The 10 best visual novel games of all time

Visual novels are among the lesser-known video game genres, presumably because they require a much longer attention span than perhaps Call of Duty or Fortnite. Not many gamers are overly familiar with visual novels, but the definition is essentially a semi-interactive format of digital storytelling. Quite often, but not always, visual novel games require choices that progress or alter the narrative in some way and therefore make the games more personable than the average off-the-shelf picks for action-adventure games, for example.

Additionally, visual novels feature text-based storytelling and limited animations of static, sprite-based characters. These designs are often drawn using an anime-style art form and — in rarer cases — some developers use stylized 3D character models instead. Essentially, visual novel games are mixed-media novels that combine text, visuals, and sometimes voice acting to achieve a fleshed-out point-and-click experience. These games are far more prevalent in Japanese culture, but have become international fascinations in recent years. Often times, visual novels incorporate specific types of gameplay, such as problem-solving. In modern culture, visual novel games are making themselves more and more relevant, competing against global phenomena. Here are some examples of visual novel games that are exemplifications of their breakout genre.

1. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

Everyone knows who the Game Grumps are. They’ve made themselves a household name since 2012, but no one ever expected them to develop such a successful visual novel game as Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator. In Dream Daddy, players adopt the persona of a lonely single father who moves to Maple Bay with his daughter, Amanda, and can choose between several romantic candidates who live on the same cul-de-sac. Many dating simulators can be considered daylight pornography, but Dream Daddy has a certain tastefulness to it that makes it all the more appealing. The Game Grumps clearly handled this endearing project with care and nailed the transitions from comedic to serious at the drop of a hat.

2. Emily is Away Too

Kyle Seeley’s indie visual novel Emily is Away was released in 2015 and develops the relationship between the protagonist’s relationship with a girl called Emily — across a five-year time period — from the senior year of high school to the senior year of college. In 2017, a sequel titled Emily is Away Too continued the multiple-choice narrative, taking place during the 2006-07 final high school year. Emily is Away Too focuses on the protagonist’s relationships with Emily and Evelyn and in each chapter, the protagonist can speak to both girls individually. Another sequel, Emily is Away <3, arrived in 2021 and rounded off Seeley’s trilogy. For a healthy dose of nostalgia and minimalistic yet effective storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings, Emily is Away Too is the go-to choice.

3. Missed Messages

Missed Messages labels itself as a “modern romance” and on Steam, the visual novel is illustrated to be “a romance/horror story about life, death, and memes.” Already, that brief description should spark some interest, especially because the exquisite blend of romance and horror is a difficult feat to achieve. Somehow, Missed Messages manages to tick all the boxes. Be warned, the developers have advised that the game contains “visuals/mentions of suicide and self-harm.” Developed by Angela He, Missed Messages follows a college-aged girl living in one of her school dormitories with her roommate, May. It warrants multiple play-throughs and begs to be understood on a deeper, more personal level than most games that attest to sheer enjoyment. Missed Messages erases the stigmatization surrounding suicide and brings it to the forefront, making every player self-aware of potential risks all around them.

4. Coffee Talk

It’s such a simple concept, but so insightful and delightful. Coffee Talk — developed by Toge Productions— follows a barista working in a coffee shop in alternative-Seattle, innocently listening to the concerns of patrons in an “agony aunt” fashion while preparing beverages. Per IGN, the game features an “aesthetic inspired by 90s anime, pixel art, and the lo-fi chillhop genre of music.” Coffee Talk‘s visual novel elements are divided into reading dialogue and engaging in mini-games, but the main selling point for Coffee Talk is its stunning visuals. Although pixelated, the artwork undoubtedly steals the show. Come for the coffee, stay for the heartwarming experience.

5. Doki Doki Literature Club!

Even if visual novels aren’t exactly your forte, Doki Doki Literature Club! is the Team Salvato brainchild that everyone has heard of. Although it presents itself as a lighthearted dating simulator, its cutesy exterior is deceptive of its true nature as a psychological horror. All is not as it seems. Doki Doki Literature Club! follows a high school student who reluctantly joins a literature club on the whim of his childhood best friend. From there, he can romantically pursue three out of the four female members, writing his way into their hearts with handcrafted poems. Doki Doki Literature Club! is among the most unconventional visual novels. It extensively breaks the fourth wall, uses a self-aware and intrusive approach to inspire discomfort and destroys all dating simulator clichés. Dan Salvato’s ingenious and diabolical creation is a love letter to the genre it represents and absolutely the first of its kind.

