 2006. Most of the knowledge that I have of the show is from watching miscellaneous clips online and seeing the flurry of memes that have been blasted all over the internet in the years after it went off the air. 

My take on the show isn't a particularly novel one: I view it as a very entertaining product on the surface that becomes very insidious once you think about all of the actions that go into its creation. As much Hansen tried to build himself up as this noble guy who had dedicate his whole life to taking pedophiles off the street, neither him nor anyone on were concerned about anything else other than getting good footage that would help boost their ratings. Nobody who was serious about stopping pedophilia would go about it in such an exploitative, public facing way that shows a deep disrespect for the people out there who've been legitimately preyed upon online. Not to mention, this shows produced an easily mimicked playbook for baiting prospective predators that has been used by people with even sketchier moral compasses than Hansen. Many of the aforementioned social media shows are just guys luring men to a location, so they can beat the shit out of them on camera. Nothing says "I empathize   with the plight of victims of child sexual abuse" quite like making videos where five guys pop out of the bushes and start wailing on the guy who thinks he's about to meet the 13-year-old he's been flirting with online for the past week or two. I'm sure the people who make and consume this content are similarly mad about The Epstein Files and the powerful people that are implicated in them. 

While Singh's script certainly would've benefited from digging a bit deeper into its subject matter, Primetime still make for an awfully haunting, absorbing snapshot into the legacy of the show and the people that made it possible. Entrusting Robert Pattinson to play Hansen provides Oppenheim with the unshakable foundation he needed to bring the rest of his vision into place. Pattinson is such an intuitive, committed performer that he knows when to lean into the theatrical showmanship that defined Hansen's television persona and when to be the pathetic, insecure coward that is gutted that the entire world doesn't view him as the benevolent hero that he views himself to be. It's yet another incredible performance that shows off a completely different side of him as an actor and as of today at least, it looks there's a pretty good chance that this effort will propel him to his first career Oscar nomination. 

Playing Hansen rightfully makes Pattinson the face and driving force of Primetime. What proved to be the most pleasantly surprising element of the movie for me seeing Merrit Wever and Skyler Gisondo do incredible work that is crucial to the film's examination of how this machine was run. Wever makes for the perfectly ruthless, self-absorbed partner to Hansen as the show's lead producer while Gisondo gives the most endearingly nuanced performance of his career as a struggling young actor who hopes that appearing on the show as a decoy will help him achieve his dream of becoming a working actor in Hollywood but isn't quite prepared to reckon with what the job actually entails or how his work is being viewed by his peers or audiences. Without this duo showing up and bringing plenty of additional depth to these characters, this movie wouldn't landed with the same force that it does-particularly during the pivotal final scenes where their characters are forced to directly confront the consequences of their actions and whether or not they can live with them in the name of keeping their popular television show afloat. 

Where Oppenheim goes as a feature director after this will be fascinating to watch. His understanding of the power of performance, knowing when to go big and when to let something breathe and coming up with creative visual compositions (cinematographer David Bolen does some seriously excellent work here, particularly in the surrealist moments where the lighting changes mid-scene) are incredible for someone coming from the world of documentary filmmaking. If his confidence, skill and visual eye are able to be combined with a sharper script, he could make something really incredible in the near future. 

Grade: B+

DreamWorks Animation Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm ranking the DreamWorks Animation filmography in honor of the release of their latest project "Forgotten Island"-which hits theaters today. 

DreamWorks Animation's Filmography Ranked:

27.Shark Tale (F)

26.Antz (D)

25.Monsters vs. Aliens (C-)

24.The Prince of Egypt (C)

23.The Road to El Dorado (C+)

22.Home (C+)

21.Dog Man (B-)

20.The Croods: A New Age (B-)

19.Madagascar (B-)

18.Kung Fu Panda 4 (B-)

17.Megamind (B-)

16.The Croods (B-)

15.Kung Fu Panda 3 (B-)

14.Shrek 2 (B-)

13.Puss in Boots (B)

12.Chicken Run (B)

11.Kung Fu Panda 2 (B)

10.Over the Hedge (B)

9.Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (B)

8.Rise of the Guardians (B)

7.The Bad Guys 2 (B)

6.How to Train Your Dragon (B)

5.The Bad Guys (B)

4.Kung Fu Panda (B)

3.The Wild Robot (B+)

2.Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (B+)

1.Shrek (B+)

Top Dog: Shrek (2001)

Shrek is one of the last animated movies that really hit for me as a kid. It was definitely the VHS tape that played the most at my house for the next couple of years after its initial release (Donkey was pretty much the pinnacle of comedy for me at that time) and the enthusiasm for the green ogre and co. remained high in my household until Shrek 2 was released and neither me nor my brother was overly impressed by it. As you can see from the above list, I didn't even bother to watch another Shrek-related movie until 2011's Puss in Boots and still haven't seen either of the latter two sequels in the main series. If I were to rewatch Shrek now, I'm confident that I'd be more appreciative of how it goes about satirizing and subverting traditional fairy tale tropes and go into a bit of a nostalgia haze watching something that brought me so much joy during a few years of my childhood. 

