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Some scientists seek to solve the potential problems caused by microgravity and cosmic radiation for human reproduction in space.
The recently married couple tip their bellhop, drop their suitcases, and breathe out a sigh as they fall back on the bed. They wanted a gramworthy honeymoon, and for a few million dollars, they’ve got it.
Once their initial travel sickness wears off, they’re feeling as frisky as any other newlyweds. Perhaps the only thing that could distract them from the marital act now is that incredible cabin view of infinite space, and the faint reminders of civilization glinting at them from Earth, some 250 miles below.
If space hotels come to fruition in the coming years or more realistically decades, cosmic vacations won’t be a sci-fi fantasy. Even without hotels, longer orbital space flights all but guarantee tourists opportunities to join the 60-miles-high club. It’s the “souvenirs” these couples could bring home that have a few researchers worried — enough to publish a public report on the risks associated with human conception in the future space tourism sector.
Bottomline: No one knows whether babies could be conceived in space without detrimental consequences to their health — there simply isn’t enough research. While professional astronauts likely have a good grasp on why they shouldn’t set out to make a starchild, less-informed travelers might not demonstrate the same level of restraint.
“It’s going to be a very strong magnet for these couples. They’ll want to be maybe in the history books, like, ‘Hey, we created the very first naturally conceived baby in space,'” said Egbert Edelbroek, CEO of the space research company SpaceBorn United and one of the co-authors, “but they shouldn’t want to.”
The paper published in April captured some buzz — even some snickers from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who called them “nine very lonely authors” — for broaching a little-discussed issue. Though the intent was to get the burgeoning space tourism sector to think about how to discourage space sex that leads to pregnancy (Not sex altogether, one of the researchers assured Mashable. They’re not prudes.), the topic brings into focus an existential problem: How could humans ever leave Earth in the event of a global crisis if people don’t know how to procreate in space or any other world?
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said his ultimate vision is to use a fleet of Starships to send 1 million humans to Mars by 2050. But if those pioneers die off because they can’t have children, or healthy children, what’s the point?
“They’ll want to be maybe in the history books, like, ‘Hey, we created the very first naturally conceived baby in space,’ but they shouldn’t want to.”
In spaceflight, humans are exposed to different levels of gravity — sometimes less, sometimes more. Think about those roller coaster warnings at amusement parks prohibiting pregnant people from riding. They’re in part because extra G-forces can lead to premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus.
On the other hand, little or no gravity like on the International Space Station presents its own challenges: For the past 60 years, NASA has been working on how to keep adults healthy in weightlessness. As it is, astronauts are expected to exercise at least two hours a day on a treadmill or stationary bicycle to combat bone and muscle deterioration.
Research also suggests that cosmic radiation, like other sources of radiation, could damage DNA, reproductive organs, and sperm and egg cells. In women, depending on the amount of exposure, that might mean sterility, ovarian failure, and cancer, which may lead to early menopause or death. In pregnancy, the risks could include miscarriage and premature births. For men, too much radiation could also lead to reduced sperm count or sterility, though some scientific findings indicate sperm could be safely stored in space for a time.
When it comes to embryos and fetuses, the news is just as grim. Radiation can cause growth delays, cognitive impairments, deformities, and higher risks of newborn death.
“We’ve got some ideas that there will be quite a lot of negative issues in the development of bones and musculature,” said David Cullen, professor of astrobiology and space biotechnology at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. “And all these other kinds of things inherently are driven by a combination of genetics, biochemistry, and responses to the local environment. So if you change that local environment, you expect all of those development states to be affected in some way — and, most likely, in a negative way.”
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The Dutch entrepreneur Edelbroek wants to make human reproduction possible in space by first taking sex out of the equation. His company, SpaceBorn United, may be the first in the world planning space-based research on in vitro fertilization, though it’s hard to know what the often-secretive Chinese government may be doing.
Through a series of missions, the startup wants to conduct experiments observing the effects of partial gravity on embryo development. The company, which has about 30 mostly part-time employees now, would start with animal studies before advancing to human cells. In August, SpaceBorn United partnered with Independence-X, a Malaysian space exploration company, to conduct a suborbital drop test of its re-entry capsule containing biological samples.