6. Monster Prom

Developed by Beautiful Glitch, Monster Prom is a 2D dating simulator set in Spooky High, a fictional high school populated by all manner of monsters and the protagonist attempts to find a date to prom. Over many weeks leading to prom, the player must make choices to affect the way their love interest perceives them. In doing so, the love interest grows more inclined to attend prom with them. Monster Prom gained more immediate popularity for its inclusion of straight, gay, and lesbian dating options while allowing for any in-game gender and pronouns to be used. Having released in 2018, Monster Prom consists of pop-culture references, banter-based dialogue, and commentary based on self-referential monster lore and fiction. For a not-so-average dating simulator, Monster Prom has the exceptional writing, entertaining humor, and attractive character art needed to make every replay feel entirely separate to the last.

7. Danganronpa Trilogy

The Danganronpa Trilogy is a bundle of the three main series games: Danganronpa 1.2 Reload and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Included within Danganronpa 1.2 Reload are Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. In Trigger Happy Havoc, the player controls a student attending Hope’s Peak Academy, where the robot bear Monokuma traps the 15 students in the facility and gives them the chance to escape if they murder another student and are proven not guilty after the investigation and trial.

Goodbye Despair features an identical concept besides two major differences: the students are trapped on a tropical island and Monokuma is joined by a sentient stuffed rabbit called Monomi. The third Danganronpa game, Killing Harmony, mimics the familiar storyline, except the player can interact with the other characters in the form of dating sim-like events, investigate murders, and participate in “Class Trials” to uncover the culprit. Spike Chunsoft’s dark adventure game evolved into a franchise that includes manga, anime, and novels, and the Danganronpa series has distinguished itself from modern visual novels for its gruesome approach to anime-style storytelling.

8. Higurashi: When They Cry

Higurashi: When They Cry generates its immersive atmosphere with a primary focus on sounds. Its narrative is divided into separate story arcs or “chapters” and make the sequence of events more linear and accessible. There are four visual novels in the main murder mystery series that carry the same title — Higurashi no Naku Koro ni — and are considered the first entry in the When They Cry franchise, which revolves around the fictional rural Japanese town of Hinamizawa and the strange events that occur there during the summer of June 1983. The games initially star Keiichi Maebara — a transfer student who only recently moved to town — as the main protagonist who learns of the unusual happenings. Maebara learns that one villager dies religiously after the annual Watanagashi Festival and these mysterious deaths remain unsolved, known as the “Oyashiro Curse” by the superstitious villagers. When They Cry owes its success to its portrayal of horror and suspense, achieved by stimulating the senses rather than inducing purely text-based unease, and a well-scripted story that covers all bases for an evocative reading experience.

9. Island

Japanese mystery romance visual novel Island was developed by Frontwing and stands apart from the studio’s other releases, many of which fall into the erogue (erotic novel) category. Island is inspired by the Japanese story Urashima Tarō and invites players to assume the role of Setsuna Sanzenkai, an amnesiac who becomes a servant for the Ohara family and uses a “cold sleep” machine to visit the future. Throughout the story, Island provides multiple options to choose from and progression pauses until a choice is made. Described by Frontwing themselves, the synopsis reads as follows: “The main character, washed up on the shore and claiming that he has traveled back in time, works with three girls from the influential families in order to challenge island traditions.” In 2018, a 12-episode anime television series adaptation aired on Tokyo MX and Crunchyroll streamed the series thereafter.

10. The House in Fata Morgana

Novectacle’s The House in Fata Morgana takes place in a mansion inhabited by a spirit with amnesia called Michael. Inside, Michael meets a maid, Giselle, and the two attempt to recover Michael’s memories by viewing the mansion in different time periods — 1603, 1707, 1869 and 1099 — and trying to decipher what happened to the former residents. The House in Fata Morgana was a runner-up for Hardcore Gamer‘s Best Story of 2016 award and has become one of the most well-known visual novel games. Published from 2015 to 2017, a manga adaptation titled The House in Fata Morgana: Anata no Hitomi o Tozasu Monogatari was written by Hanada and drawn by Kanemune. Without giving much away, The House in Fata Morgana is an original, incredibly dark and hypnotic slow-burn story that achieves the unfathomable in actually living up to the hype.

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Sam Raimi marvels at the complexity of ‘Doctor Strange 2’

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi has expressed his awe at the scope and nuances that the film is set to deliver.

“It’s a really complex movie,” said Raimi, who took over the project after former director Scott Derrickson left the role amid creative differences.

