• Business Insider spoke with insiders, analysts, and producers to profile one of Netflix's most important executives, Scott Stuber.
• As the head of its original films division, Stuber is not just overseeing the launch of the company's biggest titles like "Bird Box" and "The Irishman," but also making Hollywood more comfortable with the streamer.
• Stuber has done a lot, and he's only been on the job for just over two years.
• Listen to the story below.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix has always enjoyed being considered a disruptor in the movie business, but with more competition in the streaming space (Disney Plus, HBO Max) it needs to play nice with the establishment.

Thanks to Scott Stuber, Netflix is doing just that.

As Netflix's head of original films, Stuber has not just overseen its latest crop of popular titles like "Bird Box,""The Irishman," and "Marriage Story," but has also bridged the gap the streaming giant has with theater owners.

And he's done all that in just over two years on the job.

Known in Hollywood for his laid-back style and friendships with some of the biggest players in the business, Stuber has done everything from being the head of production at Universal to a full-time producer ("The Break-Up,""Central Intelligence," and more). With that knowledge of both the executive and creative worlds, he's become a perfect fit to run the movie side of a company that wants Hollywood to bend to its will, but also win a few Oscars along the way.

Leading up to the Academy Awards, "The Irishman," and other Netflix titles like "Marriage Story" and "The Two Popes," are in high contention for a best picture Oscar nomination, so there could be some fireworks on Hollywood's biggest night.

A best picture win for a Netflix title would be the first ever for a streaming service, putting Netflix one step closer to becoming the new normal in Hollywood. If that happens, Stuber would be one top forces that made it possible.

You can listen to our profile on Stuber below:

Or read the full story in text format here:

Netflix insiders describe how movie boss Scott Stuber made Hollywood stop worrying and love the streaming giant

SEE ALSO: Quibi execs describe 3 ways the video service will measure success — after raising $1.4 billion before launch

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NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• The 2019 box office hit some major milestones, according to Comscore.
• The global box office for the year finished at $42.5 billion, an all-time high.
• At the international (non-US) box office, the closing figure was $31.1 billion, also an all-time high.
• North America finished strong thanks to "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" and "Jumanji: The Next Level" and had a $11.4 billion total. That's the second-biggest year ever and the fifth-straight year it has surpassed $11 billion.
• With no "Avengers" or "Star Wars" releases coming out in 2020, the box office totals for the year may not be as strong as what happened in 2019.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Thanks to a strong push to the finish line, the 2019 box office ended up with an impressive take, according to Comscore. 

The third-party media and analytics company reported on Friday that the global box office ended up with a $42.5 billion total, an all-time high. The international (non-US) box office also had an all-time best, bringing in $31.1 billion.

This was thanks to the big earners of the year like Disney titles "Avengers: Endgame,""The Lion King," and "Frozen 2," along with Sony's "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and Warner Bros.' "Joker."

The North American box office also turned out to have a big year, finishing with a $11.4 billion take, the second-biggest year ever and the fifth-straight year it has surpassed the $11 billion mark. 

A big help to the North American total was the performance by December releases like "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,""Jumanji: The Next Level," and award-season titles overperforming like Sony's "Little Women" and A24's "Uncut Gems." It led to the deficit from 2018's record-breaking take of $11.8 billion going from 11% at the end of April to just 4% for the full year. 

The totals proved the strength of the 2019 slate for the entire year, but going forward there could be cause for concern. 

With no "Avengers" or "Star Wars" titles coming out in 2020, this year is lacking the number of event pictures compared to the last two years. 

Upcoming movies like "No Time To Die,""Wonder Woman 1984,""Black Widow," and "Top Gun: Maverick" will try to pick up the slack.

SEE ALSO: AUDIO: Netflix insiders explain how movie head Scott Stuber helped the company shed its outsider status in Hollywood

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• Keanu Reeves is an actor best known for action movies like "The Matrix" (1999) and "John Wick" (2014).
• Insider ranked his 10 best and 10 worst films according to critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Reeves' highest-rated films include "Toy Story 4" (2019) and "Speed" (1994). 
• However, critics couldn't get on board with other projects like "Generation Um…" (2013) and "Exposed" (2016). 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

After his star-making role in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989), Keanu Reeves has gone on to have a monumental career in making movies.

Today, Reeves has over 100 acting credits under his belt, but some projects across his vast filmography have gotten better critical reception than others. 

Here are the 10 best and 10 worst Keanu Reeves movies according to critics. 

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change.

Reeves' highest-rated film is "Toy Story 4" (2019), in which he voiced Duke Caboom.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Summary: In Pixar's animated sequel "Toy Story 4," Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) settle into their roles within a new family, with Woody taking the nervous craft project Forky (Tony Hale) under his wing to show him what it means to be a toy. 

Reeves lent his voice as the Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom. 

"Toy Story 4" was met with an overwhelming amount of praise from critics, even from the ones who thought that Pixar had run out of mileage with their "Toy Story" characters. 

"I admit that in the past I've felt skeptical of the need for a new 'Toy Story' movie," wrote Adam Lubitow for the Rochester City Newspaper. "But then one opens and it wins me over, finding new ways to wring emotion and heart from a story that appeared to have run its course."

He played Jack Traven in the action thriller "Speed" (1994).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Summary: In the action movie "Speed," Reeves stars as Jack Traven, a bomb-squad specialist hot on the heels of an elusive bomber named Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper).

When Traven learns that Payne has rigged a bus full of civilians to explode if it goes under 50 miles an hour, he tries to help bus driver Annie (Sandra Bullock) before it's too late. 

Critics gave the film high-scoring reviews for its propulsive cinematography and action-packed plot, all matched by a magnetic cast.  

"Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper are fun to watch as the dueling protagonists, and Sandra Bullock is fetching as an astonished commuter who finds herself behind the steering wheel," wrote David Sterritt for The Christian Science Monitor. 

Reeves was Chevalier Danceny in the drama "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Summary: Based on the classic novel, the drama "Dangerous Liaisons" centers around Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich) as they wager with each other over their ability to seduce and manipulate ladies of high-ranking society, with Reeves starring as rival suitor Chevalier Danceny. 

"Dangerous Liaisons" fascinated and entertained critics with its intelligent script and gripping plot twists. 

"It's an elegant, erotic and gorgeously photographed tour through a wickedly artificial 18th century aristocratic world in which people can articulate anything and everything but the emotions that finally destroy them," wrote Jeff Simon in The Buffalo News. 

The actor appeared as himself in the documentary "Side by Side" (2012).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Summary: In the documentary "Side by Side," Reeves produces and hosts an exploration of digital filmmaking within the greater context of film history.

Interviews include sound bites from prolific Hollywood directors such as David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron. 

Critics were intrigued by the documentary and its self-referential love for the movie-making industry, with many noting Reeves' involvement as a captivating lead. 

"Keanu Reeves proves a surprisingly engaging host for this documentary inquiry into the ongoing transition from celluloid to digital filmmaking," wrote Alistair Harkness for The Scotsman. 

He was Tod in the family comedy "Parenthood" (1989).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: In the family-centric comedy "Parenthood," Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) and his wife Karen (Mary Steenburgen) live out the daily highs and lows of parenting three young children. Meanwhile, Gil's sister Helen deals with parental troubles of her own: her pregnant daughter Julie (Martha Plimpton) just got married to her burn-out boyfriend Tod (Reeves). 

The comedy "Parenthood" was lauded for finding humor within a narrative that was still heartfelt and touching. 

"There's not a scene in Parenthood that isn't involving," wrote Jay Boyar for the Orlando Sentinel. "The actors keep reaching into themselves and coming up with gold." 

Reeves parodied himself in the romantic comedy "Always Be My Maybe" (2019).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: After an unexpected break with her long-term boyfriend, celebrity chef Sasha (Ali Wong) returns home to San Francisco to reconnect with her past.

While she's there, she bumps into her childhood friend Marcus (Randall Park). Overcome with feelings for Sasha, Marcus becomes jealous when Sasha dates high-profile actor Keanu Reeves (played by Reeves himself). 

Critics were won over by the Netflix original romantic comedy, which was called a unique mixture of clever and genuinely heartwarming moments. 

"Much has been written about THAT Keanu Reeves' cameo, but the secret weapon of the movie is definitely the charming leads," wrote Ruth Maramis for Flix Chatter. "Ali Wong & Randall Park are now one of my all-time favorite rom-com couples!"

He returned as John Wick in "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" (2019).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: In the third installment of the action-packed franchise, "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" picks up where the last one left off, with legendary assassin John Wick (Reeves) running for his life from the guild of trained killers he once worked alongside.

With a priceless bounty on his head, Wick turns to old allies to survive the night. 

Film reviewers were quick to recommend the action flick for its flawless cinematography and fight choreography. 

"Reeves and Dacascos' brutal, climactic sparring session definitely leaves us wanting more, not to mention wondering about a potential Oscars sound editing category for shattering glass," wrote Tom Russo for the Boston Globe.

The actor played Don John in the drama "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: In Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) returns home from battle relishing his victory in battle, only for his men — Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Don John (Reeves)  — to squabble over their shared pursuit of the governor's daughter Hero (Kate Beckinsale). 

Critics praised director Branagh for capturing the spirit of Shakespeare's classic comedy and yielding winning performances from the cast. 

Chris Hicks wrote for the Deseret News: "The good news is that the audience will have just as much fun as the players with this one."

In "John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017) Reeves returned as Wick.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Summary: In the non-stop thrill ride "John Wick: Chapter 2," iconic hitman John Wick (Reeves) finds himself drawn out of retirement once more when a blood debt drives him to Rome to help an old ally take control of the assassins' guild that molded him. 

"John Wick: Chapter 2" proved just as enjoyable as the first installment for many critics, with reviews pointing towards the film's complex world-building as a gift that keeps on giving. 

"Chad Stahelski and Keanu [Reeves] not only match the merits of the first film with John Wick: Chapter 2, but even exceed the first in many forms," wrote Avram Vargas for Geeks of Color. 

He famously portrayed Neo in "The Matrix" (1999).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Summary: In "The Matrix," cubicle-bound office worker Neo (Reeves) is an expert hacker, a talent which gains him the attention of a mysterious man named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne).

He presents Neo with an earth-shattering idea — nothing around them is real.

Directed by siblings Lilly and Lana Wachowski, the science-fiction movie was a breakthrough hit for critics in 1999 and has influenced action movies for over two decades. 

"Keanu Reeves makes a lean, strikingly beautiful tabula rasa hero, twisting out of the way of bullets that elongate like silver beads of mercury," wrote David Edelstein in his review for Slate.

Critics didn't have as much love for "47 Ronin" (2013), in which Reeves played Kai.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

Summary: In the action-adventure drama "47 Ronin," Reeves stars as Kai, a man recruited by Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada) into a league of 47 samurai. Together, they attempt to overthrow a malicious overlord who banished them as outcasts. 

Upon viewing "47 Ronin," many critics lamented the fact that a talented cast could find themselves in such a dull picture. 

"Reeves does an excellent job of being a stoic servant bound by honour to reject love and embrace death," wrote Anthony Morris for The Vine. "And 'stoic servant' sounds a little like an actor stuck trying to make the best of a big budget film collapsing all around him, if you think about it."

He was Eddie Kasalivich in the thriller "Chain Reaction" (1996).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

Summary: In the action thriller "Chain Reaction," young Eddie Kasalivich (Reeves) finds himself in over his head when he stumbles upon a government conspiracy to cover up a laboratory experiment that succeeded in turning water into fuel.

With a target on his back, Eddie works fast to clear his name and the name of other scientists at the center of the conspiracy.

For a self-proclaimed thriller, "Chain Reaction" was dragged by critics for lacking any sincere moments of excitement. 

"Plodding and predictable, and a big disappointment," wrote Eric Brace for The Washington Post. 

The actor played Nelson Moss in "Sweet November" (2001).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%

Summary: "Sweet November" is a romantic drama starring Reeves as Nelson Moss, a man who falls for Sarah Dever (Charlize Theron) the second they meet. Sarah promises Nelson that she can change his life in a single month.

Critics felt that the plot of "Sweet November" was overwhelmingly schmaltzy, and it didn't help that Theron and Reeves seemed to be a mismatched pair. 

"The utter absence of chemistry between Reeves and Theron is just the last nail in this colossal misfire's coffin," wrote Maitland McDonagh for TV Guide. 

In the romantic comedy "Feeling Minnesota" (1996) he was Jjaks Clayton.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

Summary: In the black comedy "Feeling Minnesota," Cameron Diaz stars as a stripper named Freddie who is forced to wed her club owner's accountant Sam Clayton (Vincent D'onofrio). But on the day of the wedding, she falls for Sam's brother Jjaks (Reeves) instead.

Critical reception for "Feeling Minnesota" was poor across the board, with many reviews noting the film's recycled plot and cardboard-thin characters. 

"After a while, I began to feel that Reeves' confusion was real — that he couldn't quite figure out what 'Feeling Minnesota' was supposed to be or where he fit into it," wrote film critic Rob Gonsalves. "I could certainly relate."

Reeves played Johnny in "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 13%

Summary: "Johnny Mnemonic" is a science-fiction cyber thriller set in the distant future that follows the mission of Johnny (Reeves), a man tasked with smuggling vital information to the US through a chip in his brain. If he doesn't deliver it in time, his head is set to explode.

"Johnny Mnemonic" was not met well by film reviewers, who felt that the science-fiction wannabe was too goofy for its own good. 