So far SpaceBorn United has developed a miniature IVF and embryo incubator using microfluidics technology. The prototype hardware, which looks like a CD, has multiple tiny channels that hold sperm and eggs. The disc spins to simulate different loads of gravity while the device automatically impregnates embryos. Now the venture is working with a German company, Atmos Space Cargo, to launch mouse embryos on an orbital test flight by the end of next year, Edelbroek said.
The logistics of doing these experiments are complicated. Because the team needs to work with freshly harvested female cells, the company must have last-minute access to the rocket payload, making ride-sharing programs unfeasible. The cells only remain fertile for four to six hours.
But private industry will have to lead the way on space reproduction research, he said, because NASA and other government space agencies have onerous political challenges to navigate before engaging in such studies. In the United States, for instance, sex is already a taboo subject. Add on top of that the nation’s complex culture war over reproductive rights, and the hurdles are monumental. Experts say the U.S. space agency isn’t likely to get Congress on board with funding such endeavors.
They “can only work with baby steps — with fruit flies and frog eggs and some rodents — and never, never even speak about doing it with human reproductive cells,” he said.
Most of the company’s investors are in the fertility sector because of the potential to improve assisted reproductive technology on Earth. They’ve also received interest in collaborating from neophyte spacefaring nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, that may want the prestige of being involved in a first like human embryo conception in space.
In the same vein as the space burial market, SpaceBorn United anticipates there will be affluent customers interested in paying for space-fertilized babies long before humans are even living somewhere beyond Earth.
“We’ve had other suggestions, like space cats and dogs,” Edelbroek said.
Though the ultimate goal may be to one day make natural conception and childbirth possible in space, doing so won’t be possible anytime soon, said Alexandra Proshchina, a neuroscientist at the Petrovsky National Research Center for Surgery in Moscow.
She and her colleagues have worked on animal reproduction studies in microgravity through several missions organized by the Institute of Biomedical Problems. In the 1990s, they participated in a Russian-Canadian experiment on the BION-10 biosatellite involving clawed frog tadpoles and an 11-day Russian-American experiment on space shuttle Atlantis centered on the development of rat embryos.
“(They) can only work with baby steps — with fruit flies and frog eggs and some rodents — and never, never even speak about doing it with human reproductive cells.”
Then in 2014, along with Rustam Berdiev, a physiologist at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, they performed the world’s first attempt to mate ornate day geckos in spaceflight on the Russian FOTON-M4 satellite, though the lizards died due to difficulties with the mission. The team has since started preparing an orbital experiment involving veiled chameleon embryos, but the project has stalled, in part because of funding challenges, researchers told Mashable.
During pregnancy, women adapt to changes in body mass, hormone levels, metabolism, and a host of other biological processes that put significant strain on their bodies. Even astronauts at peak fitness get spacesick, said Proshchina, who, along with morphologist Victoria Gulimova, responded to Mashable in writing to overcome translation issues.
“Subjecting pregnant women to such physical stress is not very humane,” Proshchina said. “Moreover, it would be unacceptable to put the baby at risk.”
Even if a baby could be delivered safely in space, scientists know even less about the impacts of the space environment on children and teenagers, said Alex Layendecker, a former Air Force space operations officer with a doctorate in human sexuality. He has recently founded the Astrosexological Research Institute, a nonprofit organization aimed at facilitating studies of sex and reproduction in space.
Cell division is more rapid in children than adults. When ionizing radiation penetrates a human body, it destroys bonds and can lead to cancer. If a child were to develop cancer, it might spread faster in outer space conditions than it would for an adult, he said.
In terms of ethics, taking a minor away from the planet, even just for a space cruise, would cross a line, given the lack of data: Children can’t provide informed consent, yet their lives likely would be at a much higher risk of negative impacts, he said.
Whether a human conceived and born in space would be able to adapt to other planets is a looming unknown. It’s not even clear whether such a child could survive on Earth after coming home, said Gulimova, who also works at the Petrovsky National Research Center for Surgery.
Or, would the first long-duration space journeys crewed with astronauts and their descendants have to be planned as one-way trips?
“There are many questions, and many more ground-based and orbital experiments that will have to be carried out, before happy parents on board the spacecraft hear the first cry of the first citizen of the Universe,” she said.
