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Several films entered the fall season with high expectations and a strong chance of success, but they’ll need to prove themselves. Hamnet ultimately stood out at the fall film festivals, while One Battle After Another bypassed the festivals altogether and gained early praise as one of the year’s best. Meanwhile, Marty Supreme unexpectedly premiered at the New York Film Festival, potentially making it a competitor to these frontrunners, even though it won’t be released until Christmas.

HBO stands out because its shows quickly become central to the cultural conversation each year. Game of Thrones completely took over Sunday nights and created a massive global fanbase. Euphoria offered a unique and emotionally powerful take on teen drama, sparking widespread discussion. These shows didn’t just become popular by chance—they earned their place in pop culture through exceptional quality. Although HBO doesn’t always share complete viewing numbers, available data—like initial viewership, peak averages, and overall audience reports—clearly shows which series were the biggest hits.

Despite the talent involved, the film Ballad of a Small Player isn’t performing as well as hoped. It has a low score on Rotten Tomatoes and isn’t popular with viewers on Letterboxd, effectively ending its chances at an Oscar. While Colin Farrell delivers a strong performance, the story might have worked better as a book—and even then, it leaves a lot open to interpretation. If you’ve seen the film and are confused, we’ve compiled some answers to your questions.

Horror movies have often faced criticism, and for a long time, mainstream reviewers didn’t take the genre seriously. While some criticism is valid, it often seems that horror is dismissed simply because it challenges norms and uses fear to make a statement. Because of this, many great horror films have been unfairly criticized throughout history.