Michael Dequina expressed his frustration with the film in his review for The Movie Report: "Reeves showcases his considerable thesping skills in a climactic monologue about ... room service."

He was Lucas Hill in the drama "Siberia" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

Summary: "Siberia" is a dramatic thriller centered around Lucas Hill (Reeves), a diamond merchant who travels to Russia to negotiate a pricey deal. When it falls through and his partner goes missing, Lucas finds himself in over his head in the world of diamond trading. 

Critics gave "Siberia" an icy reception, declaring the film's narrative incoherent and the pacing dead upon arrival. 

"A film that moves too slowly and feels unnecessarily complex," wrote Sarah Cartland for Caution Spoilers. "And I didn't find it particularly exciting, despite my unrequited love for both diamonds and Keanu Reeves."

The actor played David Allen Griffin in "The Watcher" (2000).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

Summary: In the crime thriller "The Watcher," a detective (James Spader) desperately attempts to track down an elusive serial killer named David Allen Griffin (Reeves). Egged on by the detective's pursuit, Griffin taunts him as he threatens to kill again. 

"The Watcher" was received badly by critics who felt that the screenplay was sloppy and the direction lent itself to a direct-to-DVD-style movie. 

"While intelligently plotted and well-acted by James Spader, Keanu Reeves and Marisa Tomei, it is neither acutely suspenseful nor particularly thrilling but instead mainly numbing," wrote Kevin Thomas for the Los Angeles Times. 

In the science-fiction thriller "Replicas" (2019) he played Will Foster.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 9%

Summary: In the science-fiction drama "Replicas," Reeves stars as cutting-edge biologist Will Foster who tries to resurrect his lost family members in the aftermath of a fatal car accident. 

Critics described "Replicas" as a jumbled science-fiction mess that its lead actors Reeves and Eve couldn't save if they tried. 

"'I have to watch the pods!' Foster exclaims on the phone to Ed, just one of many line readings from Reeves that might earn an unintentional laugh from those who enjoy unintentional laughs," wrote Dan Callahan in his review for The Wrap. 

Reeves was Detective Galban in the dramatic thriller "Exposed" (2016).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Summary: "Exposed" is a dramatic mystery film that follows police officer Scott Galvan and his pursuit of the truth following his partner's untimely death. When he looks deeper, Scott finds that the answers may lie with a mysterious young woman named Isabel (Ana de Armas). 

Critics were frustrated by "Exposed," saying that although it aimed for serious drama it often came across as silly. 

"A grim-faced Keanu Reeves looks bewildered throughout 'Exposed' and you can only sympathise," wrote Allan Hunter for the Daily Express. 

The actor's lowest-rated film is "Generation Um..." (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Summary: With a wild night of partying behind them, John (Reeves) and his two girlfriends Mia (Adelaide Clemens) and Violet (Bojana Novakovic) indulge in sharing secrets from their respective pasts.

Critics were baffled by "Generation Um…" saying that it added up to a relatively empty-headed flick that lacked the forethought it was going for.  

"Neither the film, nor the film within the film, hold our attention," wrote Amy Nicholson in her cutting review for the Los Angeles Times. "Bummer, Keanu."

Read More:

• THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'The Matrix' 20 years later
• 10 surprising things you didn't know about 'The Matrix'
• 12 things you didn't know about Keanu Reeves
•  

• In the film "The Truman Show," Jim Carrey plays a man who is an unknowing star of a TV show. His life is streamed to an audience at all times.
• The movie spawned a moniker for a psychological delusion in which patients believe they're being watched or controlled: the "Truman Show delusion."
• A psychiatrist who has treated patients with this delusion says the condition existed long before the movie came out. Throughout history, some people have felt controlled by the technology of the day.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

An iconic scene in the 1998 film "The Truman Show" depicts actor Jim Carrey painting on a bathroom mirror with a bar of soap. Carrey, who plays Truman, outlines an astronaut helmet around the reflection of his head, then winks at the mirror (which obscures a hidden camera) and says, "That one's for free." 

The scene marks a turning point: Truman has realized that his world is not real. Instead, he is the unknowing star of a TV show streamed to viewers around the clock. Everything he does is captured on camera, and every person he interacts with — including his wife and best friend — are paid actors. Truman's tiny hometown sits inside a dome controlled by TV producers.

Since the movie came out, it has lent its name to a real psychological condition: Those who believe their entire lives are being watched or filmed suffer from the "Truman Show delusion."

"I've treated a number of young men who all believe their lives were reality television shows," Joel Gold, a psychiatrist at the New York University School of Medicine, told Business Insider. Gold and his brother, Ian, coined the term the "Truman Show delusion" in 2008.

He said they've encountered this type of paranoia in hundreds of patients, many of whom reference the movie.

"They said to me, 'Do you know that movie 'The Truman Show?'' and I said yes," Gold recounted. "And they said, 'That's my life.'"

The Golds don't think the film gave rise to a new type of delusion; rather, it's a new iteration of a type of paranoid delusion that has plagued people for generations. Throughout history, some people have felt controlled by whatever the technology of the day happened to be.

"Back in the day, people felt they were being controlled by magnetic rays, mesmerism, microwaves, or influencing machines," Gold said. 

In the years after "The Truman Show" came out, he added, it was closed-circuit TV and cameras.  Now, the delusion may be evolving again. 

'You're an actor playing a psychiatrist'

In psychology, delusions are personal ideas or belief systems that people maintain with conviction in spite of evidence to the contrary. They are symptoms of mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Sometimes, patients' delusions can improve or abate with psychotherapy or drugs, but delusions often tend to be chronic.

Gold said he first came across a patient with what he and his brother would later label the "Truman Show delusion" at Bellevue Hospital in New York City around Halloween 2003.

"The first time I experienced it, I was fascinated but didn't think much of it," he said. "By the time we got to five patients, I said, 'This is something unusual.'"

Gold spent the next 11 years studying the phenomenon — a type of paranoid psychosis. He and his brother published a book, "Suspicious Minds,"  in 2014 that details the ways the delusion manifests in psychiatric patients. Typically, these patients think one of a few things, according to Gold: The people in their lives aren't real, they're constantly being watched, or they don't have control over their lives.

Gold estimated that he "probably gets an email a week from someone saying, 'I have this' or have had it."

He said patients have told him, "you're an actor playing a psychiatrist," or "my friends and family are actors reading from scripts," or "whole world is watching, and I have no privacy whatsoever."

Some of these patients feel obstacles are intentionally being put in their way by some external force, preventing them getting promoted or being with someone they love. (In "The Truman Show," the producers remove the woman Truman loves from the cast to ensure he ends up with the actress they selected to be his love interest.)

One particular patient, Gold said, thought his life was a story akin to the 2001 movie "Rat Race," in which strangers compete in a scavenger hunt for $2 million while a group of rich men take bets on the outcome.

"A guy we call 'Ethan' in our book was a young man who believed he was being watched — primarily on laptops — and people would bet on his behaviors," Gold said.

Ethan believed that decisions like whether to order pizza or Chinese food would garner big winnings for people in a far-off room, and a cut of that money would go to charity.

"Though it was painful for him to have no privacy, he believed that he was doing something for the greater good, which gave him some solace," Gold said.

A new version of the 'Truman Show delusion' could involve video games

In the case of his patients in the early 2000s, the "Truman Show delusion" was tied to a sense of "being controlled through people watching you via things like CCTV in a surveillance society," Gold said. 

But two decades later, the dominant technology has shifted. Video games, in particular giant, multi-player games that involve hundreds of thousands of users signing into the same game world, have skyrocketed in popularity.

This summer, Ryan Reynolds is set to release a film called "Free Guy" in which he plays a bank teller whose bank gets robbed 17 times per day, every day. Eventually, Reynolds' character, named Guy, realizes that he's a non-player character in a video game.

The movie then follows Guy's journey as he tries to break free of his programming and befriend a "real" person playing the game.

Gold hasn't seen the movie yet, of course, but he said Guy's experience is reminiscent of Truman's.

"I'm not a gamer," Gold said, "but this is an example of people being controlled in a concrete way."

In fact, one patient described in Gold's book, nicknamed Lawrence, believed he was living in a video game that had been programmed by aliens in the future. Lawrence reached out to Gold with concerns that he lacked free will. 

It's all about free will, or a lack thereof

To Gold, concerns about an absence of free will are at the crux of the "Truman Show delusion."

His patients, he said, grapple with the question: "Do I have free will or am I just a bunch of molecules bouncing around?"  

Patients who think "someone at a distance is moving my body for using a machine or putting thoughts in my brain," Gold added, realize they have no control and are plunged into mental anguish because of that.

"It feels like they discover something they were not in on before: I thought I had free will. Now, I discover I haven't had it. And now I try to gain it for the first time," he said.

Truman, similarly, has "the gradual realization that his life is counterfeit" in "The Truman Show," Gold said, as does Reynolds' character in "Free Guy."

Gold said he doesn't know whether "Free Guy" will come to be as frequently referenced by psychiatric patients as "The Truman Show." But he certainly sees parallels.

"I don't know if there will be a 'Free Guy delusion' and if I should copyright that now, or leave it to another psychologist to write about," Gold said.

SEE ALSO: 20 years after 'The Matrix' hit theaters, many scientists and philosophers still think we're living in a simulation

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We asked a physicist if we live in 'The Matrix' — and he said the odds look good

• Megyn Kelly shared a YouTube video on Thursday that shows her watching "Bombshell" with former Fox News employees and her husband.
• "Bombshell" tells the story of Kelly, along with former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, and other women who came forward with sexual harassment allegations that led to the downfall of Fox's then-CEO, Roger Ailes.
• After screening the movie, Kelly led a discussion where she and former Fox News journalists who had also come forward with allegations of sexual harassment victims reflected on the movie's accuracy and the emotions that came with watch it.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Megyn Kelly responded to the movie "Bombshell," sharing what the film got right and wrong about her story, as well as stories of women who were victims of sexual harrasment at Fox News.

"Bombshell" opened in theaters in December 2019 and is based on the story of sexual harrasment allegations at Fox News that led to the downfall of Fox's then-CEO, Roger Ailes. Gretchen Carlson (played by Nicole Kidman), filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming he had sexually harassed her. After news spread of Carlson's lawsuit, Kelly (played by Charlize Theron), along with several other Fox News employees who were victims of Ailes' harassment, came forward with their stories.

Kelly, who left Fox News in 2017 and then hosted her own NBC News show until 2019, shared a 30-minute YouTube on Thursday, which was her first detailed reaction to the film since its release.

Kelly wrote in a tweet: "I wasn't sure if I wanted to say anything re Bombshell, a film re sex harass. at Fox. But in the end I wanted the women who lived it to have the last word. A group of us got together & watched, cried, & set the record straight."

"The movie 'Bombshell'  is a Hollywood film about the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News. I have no connection to the film, and hold no stake at all in it. I do, however, have a connection to many of the women who actually lived it,"she wrote in another tweet.

In the video, Kelly is seen watching the movie in a small theater with her husband, Douglas Brunt (who's played by Mark Duplass), along with Juliet Huddy (former host of Fox News' "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet"), Rudi Bakhtiar (former Fox News reporter) and Julie Zann (former associate producer of "Fox News Live").

After screening the film, Kelly led a discussion with Brunt, Huddy, Bakhtiar, and Zann, and the group dissected the film, discussing what they felt it got right and wrong.

Kelly pointed out the movie's depiction of her infamous 2015 GOP debate question was not completely factual

"Bombshell" depicts the 2015 debate question that Kelly asked to Donald Trump: "You've called women you don't like 'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' 'slobs,' and 'disgusting animals.' Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?"

In the movie, there's a scene where Kelly runs the question by the Murdochs —  before the debate. However, in her YouTube video reflecting on "Bombshell," Kelly called the scene "a fantasy."

"I never ran it by Ailes or the Murdochs or anyone other than my debate team, so that was not true," Kelly said.

"The notion that Ailes liked the Donald Trump woman question because it created controversy and a 'TV moment' was not true," Kelly continued. "Roger did not like the question at all, and was very angry at me for asking it, and at one point had said to me, 'No more female empowerment stuff.'"

She also added that the film's portrayal of people protesting her at the GOP convention were not factual.

"There were certainly no protests of me at the GOP convention," she added.

The women said that the movie's elevator scene was among the most powerful and hard to watch

In "Bombshell," one scene shows Margot Robbie's fictional character, Kayla Pospisil, in the elevator with Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron); Kayla was called to Roger Ailes' office, and she joins Kelly and Carlson in the elevator. Carlson was called to the same floor as Kayla, though she was about to be fired and didn't know it yet. The scene has no dialogue — just an ominous soundtrack.

"When we sat in the theater just now and the elevator scene came on, I feel like we all cried," Kelly said.

"When she got that call and went in the elevator, I lost it because you immediately go to what happened to you and what her fate was," Zann said. 

Former reporter Rudi Bakhtiar reflected on the scene that depicts her denying sexual advances from another Fox News anchor

There's another scene in "Bombshell" that depicts Rudi Bakhtiar (played by Nazanin Boniadi) and Fox News anchor Brian Wilson (played by Brian d'Arcy James). In the movie, Wilson told Bakhtiar that he would give her a promotion if he could "see the inside of her hotel room."  

In Kelly's YouTube video, Bakhtiar said that the scene was accurate. Bakhtiar rejected Wilson's advances, and he took her off his show the next day, she said in the reaction video.

