In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the successor to Game of Thrones, the air is still. There are no more wingbeats, no more roaring dragons above the castles of Westeros. The series takes place fifty years after the death of the last specimen, a deformed creature that could no longer fly. This image of the time forms the foundation of this new tale.

Showrunner Ira Parker sketches a world without wonders. “No one thinks about magic anymore. It’s as if you live in fourteenth-century England,” he says. Reality is harsh and cold. The inhabitants till their land, knights travel without retinue, and belief in fairy tales has sunk into mud and memory.

From Fantasy To Reality

The absence of magic makes the series nearly historical in tone. Westeros no longer feels like a tale of fables, but instead like a realistic medieval landscape where survival is more important than heroism. This adds weight to every choice, every fight, and every form of honor.

This world is not empty but refined. It is the earth that once felt dragonfire and now only smolders in silence. Parker uses this contrast to demonstrate the transience of power: even myths wither if they are not nurtured.

A New Silence In Westeros

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms chooses firm ground underfoot instead of fire in the sky. In doing so, the series reminds us that Westeros was once a place of people, not monsters.

Director Joachim R ða, known for Disney films Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge, embarks once again on a visually ambitious project. This time, it concerns a new title within a well-known science fiction franchise: Tron: Ares. The reception among critics varies widely.

The film follows the character Ares, a program sent to the real world with the aim of ensuring the survival of its kind. Thus, the movie is a direct sequel to Tron: Legacy from 2010. The Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes currently stands at 58 percent after 43 reviews.

"Very Human Action Heroine"

Linda Marric from HeyUGuys writes that "Ares may not achieve the perfect balance of form and emotion it strives for, but it is nevertheless a sincere, solid evolution within the Tron franchise". Her review points to both visual power and emotional depth, although she notes that the film lacks balance.

Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press is moderately positive. According to him, Jared Leto "does a good job as the title character, with some sharp one-liners and a rockstar demeanor in a sleek outfit". He even calls out Greta Lee (Past Lives) as the standout: "she's a very human action heroine for 2025".

Soundtrack And Style

John Nugent from Empire Magazine declares the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack as the absolute highlight. "A few elements prevent this data file from becoming completely corrupted... but the real MVPs are Nine Inch Nails, whose brilliant soundtrack dominates everything", Nugent states.



Peter Debruge from Variety is less favorable towards the film. He writes that "while the original from 1982 was ahead of its time, this latest attempt feels primarily like a nostalgic marketing product". He asserts that there is a lack of a unique vision.

Clash Of Old And New

Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph is even more critical. He states that "if AI is truly going to destroy Hollywood, then Ares has already given the first push".

David Lowery is a name that you don't often hear when discussing the best directors of modern times, but he undoubtedly belongs in the same league as emerging masters like Jordan Peele and Robert Eggers. He made a significant impression with A Ghost Story and The Old Man and the Gun, but his 2021 fantasy film is without a doubt his finest work.

We're talking about The Green Knight starring Dev Patel. This masterful expression from Lowery was released amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up being dumped onto streaming in many countries, which is a real shame.

Story

The Green Knight narrates the tale of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), the reckless and headstrong nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris), who embarks on a daring quest to confront the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), a massive emerald green stranger and a tester of humanity.

During his journey, Gawain faces off against spirits, giants, thieves, and intrigue-makers. This gives him the opportunity to define his character and prove his worth to his family and kingdom.

Legendary Poem

The film is based on the fourteenth-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This work by the illustrious 'Gawain Poet' has seen countless film and stage adaptations in the hundreds of years that followed. Greatness J.R.R. Tolkien created a definitive translation of the poem in the 1920s.

In total, there are three (direct) adaptations of the poem: Gawain and the Green Knight (1973), Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1984), and of course The Green Knight (2021). In the 1984 version, none other than Sean Connery played the role of the Green Knight.