From Harry Potter to Fast & Furious and “Bridesmaids,” Peacock has the hits you need to see (again).
Some days, it feels like there are too many streaming services and too many options. How can you possibly choose what movie to watch next?
For those of you who have Peacock (and why wouldn’t you? Their TV offerings are stacked!), we’re here to help. We’ve combed through the streaming service’s catalog to bring you the funniest comedies, the most moving dramas, the most suspenseful thrillers, and the all-around best movies for your viewing pleasure. All you need to bring is the popcorn!
The most “Wes Anderson” of Anderson’s prolific and twee oeuvre, Asteroid City is not for everyone. If you’ve never found meaning in the stylistic artifice of an Anderson film, then you might feel similarly baffled here. But if Anderson’s whimsy has spoken to you in the past, then take comfort knowing this most recent offering might be his most intricate and affecting film to date.
Existential and gentle, Asteroid City is a movie about a show about a play, a nesting doll artistic endeavor keenly interested in the nature of storytelling. Is it about an alien encounter in a fictional desert town or the playwright and actors who brought the fictional desert town to life? Or is it about Anderson himself, an explainer on his hyper-specific body of work? The answer is all of this and more. Asteroid City is a fanciful, emotional triumph, popping off the screen with vibrant technicolor and a stacked cast of familiar faces and vibrant newcomers. A must-see film for Anderson-fans. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributing Writer
How to watch: Asteroid City is now streaming on Peacock.
If you haven’t seen Bridesmaids, written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, we’re so sorry that you’ve obviously been trapped in a siren’s cave for the last 11 years — because there is simply no other excuse. Bridesmaids was an era-defining film. In 2011, there were still prominent male comedians claiming women couldn’t be funny! Bridesmaids put an end to the debate.
Wiig stars as Annie, a wayward thirtysomething who feels out of step with her best friend Lillian (a perfect Maya Rudolph) when she meets the other women in Lillian’s bridal party. What follows is both romantic comedy and buddy flick, stuffed to the brim with punchlines, physical gags, and a repulsive and unforgettable gross-out scene. The entire cast here is flawless: Rose Byrne is delightfully haughty. Jon Hamm is perfect as a hot idiot. Chris O’Dowd is a swoon-worthy love interest, and Melissa McCarthy was nominated for a dang Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as another misfit bridesmaid. Please escape the siren’s cave and see this legendary comedy — for your own good! — K.G.
How to watch: Bridesmaids is streaming on Peacock.
Currently, all John Wick properties, including the so-so prequel series, The Continental, are streaming on Peacock. This highly stylized and violent neo-noir thriller franchise tells the story of John Wick (Keanu Reeves), the best assassin there ever was, who gets drawn back into the underworld after a personal tragedy leaves him set on revenge. Wick’s body count is prodigious and creative, but his cause is just. You can’t help but root for the quiet, brooding antihero. He wanted out of the game — but the game won’t let him say goodbye that easily. John Wick is a nonstop action spectacular with stunning cinematogaphy and positively mesmerizing fight choreography. — K.G.
How to watch: John Wick is now streaming on Peacock.
This cleverly twisted crime film was written and directed by Graham Moore, who won an Oscar for his adapted screenplay of The Imitation Game in 2015. The incomparable Mark Rylance stars as a soft-spoken British tailor who makes beautiful, bespoke men’s suits in 1950s Chicago. Unfortunately, most of his clientele are ruthless mobsters. The majority of the movie takes place in the span of one shocking and breathless night when his gangster clients seek shelter in the shop after an unexpected shootout from a rival organization.
The Outfit is a sophisticated and constantly surprising thriller. As Rylance’s assistant, Zoey Deutch is as charming as always, and Johnny Flynn thrives while playing against type as a no-good ’50s gangster. It’s an absolute gem of a film that will keep you guessing the whole way through. — K.G.
How to watch: The Outfit is streaming on Peacock.
Devin Blackmon stars as Dayveon, a young kid in Arkansas struggling in the aftermath of his brother’s death. Unmoored and spending his days listlessly wandering the little town he lives in, he is increasingly drawn to the sense of belonging he finds in a local gang. Directed by Amman Abbasi, with a script by Abbasi and Steven Reneau, Dayveon is a sophisticated and deeply intimate film made even more incredible by the fact that its cast is primarily composed of non-actors. It’s a moving and beautifully shot story that feels wholly, heartbreakingly real. — K.G.