"The scene really happened that way. The words in my head were not accurate, but it really did. That's exactly what happened to me," Bakhtiar said. "That was the last time I was in DC for Fox News. He actually took me off his show the next day — he was still an anchor then, after I had said 'no.'"

"As soon as I complained, I lost my job. It just seemed wrong that just not showing someone my hotel room and the rest that went with it, my whole career tanked," Bakhtiar said.

Kelly and the former Fox News employees felt that the film accurately captured the emotional aspect of sexual harrasment

"I think they did a good job trying to give a realistic portrayal of what it's like. I thought it was pretty good," said Juliet Huddy.

"I think this is such a powerful movie, Megyn. It really puts people in our shoes," Bakhtiar said. "Margot Robbie does a great job of being the victim." 

Huddy, Zann, Bakhtiar, and Kelly said that the "spin" depicted in the movie — where Ailes would ask employees to stand and physically twirl around while they were in his office — was a reality of working at Fox News. Kelly said that she was asked to spin for Ailes, and she did.

"I was asked to do the spin, and God help me, I did it," Kelly said. "I remember feeling like I put myself through school, I was offered partnership at Jones Day, one of the best law firms in the world; I argued at federal courts of appeal all over the nation; I came here, I'm covering the United States Supreme Court; I graduated with honors from all of my programs; and now, he wants me to twirl. And I did it."

Kelly continued, saying: "If you don't get how demeaning that is, I can't help you. In retrospect, I'd give anything if I had said no."

Kelly's husband said Charlize Theron was talented but 'one-dimensional' playing his wife

"I feel like I can't speak to the job Charlize Theron did because I'm just too close to it," Kelly said in the YouTube video. "It's just too weird to see someone who looks just like you on the screen pretending to be you."

Brunt responded, saying that Theron looked the part when it came to portraying Kelly.

"Physically it was there," he said. "I thought the voice was forced trying to get down deep and low and I thought it was just a little one-dimensional and didn't capture some of your humor. But I thought she did a nice, you know, she's talented."

Kelly also said that she wished she had done more to speak up sooner about sexual harrasment at Fox News

"It's funny because I look at the Me Too movement, and at no point in my view, did victim number 17 blame harrasment on victims one through 16. That's not the way this movement has shaken out," Kelly said.

She continued in the video, saying: "Doug asked me, 'Would you take that scene out of the movie if you could?', and I said no, because the truth is that I've looked back on my own life, every moment from that moment forward, and I do wish I had done more."

Kelly said, "What if I had thrown myself in the fire back then? Maybe that wouldn't have happened to you."

Watch the full "Bombshell" discussion video on Megyn Kelly's YouTube channel.

• Read more:
• Charlize Theron said she was conflicted playing Megyn Kelly in 'Bombshell,' saying they're 'very different women'
• Filmmaker Ava DuVernay called out Megyn Kelly for making an 'ignorant' and 'attention-seeking' dig at Colin Kaepernick on Twitter
• The new trailer for 'Bombshell' shows more spitting-image casting choices dramatizing the fall of Roger Ailes

Join the conversation about this story »

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• "1917" won the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $36.5 million take.
• The World War I drama dethroned "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," which had been number one for the last three weeks.
• Interest in "1917" increased after the movie had a surprise best drama win at the Golden Globes last weekend.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

We like to make fun of the Golden Globes. With awards given out by a voting body of around 90 people, it's easy to take shots when it comes to its relevancy during award season. But one thing we can't dispute is the award show can be a huge marketing tool, and that was evident this weekend with "1917."

Universal's World War I drama from director Sam Mendes ("Skyfall"), that is told in stle that resembles the look of having continuous shot (in reality there were multiple shots), won the Globes' top prize, best motion picture — drama, last Sunday and that catapulted it to must-see-status this weekend.

The result: "1917" dethroned "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" from the number one spot at the domestic box office with its estimated $36.5 million take.

Mendes' movie had been in limited release since Christmas (to date, "1917" has brought in $60.39 million, worldwide), building awareness as well as award season buzz, but this weekend was its coming out party. Clearly moviegoers wanted to catch a glimpse of the movie that beat out the likes of "The Irishman" and "Joker" at the Golden Globes (Mendes also won the best director Globe). They also wanted to see for themselves how in the world Mendes and the movie's cinematographer, Roger Deakins, pulled off the one-shot look of the movie. 

We'll find out Monday morning how "1917" will be received by Academy voters, as Oscar nominations are announced then. But for now, you have to tip your hat to Universal for how it has released its latest original title.  

That's the other element of this box office win. Universal has cracked the code when it comes to getting top dollar out of its non IP/sequel titles. In 2019 it did better than any other studio by having three original titles top the box office their opening weekends ("Us,""Good Boys," and "Abominable"), and it's continuing that in the new year.

There are only so many weekend slots on the calendar that are not gobbled up by big tentpole titles, but recently Universal has been the king of finding those spots where its original titles can shine. And in the case of "1917," with its big Golden Globes night, that just amplified things. Its $36.5 million take tops its early projections of $20 million to $25 million, andupdated projection of $32 million.    

Disney's "Rise of Skywalker" came in second place with $15.1 million. The movie's global cume to date is just under $1 billion, $989.6 million. But Disney also had to deal with a dud this weekend, too, with its release of Fox's "Underwater." The thriller starring Kristen Stewart only took in $7 million on over 2,700 screens.

Box-office highlights:

• Warner Bros.' "Just Mercy," starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, had an impressive first weekend in wide release taking in $10 million.
• While $10 million is a soft opening for Paramount's R-rated comedy "Like A Boss" (budgeted at $29 million).

SEE ALSO: 2019 broke the record for biggest global box office year of all time with $42.5 billion

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• Nominees for the 92nd Oscars were announced Monday, and there were a whole lot of snubs.
• In fact, a whole other award show could be done to celebrate all the snubs. 
• From Jennifer Lopez to "Frozen II" to no women chosen in the best director category, the snubs ranged far and wide. 
• Here are the 11 biggest.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards (airing on ABC on February 9) were announced Monday morning, and though it was big for the likes of Warner Bros.' "Joker," which received 11 Oscar nominations (the most ever for a comic-book movie), and Netflix, which had the most nominations of any studio (24), there were a lot of snubs. 

There's always a lot to gripe about when the nominations are announced, but this year it feels as if the Academy voters missed a ton.

Whether it's Jennifer Lopez not getting a nom for best supporting actress despite her career-best performance in "Hustlers," or "Frozen II" being shut out of the best animated features category, or not a single woman being nominated in the best director category — yeah, there's a lot to complain about.

Here are the 11 biggest Oscar snubs of 2020: 

SEE ALSO: "1917" dethrones "Rise of Skywalker" at the box office with an impressive $36.5 million weekend

Jennifer Lopez not getting a best supporting actress nomination for "Hustlers."

Personally, I think this is the biggest snub of the 2020 Oscars. 

Lopez delivered an incredible performance as the mother hen to a group of strippers who turn to crime to find a better life, and she got zero love for it. 

I've been raving about her performance since September, but it seems Academy voters did not see the same emotionally charged and layered acting that I did. 

The supporting actress category is a strong one, with Scarlett Johansson ("Jojo Rabbit"), Laura Dern ("Marriage Story"), and Kathy Bates ("Richard Jewell") getting deserving nods, but how J. Lo is not among them is an outrage.   

Adam Sandler did not get nominated for best actor.

The Sandman deserved better. It's as simple as that. Diving headfirst into the wildness that is a Josh and Benny Safdie movie, Sandler put together a performance as a degenerate gambler that made "Uncut Gems" into a movie we will be talking about for years. Sadly, he will not be a part of Hollywood's biggest night. 

The next time you'll probably see Sandler is in one of his Netflix movies, so next time you see an Academy voter, make sure to thank them.

Disney's "Frozen II" did not get an Oscar nomination.

I know, poor Disney. One of its billion-dollar giants didn't get an Oscar nomination. But given how the Mouse House has historically dominated the best animated feature category, it is a shock when one of its big guns doesn't get a nomination.

Wipe your tears, Bob Iger, it's not as if you got shut out in the category. "Toy Story 4," one of your other billion-dollar giants, got a nomination.

Awkwafina didn't get nomination for her performance in "The Farewell."

Though Awkwafina scored a Golden Globe for her performance in the indie hit "The Farewell," she was shut out at the Oscars.

The category is robust this year, with Scarlett Johansson ("Marriage Story"), Charlize Theron ("Bombshell"), and Renée Zellweger ("Judy") all getting nods. Awkwafina was most likely a long shot, but certainly deserving. 

Robert De Niro. Yes, one of the greatest actors ever didn't get a nomination.

Netflix's "The Irishman" got a lot of attention with 10 nominations, but De Niro is on the outside looking in. 

That's right. One of the greatest actors of his generation giving a performance that spanned decades was thought not worthy to include with the likes of a super villain, a pope, a struggling actor, and a playwright getting a divorce.

Lupita Nyong'o's performance in "Us" didn't get any love.

It's not often that a movie released in March has the legs to get attention come award season, but many thought that if any could, it would be Nyongo's performance in Jordan Peele's creepy "Us."

Her playing both the hero and the villain in the movie was incredible to watch, but it's just another gem that didn't get noticed.

"Dolemite Is My Name" did not get a nomination in the costume design category. How?

It was a long shot to hear Eddie Murphy's name announced in the best actor category for his performance in "Dolemite Is My Name," but the movie not getting chosen for costume design is downright puzzling.

Not only does Ruth E. Carter capture the 1970s vibe that the movie is set in, but she also does a masterful job in recapturing the look of what everyone wore in the original "Dolemite" movie.  

The acclaimed "Apollo 11" did not get nominated for best documentary.

The documentary category always gives us a snub or two, and this year was no different. 

The acclaimed doc on the historic mission to the moon was on everyone's list as a definite Oscar nominee. So, of course it wasn't selected.

"Spirit," the song Beyoncé wrote and performed for "The Lion King," did not get nominated.

Yes, the hive is definitely disappointed. But do you know who really doesn't want to get out of bed: the producers of the Oscars, who just realized they have a show that could have had a musical performance by Beyoncé.

No best director nomination for Greta Gerwig.

Though Greta Gerwig received a nomination for best adapted screenplay and her movie "Little Women" got nominations for best actress (Saoirse Ronan), supporting actress (Florence Pugh), and best picture, she did not score a best director nomination.

In fact, no women were nominated for best director.

Though the Academy has taken lengths to expand the diversity and bring some youth into the voting body of the Academy since the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2016, there's still a lot of work to be done. And this morning was the latest example.

Despite an impressive crop of female directors who released movies in 2019 — Greta Gerwig ("Little Women"), Lorene Scafaria ("Hustlers"), Lulu Wang ("The Farewell"), Alma Har'el ("Honey Boy"), and Marielle Heller ("A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood") — not a single woman was chosen in the best director category.

There were many snubs this year, but this one was the most crushing of all.

• Netflix stock traded as much as 3.5% Monday after the streaming company received more Oscar nominations than any other studio.
• The company's films nabbed 24 nominations total, with "The Irishman" receiving 10 nods alone.
• Todd Phillips' "Joker" is the most-nominated movie of the year, up for 11 awards at the February 9 ceremony.
• Netflix's nominations arrive after a disappointing night at the Golden Globes on January 5. Despite receiving a record 34 nominations between its movies and original series, the streaming giant took home only two awards.
• Watch Netflix trade live here.

Netflix shares jumped as much as 3.5% Monday after the streaming giant nabbed more Oscar nominations than any other studio.

The company's movies received 24 nominations total, with "The Irishman" taking 10 nods including Best Picture, Director (Martin Scorsese), Actor in a Supporting Role (Joe Pesci and Al Pacino), and Visual Effects. Other Netflix properties with multiple nominations include "Marriage Story,""The Two Popes," and "Klaus."

Todd Phillips' "Joker" is the most-nominated movie of the year, receiving 11 nominations Monday morning.

Netflix brought in nine more nominations this year than in 2019. The company received 10 nominations for "Roma" alone last year, including its first Best Picture consideration. The film lost the top prize but took home awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film.

The studio's 2020 Oscar nods follow a disappointing night at this year's January 5 Golden Globes ceremony. Netflix received a record 34 nominations between its movies and original series, but walked away with just two awards for Laura Dern's performance in "Marriage Story" and Olivia Coleman's in "The Crown."

Netflix's Oscar nominations also come after early 2019 reports of a campaign helmed by director Steven Spielberg to require streaming companies to keep movies in theaters for at least four weeks in order to receive award nominations.

Netflix responded to Spielberg's criticism in a March 3 tweet, saying that access to movies and "giving filmmakers more ways to share art" aren't "mutually exclusive." The campaign never came to fruition.

The 92nd Academy Awards is scheduled to take place February 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Netflix traded at $339.88 per share as of 11:45 a.m. ET Monday, up approximately 4.6% year-to-date.

The streaming giant has 29 "buy" ratings, 10 "hold" ratings, and seven "sell" ratings from analysts, with a consensus price target of $351.78, according to Bloomberg data.

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• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 2020 Oscars on Monday. 
• Actors such as Florence Pugh, Antonio Banderas, and Scarlett Johansson received their first ever nominations.
• Insider listed eight surprising first-time Oscar nominees.
• ABC will air the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday, February 9 at 8 p.m. ET.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees for the 2020 Oscars on Monday, and there were numerous new names across the categories.