It’s probably the most complex movie I’ve ever had anything to do with. Not just dealing with one character, or even five characters, but multiversal versions of those characters — and each one has a storyline.

This isn’t Raimi’s first time helming a comic book adaptation, having directed the original Spider-Man trilogy of films that starred Tobey Maguire in the title role, but his observations are far from unfounded. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be one of Marvel Studios’ biggest films yet, and will surely be a catalyst in the narrative direction that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going towards.

Featuring an ensemble of heroes such as Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), the film will feature the titular sorcerer venturing deep into the multiverse to combat a brand new threat.

The multiverse concept was first introduced in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured characters from Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy, and The Amazing Spider-Man series of films as well. It appears the upcoming Doctor Strange film is set to take this idea and crack its possibilities wide open, further evidenced by the presence of Patrick Stewart, who many believe will be reprising his role as Professor X from Sony’s X-Men series of films.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases on May 6 later this year.

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Sam Raimi still hasn’t seen all of ‘WandaVision’

After the surreal events of West View in WandaVision, Scarlet Witch is returning to the big screens via Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though the two MCU projects might not be as closely tied together as you’d imagine.

In less than a week, the much anticipated second instalment in the Doctor Strange is series is making its way to theaters and as such, the crew has been doing press rounds. The latest instance of this involves the legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi, who recently told Rolling Stone that he didn’t have to watch all of WandaVision to prepare for Multiverse of Madness.

I’m not really sure what the WandaVision schedule was or how it changed. just know that halfway, or maybe three-quarters of the way into our writing process, I’d first heard of this show they were doing and that we would have to follow it. Therefore, we had to really study what WandaVision was doing, so we could have a proper throughline and character-growth dynamic. I never even saw all of WandaVision; I’ve just seen key moments of some episodes that I was told directly impact our storyline.

Elisabeth Olsen’s heroine will definitely be carrying the traumatic residues of that emotional rollercoaster of a television show to Doctor Strange 2, but the forthcoming MCU movie might not directly reference the events of WandaVision or get into the nitty-gritty of what happened to the character and her magically-manifested family.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens a portal to theaters on May 6.

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‘Ms. Marvel’ merch reveals hilarious names for Avengers the public don’t know

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not every superhero gets the same level of recognition as Captain America or Iron Man, so what about the somewhat lesser known additions to the team? The new Ms. Marvel merchandise plays around with exactly this issue, showing the hilarious names the public may have come up with for those heroes.

Ms. Marvel Name Stack New Jersey Avengercon Logo Sweatshirt, Amazon

The officially licensed sweatshirt lists the names of a handful of superheroes that have helped save the world on numerous occasions, and whilst some of them are pretty recognizable there are others that are not quite on the mark.

Almost anyone that exists on Earth in the MCU knows about Captain America and Iron Man, who were already well known before the events of The Avengers. The Battle of New York also shone a light on Black Widow, Hulk and Thor (as well as Hawkeye), who would go on to become household names.

The other names are the publics hilarious attempts at guessing the identity of the lesser-known heroes. It is safe to say that ‘Mr. Tree’ is the alien being known as Groot. It makes sense that the public may not know much about him as moments after he landed on earth to battle Thanos’ armies, he was dusted, only appearing again five years later to finally triumph over the Mad Titan before leaving Earth once again with the other Guardians.

‘Gigantic Dude’ is definitely ironic considering his correct superhero alias is Ant-Man! Poor Scott Lang cannot get a break, after already being humbled in Avengers: Endgame after getting the cold shoulder from some Hulk fans. However the the general public doesn’t really know his abilities all that well, having only ever taken notice of the lesser-known hero when he is simply too big to ignore.

Finally we have the ‘Cosmic Avenger’, Captain Marvel undeniably looks cosmic, even if her origins are more down to earth. The powerful Avenger has spent most of her life in space so the lack of specific knowledge about her makes a lot of sense.

Captain Marvel is certainly known to Ms. Marvel who daydreams about her favorite hero and having powers of her own until the daydream becomes reality and she finds out what it means to be a hero.

Ms. Marvel will be streaming on Disney+ with the first episode released on June 8, 2022.

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Streaming buffs revisit an acclaimed fantasy that deserved a sequel, but got a reboot instead

We knew 2008’s adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles was going to be different from the onslaught of YA literary adaptations to permeate the decade with an alarming regularity, for the sole reason that it did the exact opposite of its contemporaries.