Bottom Feeder: Shark Tale (2004)

On Columbus Day weekend in 2004, I successfully convinced my friend to accompany his dad and 4-year-old sister to a showing of Shark Tale over going to see Ladder 49 by ourselves as I was concerned that the trailer for Seed of Chucky could play ahead of the PG-13-rated firefighter drama and didn't want to freak the fuck out in the theater. This proved to be a costly decision on my part as sitting through Shark Tale was one of the most miserable experiences I've ever had in a movie theater. In a shocking development, the whole application of mob movie tropes went clean over my head at the time, but that didn't stop me from finding the whole movie to be deeply grating, dull and unfunny. While it's certainly possible that I would view it more favorably today, my eagerness to give it another shot is very low. 

Most Underrated: The Bad Guys (2022)

Honestly, either installment of this franchise could be placed here. The animation is vivid, the titular band of bank robbing animals that pretend to become "good guys" for a gig, only for their leader (Sam Rockwell) to earnestly begin to experience a change of heart in the process of pulling off the con are a funny bunch with an entertaining buddy dynamic and above all, it unironically serves as a good introduction to the fun of heist/crime movies for younger audiences. 

Most Overrated: Madagascar (2005)

To be clear, there's nothing wrong with Madagascar. It's really as simple as Madagascar is burdened by the existence of so many talking animal movies existing in the American animated movie space and it doesn't have enough personality, laughs or heart to stand out from the pack.

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Seattle Seahawks (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Washington Commanders

2.(2) San Francisco 49ers (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

4.(9) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Miami Dolphins

5.(13) Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

6.(12) Los Angeles Rams (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Denver Broncos

7.(7) New England Patriots (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

8.(11) Minnesota Vikings (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9.(8) Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) Week 3 opponent: Chicago Bears

10.(14) Denver Broncos (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

11.(10) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) Week 3 opponent: New England Patriots

12.(4) Chicago Bears (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

13.(5) Baltimore Ravens (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

14.(24) New Orleans Saints (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

15.(23) Carolina Panthers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Cleveland Browns

16.(22) Dallas Cowboys (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

17.(18) Green Bay Packers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

18.(27) Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) Week 3 opponent: New Orleans Saints

19.(6) Houston Texans (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

20.(15) Detroit Lions (1-1) Week 3 opponent: New York Jets

21.(20) New York Jets (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Detroit Lions

22.(16) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

23.(17) New York Giants (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Tennessee Titans

24.(28) Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Houston Texans

25.(32) Cleveland Browns (1-1) Week 3 opponent: Carolina Panthers

26.(19) Arizona Cardinals (1-1) Week 3 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

27.(21) Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Buffalo Bills

28.(25) Washington Commanders (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

29.(26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

30.(30) Tennessee Titans (0-2) Week 3 opponent: New York Giants

31.(29) Atlanta Falcons (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Green Bay Packers

32.(31) Miami Dolphins (0-2) Week 3 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

Week 2 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2026 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Josh Allen (Bills)

Week 2 kicked off with Allen putting together one of the vintage stat sheet-stuffing performances that has made him the most coveted fantasy quarterback in the league over last few seasons. The Bills signalcaller lit up the Lions limp defense from the opening whistle until they took their foot off the gas early in the 4th quarter once a victory was guaranteed, throwing for 248 YDS and 3 TD's and rushing for 69 YDS and 2 TD's on 14 carries. Through 2 games, Allen looks like he's going to be in the thick of the MVP race once again and could very well be in line to win the league's top honor for the 2nd time in the last 3 years. He gets handed the gift of playing a Chargers team that has looked like complete shit out of the gate and could be on the verge of full-blown implosion in Week 3.

Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Jared Goff (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

After playing lights out in the opener against the Browns, Lawrence crashed back to Earth in a big way in Week 2 with a pretty poor performance (189 YDS/0 TD's/1 INT, 2 CAR/6 YDS) against a Broncos defense that returned to form after a horrid showing against the Chiefs in Week 1. Lawrence will be on the QB1/QB2 borderline for their Week 3 matchup with the Patriots. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Drake Maye (Patriots), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

While Taylor wasn't consistently effective against the Chiefs on Sunday night, he was once again the focal point of the Colts offense and made enough plays to be a top-tier RB1 play by turning his 24 carries into 92 YDS and 2 TD's. As an added bonus, he also managed to be more involved with the passing game than usual-hauling in 4 receptions for 40 YDS. Taylor could be in line for tougher sledding this week when the Colts take on a Texans defense that has been very good against the run so far. 

Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs), Christian McCaffery (49ers), James Cook III (Bills)

Biggest Loser: David Montgomery (Texans)

After an impressive debut against the Bills, Montgomery completely flopped in his second game with the Texans. The veteran RB was a complete afterthought as the Bengals dismantled Houston's offense on their home field. securing just 8 touches (6 carries, 2 receptions) for 24 YDS. What made this performance particularly alarming is that Montgomery got out snapped and out touched by Woody Marks, although the second year back also didn't fare well (40 scrimmage YDS on 10 touches) against this suddenly excellent Bengals defense. Montgomery should be able to bounce back against a Colts defense that has gotten killed by the rush in both games this season.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals), Travis Etienne (Saints), Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)

JSN casually annihilated an overmatched Cardinals defense on Sunday, securing 9 receptions for 155 YDS and 3 TD's. The reigning Offense Player of the Year is off to another incredible start and will look to keep rolling against a Commanders defense that CeeDee Lamb torched this past week. 

Honorable Mentions: Davante Adams (Rams), CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Malik Nabers (Giants)

Nabers' much anticipated return to action in 2026 produced another dud as he struggled to deal with a physical Rams secondary that was hellbent on proving their embarrassing Week 1 loss to the 49ers in Melbourne was mostly a product of jet lag and a completely out of rhythm Jameis Winston. He ended up catching just 1-of-4 targets for 1 YD in what was a really horrendous MNF loss for the Giants that erased all of the excitement that was surrounding them after their nice Week 1 win over the Cowboys.  About the only positive that stemmed from this game was that Nabers shook off a shoulder injury that looked serious when it initially happened and returned to action after missing only one drive. With Winston locked in as the starter for the next 4-6 weeks while Jaxson Dart is sidelined with what is believed to be an MCL sprain, Nabers will be facing an uphill battle to return to weekly fantasy relevance. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Luther Burden III (Bears), Ladd McConkey (Chargers), DK Metcalf (Steelers)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Sunday night produced a host of horrific sights for the people that believed the Chiefs reign of terror was finally over after their below average 2025 campaign as not only did Patrick Mahomes look like his old self, but the nearly 37-year-old Kelce turned back the clock with a vintage dominant performance as the Chiefs clear top receiving threat (9/101/1) in an OT win over the Colts. Kelce is now firmly back on the weekly TE1 radar and could be in line for another big day against the Dolphins sorry ass defense in Week 3.

Honorable Mentions: Dalton Schultz (Texans), Dalton Kincaid (Bills), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys)

Biggest Loser: Colston Loveland (Bears)

Good news, Loveland made his first catch of the season against the Vikings. Bad news, it was the only reception he made on the day, and it was for 3 YDS. It's been an alarmingly slow start to 2026 for Loveland as he's only managed 5 targets and the aforementioned lone reception through 2 games. With Tyson Bagnet presumably starting for at least a game or two while Caleb Williams recovers from the hamstring injury he suffered on Sunday, Loveland might not be able to imminently turn things around. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Tucker Kraft (Packers), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Brenton Strange (Jaguars)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Patriots

On a day where the Patriots offense didn't look all that great overall, the defense showed up in a big way and allowed them to cruise to a 20-3 victory over the Steelers. Zak Kuhr's group made life miserable for the Steelers offensive line, running backs and ancient QB, registering 4 sacks, an INT and a fumble recovery TD from Elijah Ponder that came off a strip sack by Christan Barmore. The current number 1 scoring defense in the NFL has a date with the Jaguars this week. 