Some of the first-time nominees earned a nod for their breakout roles, such as Florence Pugh in "Little Women." Others, like Scarlett Johansson and Antonio Banderas, have won many other prestigious awards before receiving their first Oscar nomination.

The 92nd Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 9, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. ABC will air the show at 8 p.m. ET.

Below are the most surprising first-time nominees.

Florence Pugh earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance in "Little Women."

The 24-year-old British actress was nominated for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for her role as Amy March in "Little Women." 

Jonathan Pryce drew critics' attention in his role as Pope Francis in "The Two Popes."

The 72-year-old actor's performance as Pope Francis in Netflix's "The Two Popes" scored him a nomination for best actor in a leading role.

Cynthia Erivo is one Oscar away from becoming the youngest performer to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

The actress's role in "Harriet" earned her two Oscar nominations: best performance by an actress in a leading role and achievement in music written for motion pictures.

She's the third person to receive nominations in both acting and song categories in the same year. Prior to these nominations, the 33-year-old artist has won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony — leaving her one Oscar away from becoming the youngest person to gain EGOT status. 

Not only did Scarlett Johansson receive her first Oscar nomination, but she gained recognition in two acting categories.

Johansson's performance in Netflix's "Marriage Story" earned her a nomination for best performance by an actress in a leading role, and she also received a nomination for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for her work in "Jojo Rabbit."

Prior to Johansson, the Academy has only nominated 11 individuals in two acting categories in the same year — and she's the first person to join the list since 2007. 

Rian Johnson scored his first Oscar nomination for "Knives Out."

The 46-year-old filmmaker was nominated in the best original screenplay category for "Knives Out."

Antonio Banderas's performance in "Pain and Glory" landed him his first Oscar nomination.

Banderas was nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his performance in "Pain and Glory."

The Academy recognized Hildur Guðnadóttir's original score for "Joker."

The Icelandic composer's original score for the film "Joker" drew a nomination in the category of achievement in music written for motion pictures.

Her awards season momentum continues after making history as the first solo woman to win the best original score category at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards. 

Bong Joon Ho received his, and South Korea's, first ever Oscar nomination.

"Parasite" director and producer Bong Joon Ho was nominated in the following categories: achievement in directing, best motion picture of the year, and best original screenplay.

The film's nominations mark the first time that a South Korean film is up for an Oscar, and "Parasite" is nominated for a total of six awards, including best picture.

• Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are scheduled to return as hosts for the Golden Globes next year. 
• It will be the fourth time that the comedic duo have hosted the awards ceremony. Their last gig was in 2015.
• In honor of the news, Insider took a look back at some of their biggest awards show moments over the years. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 

It's been a little more than a week since the Golden Globes, but the countdown is already beginning for next year's ceremony after it was announced Saturday that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler would return to host. 

The longtime friends and "Saturday Night Live" alumni hosted the Globes for three years straight from 2013 to 2015, during which ratings for the ceremony reached recordhighs. 

As movie and TV lovers look ahead to next year, Insider took a look back at some of Fey and Poehler's best jokes and moments from Golden Globes past. 

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler first hosted the Golden Globes in 2013. Like other awards show hosts, they roasted several members of the audience.

In one particularly memorable call-out, Poehler put on a thick Boston accent to congratulate fellow Bostonian Ben Affleck for his work on "Argo," only to put him in his place by telling him "you're not better than me."

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The two then moved on to Anne Hathaway, who Fey commended for her work in "Les Miserables."

"I have not seen someone so totally alone and abandoned like that since you were on stage with James Franco at the Oscars," Fey said.

The joke referenced Hathaway and Franco's car-crash co-hosting gig at the 2011 Oscars. 

Both Fey and Poehler were nominated for best actress in a television series musical or comedy but lost to "Girls" star Lena Dunham.

At that point, they brought their drinks onstage.

"Time to start drinking," Fey said.

When the pair hosted the following year though, Poehler finally won for her role as Leslie Knope on "Parks and Recreation"— a win she celebrated by making out with U2's Bono.

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During their monologue at the 2014 Golden Globes, Poehler and Fey made fun of Matt Damon while talking about the star power in the room.

"Matt, on any other night, in any other room, you would be a big deal but tonight — and don't take this the wrong way — you're basically a garbage person," Poehler joked.

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Fey offered some cultural commentary when she talked about Matthew McConaughey's dramatic weight loss for a role.

"For Dallas Buyers Club he lost 45 pounds," she said. "Or what actresses call, 'being in a movie.'"

Fey made a similar joke the next year when she pointed out how Steve Carrel's look in "Foxcatcher" took two hours to put on.

"Just for comparison, it took me three hours today to prepare for my role as human woman," she said.

During two of their hosting gigs, Poehler and Fey played up a mock rivalry with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

In 2014, they called her out for sitting in the movie section instead of the TV section.

When the camera panned to Louis-Dreyfus, she was acting aloof and pulling on a vape.

Fey drew attention to Louis-Dreyfus again during the 2015 monologue: "Julia Louis Dreyfus is here... because she's obsessed with me. We're not friends."

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The 2015 awards also coincided with the Sony Pictures hack, so there were plenty of jokes about North Korea and their attempts to cancel the release of "The Interview."

"The biggest story in Hollywood this year was when North Korea threatened an attack if Sony Pictures released the interview, forcing us all to pretend we wanted to see it," Poehler said.

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Poehler and Fey have also made notable appearances at other awards shows, like the 2013 Emmys, where they sat in the front row eating popcorn and cat-calling host Neil Patrick Harris.

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At the 2018 Golden Globes, Poehler had a hilarious back-and-forth with host Seth Meyers, who she grilled for mansplaining.

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Fey and Poehler also brought some much-needed humor — along with former "Saturday Night Live" co-star Maya Rudolph — when they opened the host-less 2019 Academy Awards.

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• The 2020 Academy Award nominations were announced on Monday and some of them likely surprised film critics. 
• "Joker" was nominated for 11 Oscars even though critics left many mixed reviews about it. 
• "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" was nominated for a few awards even though it received negative critical reviews across the board. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The 2020 Oscar nominations were announced on Monday, but not every movie that made the cut was a smash hit with film critics. 

Here are films nominated for the Academy Awards that earned negative or mixed praise from critics. 

Note: The scores from Rotten Tomatoes were accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change.

"Joker" (2019) was nominated for 11 Oscars even though it received mixed reviews.

A dark origin story and gritty take on Batman's infamous arch-rival, the movie "Joker" earned 11 Oscar nominations, a sweeping number for a film that left critics split down the middle. 

Choice nominations for the film include best picture, directing, cinematography, film editing, writing for an adapted screenplay, and actor in a leading role for Joaquin Phoenix's depiction of Arthur Fleck. 

Compared to its fellow best-picture nominees, "Joker" sits on the lower end of the spectrum of critical acclaim and currently has a 69% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

By and large, critics were impressed by the film's gritty cinematography and Phoenix's immersive approach to the role. But a slew of other critics accused the film of imitating thrillers of the past without being a memorable or strong film in its own right. 

"If you're feeling insufficiently anxious in your life, 'Joker' could be just the ticket," joked Joe Morgenstern for the Wall Street Journal. "If not, look elsewhere to be entertained."

Critic Richard Brody of The New Yorker also left the theater disappointed, writing, "A movie of a cynicism so vast and pervasive as to render the viewing experience even emptier than its slapdash aesthetic does." 

"Bombshell" (2019) earned three nominations but didn't impress a number of critics.

"Bombshell" is a film about gender, politics, and the entertainment industry, and it centers around the recent Fox News sexual-harassment scandals. 

"Bombshell" has three Oscar nominations under its belt: makeup and hairstyling, actress in a leading role for Charlize Theron's portrayal of Megyn Kelly, and actress in a supporting role for Margot Robbie's performance as Kayla Pospisil.

The drama was highly anticipated before it hit theaters but left some critics feeling burned — and this mixed reception led to a 67% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes for the film. 

Some critics praised the performances of the central cast and the delicate way the film handled its sensitive subject matter but others were disappointed, citing a messy script and unsympathetic characters when leaving negative reviews.

"'Bombshell' fails to be either smart satire or incisive political drama, which makes it just offensively banal," wrote Joel Mayward for Cinemayward. 

Karen M. Peterson for Awards Circuit agreed, writing that "'Bombshell' settles for being voyeuristic when it could have been smart and powerful. It is a missed opportunity."

"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" (2019) was nominated for its impressive makeup and hairstyling, but it's hard to ignore the flick's poor reviews.

This sequel to the 2014 fantasy film"Maleficent" once again starred Angelina Jolie as the titular character, but critics largely said this was a needless retread of a film. 

The action-adventure movie earned a single Oscar nomination in makeup and hairstyling for stylists Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten, and David White. 

Sure, the positive reviews noted the stunning visuals and the performances of the lead actresses, but many critics couldn't get on board with"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," leaving it with a low critical score of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Many reviewers lamented the unnecessary nature of the film, as Jake Coyle wrote for the Associated Press: "Sadly, such fun is not to be had in 'Mistress of Evil,' a needless sequel to the 2014 'Sleeping Beauty' riff that fails to fully value the entire of appeal of these films: Jolie's Maleficent."

Vital Thrills critic Joshua Starnes was on the same page, writing that "'Mistress of Evil' is simultaneously overdone and undercooked, with a lot of the customary mistakes of giant studio entertainment."

"Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker" (2019) earned three nominations despite its rather poor critical reception,

The final installment in the "Star Wars" franchise's third trilogy, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" follows Rey, Finn, and Poe as they race to defend the galaxy from ultimate evil. 

The science-fiction film was nominated for three Oscar awards: sound editing, visual effects, and music (original score) for composer John Williams. 

Compared to "The Force Awakens" (2015) and "The Last Jedi" (2017), this installment has the lowest critical rating, earning just 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Some rave reviews praised the film's nostalgic iconography and breathless pace, but many critics felt like "Rise of Skywalker" failed to end on the high note that the series deserved. 

"It's hard to believe, at the culmination of 42 years and nine movies, that the last three would be essentially improvisational exercises by all directors concerned," wrote Pete Vonder Haar for Houston Press. 

In addition, MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher wrote that "Rise of Skywalker" forgot to fulfill what was great about the franchise in the first place. 

"Kudos to J.J. Abrams for doing something extraordinary: he has made me not care about 'Star Wars' for the first time ever," wrote Johanson. "I'm kind of relieved that it's over, because it has stopped being fun."

Kathy Bates earned a single nomination for "Richard Jewell" (2019), a drama that hasn't entirely won critics over.

"Richard Jewell" is a drama that unravels the true story behind the bomb scare at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and the media circus that followed. 

The film was nominated for Kathy Bates' riveting performance as Bobi Jewell, the mother of the titular character. 

The drama currently has a critical rating of 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and although it has its fair share of positive reviews, it failed to win critics over entirely and some critics couldn't look past Clint Eastwood's sleepy direction and slanted messaging. 

"[Eastwood's] lack of directorial flair and the flimsiness of its finale ultimately means 'Richard Jewell' doesn't make the impact it could and really should have made," wrote Gregory Wakeman for the National. 

Likewise, Di Golding of Dear Cast and Crew gave the film a negative rating and listed Hauser's performance as Richard Jewell to be one of the film's only redeeming qualities.

"Paul Walter Hauser is the only reason to see this film," she wrote. "What we are witnessing with Hauser is the emergence of a riveting actor who dominates every scene he's in, not with force, but with sheer, unadulterated talent."

"The Lion King" (2019) was nominated for its impressive visual effects, but the movie wasn't much of an overall hit with critics.

Disney's remake of "The Lion King" re-tells the classic 1994 animated tale with updated computer-generated imagery and it was nominated in the visual effects category.

The remake divided critics, leading to a definitively rotten score of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics who gave the picture positive reviews defended it as a massive undertaking and a sight to behold. However, an overwhelming amount of critics met the remake with a sense of exhaustion. 

"Despite the superstar talent of the cast and the stunning presentation, it misses some of the heart that placed the original securely in the pop culture canon," wrote Ashlie D. Stevens for Salon. 

Anthony Lane of The New Yorker added that there was little to explore in the re-telling, questioning why a remake was needed when director Jon Favreau failed to say anything new. 

"Rarely has brand recognition soared to such fetishistic heights, and I regret to inform you that, aside from the updating of the vocal cast, the most blatant discrepancy between the old and the new is a very slight increase in the comedy of flatulence," joked Lane for The New Yorker. 

"Frozen II" (2019) earned one nomination, even though some critics felt this film fell short of the original.

Disney's "Frozen" (2013) sequel "Frozen II" received one Oscar nomination for the song "Into the Unknown," which was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. 

Although the majority of critics enjoyed "Frozen II," the animated picture failed to achieve the same level of critical success as its predecessor — the first film has a certified fresh score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and the sequel currently has just 78%.

Positive reception for the film highlighted the movie's dazzling visual design, charming musical interludes, and the return of likable characters. 

However, dissenting critics said that the movie did not effectively build upon the world established in the first film and instead felt like a by-the-numbers sequel with a serviceable plot. 

"It makes the world of 'Frozen' feel infinite, even if the characters and the story make it feel like it's a small world after all," wrote Damian Levy for the Jamaica Gleaner. "Perhaps I should just let it go."

In his review for Escribiendocine, Rolando Gallego agreed, writing, "With no surprises, without looking for its female characters stand out, 'Frozen II' disappoints, and misrepresents the magical sense that the first installment had."

The drama "Breakthrough" (2019) was nominated for original song, even though the entire movie was ripped apart by critics.