Any book series with big screen potential was being thrown into development with reckless abandon, and almost every single one of them was designed as the world-building first salvo in a potentially lucrative multi-film saga. Instead, the trio of credited writers crammed the first five installments in Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi’s beloved novels into a single 95-minute film.

There was a fair amount of star power thrown into the bargain, too, with Freddie Highmore pulling double duty as both of the Grace twins, with support coming from the eclectic likes of Mary-Louise Parker, David Straithairn, Nick Nolte, Seth Rogen, and Martin Short.

There were a couple of downsides, though, with fourth chapter The Ironwood Tree being almost completely omitted, while it also robbed fans of the sequels they would have loved to see. The Spiderwick Chronicles was a decent-sized success at the time, earning $164 million at the box office and securing an impressive 81% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Unfortunately, there was never much interest shown in tackling either Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles or the four accompanying books, so instead we’re getting a Disney Plus reboot that entered production in February of this year.

That doesn’t mean the feature-length version has lost any of its appeal, with FlixPatrol revealing that iTunes subscribers have been revisiting the adventures of the Grace children’s relocation to a magical estate in their numbers to secure a spot on the most-watched rankings.

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‘Spider-Man’ fans demand that Michael Mando return as Scorpion after his ‘Better Call Saul’ performance

Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man Home trilogy is comfortably in the rearview, some fans are wondering howcome we never got a full-blown arc for Michael Mando‘s Mac Gargan, AKA Scorpion, that was teased at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming?

Mando’s role as Ignacio “Nacho” Varga in the crime drama Better Call Saul has arguably taken center stage in the series more and more with each subsequent episode. It has also proven to be one of his most nuanced roles to date, with Mando impressively embodying the multidimensional character with leading man prowess, as well.

Mando’s ability to hold his own on screen was enough to make one fan ask why he hasn’t been tapped as the main antagonist in a Spider-Man film yet.

“After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion,” a user wrote in a post on Reddit, in the r/MarvelStudios subreddit. “It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.”

(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t. from marvelstudios

With last year’s box-office behemoth, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel gave us a pseudo-Sinister Six plot — well, Sinister Five, it turned out — which sadly did not include Scorpion.

Many people on Reddit agreed with the original poster’s assessment that we need more Mando in future Spider-Man films.

“YES. Mando is crushing it on Saul this season,” one user wrote. “Nacho, man. Love the character and Mando’s work. Just tears your heart out.”

Comment from discussion ajax2307’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

Another fan pointed out how 2017’s Homecoming was seemingly chock-full of teases that have yet to be followed up on, such as Donald Glover’s Prowler, and by extension, his nephew only mentioned briefly in dialogue, Miles Morales.

Comment from discussion LoveWaffle1’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

Though Miles Morales has yet to be cast in the live-action space, one user seemed certain Prowler would only be introduced alongside Miles in a future film.

Comment from discussion Tornado31619’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

Another user hypothesized that since the symbiote goo was teased as being left behind in the universe of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s entirely possible Mando’s Mac Gargon may take up the mantle of Venom in a subsequent MCU film, as there is precedent for that very storyline in the comic books.

Comment from discussion teamcanada72’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

As good as No Way Home was, another user could not help but point out it seemed like Far From Home was positioning Scorpion as the next big bad in the third installment, but the filmmakers decided to go a different route.

Comment from discussion KingoftheKrabs’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

“I really hope he doesn’t go to waste, they set him up really well in Homecoming and he is such a good actor,” another fan wrote.

Comment from discussion acisgoat’s comment from discussion "(NO SPOILERS) After watching Michael Mando’s performance on Better Call Saul, I desperately want the next Spider-Man movie to finally bring him back as Scorpion. It’d be a total waste if they didn’t.".

Mando has long proven to be a capable actor portraying villains, as can be seen in his breakout role as Vaas Montenegro in the 2012 videogame, Far Cry 3. Mando even starred in a series of shorts tied into the Far Cry universe that served as a prequel to the game, called the Far Cry 3 Experience.

But with his role in Better Call Saul, especially this season, Mando is seemingly poised to make the transition from antagonist to sympathetic protagonist, giving us even more of a reason we are rooting for his return as a complex villain in the Spider-Man films.

“As the story progresses, he becomes one of the only characters who — while the whole show is breaking bad — is breaking good,” the actor recently said of his character, Nacho, in Better Call Saul, in an interview with Vulture. “I believe that, to me, was a monumental revelation in the character. And it made him heroic, romantic, and transcendent.”

Here’s hoping we haven’t seen Mando’s final foray into the world of Marvel.