Future

Since The Green Knight, Lowery has directed one other film, namely Peter Pan & Wendy. This film premiered exclusively on Disney+ and didn't resonate well with fans and critics. Additionally, he directed two episodes of the Star Wars series Skeleton Crew.




His next film is called Mother Mary. The story revolves around the relationship between a fictional musician and a famous fashion designer. Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, and Hunter Schafer star in the lead roles.

A new Predator movie is coming, titled Predator: Badlands. However, not every movie fan is thrilled with the following news: Badlands has officially received a PG-13 rating.

This means that the latest installment in the bloody science fiction series is surprisingly becoming much more accessible than its predecessors. It is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who previously made waves with Prey.

What To Expect

Badlands revolves around a young Predator who has been exiled by his clan and finds an unexpected ally in the Weyland-Yutani android Thia, played by Elle Fanning. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Notably, there are no humans in this film. Although it includes many violent scenes, these are solely related to extraterrestrial beings, which allows the film to remain graphic without the strict limitations of an R rating.

Hope

Producer Ben Rosenblatt expresses: "Our hope is that it will be a PG-13 film that feels like an R-rated blockbuster. We mainly want everyone to have the chance to see this movie."

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"Because there are no humans, there is also no red human blood. Hopefully, that works in our favor. We will go as far as we can within those limits, and believe we can show quite gruesome things, only in colors other than red".

The third season of the Netflix hit Monster, titled The Ed Gein Story, has been available on the platform since early October and is dominating viewership charts worldwide. However, the reception has not been entirely positive. Both critics and viewers describe the series as flat, exaggerated, and disrespectful, strong words for a show that focuses on one of the most notorious murderers in American history.

The new series by creator Ian Brennan tells the story of Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam. Gein became infamous for murder and grave robbing and inspired classics like Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. In addition to Hunnam, the cast features Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, and Joey Pollari. Despite this strong cast and a recognizable true crime formula, the series is currently not well received everywhere.

Heavily Criticized

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Ed Gein Story holds a mere 29 percent approval rating, while Metacritic reports a lowly 53 percent. Critics complain about slow pacing, unclear focus, and excessive sensationalism. According to many, the series exploits Gein's gruesome acts rather than explaining them, reducing victims to mere set pieces.

Among critics, sharp criticism resonates. Greg MacArthur describes the series as perverse and pointless, while Kate Sánchez refers to it as a messy fantasy that excuses the perpetrator and trivializes the victims. Others point out that the series tries too hard to shock and tells too little.

Success Despite Outrage

Remarkably, interest remains high: Monster: The Ed Gein Story tops the charts in dozens of countries. Netflix appears to once again be drawing attention with controversy, even as the criticism this time is intense. The next season, which is expected to focus on Lizzie Borden, is already in development.

Anyone who starts A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will immediately notice something missing: the iconic intro. No spinning Westeros, no orchestral themes, just a plain title card that appears almost casually between the first scenes. This is a deliberate choice by showrunner Ira Parker. The world of this new Game of Thrones spin-off is not grand or royal, but small, dusty, and earthy.

Parker explained that the familiar grandeur did not fit his main character, Ser Duncan the Tall. He is simple, without frills, and says what he thinks. That had to be the tone of the whole series, he told Entertainment Weekly. The series no longer revolves around palaces and politics, but on toiling blacksmiths, innkeepers, and wandering knights.

No Dragons, No Throne

With this shift to a common level, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms aims to show a different side of Westeros. No kings or queens shaping history, but people trying to survive in the shadow of that history. The camera literally follows them from below: muddy roads, rickety tents, and a moral struggle that is much closer to the everyday life.

The absence of an opening sequence is a silent statement. It marks the starting point of a story where there is no room for bombast or symbolism, but only for realism.

A World Of Ordinary Knights

Where previous series explored power and myth, this series opts for simplicity and humanity. The heroism has disappeared; what remains is the question of what chivalry means when no one is watching anymore.