In the faith-based drama "Breakthrough," a mother stands at her son's side after a terrible accident, never giving up on the hope that he will miraculously recover.

The drama, which is based on a true story, received one Oscar nomination in the music (original song) category for the Diane Warren tune "I'm Standing With You."

The drama has a 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, which just barely ekes it over the edge of a negative score.

Positive reviews said that the film's strengths lay with its talented cast, particularly noting the performance of actress Chrissy Metz.

But the negative ones were rife with cynicism towards the movie's low-production values, heavy-handed messaging, and made-for-TV-movie tone. 

"At each and every crossroad, it feels as if you hit a brick wall with a red neon message scrolled before you just in case you missed what was happening,"Pamela Powell wrote for the Daily Journal. "With contrived and sometimes stilted situations, the film lost its verve."

Additionally, Johnny Oleksinski did not hold back in his review for the New York Post when he described the movie as "insipid junk."

Read More:

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• Here are all the 2020 Oscar nominees

• Thomas Lennon chatted with Business Insider about starring in the future cult classic, "VHYes."
• He also gave details about the return of "Reno 911!" on Quibi.
• Lennon opened up about his unpopular stint as Emmys announcer last year, which he said was worth all the haters because Paul Rudd texted him the following day and said he thought it was hilarious. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

You just never know where funnyman Thomas Lennon will show up these days.

Recently he was on the penultimate episode of "Veep," he released the first in a series of young adult novels with "Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles," and he was the announcer at the Emmys (much more on that later).

And he isn't slowing down.

Lennon will be playing not one but three characters in the upcoming Russo brothers movie, "Cherry," starring Tom Holland; and he's bringing back the beloved "Reno 911!," which he cocreated, for Quibi.

But before all that, you can see him in the bizarre new movie from Jack Henry Robbins (son of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon), "VHYes."

Shot on VHS cameras, the just-over-one-hour movie (opening in select theaters Friday) follows a 12-year-old as he accidentally copies over his parents' wedding tape with the strange shows he finds on late-night cable (a few starring Lennon), and recording a spooky trip with his friend to a nearby house thought to be haunted. Think of the late 1970s classic comedy "Kentucky Fried Movie," blended with "Paranormal Activity," then spiked with acid, and you have "VHYes."

Lennon chatted with Business Insider about starring in this strange movie. He also gave details about what's in store for the "Reno 911!" gang on Quibi and explained why it didn't sound like he enjoyed being the Emmys announcer at last year's show.

Jason Guerrasio: So, "VHYes"— this is one of those wacky movies. 

Thomas Lennon: When Jack first reached out and said, "I'm going to make a movie on VHS," I really thought it was a bad gimmick. I just couldn't see any way that this turns out great. [Laughs.] But I liked him and he seemed like a smart guy, maybe there was something here. So we shot it, on the crappiest equipment that 1983 had to offer, and I have to say the first time I saw the movie I was kind of blown away. 

Guerrasio: Snuck in the middle of it is this great horror sequence that connects everything. 

Lennon: I think what's really going to surprise people, it actually does add up to something at the end. Parts of it are incredibly random and weird.

Guerrasio: A lot of that includes you.

Lennon: Yes. But the movie surprised me in that it has genuine emotional moments in it and some legitimate scary stuff. 

Guerrasio: Yes. And as a kid of the 1980s, I have to say the movie captures what it was like to stay up past midnight. 

Lennon: It got really, really weird. 

Guerrasio: It was B-movies, soft core porn, or really wacky stuff. That's what was on cable TV after midnight. 

Lennon: I can tell you this, because we actually talked about it while we were filming the movie, I specifically remember when Cablevision first came to Chicago and there were scrambled channels, the real high channels. Those were the porno channels. 

Guerrasio: I grew up in Connecticut, and we also had Cablevision, so I know what you're taking about.

Lennon: But if you looked at the scrambled channels long enough once an hour you would get two seconds of a flash of a naked person. So sometimes me and my friends we would go to my grandmother's basement and do that, waiting hours watching scrambled channel 145 to see one naked breast for a second. It was amazing what we did before the internet.

Guerrasio: Kids have it too easy now. The character you play in the movie, was that planned out on page or did you have a lot of freedom?

Lennon: The freedom was amazing. The first scene was somewhat on the page. The scene with me and Courtney Pauroso, where we are the Home Shopping Network people, that was kind of scripted. And then, honestly, we riffed a lot. The entire Antiques Roadshow sequence, that was entirely improved. We didn't even really discuss it at all. And one of the weirdest things about that was Jack's dad, Tim [Robbins, who stars in the movie], was there doing off-camera lines for us in the morning. And then at lunch, Susan Sarandon [who also stars in the movie] came and she's one of my all-time favorite actresses, and she just sat and watched the Antiques Roadshow thing. So there she is, one of my favorite actresses, who I've never met, and I had to improvise that scene in front of her. It was very intimidating. 

Guerrasio: And I know folks in the business want feature-length movies to run at least 90 minutes, but this running time, hour and twelve minutes, is perfect.

Lennon: The only thing that made me like the movie more is even before I saw it I knew that it was an hour-twelve, and as a grown adult man with major attention deficit it's custom made for the way I want to watch things. It's exactly how I consume the world, for real. 

Guerrasio: This is hardly the only thing you're working on. You will be in "Cherry," the next Russo brothers movie.

Lennon:"Cherry" is really cool and there's a weird detail about this. I actually play three parts. The way that happened was I got a call and they were like, "Do you want to audition for two sentences in the new Tom Holland/Russo brothers movie?" And I really have no ego about anything, so I was like, "Of course I want to audition for that!" So I went in and read and then the Russo brothers, God bless them, they had a really neat idea. They thought wouldn't it be cool if instead of me playing the one authority figure of the movie, I play three different sh---y authority figures in the movie. So I get to do a minor Peter Sellers in "Dr. Strangelove"-type thing. 

Guerrasio: And will we recognize you as all three characters?

Lennon: You will recognize me in two of them, at least. But I'm not really sure. It will be a surprise even to me. But it looks like a very cool movie and I got really lucky to do it. 

Guerrasio: And "Reno 911!" is going to Quibi. 

Lennon: I actually have the highlights in my hair and have the mustache, so obviously we've very close to shooting. 

Guerrasio: So what can you divulge about what your guys' plans are? 

Lennon: We start shooting at the end of the month. We have every single member of the cast back with us, so that's super fun. One thing that's going to be pretty fun is with Quibi you can watch it in two different ways. So if you hold your phone vertically when you're watching Quibi, you can see one feed, and if you flip it horizontal, you can see something else. So we're going to try to take advantage of that as much as possible. I think there will be times where you're seeing Lt. Dangle and what he's doing and if you flip your phone sideways, you'll get to see what his body cam is filming. Stuff like that. 

Guerrasio: I love that! 

Lennon: We're going to do some fun stuff with the technology. The reason I think we're very uniquely qualified for Quibi is episodes are going to run less than 10 minutes.  

Guerrasio: So not every episode is going to go the full 10 minutes that Quibi allows for its shows?

Lennon: Oh, God no. I think some episodes will go five minutes long, which would be one scene. And others will be seven minutes long that are 20 scenes in that time. We're going to keep it fast and light and punchy. 

Guerrasio: Because one episode could literally be you guys going on a 911 call.

Lennon: Exactly. But there are a couple we're working on that's kind of like "1917." We just want beginning to end to feel like a single shot. There will be a couple of those. But, as always with "Reno," it's highly improvisational so we'll see how it plays out. But along with all the original cast there are a lot of favorites coming back. It's going to be pretty fun. 

Guerrasio: So I have to bring up your experience as the Emmys announcer back in September. What was that all about? 

Lennon: I had a tremendous amount of fun at the Emmys. There were some really great jokes, but yeah, there were a lot of haters. But I got fan letters from some really amazing people who seemed to love it. Those things tend to be a thankless job. I think most people who host those things, you'll never get them to do it twice. Though, I wouldn't mind doing it again. 

Guerrasio: Even in that format again?

Lennon: Would I do that again? Probably. I have to say, one of the nicest things I got was a three-part text from Paul Rudd the next day telling me how hilarious he thought it was. And I have to say, that made all the bull---- totally worth it. One of my favorite funny people thought it was great. 

Guerrasio: But when you did that woke joke and then stopped and said, "This is why people don't do this, because it sucks," was that a bit or were you serious?

Lennon: That was really me. Because they came in and told me to be more upbeat and say facts. At one point, they were like, "Why don't you just start saying facts," and I was like, "Oh, no, no, no, that ship has sailed. I'm not that guy." So me saying, "That's why nobody does this, because it sucks," that was definitely after I had been given notes. But I still enjoyed it.

Guerrasio: I'll be honest, when you said "this sucks," I just thought, "I hope he's getting paid a ton to do this." 

Lennon: Oh, God no! The answer is no. 

Guerrasio: [Laughs.]

Lennon: But I have to say, someone wrote an article about Ricky Gervais hosting the Globes and how he made a Felicity Huffman joke, the story said my Huffman joke flopped. Check the tape, my joke killed at the Emmys. 

SEE ALSO: The 11 worst 2020 Oscar snubs — from Jennifer Lopez to Robert De Niro to female directors

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• "1917" marks the 15th movie for which cinematographer Roger Deakins has been nominated for an Academy Award.
• Business Insider spoke to Deakins about how the weather was a major challenge in pulling off the movie's unique continuous single shot visual. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Roger Deakins has dazzled moviegoers for decades with visuals that have gone on to become the most memorable in modern film history.

The frigid vistas in "Fargo," the dreamy Western plains in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," the gritty underground world of drug cartels in "Sicario," and the washed out future in "Blade Runner 2049" (which finally earned him his first-ever Oscar), all came from Deakins.

It's hard to imagine he could do anything that would top this legendary body of work.

But he has with "1917."

Marking Deakins' latest collaboration with Sam Mendes (the two worked together on "Jarhead,""Revolutionary Road," and "Skyfall"), the story follows two British soldiers during World War I who have to travel behind enemy lines to deliver a message that will stop 1,600 of their allies from walking into a trap. And in telling that story, Deakins makes it feel like the entire movie is done in one continuous shot.

The hugely ambitious idea paid off. The movie, currently in theaters, has found critical acclaim, box-office glory, and award-season praise as it won three Golden Globes (including best director for Mendes and best drama) followed by 10 Oscar nominations.

Among them was Deakins for best cinematography, the 15th time he's been nominated.

If you were looking for a sure bet this Oscars, it's that Deakins will take home his second Oscar when the awards are handed out on February 9. But don't count on the man himself to get too excited.

The 70-year-old Englishman has been the frontrunner too many times before, only to leave empty-handed, to listen to any Oscars handicapping. In fact, he's so modest it's hard to get many details out of him on how he actually pulled off the ambitious shooting technique that has become the biggest draw of the movie.

"We had a lot of prep and we could just work through all the problems," he said in a laid-back tone to Business Insider hours after the Oscar nominations were announced on Monday.

But finally he let out something that did scare him. It was something that even a legend like himself, who has come across seemingly every scenario behind the camera, could not control: the weather.

"That was a bit tricky," he said, with just the hint of dry English humor.

Most of "1917," which takes place over two days, is shot over grey skies. The gloom adds to the despair of the story's war-torn surroundings. But Deakins said it was also a choice he kept pushing for early on in preproduction.

"Just practically we had to shoot in cloud," he said, looking back. "Either you shoot it in real time, at the right time of day, which you never do unless you have months and months of time. Or you shoot in cloud and time it to look that way."

Knowing most of the filming would be done at Shepperton Studios in Scotland, the movie's production office looked up what the weather was in the area the year before at the time they were going to shoot. Deakins was disappointed in the answer: "Apparently it was gorgeous."

But the movie moved forward, which included Deakins and his team rehearsing the shots constantly with the small, light-weight cameras made especially for the movie from Arri Alexa.

Everyone was ready when the first day of shooting came in April of last year, but there was one problem.

"There wasn't a cloud in the sky," Deakins said. "It certainly made me anxious."

While producers were on the phone explaining to the studio, Universal, and financiers why they couldn't begin production because the weather was too nice, Mendes, Deakins, and the rest of the actors and crew were back to rehearsing in the trenches made for the movie.

Thankfully, the second day was a cloudy one and production was able to get back on track as they also made up the previous day's shooting. Deakins said that's how it was for most of production. If clouds weren't in the forecast, everyone waited around until the day came when there was — and then everyone doubled their efforts to stay on schedule.

"We would literally stand around for hours waiting for a cloud to come by," Deakins said. "I had five different weather apps on my iPhone. Every radar I could get. You look at them and try to find the one that will tell you what you want."

Then the day came when he wanted some sun. At the end of the movie, for a shot where the movie's lead, Schofield (George MacKay), is sitting by a tree, Deakins said he wanted the shot to show some rays of sunlight in the sky.

"There was this little cloud coming over the sun so before we shot that section we called everyone over and said, 'Let's shoot it, we might get lucky,' and sure enough when it got to the end of the take the sun came out," he said.

"That was the first take," Deakins continued, with a certain pride he didn't show earlier in our conversation. "We shot it another fifteen or twenty times, but Sam liked that first one. And it was the only one where the sun came out. We never got that again."

Looking back on the experience, Deakins said he would be up for shooting a movie again like this — though he wonders if anyone would want to.

"I don't think many directors would want to tell the story in that way," he said. "But it doesn't scare me off at all. It would be quite fascinating to do it on something else."

It's good to see that even a legend has dreams for what the future could hold.

"1917" is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: The 11 worst 2020 Oscar snubs — from Jennifer Lopez to Robert De Niro to female directors

Join the conversation about this story »

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• France is reportedly finalizing legislation that would force video streaming services to invest 25% of the revenue they generate in the country towards local French productions.
• According to Bloomberg, the bill – which targets streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Apple – will be debated by the French parliament in March and will be enacted if a vote this summer goes its way.
• Emmanuel Macron's government has drafted laws aimed at retaining "cultural sovereignty in the digital era," and has become something of a standard-bearer for European attempts to rein in big tech's influence.
• France's so-called "big tech tax"– which will impose a 3% tax on any digital company with revenue higher than €750 million ($850 million) – has generated controversy across the Atlantic, with US president Donald Trump threatening last month to impose retaliatory tariffs on French goods.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

France could soon land yet another blow on the US tech giants.

Emmanuel Macron's government is reportedly close to finalizing a bill that would force Netflix, Amazon and other streaming services to put 25% of the revenues they generate in France towards local French cinema.

According to Bloomberg, the bill will be debated by France's parliament in March and will be enacted if a vote this summer swings in its favor. As the bill hasn't yet been finalized, it's not clear how French-generated revenue would be measured, nor what would qualify as local French productions.

The bill forms part of a broader European Union directive aimed at ensuring 30% of content produced by online streaming services is European-made.

Yet this isn't to say France has no inherent desire to curb big tech's influence on the country, with the Macron government having expressed its own desire to preserve "audiovisual communication and cultural sovereignty in the digital age."

More concretely, France passed a digital services tax – often referred to as a "big tech tax" for its obvious targeting of the US tech giants – in July last year.

The bill imposes a 3% tax on any digital company with revenue higher than €750 million ($850 million), of which at least €25 million ($27 million) must be generated in France.

As a result, the Trump administration threatened to hit $2.4 billion worth of French goods with tariffs, including French cheese, wine, and handbags – a threat that France warned Trump against earlier this month.

SEE ALSO: Boris Johnson backs big tech tax despite Trump's threats, and risks escalating transatlantic trade war

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• Nicolas Cage is an actor known for films like"National Treasure" (2004) and "Face/Off" (1997). 
• Insider ranked Cage's 10 best and 10 worst films according to critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 
• His best-rated films like "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" (2010) and "Love, Antosha" (2019) were adored by critics. 
• On the other end of the spectrum, critics panned Cage's work in movies like "Grand Isle" (2019) and "Deadfall" (1993). 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more great stories.

Known for his work in thrillers like "Face/Off" (1997) and adventure films like "National Treasure" (2004), Nicolas Cage has made a name for himself in many genres by starring in over 100 films.

But with a career spanning the course of multiple decades, it's no surprise that not all of his pictures have been received well by critics. 

Here are the 10 best and 10 worst films that Nicolas Cage has starred in, ranked by critical scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: Films without critical ratings were not included. All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change.

The actor's highest-rated film is "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" (2010), in which he voiced Spider-Man Noir.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Summary: In the animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse," young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) gains superhuman abilities at the same time that New York City loses their iconic hero Spider-Man.

When multiple versions of Spider-Man (voiced by Jake Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Hailee Steinfeld, and more) are pulled from other universes, they try to show Miles what it means to be a hero. 

Critics loved "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" for its moving story and unique animation design. 

"The delights of 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' bring a newfound sense of joy and playfulness to the beloved character," wrote Katie Walsh for the Tribune News Service. 

Cage participated in the documentary "Love, Antosha" (2019).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

Summary: The documentary "Love, Antosha" explores the unexpected death of Anton Yelchin and his legacy as a young actor and artist.

Cage's voice was featured in the documentary to narrate Yelchin's personal diaries.  

The nature of the documentary hit home for a lot of reviewers, who found the film to be a warm and fitting tribute to a man of boundless talent. 

"Mostly, the Antosha of 'Love, Antosha' seems like a good kid: someone whose life — and tragic death — should inspire us to spend our brief time here as wisely and as well as he did,"Pat Padua wrote for The Washington Post. 

The actor played Michael Williams in "Red Rock West" (1993).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Summary: In the dramatic thriller "Red Rock West," wandering Texan Michael Williams (Cage) is mistaken for a professional hitman by a tavern owner. Happy to just take the money and get out of town, Michael soon comes face-to-face with the real hitman. 

Critics called "Red Rock West" a tightly wound thriller with a well-earned ending and a phenomenal cast. 

"It's well worth tracking down, wherever you can find it. For it has the kind of tension and energy — maybe even a touch of delirium — that is only a memory in most of today's big studio movies," said Richard Schnickel for Time Magazine. 

In the movie "Moonstruck" (1987) Cage played Ronny Cammareri.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Summary: In the romantic comedy "Moonstruck," a widowed bookkeeper named Loretta Castorini (Cher) falls for rough-and-tumble Ronny Cammareri (Cage) right after she agrees to marry his older brother Johnny Cammareri.

Despite her mother's advice to marry someone she doesn't love, Loretta can't stop thinking about Ronny. 

"Moonstruck" was called an unforgettable movie-going experience for most critics, who felt that it had just the right amount of humor and heart. 

"There's an old-fashioned romanticism about the picture, a sweet, gentle approach to love and family life," wrote Jay Boyar for the Orlando Sentinel. "But this is kept from seeming sappy by the picture's tough-minded, almost abrasive sense of humor."

He was Castor Troy in the thriller "Face/Off" (1997).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Summary: In the action thriller "Face/Off," FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) is on the hunt for notorious criminal Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage).

Through an experimental surgery, Archer adopts Troy's likeness to go undercover and find the position of a bomb he has placed in the city. Little does he know, Troy is about to take on Archer's appearance as well. 

Critics enjoyed "Face/Off" for its high stakes plotting and praised the way Cage and Travolta embodied their roles. 

"[Director] Woo, a master of poetical carnage, mixes kitsch, sadism, sentiment and comedy with choreographic precision," said David Ansen for Newsweek. 

The actor played Charlie and Donald Kaufman in "Adaptation" (2002).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: In the comedic drama "Adaptation," screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Cage) attempts to make headway on his next film script, while he's plagued by his annoying twin brother Donald (Cage) and a nasty case of writer's block.

Their relationship grows more complicated when Donald moves in with Charlie and tells him he's going to become a screenwriter too. 

"Adaptation" was a critical success, with reviewers pinpointing the creativity of the script and Spike Jonze's unique vision as the film's highlights. 

"The author of 'Being John Malkovich' takes us on a manic journey through the hazards of being true to yourself while being successful," wrote Wesley Lovell for Cinema Sight. "Streep, Cage and Cooper are terrific."

In the revenge movie "Mandy" (2018) Cage played Red.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: In the revenge thriller "Mandy," Red Miller (Cage) and Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough) lead a peaceful life on the outskirts of the Pacific Northwest until a violent cult enters their lives and sets Red on a path towards redemption. 

The suspense thriller "Mandy" took a lot of reviewers by surprise, leaving them stunned by the electric nature of the film and Cage's riveting central performance. 

"Fans of [Cage's] work will relish his extravagantly oddball performance as a dark avenger in this luridly overwrought horror movie," said Geoffrey Macnab in his review for The Independent. 

He was H.I. McDonnough in the crime comedy "Raising Arizona" (1987).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: "Raising Arizona" is an action-adventure comedy in which reformed criminal H.I. McDonnough (Cage) and his wife Ed (Holly Hunter) realize they're unable to bear children.

When a local family gives birth to quintuplets, Ed pressures H.I. to kidnap one of the children so that they can raise a child of their own. 

"Raising Arizona" garnered critical acclaim for Joel and Ethan Coen's singular directing style and the performances of the high-profile cast. 

"Starting from a point of delirious excess, the film leaps into dark and virtually uncharted territory to soar like a comet," wrote Time Out critic Geoff Andrew. 

The actor voiced Superman in "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: A spin-off of the animated television series, "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" follows Beast Boy, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire as they try to make it big in Hollywood.

In the film, Cage lent his voice as Superman, a hero that inspires the team of teens. 

Critics felt that "Teen Titans Go! To The Movies" had the right mixture of heart, humor, and silliness. 

"While the kids at the screening I attended laughed hysterically at the fart jokes, the parents chuckled at the slightly more sophisticated humour and the adult geeks howled at the deeper pop cultural references," wrote Marsha Lederman in her review for Globe and Mail.

In the movie "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995) Cage played Ben Sanderson.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: In "Leaving Las Vegas," struggling screenwriter Ben (Cage) falls for a prostitute named Sera (Elisabeth Shue). Consumed by his addiction to alcohol, Ben makes Sera swear that she will never ask him to quit drinking, a promise that becomes harder for her to keep as she develops feelings for him. 

Critics enjoyed the romantic drama, praising Cage's unparalleled performance and his chemistry with Shue. 

"Dark and giddy at the same time, 'Leaving Las Vegas' takes us into dreamy, intoxicated places no movie about an alcoholic has gone before," wrote Owen Gleiberman for Entertainment Weekly.

Alternatively, critics weren't impressed by Cage's film "Trapped in Paradise" (1994).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

Summary: After being released from prison, Bill Firpo (Cage) is pressured by his criminal brothers Dave (Jon Lovitz) and Alvin (Dana Carvey) to return to a life of crime. Following a bank heist, the trio of brothers soon find themselves snowed in at a small suburb in Pennsylvania. 

Critics had little to praise after watching "Trapped in Paradise," calling it a humorless holiday flick with a dragging pace. 

"Considering that there isn't a single laugh in the whole picture, the term 'comedy' must be used loosely," wrote Hal Hinson for The Washington Post. 

The actor played Kyle Miller in "Trespass" (2011).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

Summary: In the drama "Trespass," diamond merchant Kyler Miller (Cage) and his wife Sarah (Nicole Kidman) live peacefully in the woods until their house is invaded by a pair of thieves masquerading as local police officers. 

"Trespass" was slammed by critics who thought that the plot points were too predictable and the acting performances were unredeemable. 

"Cage performs with the conviction that comes from a long experience in bad movies. But Kidman seems totally uninterested," wrote Derek Malcolm in his review for the London Evening Standard. 

Cage was Joe in the thriller "Bangkok Dangerous" (2008).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Summary: In the crime thriller "Bangkok Dangerous," a legendary assassin named Joe (Cage) is enlisted by a crime boss (Nirattisai Kaljaruek) to complete a series of kills and finish the job by taking out a young teenager that helps him along the way. 

Reception for "Bangkok Dangerous" was riddled with negative reviews, with critics calling the film dull and lifeless. 

"While the film includes several exciting, creatively shot action scenes, the drama is otherwise so shopworn that the violent climax is a relief," wrote Chicago Reader critic Joshua Katzman. 

He was Evan Lake in "Dying of the Light" (2014).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Summary: "Dying of the Light" is a dramatic thriller in which a terminally ill CIA agent named Evan Lake (Cage) is forced into retirement early. He soon rejoins the force after his enemy (Alexander Karim) resurfaces after lying dormant for years. 

"Dying of the Light" was poorly received by critics who felt that it was overwritten, messy drama. 

"'Dying of the Light' is a shrill and bombastic slog, with an all-over-the-map collection of tones that never cohere into a credible or compelling vision," wrote Roger Ebert critic Matt Zoller Seitz. 

The actor played Mike Chandler in "211" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 5%

Summary: The suspense-filled drama "211" centers around police officer Mike Chandler (Cage) and a young civilian who find themselves in over their heads in the midst of a bank heist. Low on resources and without back-up, Chandler tries to take the criminals head-on. 

Critical reception for "211" was overwhelmingly negative due to the film's formulaic plot and a cast that largely seemed checked out. 

"A muddled, overcrowded, trigger-happy heist movie brimming with clichés while constantly trying our patience," wrote Richard Roeper for the Chicago Sun-Times. 

In the adventure film "Outcast" (2014) Cage played a warrior.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 5%

Summary: In the fantasy adventure drama "Outcast," a warrior named Gallain (Cage) pairs up with the children of a dethroned Chinese ruler in an attempt to help them overthrow their tyrant brother. 

Critics found the drama to be a tough slog to sit through, criticizing "Outcast" for its shallow story and lack of fleshed-out characters. 

"The status of actor Nicolas Cage's career has now definitively shifted from its entertainingly eccentric phase into its genuinely befuddling and perhaps sad phase," wrote Roger Ebert critic Glenn Kenny. 

He was Eddie in the action thriller "Arsenal" (2017).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 3%

Summary: In the action-filled thriller "Arsenal," brothers Mikey (Johnathon Schaech) and JP Lindel (Adrian Grenier) have always relied on each other. When Mikey is kidnapped and held hostage by mob boss Eddie King (Cage), his brother JP turns to a detective for help. 

"Arsenal" was derided by film critics who took fault with the movie's haphazard assembly and Cage's over-the-top performance. 

"Nicolas Cage delivers one of his all too frequent cringe-making, extra-screamy, dial-a-psycho performances in this ultra-violent Southern noir," wrote Time critic Kevin Maher.

The actor played Rayford Steele in "Left Behind" (2014).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 1%

Summary: In the fantastical drama "Left Behind," millions of people disappear from the face of the Earth without notice.

Amidst the chaos, airline pilot Ray Steele (Cage) tries to save the lives of the passengers remaining on his flight. 

"Left Behind" was dragged by critics who said the movie was nonsensical and bordered on unwatchable at times. 

"It believes people might buy a ticket to 'Left Behind' and not know the twist, like someone sitting down to watch Godzilla and being shocked by the entrance of a giant lizard," wrote Amy Nicholson in her review for LA Weekly. 

In the drama "Deadfall" (1993) Cage was Eddie.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Summary: "Deadfall" is a crime drama about a New Yorker (Michael Biehn) who loses his con-man father and travels across the country to find his father's identical twin in an effort to complete a sting operation.

Cage appeared in the film as Eddie King, a character he would later reprise in "Arsenal" (2017). 

Critical reception for "Deadfall" was abysmal, with critics saying the movie was shallow and poorly produced. 

In his review for Variety, Ken Eisner simply wrote that "Deadfall" was "watchable only for camp value." 

"Grand Isle" (2019) was also a flop for Cage.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

Summary: In the action-packed thriller "Grand Isle," a young father named Walter (Cage) is arrested and charged for a murder he swears he didn't commit. 

Currently listed as Cage's lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, "Grand Isle" was panned for its incoherent plot and tedious pace.

"It is disappointing that this flimsy B-movie isn't better, because once it sets up its formulaic plot, it could have been both naughty and wild," wrote Gary M. Kramer for Salon. 

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• Blockbuster once owned over 9,000 video-rental stores in the United States.
• But, in 2010 Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy with almost $1 billion in debt.
• What happened and where did it go wrong?
• Check out our podcast, Brought to You By, to hear more about the world's last Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon.

Irene Kim: At its peak in the late '90s, Blockbuster owned over 9,000 video-rental stores in the United States, employed 84,000 people worldwide, and had 65 million registered customers. Once valued as a $3 billion company, in just one year, Blockbuster earned $800 million in late fees alone.

But fast-forward a decade, and Blockbuster ceased to exist, having filed for bankruptcy with over $900 million in debt. So, what happened?

Blockbuster was founded by David Cook, a software supplier in the oil and gas industry. After studying the potential of a video-store business for a friend, he realized that a well-franchised chain could grow to 1,500 units. And so the first Blockbuster store opened in Dallas on October 19, 1985.

Andy Ash: According to David Cook, the opening night of that first Blockbuster store was a huge success. The story goes that they actually had to lock the doors because of overcrowding. The thing that really set Blockbuster apart at that time was their huge range of titles. Other independent video stores could only keep track of 100 or so movies. Blockbuster had an innovative new barcode system, which meant that they could track up to 10,000 VHSs per store to each registered customer, which also meant that they could keep an eye on those lucrative late fees.

Kim: Off the back of this success, Cook built a $6 million distribution center, not only so that new stores could pop up quickly, but also to house a huge range of titles, so that each store's inventory could be tailored to local demographics.

Commercial: Wow! Wow! Wow!

Kim: In 1987, Blockbuster received $18.5 million from a trio of investors, including Waste Management founder Wayne Huizenga, in return for voting control, but after two months of intense disagreements, Cook left Blockbuster and Huizenga assumed control. Under Huizenga, Blockbuster embarked on an aggressive expansion plan, buying out existing video-rental chains while opening new stores at a rate of one per day.

By 1988, just three years after the first store opened, Blockbuster was America's No. 1 video chain, with over 400 stores nationwide.

But as Blockbuster became a multibillion-dollar company in the early '90s, adding music and video-game rental to its stores, Huizenga was worried about how emerging technology like cable television could hurt Blockbuster's video-store model. After briefly considering buying a cable company and even receiving approval from the Florida Legislature to build a Blockbuster amusement park in Miami, Huizenga offloaded Blockbuster to media giant Viacom for $8 billion in 1994. In only two years under Viacom, Blockbuster lost half of its value.

While Blockbuster and its new boss, John Antioco, focused on brick-and-mortar video stores, technological innovations meant that competition was on the rise. In 1997, Reed Hastings founded Netflix, a DVD-by-mail rental service at the time, in part after being frustrated with a $40 late fee from Blockbuster. Two years later, having passed on an opportunity to buy Netflix for $50 million, Blockbuster teamed up with Enron to create a video-on-demand service. In a deal that saw Enron do most of the work, a robust video-on-demand platform was successfully built and tested with customers. But it soon became clear to Enron that Blockbuster was so focused on its lucrative video stores that it had little time or commitment for the video-on-demand business. As a result, in 2001, Blockbuster walked away from the first major development of wide-scale movie streaming.

Within a few years, Netflix and other competitors began to eat into Blockbuster's profits, not by undercutting it, but by reimagining video rental in the digital age.

Commercial: There's a better way to rent movies. Go to Netflix.com, make a list of the movies you wanna see, and in about one business day you'll get three DVDs. Keep them as long as you want, without late fees. Then, when you're done, look: prepaid envelopes. Return one and they'll send you another movie from your list. Netflix. All the movies you want, 20 bucks a month, and no late fees.

Kim: It took Blockbuster almost five years to introduce its own DVD-by-mail service and even longer to scrap late fees.

Commercial: No more late fees! No more late fees! No more late fees?

Kim: By that time, Netflix had amassed almost 3 million customers, had no store overheads, and was preparing to launch its revolutionary streaming service. Blockbuster's troubles continued through the mid-2000s. After parting from Viacom and experimenting with in-store concepts such as DVD and game trading, Blockbuster was in the midst of an identity crisis.

In 2009, Netflix posted earnings of $116 million. Meanwhile, Blockbuster, with its continuing business problems and legal battles, lost $518 million. On July 1, 2010, Blockbuster was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Its foray into video-on-demand streaming came too late, and over the next three years, Blockbuster died a slow and painful death. DVD-by-mail services stopped, its various partnerships folded, and stores worldwide were rapidly plunged into administration.

Its 9,000-strong chain had been reduced to one single franchise in Bend, Oregon. As a result of Blockbuster's complete shutdown, one can only speculate about what could have been for the once home-movie giant.

Ash: They were too busy making money in their video stores to imagine a time when people would no longer want or need them. And in a bid to rescue their business, their answer at the time was to fight fire with fire. At one point they even opened up rental kiosks, a little bit like a vending machine, but all of these attempts were based on either outdated technology or outdated business models, whereas Netflix at the time, they did the opposite; they streamlined, they were able to see the future of video rentals and then innovate for that future. Blockbuster, they didn't seem to understand how the next generation, particularly millennials, who grew up in a world without hard-copy media like DVDs and CDs, how they would react to video-on-demand as technology improved. And that's why Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Hulu, they're still all in business, whilst Blockbuster got left behind.

Kim: According to Netflix's former Chief Financial Officer Barry McCarthy, as part of the failed 2000 Blockbuster-Netflix buyout, Reed Hastings proposed that Netflix would run the Blockbuster brand online. If that deal had been successful and Hastings had replicated Netflix's innovation for Blockbuster, the face of home video would likely still be blue and yellow. The last-ever Blockbuster movie was rented on November 9, 2013. Fittingly, the film in question was "This Is the End."

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• AMC Theatres hasn't joined rivals in running ads after movies' publicized showtimes because it prefers to promote future flicks.
• AMC might also be worried about alienating movie fans. It faces a tougher fight for their attention this year as the list of online video-streaming services expands from Netflix to Disney Plus and others.
• "We want to advertise the products we're going to sell," said Craig Ramsey, the finance chief of parent company AMC Entertainment.
• "Do we want to advertise toothpaste? That would be a little facetious."
• View Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
• Watch AMC trade live here.
  

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AMC Theatres hasn't joined rivals in running ads after movies' publicized showtimes because it prefers to promote upcoming flicks — driving return visits to its cinemas amid a boom in streaming offerings that compete for viewer eyeballs.

Since AMC and its competitors rolled out reserved seating last year, cinema advertisers have worried that viewers will turn up closer to showtime and miss the ads. National CineMedia's solution was to introduce ads that play after a movie's advertised showtime, but AMC hasn't embraced them so far.

"That's trailer time," Craig Ramsey, the finance chief of parent company AMC Entertainment, told analysts at a Citi conference last week.

Trailers don't just keep studios happy, they also drum up interest and entice viewers to come back to the cinema.

"We want to advertise the products we're going to sell," Ramsey added. "Do we want to advertise toothpaste? That would be a little facetious."

AMC might also be worried about alienating movie fans. It faces a tougher fight for their attention this year as the list of online video-streaming services expands from Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video, and Apple TV+ to include Disney Plus, NBC's Peacock, and HBO Max. 

At the conference, Ramsey acknowledged the related risks that "people will stay home and watch content through a streaming platform" and more content will shift to streaming services, shrinking big-screen audiences.

It's "important to the content providers that people ... see the best ads for the upcoming slate," he continued. "That's really probably at the heart of why we were motivated to not run more ads."

However, AMC's stance may still come as a surprise as it could use the extra ad revenue. Lower ticket sales pushed its total sales down 0.6% to about $4 billion in the nine months to September 30. Coupled with a spike in rent and higher interest payments, that more than doubled its net loss to about $136 million.

AMC's shares have suffered. The stock lost more than 40% in 2019. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A big-money investor in juggernauts like Facebook and Netflix breaks down the '3rd wave' firms that are leading the next round of tech disruption

• Adil El Arbi, who directed "Bad Boys for Life" with Bilall Fallah, spoke to Business Insider about making the duo's first mainstream movie.
• Their Brussels-set second movie, "Black," grabbed the attention of mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, which launched them into the running to get the third "Bad Boys" sequel.
• The filmmakers are also developing "Beverly Hills Cop 4."
• El Arbi explained how rehearsals, and long talks inside Will Smith's trailer while shooting, led to "Bad Boys for Life" being a surprisingly good sequel.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Belgian filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are like many of us: They grew up watching Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on the big screen in Michael Bay's "Bad Boys" movies.

In fact, when the two Moroccan-born filmmakers met at film school in the early 2000s and began collaborating, they would joke about how their future would turn out.

"Me and Bilall would always say, we are going to go to Hollywood and if they don't want to make 'Bad Boys' movies we are," El Arbi told Business Insider over the phone this week.

What was likely only a fun pipe dream has turned out to be how most audiences will be introduced to the filmmaking duo. 17 years after "Bad Boys II" was released — and after a slew of screenwriters and directors tried and failed to make a third movie — El Arbi and Fallah have done it with "Bad Boys for Life" (in theaters Friday).

El Arbi and Fallah first got on the industry's radar in 2015 with their second feature film, "Black." The modern-day spin on "Romeo and Juliet," set around gang life in Brussels, struck a cord with audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival that year, as the movie was given its Discovery Award. That led to the filmmakers getting managers and agents, which got their work in front of the mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

"For us it was just an honor that he would watch the movie," El Arbi said.

But when they had a sit down with Bruckheimer in 2016, they didn't waste their chance: They told the producer they wanted to make the third "Bad Boys."

What they didn't know was Bruckheimer had been trying to make the movie for close to a decade.

Five years after 2003's "Bad Boys II" took in an impressive $273.3 million at the worldwide box office, Bruckheimer, Bay, and Smith began discussing a third movie. It also began a revolving door of screenwriters and directors to the project. Bay left after two screenwriters took a pass at the movie (there was no bad blood, he makes a cameo in "Bad Boys for Life"), leading to Joe Carnahan ("Narc,""The Grey") taking the writer-director reins in the spring of 2015. By that summer, Sony had announced it wasn't just going to release one "Bad Boys" sequel but two, as "Bad Boys 3" was slated for 2017 and part four would open in 2019.

Bruckheimer offered El Arbi and Fallah another franchise to dust off, Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop 4." The duo began to develop that at Paramount and in 2017 shot the pilot episode of the FX series, "Snowfall."

But then a bit of movie magic helped them.

Things weren't progressing with "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Bad Boys 3," now called "Bad Boys for Life," found itself stalled in constant delays (the idea of a fourth movie was also scrapped) leading to Carnahan exiting the project due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences (Carnahan still has a screenwriter credit). 

El Arbi and Fallah were suddenly at the top of the depth cart, especially since Will Smith had seen "Black" and loved it.

The duo quickly signed on and newcomer Chris Bremner was brought in to do the latest pass on the script.

On paper, "Bad Boys for Life" should have been the latest example of an out-of-date franchise that had no business being back in theaters, but, surprisingly, El Arbi and Fallah may have brought this IP back from the dead.

"Bad Boys for Life" finds Miami detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) still wreaking havoc on the Miami streets, but after a sudden attack on one of them (that's all we're going to say, no spoilers), the duo suddenly realize they might be a little too old for the game. But teaming with Miami PD's new division, Ammo, Lowery and Burnett decide to go on one last ride to take down the bad guys.

Thanks to the hilarious back-and-forth banter between Smith and Lawrence, impressive action, a great supporting cast (that includes Joe Pantoliano, Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nuñez, and telenovela superstar Kate del Castillo), and a never-saw-that-coming third act twist, Sony could have 2020's first box office blockbuster hit.

El Arbi said what he believes makes the movie work is its mix of highlighting trademarks from Michael Bay's time as director (there are some shots that feel almost like carbon copy Bay shots) with the talents of Smith and Lawrence for making the audience care about their characters while dishing out funny moments.

"We rehearsed a month before shooting and even while we shot," El Arbi said. "Will was really pushing to make it great."

El Arbi said often when everyone broke for lunch during production a small group of people that included him, Fallah, and Lawrence would be in Smith's trailer going over the upcoming scenes for next week's shoot and tweaking them. Sometimes they even came up with whole new scenes.

That's how the scene where Lowrey and Burnett pay a visit to a violent accountant high out of his mind on cocaine got in the movie (it's the, "I'm going to penetrate this man's soul with my heart" scene in the trailer).

"That wasn't in the script, but we felt we needed a big comedy moment there, so that was a scene we created during the shoot," El Arbi said. "Will and Martin wrote it down and then we had three days to find a location and cast the actor. The next week, we shot it."

El Arbi admitted he and Fallah at times felt intimidated by the size of the movie they were making, but that Smith and Lawrence helped them get comfortable.

"What was great was if we had a problem they were right there to help us solve it," he said.

And this might not be the last time the four work together. With a 78% Rotten Tomatoes score for "Bad Boys for Life," it's not just the best-reviewed movie in the trilogy, but the first to get a fresh score.

As Sony figures out where to go with the franchise, El Arbi said he and Fallah still haven't given up on making "Beverly Hills Cop 4" one day. But he also wants to bring the gritty storytelling from their past to the mainstream, as well.

"We want to change it up," El Arbi said. "We don't want to only do action stuff. What attracted us to 'Bad Boys' and 'Beverly Hills Cop' were the characters, so we want to also do edgy and small stuff."

SEE ALSO: Thomas Lennon on bringing back "Reno 911!' for Quibi, his weird new movie "VHYes," and his brutal gig announcing the Emmys

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The first Blockbuster opened in 1985 in Dallas, Texas. 
• Over the next two decades, Blockbuster became the top movie-rental business in the US.
• However, Netflix and Redbox started challenging Blockbuster since they had no rental fees. 
• In 2010, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its stores except for one. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Before there was Netflix, HBO Go, or Amazon Prime, there was Blockbuster. 

Throughout the '90s and early 2000s, Blockbuster was the top video-rental company in the US, but that didn't last forever. As other, more dynamic services emerged and customers complained about late fees, Blockbuster eventually went bankrupt. Today, just one store remains in Bend, Oregon.

Here's what happened in Blockbuster's 35-year history in the movie-rental business.

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David Cook opened the first Blockbuster in 1985.

After working in computer software, Cook decided to open his own video-rental store in Dallas, Texas. His company was different than other rental stores because it offered customers a selection of 8,000 VHS tapes with the help of a modern, computerized check-out process, while other, smaller rental stores could only offer a couple hundred movies. 

One year later, Cook expanded Blockbuster by opening three more stores.

At the time, rental stores, like Blockbuster, were the only way people could watch movies that had left theaters without buying the VHS tapes themselves. 

In 1987, three major investors took Blockbuster to the next level.

They invested $18.5 million in Blockbuster. Later that year, Cook left the company, as the headquarters moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Under new management, the company bought up local video stores and opened new ones under the Blockbuster branding.

In 1988, Blockbuster became the leading video-store chain in the US with 800 stores.

In the '90s, Blockbuster hit a major milestone when it opened its 1,000th store.

In 1992, the company also expanded overseas when it bought out video-rental chain Ritz in the UK. At this time, there were 2,800 Blockbuster stores. 

In 1994, Viacom bought the video-rental company for $8.4 billion.

Five years later, Viacom took Blockbuster public, as the number of stores reached 6,000 globally.

But trouble was on the horizon in 1997, as Blockbuster's future competitor, Netflix, was founded.

Blockbuster was known for charging customers a fee for every day they were late returning a movie rental. In fact, Blockbuster said it made $800 million in late fees, or 16% of its revenue. This frustrated many customers, including Netflix founder Reed Hastings. 

Hastings said he founded Netflix because he did not want to pay the $40 fine he acquired at Blockbuster. In its early stages, Hastings' company, which had no late fees, would send DVDs straight to your house for a flat monthly rate.

In 2000, Blockbuster made the first mistake that would mark its demise: The company decided not to buy Netflix.

Blockbuster considered buying the popular Netflix service for $50 million, but the company decided to not make the purchase. Netflix went on to become even more popular and more profitable than Blockbuster. 

In 2002, Blockbuster's other big competitor, Redbox, launched.

Redbox's addition to the market reinforced the idea that people wanted quicker rental options with no late fees, so Blockbuster had to make a change. 

Despite the rise of Netflix and Redbox, Blockbuster was at its peak in 2004.

That year, Blockbuster had 9,000 stores globally, 60,000 employees, and earned $5.9 billion in revenue.

But the company started making major changes in the early 2000s that would ultimately lead to its downfall.

In 2004, Viacom parted ways with Blockbuster. That same year, the company launched Blockbuster Online, but it was already years behind Netflix.

At the same time, Blockbuster decided to end late fees. It was estimated that it would cost the company $200 million to stop collecting late fees and another $200 million to start the new venture, Blockbuster Online.

In the following years, Blockbuster's market value dwindled, hinting at its bleak future.

From 2003 to 2005, the company lost 75% of its market value, Forbes reported.

In 2010, the rental company filed for bankruptcy after Netflix's popularity continued to grow.

In an attempt to wipe out $1 billion of debt, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy, and the company was delisted from the NYSE.

The following year, Dish Network bought the company out of bankruptcy for $320 million in hopes of keeping 600 stores open. 

However, Dish Network announced in 2013 that it would close the remaining Blockbuster stores.

At the time, there were only 300 Blockbuster stores still in operation. 

Today, the Blockbuster franchise has dwindled to just one store in Bend, Oregon.

The standalone Blockbuster says it's still in operation because of its loyal customer base, citing the fact that they have 4,000 accounts and sign up new customers each day. The store also said a large number of tourists visits the store to reminisce about the former rental company. 

At its peak, Blockbuster had 9,000 stores globally and made $5.9 billion, but today the once-famous video rental company has shrunk to a single store in a small town. 

• Read more:
• Blockbuster, Borders, Sports Authority, and more: The biggest retail bankruptcies of the past decade
• Only a single Blockbuster remains open in the entire world. Here's what it's like to visit.
• We compared Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO to find the best service for every kind of viewer

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the Oscar nominees on Monday.
• Some of this year's contenders look much different than they did when they started acting.
• Actors like Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo DiCaprio began their careers as child actors and have grown up in the spotlight.
• Others, such as Cynthia Erivo and Florence Pugh, scored their nominations within ten years of their big screen debuts. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the names of this year's Oscar nominees on Monday, and some of the actors look completely different than they did in their early roles.  

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor Leonardo DiCaprio has come a long way from his 1979 acting debut on "Romper Room and Friends," and "Marriage Story" lead Scarlett Johansson has blossomed since her performance in the 1994 film "North." 

But not all of the nominees got their start as children. Cynthia Erivo, who starred in "Harriet," became well-known in 2015 following her Broadway debut, and "Little Women" actress Florence Pugh scored her first Oscar nomination just six years after her first role on the big screen in 2014.

Here's how all of the Oscar-nominated actors looked early in their careers. 

THEN: Renée Zellweger snagged small roles in films such as "A Taste for Killing" and "8 Seconds" in the early '90s.

The Texas-born actress popped up in minor productions such as "A Taste for Killing,""Dazed and Confused," and "8 Seconds." 

NOW: The 50-year-old star received wide acclaim for her role as Judy Garland in "Judy."

The Academy nominated her for best performance by an actress in a leading role for her performance in "Judy."

THEN: Antonio Banderas made his onscreen debut in the 1982 Spanish film "Labyrinth of Passion."

The actor performed in a series of Spanish films such as "Labyrinth of Passion" and "Law of Desire" in the 1980s. 

NOW: He earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance in "Pain and Glory."

The Spanish actor, who played Salvador Mallo, was nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role. 

THEN: Cynthia Erivo became known for her performance in the play "The Color Purple."

She became known for her role as Celie Harris in "The Color Purple," which transferred to Broadway in 2015. Erivo won a Tony Award for her performance in 2016. 

NOW: She's one Oscar away from becoming the youngest person to gain EGOT status.

The "Harriet" actress is nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role and achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song).

She's the third person ever to receive nominations in both acting and song categories in the same year. 

THEN: Joaquin Phoenix began acting in the '80s.

The young actor appeared in works such as "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Murder, She Wrote" before securing his first lead role in the 1987 film "Russkies."

NOW: The Academy recognized him for his work in "Joker."

Phoenix was nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role following his work in "Joker."

THEN: Scarlett Johansson landed her first role in the 1994 movie "North."

The actress was 9 years old in her first onscreen role in the 1994 film "North."

NOW: She received two Oscar nominations for her work in "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit."

Johansson's role in "Marriage Story" earned her a nomination for best performance by an actress in a leading role, and her work in "Jojo Rabbit" gained recognition in the best performance by an actress in a supporting role category. 

The Oscar newcomer is the first person to be nominated in two acting categories in the same year since 2007. 

THEN: Kathy Bates acted in her first feature film in 1971.

The actress caught her big break when she was cast as a singer in the film "Taking Off."

NOW: Her performance in "Richard Jewell" drew critics' attention.

The "Richard Jewell" actress, who played Bobi Jewell, was nominated for best performance by an actress in a supporting role.

THEN: Jonathan Pryce began as a stage actor in the '70s.

The British actor transitioned to the screen with performances in "Breaking Glass,""Something Wicked This Way Comes,""Brazil," and more. 

NOW: The actor received his first Oscar nomination in 2020.

The actor, who played Pope Francis in "The Two Popes," was nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role. 

THEN: Joe Pesci got his start in 1976.

The Italian-American actor appeared in the crime film "The Death Collector" before teaming up with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the 1980 movie "Raging Bull."

NOW: He's an Academy Award-winning actor with a history of playing intimidating characters.

The actor, who played Russell Bufalino in "The Irishman," was nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role. 

THEN: Saoirse Ronan made her debut on the Irish medical drama "The Clinic."

The Irish actress was 9 years old when she first appeared on RTÉ's drama "The Clinic." 

NOW: The actress has been applauded for her role in "Little Women."

She was nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role following her performance as Jo March in "Little Women." At 25 years old, Ronan has been nominated for a total of four Academy Awards.

THEN: Adam Driver caught his break with an appearance on ABC's "The Unusuals."

The Julliard graduate first appeared as a witness in "The Unusuals" 2009 series finale. 

NOW: The actor was nominated for an Academy Award following his lead role in "Marriage Story."

The Academy nominated the 36-year-old star for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his work in "Marriage Story." 

THEN: Charlize Theron took on her first role in 1995.

The South African actress was cast in the 1995 movie "Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest." 

NOW: She was recognized for her performance in "Bombshell" and played the lead role of Megyn Kelly.

The "Bombshell" star and producer was nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role. 

THEN: Leonardo DiCaprio started acting when he was 5 years old and appeared in projects throughout his adolescence.

As a young child, the actor showed early signs of comfort onscreen in "Romper Room and Friends" in 1979.

He continued to snag parts in shows like "Roseanne" and "The Outsiders" before hitting his stride in the '90s with parts in films such as "Critters 3,""Romeo + Juliet," and "Titanic."

NOW: He's earned his seventh Oscar nomination for his performance in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

The actor's role as Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino's film scored him a nomination for best performance by an actor in a leading role.

THEN: Laura Dern got her start in films like "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and "Foxes."

She had an uncredited role in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" alongside her mother, Diane Ladd, before appearing in the 1980 film "Foxes."

NOW: She earned her third Oscar nomination for her role as a divorce attorney in "Marriage Story."

The "Marriage Story" actress was nominated in the category of best performance by an actress in a supporting role.

THEN: Al Pacino made his film debut in the 1969 movie "Me, Natalie."

The Harlem-born actor had a career onstage prior to his first role in "Me, Natalie." 

NOW: He's received the Triple Crown of acting with an Oscar, two Tony Awards, and two Emmy Awards.

The actor, who played Jimmy Hoffa in "The Irishman," was nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role. 

THEN: Florence Pugh arrived on the scene with a strong performance in the 2014 film "The Falling."

The British actress played an ill-fated student in her big screen debut alongside Maisie Williams.

NOW: She earned her first Oscar nomination at 24 years old.

The actress's portrayal of Amy March in "Little Women" earned her a nomination for best performance by an actress in a supporting role.

THEN: Tom Hanks made his film debut in the 1980 film "He Knows You're Alone."

In his first feature film production, Hanks appeared as a student alongside Caitlin O'Heaney and Don Scardino. 

NOW: After being honored with the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2020 Golden Globes, the actor received his first Oscar nomination in nearly 20 years.

The "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" actor's role as Fred Rogers earned him a nomination for best performance by an actor in a supporting role.

THEN: Margot Robbie appeared on "City Homicides" and starred in "I.C.U."

The Australian actress had a small role on "City Homicide" in 2008 and secured the lead in the film "I.C.U." the following year. 

NOW: The Oscar-nominated actress has shown her ability to play a wide range of characters.

The "Bombshell" actress, who played Kayla Pospisil, was nominated for best performance by an actress in a supporting role.

THEN: Anthony Hopkins was a stage performer-turned-film star who gained attention for his role in the 1968 film, "The Lion in Winter."

The Welsh actor established a screen presence with performances in "The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens" and "Young Winston."

NOW: He's been nominated for his role as Pope Benedict in "The Two Popes."

The actor was nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role.  

THEN: Brad Pitt had his first onscreen role in the sitcom "Dallas."

The actor appeared on several episodes of the CBS sitcom beginning in 1987. 

NOW: He's won two Academy Awards and will chase his third win in 2020.

The "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor was nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role following his performance as Cliff Booth.