Honorable Mentions: Vikings, Rams, Seahawks

Biggest Loser: Buccaneers

Typically, streaming a defense against the Browns is a surefire way to secure a lot of fantasy points. This week, that plan backfired spectacularly as the Buccaneers got embarrassed by a Browns offense that could barely even move the ball until garbage time against the Jaguars in Week 1. While it was bad enough that the Buccaneers logged 2 sacks and 0 takeaways and surrendered 23 points in the loss, the most embarrassing aspect of their performance was allowing the league's premier washed up sex pest Deshaun Watson to have his best game (24/30, 238 YDS and 2 TD's, 6 carries for 23 yards) in years. There's no danger of anyone hanging onto the Bucs D/ST heading into this week and anybody that got burned by them here will probably think twice before electing to play them as a streaming option later in the season. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Eagles, Jaguars

Movie Review: Resident Evil (2026)

 

No video game property has garnered more attention from the film/television industry this century than Resident Evil. The original Mila Jovovich-led movie franchise from Paul W.S. Anderson spawned a whopping six entries from March 2002-January 2017 and since the start of the 2020's, there's been both an ill-fated movie (2021's Welcome to Racoon City) and television series reboot (the 2022 Netflix series that was so widely panned that it got some people to retroactively be kinder to Welcome to Racoon City)  True to the cliche phrase, the third time was the charm when it came to reinvigorating Resident Evil as a film brand as the rights holders over at Constantin Film and Sony brought in Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) to handle the latest big screen adaptation of the classic survival horror/zombie franchise.  

What's particularly cool about Cregger's Resident Evil is its simplicity. He completely eschews the expectations placed upon those who are brave and/or foolish enough to take on the responsibility of turning a popular video game into a movie by refusing to recreate a specific game or digging into the franchise's lore. Instead of forging down the comfortable fan service path, he elected to build a movie around dropping an original character named Bryan (Austin Abrams, who somehow manages to be even more magnetic and hilarious here than he was in Weapons) into a real time survival situation as he tries to transport an important mystery medical package into Racoon City mere hours after the heinous virus that mutates humans into bloodthirsty zombies accidently made its way out of a lab at the Umbrella Corporation. 

Without having to strictly adhere to any characters or events from the franchise, Cregger gets to focus on something much more important: Accurately recreating how it feels to blindly step into a Resident Evil game. Every new place you encounter is a new opportunity to be greeted with the sight of some unholy monstrosity that's trying to kill you and through a combination of traditional movie photography and video game-inspired POV shots, he frames every scene in a way where Bryan is scanning every inch of his immediate surroundings to see where something could pop out from before deciding where to move. Unleashing a bumbling regular guy protagonist into such an unknown world of immense, horrifying danger only adds to the authenticity of this approach as he's doing shit on screen like dropping a flurry of f-bombs every time a threat announces its presence, frantically running around in circles trying to evade whatever nasty creature is chasing him and quickly pivoting from jubilation to panic when he discovers the thing he just shot in the head isn't actually dead mimics how the player behind the controller would be reacting to being confronted with these horrific scenarios. Constructing the movie in a manner that is centered around the sights, sounds and feelings that drive the experience of playing the game is great way to show reverence for the source material without shamelessly pandering to the fans with recreations of the scenes they like the most from the series (although from what I've read online from people in the know, there are plenty of easter eggs for them throughout). As much as I liked the trashy stylized action horror aesthetic of Anderson's movies, this movie's uniquely unqualified hero, visceral intensity and vile creature design/VFX made it an even more fun ride.

The cherry on top of this whole ordeal is that Cregger wraps things up on a definitive note that gives him the freedom to not return for a potential sequel. After all of the shit he's gotten from a vocal group of hardo fanboys online for being a "tourist" in the world of Resident Evil, he deserves to return to the solace of making original movies while quietly reflecting on the success his first IP-driven movie has enjoyed.   

Grade: B+

Paul Walter Hauser Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Paul Walter Hauser-whose latest project "Resident Evil" releases in theaters today. 

Paul Walter Hauser's Filmography Ranked:

16.Songbird (D)

15.Balls Up (C-)

14.Queenpins (C)

13.Late Night (B-)

12.The Luckiest Man in America (B-)

11.Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (B-)

10.Americana (B)

9.Super Troopers 2 (B)

8.Da 5 Bloods (B)

7.The Fantastic Four: First Steps (B)

6.Cruella (B)

5.Inside Out 2 (B)

4.Richard Jewell (B+)

3.BlacKkKlansman (B+)

2.The Naked Gun (A-)

1.I, Tonya (A)

Top Dog: I, Tonya (2017)

As this year's edition of the Toronto International Film Festival enters its final stretch, it's fitting that the opportunity to look back at one of the biggest independent movies to debut there in the last decade has presented itself. Not only did I, Tonya earn Allison Janney an Oscar, introduce the world to Hauser and contribute to Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan being more taken more seriously as actors in subsequent years, it was one of the earliest signs that Neon was going to become a juggernaut in the American indie film space as this became the biggest acquisition they made during their first year of operations following its TIFF premiere. I, Tonya does such a great job of being both a chaotic, darkly comedic look at Tonya Harding's tumultuous life and painting a deeply sympathetic portrait of a woman who was vilified in the media for the actions of the people that surrounded her. It's kind of a shame that it only managed to earn 3 Oscar nominations (Robbie and editor Nicole Karakatsansis received the other nominations) in the very competitive 2017 field, but in my eyes at least, its legacy is far richer than many of the films that were competing for the big prizes that year.   