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‘Elden Ring’ dataminer uncovers deleted quest and a dark secret about Godrick the Grafted

Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games are always packed to the brim with hidden quests, items, and Easter Eggs for those of us inclined to scour every inch of these grimdark fantasy worlds. Though in the case of Elden Ring, most of these secret gems so far have involved content cut from the final game due to insufficient development time or other creative reasons that fall in the same vein.

Now, according to the dataminer whose clip about why there’s a random poisonous wall in the game recently went viral, there’s a deleted questline in Elden Ring titled “Coronation,” which ends with the Tarnished protagonist choosing a ruler for Limgrave after killing Godrick the Grafted, the Lord of Stormveil Castle. You can check out the video below.

It appears that in the original version, players would get another item after defeating Godrick called Godrick’s Crown. From there, you could choose three potential rulers for Limgrave between Kenneth Haight (who already lays claim to the title the first time you meet him), Nepheli Loux (the adoptive daughter of Gideon Ofnir), and Gostoc, the gatekeeper who advises you against taking the main path into Stormveil.

Interestingly enough, Gostoc — later seen stomping Godrick’s head after you kill him — has a deleted line wherein he claims to be the tyrant’s natural son and heir.

Godrick is one of the first main bosses that players will come across after beginning their journey in Limgrave. The self-proclaimed golden lord is a demi-god, which means that killing him will not only earn you a Great Rune but also help you progress through the main storyline since the Tarnished requires two of those to access Leyndell, Royal Capital.

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Blake Lively to direct first film from ‘Scott Pilgrim’ writer

Actress Blake Lively has enjoyed a long and varied career, is often subject to teasing from husband Ryan Reynolds, and is taking a new step in life with her directorial debut on Seconds from Bryan Lee O’Malley.

News of Lively taking the reins on the adaptation of the work from the Scott Pilgrim creator is in a report published today by The Hollywood Reporter. Edgar Wright wrote the script and is producing, and the piece tells the story of a girl who can fix her past mistakes when she writes them down in a notebook, eats a mushroom, and falls asleep. Eventually her ability begins to cause problems and threatens reality itself.

Lively previously made her overall debut behind the camera last year when she crafted the video for Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me.” The song was well-received and earned Lively nominations for directing and producing at the 2022 Academy Country Music Awards, and, as the coming production is set up at Searchlight, The Hollywood Reporter went on to suggest it means she has real talent here.

“The label is known for prestige fare from auteurs and less so for first time helmers.”

The movie does not have a release date or cast in place at this time. One of Lively’s other upcoming projects in development is an adaptation of the Lady Killer comic book series set up over at Netflix. Work she has previously been in includes The Shallows, Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and 2010’s The Town.

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Fans turn their backs on ‘Barbie’ in favor of ‘Oppenheimer’ over the omission of Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’

In an incredible scheduling twist, it was revealed this week that two hotly-anticipated movies that couldn’t be more different — Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, a gritty biographical film about the man who is widely credited with creating the atomic bomb, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which finally brings Mattel’s blonde doll to the big screen — will both be opening on July 21, 2023, promising the box office battle of the century.

Both films are stacked with a murderer’s row of A-List talent, with Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. starring in Oppenheimer and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling stepping into Ken and Barbie’s plastic shoes. But despite the talent involved, it was presumed that there would not be a ton of audience crossover between the two films, for reasons that are plainly evident.

That is, anyway, until it was revealed today that Barbie is completely ignoring fan service and won’t be featuring Aqua’s hit single hit “Barbie Girl” over the opening or closing credits sequences — or anywhere in the film, for that matter. It’s like, the year 1997 went and gave you the perfect thing, and you’re just not going to use it?

Unfortunately, the reasoning likely boils down to acrimonious lawsuits lobbed back and forth between Mattel and MCA Records following the release of the song, and it would appear that neither side is willing to budge. (As of yet, anyway, there’s still time for cooler heads to prevail!)

Gerwig wrote very nice letters to Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews, and Alanis Morissette asking for permission to use their songs in Lady Bird that did the trick, so maybe it’s time to break out the stationery.

But for now, disappointed fans took to social media, not only to express their disappointment with the omission, but to declare themselves firmly Team Oppenheimer.

me switching sides and deciding to go watch oppenheimer on july 21, 2023 instead after reading this tweet https://t.co/DAgFOTdd2Q pic.twitter.com/fuTRQA2qom

— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) April 29, 2022

Watching Oppenheimer then https://t.co/JR1LDYkga3

— Joe (@hzjoetv) April 29, 2022

That’s it!!! I’m only seeing Oppenheimer pic.twitter.com/7ojslKOwtc

— alie watching MKStandwithUkraine) (@astraeatitania) April 29, 2022

oppenheimer won i fear https://t.co/kACBiq4FFS

— doctor meth (@bigmonkeong) April 29, 2022

A lot of people also had the same joke about where “Barbie Girl” will appear. (Spoiler, it’s Oppenheimer.)

It will appear in “Oppenheimer”, though. https://t.co/775bCexWqG

— Darren Mooney (@Darren_Mooney) April 29, 2022

is it in Oppenheimer https://t.co/VXvfxQLaMV

— Scott Thomas (he / him / his) (@OGScottieT) April 29, 2022

Christopher Nolan already bought the rights to it for Oppenheimer https://t.co/ceZY6WltIq

— Tom Reagan’s Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) April 29, 2022

What? Not even a cover version?
Oppenheimer better use it then pic.twitter.com/fgP3IJ0irm

— Childish Filmino (@KrinS0) April 29, 2022

That’s because it’s featuring in Oppenheimer https://t.co/OQ67d2A1bs

— Danielle (@danielleloucamp) April 29, 2022

Put “Barbie Girl” in Oppenheimer, you cowards. It doesn’t matter that the song predates the series of events in the movie by over 50 years — it’s a little something we’d like to call “art.”

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Michael Myers’ best kills in the ‘Halloween’ movie franchise

Warning: This article contains graphic images and content that might be sensitive for some readers.

Michael Myers — the immortal villain in the legendary Halloween franchise — is synonymous with his brute nature and graphic kills that continue to resonate with horror fans to this day. In the original timeline of films, The Shape is motivated by his desire to locate and murder his younger sister Laurie Strode — and will brutally slaughter any individual in his way. On the other hand, in David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy, Myers and Strode are not siblings, though his desire to kill her — and anybody else in his way — is still just as high.

While the characters in each of these timelines receive a unique death at the hands of Myers, these kills help to convey the message of his merciless behavior and appetite for destruction. With Halloween Ends set to release on Oct. 14, horror fans undoubtedly have an abundance of future kills to look forward to. For now, let’s take a look back at Michael Myers’ best kills in the Halloween franchise thus far.

Stab lift – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Will Brennan was a significant character in Halloween H20, serving as the love interest of Keri State — who is actually Laurie Strode under witness protection — and stood by her side even after discovering the truth about her. Unfortunately for Will, his death was sadistically brutal and painful at the hands of Laurie’s brother Michael.

While Will, Laurie, Laurie’s son John, and John’s girlfriend Molly were all attempting to escape Michael’s wrath, Michael surprised Will with a butcher knife through his spine and lifted Will’s body up in the process while driving the knife further into his back. It was a merciless act by Michael, and one of his best kills that left Laurie emotionally distraught.

Electrocution – Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

You’d be hard-pressed to find any Halloween fan that actually enjoyed John Strode as a character, and many will express pure delight that Michael killed him in such a vengeful way. As an abusive husband to Debra Strode, many folks weren’t that upset when Michael brought a well-deserved demise to John after John went to the basement to fix the power in his house after it went out.

While in the basement, John is attacked by Michael and violently stabbed in the abdomen. Michael instinctively decided that wasn’t enough, and proceeded to lift John up onto the fuse box for the electricity and electrocuted John until his head exploded. It was insanely graphic and definitely rings in as one of Michael’s most memorable kills.

Skull crush – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

While many folks label the Halloween sequels as less-than-favorable, there’s no denying that the films produce a plethora of memorable kills that are still discussed to this day. Seeing as the fourth installment in the franchise was the first Michael Myers-inspired film in almost a decade, the creators wanted to go big for the death scenes — which leads us to the murder of Brady.

Brady was one of the more memorable and heroic characters in the legendary slasher franchise. While attempting to protect girlfriend Rachel and Michael’s niece Jamie, Brady tried to reload his shotgun readily to put an end to Michael’s terror. Instead, Michael lifted Brady in the air and forcibly pressed his thumb into Brady’s cheek until his neck snapped. In terms of sheer brutality and a lack of remorse, it remains one of Michael’s best kills.

Jack-o-Lantern – Halloween (2018)

David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy sought to completely revitalize the original franchise. In doing so, Green decided to ignore every Halloween film except for John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece and chose to not have Michael and Laurie as siblings. The return of Michael’s ruthless disposition garnered tremendous acclaim and attention for Halloween (2018) and features many of Michael’s most vicious kills.

When news broke that Michael Myers had returned to Haddonfield, two police officers were assigned to protect Laurie Strode and watch her house. Even though both officers were killed off-screen, it proves to be incredibly memorable when it is revealed that Michael created a makeshift jack-o-lantern out one of the heads and appropriately made it appear to look like a Halloween decoration. It’s not as brutal as the rest, but it’s definitely one of the most fun for the audience to see.

Nurse syringe – Halloween II (1981)

Michael’s kill in the original Halloween sequel still remains one of the most terrifying kills in the entire franchise. The sequel further helped to establish Michael as a deranged killer who would stop at nothing to achieve the fulfillment of killing his younger sister. During the sequel, Michael comes across many obstacles in his way — and many people suffer at his hands.

When one of the nurses goes looking for Dr. Mixter, the audience discovers that he was killed off-screen by Michael, where the nurse notices a syringe in his eye. When the nurse backs away slowly, Michael appears from the shadows and covers her mouth so she cannot scream. He proceeds to slowly inject a syringe into her temple as it slowly kills her. It’s one the most graphic kills in Michael’s repertoire and truly showcased how purely evil he is.

Barn death – Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Jamie Lloyd is arguably one of the most popular characters in the slasher franchise. As the daughter of Laurie Strode, Jamie suffers through trauma and turmoil at the hands of her uncle after the death of her mother. Jamie serves as the main character for the three later Halloween sequels, and ultimately receives a gruesome demise by Michael in the franchise’s sixth installment.

While attempting to escape from Michael for good, Jamie becomes trapped in a barn with Michael on the prowl. When Jamie comes face-to-face with Michael in the barn, he lifts her up and places her on a corn thresher, which he then uses to kill her. It’s one of the more sadistic kills that Michael has done, but it was significant to the story in killing off a character that had the power to stop him.

Dr. Sartain stomp – Halloween (2018)

Michael’s return to the silver screen in 2018 was well worth the wait and gave viewers a healthy dose of brutal murders. There are an abundance of memorable kills in the 2018 reboot of the franchise, but Dr. Sartain’s brutal head stomp is certainly at the top of the list. Dr. Sartain had been studying Michael since he was in the sanatorium, and along the way, developed an obsession for Michael and desperately wanted to hear him speak.

After Michael kills a police officer, he sets his sights on Dr. Sartain and rips him from a police car. While on the ground, instead of begging for his life, Sartain begs one last time for Michael to speak by shouting: “Say something!” Instead, Michael stomps on his head, causing his entire head to explode. After all this time, it should be common knowledge that Michael marches to the beat of his own drum.

Hot tub drowning – Halloween II (1981)

If any movie was to compare to the masterful cinematography of John Carpenter’s Halloween, then it’s Halloween II. The events in the film take place on the same night as the original, with Laurie Strode now in a local hospital in Haddonfield where doctors are tending to her wounds. Unbeknownst to her — and several hospital employees — Michael has found the hospital and is on a path of destruction.

During her break, nurse Karen decides to meet up with her beau Budd for a session in the hospital’s hot tub. Unfortunately, Karen didn’t realize that Michael was already in the hospital and had his sights set on her. When Karen hears a figure enter behind her, she believes it to be Budd, but she eventually finds out that it’s Michael. Michael then grabs her head and dunks her several times in the scorching hot water until she burns to death. It’s one of Michael’s most gruesome kills and certainly rings in as one of his best.

Nurse stabbing – Halloween II (2009)

If it wasn’t apparent already, Michael Myers is not a fan of nurses in the slightest, but Octavia Spencer’s Nurse Daniels arguably suffers the worst fate of them all. Rob Zombie’s controversial Halloween remakes often split fans right down the middle, with some applauding its action-packed origin story and others shying away from its over-the-top violence and nauseating brutality. Nevertheless, the two films presented some unforgettable kill scenes that still resonate today.

When Laurie encounters Nurse Daniels in the hospital, she discovers that the nurse has had her face sliced open. Michael appears from behind a door, grabs Nurse Daniels, and slams her to the floor. In a gruesome scene, Michael repeatedly stabs her as the audience hears each strike clashing against her bloodied body. Folks can even hear Michael himself grunting over and over, signifying that he indeed enjoys inflicting this torture on others. Not only is it one of his best kills, it’s also one of his most violent.

Knife impalement – Halloween (1978)

You truly can never beat the classics. John Carpenter’s Halloween single-handedly revolutionized the slasher franchise — especially with iconic kills like this one. It’s hard to imagine Michael Myers’ reign of terror without remembering his impalement of Robert “Bob” Simms in the kitchen. Bob and his girlfriend Lynda were friends of Laurie Strode and were both savagely murdered by Michael during his path to finding and killing Laurie.

While Bob was downstairs searching for beer in the refrigerator, Michael pops out of the kitchen pantry and surprises him. Michael then stabs Bob in the chest and pins him up against a nearby door before lifting him into the air. It’s extremely subtle compared to the rest of the kills in this list, but it was the first kill that demonstrated just how strong Michael Myers is. It also echoes a certain degree of realism, because hey, anybody can pop out of a kitchen closet with a butcher’s knife.

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How did ‘Gandalf the Gray’ become ‘Gandalf the White?’

More than 20 years have passed since the Lord of the Rings films were first released, but Peter Jackson’s trilogy remains a favorite amongst moviegoers. Over the course of three gorgeous releases — and then a full trilogy of prequels — Jackson led a talented cast through the process of introducing and fleshing out a rich, wondrous world full of elves, dwarves, Hobbits, and dragons.

One character was there through each of the six films set in Middle-earth, despite the decades that pass between each trilogy’s setting. Gandalf the Grey — later known as Gandalf the White — is a mainstay in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world, proving himself time and again to be a wise and capable guide, advisor, and companion.

The transformation that Gandalf undergoes in the second Lord of the Rings film, following his fall in the Mines of Moria, remains a confusing part of his journey for many viewers. Experts on Tolkien’s fascinating, but often dense, lore are well aware of how the fan-favorite wizard cinched his promotion, but many casual viewers remain uncertain.

How did Gandalf become Gandalf the White?

Image via Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Gandalf’s transformation from “the Grey” to “the White” happens off-screen, for the most part, leaving a number of viewers perplexed as to how the wizard made the shift. A bit of background, lovingly crafted by Tolkien and scattered throughout his many releases, helps provide context for the metamorphosis.

Gandalf is one of the Maiar, a collection of primordial spirits sent to join the Valar in their efforts to shape the world. He was there from the very beginning, helping to make changes as the world slowly developed, and is widely considered the wisest of his kind. He, along with four other Maiar, eventually became the five incarnated wizards — or Istari — we know from the books. Three of these wizards — Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast — make appearances in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.

The being that eventually became Gandalf the Grey was once known by other names, some of which crop up in popular Lord of the Rings releases. He became known by his primary moniker through the Hobbit trilogy and Fellowship of the Ring following the inception of the Third Age, cloaking himself in tattered grey robes and taking on the appearance of an elderly man in hopes of concealing his true power from the world. His somewhat shabby appearance is entirely purposeful — as is Radagast’s — and helps to separate these cautious, humble wizards from their far more conceited counterparts.

Image via Men of the West/YouTube

Following Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog, which sees both ancient beings plummet into the depths of the Mines of Moria, he was reborn as Gandalf the White. This transformation was prompted by a number of things, the first of which being Saruman’s betrayal.

Once the leader of the Istari order and of the White Council, Saruman’s will was gradually corrupted during his time in Middle-earth. He eventually becomes seduced by the dark side, as it were — Christopher Lee has a weakness for it, apparently — as he senses Sauron’s power growing from afar. He eventually became a willing slave to Sauron’s will, forming a massive Orc army in preparation for what he saw as an inevitable war.

Saruman’s treachery eventually comes to light, and prompts his ejection from the White Council and Istari order. By this time he had already rebranded himself as Saruman of the Many Colors — in proper Pride Month fashion — leaving the coveted position at the head of the White Council vacant. Gandalf eventually stepped in to fill this role.

Image via Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring

The second factor that contributed to Gandalf’s transformation came after his death at the hands of the Balrog. While Gandalf did manage to defeat the ancient beast, he too fell following their lengthy battle, straying “out of thought and time.” He remained tethered to Middle-earth, even as his spirit wandered, and the wounded wizard was eventually brought to Lothlórien. There, the elves saw his wounds healed and draped Gandalf in white, presenting him with a new, powerful staff to aid in his continued service to Middle-earth.

Thus, he became Gandalf the White, elevated in his position in the White Council and the last remaining Valar emissary in Middle-earth. This heightened position also allowed Gandalf to unveil more of his hidden Maiar power, but never swayed him from his original mission: to aid and empower the people of Middle-earth and to see the evil of Sauron permanently purged from the land he loves.

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