How to watch: Dayveon is streaming on Peacock.
2017’s raunchy comedy about a group of friends traveling to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival made Tiffany Haddish a household name. And once you watch the scene of her zip-lining above a partying crowd on Bourbon Street, you’ll know why. Written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, Girls Trip is boisterous, outrageous, and ridiculously lovable. The jubilant cast, starring Haddish, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Queen Latifah, is clearly having so much fun celebrating female debauchery, it’s hard not to be on board with Girls Trip. — K.G.
How to watch: Girls Trip is now streaming on Peacock.
The mid-2010s brought us ombre hair, planking, and #YOLO, but its most enduring cultural addition was a wave of movies about imperfect women. More female-led films at the box office meant there was finally enough space for leading ladies who didn’t have to meet every standard to which we hold the modern women. Movie theaters were flooded with bad moms, antiheroines, and the sloppiest drunks you’ve ever seen in your life. Enter Trainwreck, a hilarious and irreverent rom-com directed by Judd Apatow and starring Amy Schumer in a role that’s basically her hot mess stand-up persona come to life.
In this hysterical comedy, Schumer and Bill Hader are surprisingly charming together as opposites attract. Plus, John Cena and LeBron James both add an unexpected sparkle to a fun and cheeky romance. — K.G.
How to watch: Trainwreck is streaming on Peacock.
Ip Man is an exciting Hong Kong martial arts biopic about the extraordinary life of the Wing Chun grandmaster who was Bruce Lee’s martial arts teacher. The film tracks Ip Man’s journey from the Southern Chinese village where he was well known as a skilled martial artist to his family’s displacement during the Japanese occupation of the Second Sino-Japanese War, his eventual rise as a fighter, and his establishment of a school in Hong Kong.
Starring the skillful Donnie Yen, Ip Man doesn’t skimp on character development; it’s an electrifying rumination on philosophy, power, and honor in addition to its stunning action. Ip Man is a deeply influential film in the martial arts genre and, to everyone’s delight, has inspired three equally stirring sequels, all of which are available on Peacock. — K.G.
How to watch: Ip Man is streaming on Peacock.
And now the franchise that needs no introduction: Harry Potter. The original eight-movie series starts as a charming coming-of-age tale about a boy wizard learning about magic and ends as a serious and emotional allegory about fighting fascism and the lengths we will go to protect the people we love. J.K. Rowling notwithstanding, Harry Potter is our hero, Ron Weasley our goofy best friend, and Hermione our actual hero, because duh.
The quality of the movies vary based on the different directors at the helm and the age of the young leads, but the strength of the source material — paired with the prodigious gifts of the many, many storied British actors who fill out the sparkling supporting cast — assure a satisfying watch. Most agree that the final two movies, each covering half of the last book in the series, are the most enthralling in the group — but you’ll have to watch them all to get what’s going on. So, you might as well start with number one, The Sorcerer’s Stone, and go from there. Poor you! You’re about to have a really great time! — K.G.
How to watch: Harry Potter is streaming on Peacock.
You haven’t seen E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, yet? So you’ve been politely laughing along every time someone has said “E.T. phone home” for the last 50 years?! It’s time to get on it already. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a beloved family movie classic for a reason — it’s simply fantastic.
Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece tells the story of Elliott Turner, a 10-year-old who finds an alien in his backyard. With his siblings, he must help his new friend get back home or risk his being turned over to the government. It’s an exciting, heartwarming adventure that makes you feel like a kid again and inspired a half-century of copycats and homages (Stranger Things, anyone?). Despite being filmed five decades ago, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has not lost an ounce of its charm and emotional punch, a testament to its enduring quality. If you haven’t seen it, put E.T. at the top of your queue, immediately. — K.G.
How to watch: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is now streaming on Peacock.
This absolutely stunning, hand-drawn film hasn’t garnered as much attention as, say, Pixar’s latest, but that’s no reason to skip this immensely affecting French-Danish tale. Sasha (Christa Théret) is a 15-year-old aristocrat living in 19th-century St. Petersburg, Russia. Determined to find her missing grandfather, a famed explorer, and clear her family’s name, she locates a vessel and sets off with a motley crew into the unforgiving Arctic landscape.
Directed by Rémi Chayé, Long Way North is both an epic adventure and a human drama, exploring themes of empowerment and empathy. What truly makes this 80-minute movie special, though, is its unique artistic style. The snow-covered landscape might be stark, but Long Way North makes the icy world feel both beautiful and alive. — K.G.
How to Watch: Long Way North is streaming on Peacock.
Part of Lars von Trier’s “Depression Trilogy,” (which includes Antichrist and Nymphomaniac), 2011’s Melancholia is an artsy, atmospheric sci-fi thriller about the end of the world. A rogue planet is due to collide with Earth, and everyone must come face-to-face with the inevitable nothingness ahead of them. The cast is magnetic (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, and more) and the cinematography is unforgettable. A memorable, piercing rumination on grief that stands alone in its category. — K.G.
How to watch: Melancholia is now streaming on Peacock.
There’s no way you haven’t heard of 1985’s Back to the Future, the comedy science fiction romp — and honest-to-god American classic — that made the world fall in love with Michael J. Fox. Fox is Marty McFly, a bored teenager who befriends an eccentric scientist (Christopher Lloyd) and finds himself transported to the 1950s, where his presence threatens to wreak havoc on the future. Marty has to make sure his parents still fall in love, or he’ll be wiped from history forever. It’s a fantastic premise that somehow never feels absurd thanks to the Fox’s aching humanity and Lloyd’s charisma. From the very first utterance of “Great Scott!” we’re along for the ride on a journey where we won’t need roads. — K.G.
How to watch: Back to the Future is now streaming on Peacock.
Jason Segel is Peter, a television soundtrack composer whose life revolves around his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (a deliciously bratty Kristen Bell). That is, until she abruptly breaks up with him. While he’s naked. Cue the full-frontal sobbing!
To get his mind off of her, Peter takes a trip to Hawaii, but turns out, Sarah is vacationing at the same resort with her new rock star boyfriend, Aldous Snow (unfortunately played by Russell Brand). Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a sweet and raunchy breakup rom-com full of characters that are flawed, idiosyncratic, and incredibly human, including Mila Kunis as Peter’s cool new love interest and Paul Rudd as a hippie-dippie surf instructor. And let’s not forget the singing vampire puppets! — K.G.
How to Watch: Forgetting Sarah Marshall is streaming on Peacock.
A sumptuous and charming adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, 2020’s Emma is unique among Emma iterations because it leans into a secret truth: the heroine, Emma Woodhouse, is kind of a brat. She floats above everyone else, pulling strings to set up matches that serve her purposes instead of what her friends actually desire. Clueless always understood this — and now, thanks to director Autumn de Wilde, we can watch the naive and loveably self-centered character face her comeuppance while sporting the dazzling Regency-era costumes she was made for. Anya Taylor-Joy hits all the right notes as Ms. Woodhouse herself, and Johnny Flynn is magnetic as Mr. Knightley, her prickly neighbor who sees through her act. But it’s Josh O’Connor as a delightfully offputting Mr. Elton, a nightmare suitor, who steals every scene he’s in. — K.G.
How to watch: Emma is now streaming on Peacock.
Most of pop culture’s most enduring monsters — Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man/Werewolf — got their first screen time in Universal Studios films made between the 1930s and 1950s. These incredibly influential classic horrors are the reason we all picture a square-headed Frankenstein and a Dracula with an indulgently high collar. The first impression is the one that sticks.
Peacock is still home to most of the Universal Classic Monsters, including The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man Returns, Werewolf of London, Phantom of the Opera, and more. None are as iconic, however, as 1931’s Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. The story, adapted from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is one so well-known it does not need repeating, but if you were wondering where the almost-full century of film and TV jokes about little girls befriending villains came from, look no further. This is the movie that turned a monster into a legend. — K.G.
How to watch: Frankenstein is now streaming on Peacock.
In 1974, Philippe Petit walked a high wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center in NYC. Petit was later arrested for the stunt. In 2008, documentarian James Marsh made Man On Wire, a moving, awe-inspiring chronicle of Petit’s audacious feat, based on Petit’s own book about the event. Suspenseful, mischievous, and paced like a heist movie, Man On Wire is a riveting watch sure to keep even the most ardent documentary-avoider on the edge of their seats. — K.G.
How to watch: Man on Wire is now streaming on Peacock.
Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) doesn’t quite fit into his dragon-fighting viking village of Berk. The seasoned warriors, including his father, the chief (Gerard Butler), think he’s too much of a weenie to fight their fearsome dragon enemies. But Hiccup has a secret: He’s found a wounded dragon who has quickly become his best friend. Will his village change its mind about dragons, or will Hiccup and his dragon be forced to hide for the rest of their lives? It’s a fun family romp that makes the incredibly smart choice of giving dragons the eager, earnest personalities of everyone’s favorite family dog. It doesn’t matter how old you are, Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon is a total treat! — K.G.
How to watch: How to Train Your Dragon is now streaming on Peacock.
The movie that won Steven Soderbergh the Academy Award for Best Director, Traffic is a complex, captivating exploration of drug trafficking in the USA and Mexico. Following multiple intersecting storylines, audiences watch the effects of illegal drugs ripple in all directions, from manufacturers and distributors to the politicians trying to combat them and the users who are hooked. Shot like a documentary and including multiple cameos from actual U.S. congresspeople, Traffic is a riveting, powerful piece that feels utterly real.
What’s more, the cast is stellar, with Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzmán all at the top of their game, and Benicio Del Toro in particular winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a Mexican police officer. — K.G.
How to watch: Traffic is now streaming on Peacock.
Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse), The Northman is a dark, suspenseful retelling of a Scandinavian myth that also happens to have been the direct inspiration for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Alexander Skarsgård is Amleth, a young prince who swears revenge after his uncle murders his father and marries his mother. Years later, now a berserker Viking, Amleth has an encounter with a seer that convinces him the time to collect on that childhood promise is nigh.
The Northman is a tense, atmospheric, and brutal historical thriller, told as if it were a story recounted around a medieval Scandinavian fire, grounded in an ancient point of view. This visually-stunning but bloody revenge saga also stars Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Björk, obviously.* — K.G.
How to watch: The Northman is now streaming on Peacock.
Point Break is an iconic and insane ’90s movie in which Keanu Reeves plays rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah, who has to — and we’re not kidding here — infiltrate an L.A. “surf gang” suspected of robbing banks. Very little in this movie makes any sense (the large reason Utah is assigned the undercover role is because he used to play football in college?), which is exactly why it’s so dang wonderful. You’ve got Patrick Swayze as the enigmatic leader of a surfing cult, Gary Busey as Reeves’ gruff veteran partner, and again, Keanu Reeves plays a former college football star named Johnny Utah who has to learn to surf as a matter of life and death. Point Break is ludicrous, magnificent, and fantastically, perfectly ’90s. Vaya con dios, baby. — K.G.
How to watch: Point Break is now streaming on Peacock.
If loving Fast & Furious is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Across 11 bonkers movies that scoffed at physics and grunted about the importance of family, this franchise hasn’t slowed down. Not only has it raised the bar on out-of-this-world action, but also, it’s grown the Fast family by leaps, bounds, and long-lost siblings. So what could Fast X possibly do to keep this momentum going strong? It went hard in every way fans demand.
In the tradition of its predecessors, Fast X retcons to bring a new ferocious foe into the fray. Jason Momoa stars as the flamboyant, fashion-forward, and gleefully anarchistic Dante, who’s seeking revenge against Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and all of his extensive family. Momoa is wild fun as a villain who is Dom’s polar opposite in attitude and outfit choices. That alone is enough to enjoy this ride. But Fast X also includes gonzo fight scenes with the likes of Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, and many, many more. There are also jaw-dropping cameos and a climax that had fans shocked and cheering. The only thing not to like about this one is how it left us hanging, waiting for whatever Fast and Furious 11 might bring.* — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Fast X is now streaming on Peacock.
(*) denotes writeup came from a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 2:18 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect Peacock’s current streaming selection.
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With “Where the Devil Roams,” filmmakers the Adams family deliver a creeping horror film about a murderous family of carnies.
All you need to know about Where the Devil Roams can be summed up by one headline that flashes onscreen during a montage: “Gruesome family act steals the show.”
The headline certainly describes the film, but it could just as easily apply to the family of filmmakers who brought it to life: the Adams family. (No, not that one.) John Adams, Zelda Adams, Lulu Adams, and Toby Poser are known for crafting independent horror films like 2021’s Hellbender. That streak continues with the admittedly “gruesome” Where the Devil Roams. It’s a Depression Era-set period piece with a Satanic streak, and it makes for the most unconventional (and haunting) family road trip movie you’ll see all year.
Where the Devil Roams introduces us to a family of traveling carnies: Seven (John Adams), a war veteran suffering from PTSD; Maggie (Toby Poser), his impulsive, violence-prone wife; and their daughter Eve (Zelda Adams), who sings in their carnival act but otherwise doesn’t speak.
The trio’s (played by the film’s three directors) act gets middling reception at best, but they get their real kicks out of murdering evildoers they find all around the carnival circuit. These murder scenes play out in darkly funny fashion, with Seven’s horrified aversion to blood contrasting with Maggie’s readiness to get her hands bloody. Post-killing rituals involve everything from taking photos of the murder scenes to strumming a ukulele beside the dead bodies, injecting the deaths with a strangely twee aesthetic.
Eve’s family aren’t the only carnies with a dark secret. The carnival’s star performer, a magician named Mr. Tips (Sam Rodd), owns a devilish artifact that allows him to cut off and reattach his fingers. But when Eve steals the artifact to save her parents after a murder gone awry, she risks exposing her family to a lifetime of pain.
Where the Devil Roams revels in its slow-burn storytelling, creeping along like decay in rotting flesh (of which there is no shortage in this film). Images with seemingly no connection, including lost children’s shoes and Eve’s careful dismemberment of dolls, establish the movie’s growing sense of dread, but also pay off in big ways in the final act.
That sense of dread is also the result of Where the Devil Roams’ meticulous use of its settings. The carnival, with its white-faced clowns and eerily repetitive barkers, is already a classically creepy spot, made all the more so by Mr. Tips’ whisperings about deals with the devil. The empty spaces between carnival stops provide ample room for uncanniness as well. Stark forests and frozen-over creeks suggest a dangerously magical wilderness where anything can happen.
Where the Devil Roams finds horror in negative space as well, situating brightly-lit faces in total darkness so that we can only guess what’s playing out around them. This technique also helps us focus solely on the pain flashing across characters’ faces: A tooth removal scene is extra grisly thanks to the surrounding darkness. That darkness only grows as the film goes on, gradually shifting from color to black and white to mirror Eve’s family’s own descent into misery.
Throughout all the murder and misery, Where the Devil Roams keeps a strong focus on the familial ties that bind Eve, Seven, and Maggie together — ties made even more resonant by the filmmakers’ own. The film intersperses its bloodier interludes with scenes of Eve, Seven, and Maggie’s own sort of domesticity. We see them doing their laundry, eating dinner around a campfire, and complaining about each other’s snoring. Eve and Maggie even discuss Eve’s period, giving us a peek into their mother-daughter relationship.
All these smaller moments build up an authentic ease between this trio, so that when crisis strikes, you’re so caught up in their lives that you don’t want anything to tear them apart. Without spoiling too much, it’s this threat of a family being separated that drives Where the Devil Roams‘ last act, which externalizes that separation anxiety with some unforgettable body horror.
That conclusion owes its strength to the film’s emphasis on Eve, Seven, and Maggie as a loving family unit. Where the Devil Roams reveals that Seven and Maggie both experienced major family trauma: Seven with his first wife and children, Maggie with her mother. But there’s no sign of that strife between Seven, Maggie, and Eve. They care so deeply for each other — a quality we see in even the strangest of situations, like Eve covering Seven’s eyes so he doesn’t see blood when Maggie murders someone. They may be messed-up murderers, but they’re strangely lovable too — and that’s what keeps us watching.
Where the Devil Roams opens in theaters Nov. 3 and hit digital on Nov. 7.
UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 1:51 p.m. EDT Where the Devil Roams was reviewed out of its US premiere at 2023’s Fantastic Fest.