Bottom Feeder: Songbird (2020)

Rushing a COVID-themed pandemic movie into production and releasing it before the end of 2020 was a scummy move by everybody that was involved with Songbird. That being said, being in bad taste isn't even close to the biggest problem with this awful dystopian romance. How quickly Songbird came together is particularly felt in its nonsensical mess of a script that can't decide if it's trying to be gritty or fun, deeply unconvincing central romance (the lack of chemistry between K.J. Apa and Sofia Carson is so immediately apparent that it's almost impressive) and its veteran supporting cast that features the likes of Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford and Alexandra Daddrio seemingly only accepted their roles because the opportunity to leave their Los Angeles-area homes for a bit presented itself.  Honestly, the only redeeming element of the movie is Peter Stromare doing the cartoony villain schtick that he's so reliably good at and he doesn't have enough screen time to provide a meaningful jolt in the arm to this otherwise sleepy, stupid affair. 

Most Underrated: Richard Jewell (2019)

Now that's he 96 years old, it's safe to assume that Clint Eastwood has retired from directing and acting for good this time. With this in mind, I'm going to declare that Richard Jewell is the last great film he made. It actually serves as a great companion piece to I, Tonya as Eastwood delivers a compelling, thoughtful look at the unholy beast that is our sensationalism-driven media ecosystem that values scandalous headlines over humanity and how that reckless style of journalism contributed to ruining the life of security guard Richard Jewell (Hauser) after he was baselessly accused of staging the planting of an explosive device at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta after being hailed as a hero in the immediate aftermath for alerting the authorities and helping evacuate the area before it detonated. Hauser gives a heartbreaking turn as a man trying to cope with having his name dragged through the mud in the front of the whole world, Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates further add to this story's rich emotional core with their fiery, vulnerable performance as Jewell's lawyer and mother respectively and Eastwood does a great job of delivering a bittersweet ending that argues that Jewell's eventual exoneration didn't free him from the deep emotional burden of being subjected to such a harrowing witch hunt. 

Most Overrated: None

Hauser is the epitome of a modern character actor. With that mantle comes a wide variety of work that spans across many different genres, budgets and release platforms. One thing he hasn't amassed across his impressively dynamic filmography is a film that I consider to be overrated. The heaviest of hitters he's appeared in (I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman, The Naked Gun, Inside Out 2, Cruella, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) are all movies that I like to varying degrees while the rest are either too small or not broadly liked enough to pick up such a distinction. By the looks of the critical reviews so far, Resident Evil would certainly qualify for overrated status, but I would be stunned and disappointed if that ended up being the case. 

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Seattle Seahawks (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

2.(7) San Francisco 49ers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Miami Dolphins

3.(9) Buffalo Bills (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Detroit Lions

4.(6) Chicago Bears (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

5.(13) Baltimore Ravens (1-0) Week 2 opponent: New Orleans Saints

6.(5) Houston Texans (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

7.(3) New England Patriots (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

8.(8) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Tennessee Titans

9.(18) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

10.(11) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Denver Broncos

11.(14) Minnesota Vikings (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Chicago Bears

12.(2) Los Angeles Rams (0-1) Week 2 opponent: New York Giants

13.(21) Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Houston Texans

14.(4) Denver Broncos (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

15.(15) Detroit Lions (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Buffalo Bills

16.(16) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) Week 2 opponent: New England Patriots

17.(25) New York Giants (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

18.(10) Green Bay Packers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: New York Jets

19.(29) Arizona Cardinals (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

20.(28) New York Jets (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Green Bay Packers

21.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

22.(17) Dallas Cowboys (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Washington Commanders

23.(19) Carolina Panthers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

24.(23) New Orleans Saints (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

25.(24) Washington Commanders (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

26.(20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Cleveland Browns

27.(30) Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) Week 2 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

28.(22) Indianapolis Colts (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

29.(26) Atlanta Falcons (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Carolina Panthers

30.(27) Tennessee Titans (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

31.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-1) Week 2 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

32.(31) Cleveland Browns (0-1) Week 2 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers