All posts tagged: underrated

Is Jake Gyllenhaal Our Most Underrated Action-Movie Star?

Is Jake Gyllenhaal Our Most Underrated Action-Movie Star?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Quick, if someone asks you to name your favorite Jake Gyllenhaal movies, what are you pulling out? Donnie Darko? The Day After Tomorrow? Zodiac? Those are, without a doubt, excellent choices. But if someone asked me that question, I’d have to go a slightly different route. I’m thinking of movies like Ambulance, Source Code—hell, even the Road House remake. In the course of his nearly 40 years as an actor, Gyllenhaal has racked up over five dozen film and television credits, brought in billions of dollars at the box office, worked alongside some of the world’s best directors, and even scored himself an Academy Award nomination for Brokeback Mountain. He’s established himself as a solid dramatic actor, able to get butts in theater seats (and deliver strong streaming numbers) on name recognition alone. But Jake, if I may skip the formalities, we need you kicking more ass. I proposed this in a staff Slack thread and was challenged to say it with my chest in public, so here goes: Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely at his …

Connor Storrie Sported an Underrated Omega on SNL

Connor Storrie Sported an Underrated Omega on SNL

Published by Jenni Sidey

Ever since its debut on HBO Max in late November, Heated Rivalry has staged a lightning-fast takeover of American cultural mindshare, catapulting stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie into the spotlight. It has also given the actors a platform to show off a heated rivalry of a different sort in their escalating battle for wristwear supremacy. There was the diamond-studded Serpenti that Hudson Williams wore to the Golden Globes. (Hopefully more stylish dudes will follow his lead—after all, if a man will confidently wear a teeny tiny Cartier, he can certainly pull off a watch shaped like a snake.) Then there was the IWC Portofino Complete Calendar that Connor Storrie wore on Seth Meyers back in January. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Williams one-ups him with a Grand Complication. Photograph courtesy of Omega; Getty Images Before he can do that, however, Connor Storrie managed to get a few more points on the board by wearing the criminally underrated Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades for his SNL opening monologue last weekend. Though …

12 Deeply Underrated Watches That Belong on Every Collector’s Wishlist

12 Deeply Underrated Watches That Belong on Every Collector’s Wishlist

Published by Jenni Sidey

This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. It’s currently being manned by Jeremy Freed, watch writer extraordinaire, while Cam is on parental leave. Sign up here. The world of watches is a big place, and here at B+P, we’re dedicated to celebrating as much of it as possible. That said, most of the conversations we have about watches tend to focus on a fairly limited number of brands and models, give or take the odd conceptual art piece or celebrity-endorsed microbrand. Fair enough—for myriad reasons, some watches are inherently more interesting than others. But for someone setting out to buy a new timepiece, the watches that tend to dominate the conversations among collectors aren’t always attainable—both in terms of pricing and retail availability. That’s why I’m devoting this week’s edition of Box + Papers to some of the watches that I feel don’t get as many kudos as they deserve. To do this, I first had to establish a few parameters. Firstly, …

The Capture: Underrated BBC drama series deserves as much love as Line of Duty

The Capture: Underrated BBC drama series deserves as much love as Line of Duty

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter When The Capture hit screens in 2019, it was branded “preposterous”, “implausible” and “utter bobbins”. The BBC drama mined technology for horror, presenting a world in which ordinary footage can be easily manipulated and turned against us at the click of a button. In the show, characters are yanked into interrogation rooms and shown surveillance videos of them going about their day – only to see themselves doing heinous crimes they didn’t actually commit. It all felt like an outlandish proposition; perhaps a problem for another generation. But with AI firmly planting its computerised flag in the sand – and deepfakes now dominating social media – that world is a reality. In seven short years, The Capture has become the most prescient show on television. “I remember reading some reviews of series one that were like, ‘Oh, this is so ridiculous, …

4 underrated Milwaukee tools that professionals actually use

4 underrated Milwaukee tools that professionals actually use

Published by skeptic

Finding power tools for personal use isn’t always the easiest task. It can be hard to know what is the right tool for the job you have. Plus, you may not want to buy a tool if you’re only going to use it once and then never again. Reading reviews online can be a bit of a gamble, as it’s hard to know if your use case is the same as other people’s. Milwaukee is one of the top brands for power tools on the market today. They are made for durability and are professional-grade tools for both professionals and DIYers. They are definitely meant more for the trades rather than home projects, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them for projects at home. Milwaukee has an extensive tool lineup and some of the tools are underrated in how they are utilized. Some tools can be useful for both professionals and the average homeowner. Get your doors and wood surfaces in shape with a planer This was something I recently saw in action My …

This underrated app is my new default for PDFs and documents

This underrated app is my new default for PDFs and documents

Published by skeptic

For years, my app folder was a cluttered mess of PDF apps. There was a separate app for everything: editing, reading, and viewing, an app for an e-book library; and yet another just so I could read my manga on the weekends. The industry-standard “pro” tools are often bloated, resource-intensive, and increasingly aggressive about subscription schemes, while the default viewers built into operating systems are frequently too basic to be useful. But following my journey to change subscription apps with free open-source alternatives, I changed my default PDF viewer to Okular. It’s software that positions itself not only as a reader but also as a universal document viewer. After using it for quite a while, I removed every other viewer app from my system. OS Windows, macOS, Linux Developer KDE Okular is a free, open-source, multi-platform universal document viewer developed by KDE. It supports numerous formats—including PDF, EPUB, DjVu, and comics—offering features like annotation, text highlighting, and form filling. It’s one app for everything It takes care of many of your PDF needs It delivers …

Netflix movies and TV series leaving soon in February 2026, including underrated show

Netflix movies and TV series leaving soon in February 2026, including underrated show

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter It’s your last chance to watch many films and TV shows on Netflix ahead of their removal in February. Every month, the streaming service introduces a wealth of fresh titles, but also reduces its library due to the expiration of licence deals. Many high-profile films and series will vanish from Netflix throughout the month, and those released under the “Netflix Original” label aren’t exempt from the removals, either. One title that’s leaving is The Capture – but it’s the perfect time to catch up with the show, considering a brand new series will air on the BBC this spring. Ben Chanan’s deepfake thriller premiered in 2019, and had a gripping follow-up series that aired in 2022. Word was quiet on whether there would be a third run of episodes, with many fans questioning whether the show would ever return to screens …

8 Underrated Pantry Staples That Chefs Swear By (and You Need)

8 Underrated Pantry Staples That Chefs Swear By (and You Need)

Published by skeptic

Modern life moves at a relentless pace, which explains why we tend to stock up on the same reliable staples. Whether clicking through checkout screens or pushing carts down familiar aisles, we rely on these ingredients to carry us through another week of cooking without much thought.  For home cooks eager to elevate their everyday dishes, though, there’s a collection of overlooked pantry essentials that deserve a permanent place in the cupboard. If you’ve grown weary of even your favorite recipes, a small spice adjustment or aromatic addition can give them a second life. And the right pantry items can inspire new and exciting recipes. I interviewed a dozen top chefs from around the country for their expert recommendations, from dish stars to supporting roles.  Here are eight pantry ingredients to consider before checkout. 1. Clam juice  Add an ocean brine to sauces, soups and Bloody Marys. Bar Harbor No, this is not a call to chug a bottle because of a current health fad. Clam juice is one of the most versatile ingredients that money can buy, …

Love ‘The Pitt’? Stream This Underrated Cop Drama Right Now

Love ‘The Pitt’? Stream This Underrated Cop Drama Right Now

Published by Jenni Sidey

Once TNT took full control of Southland, they trimmed some of the show’s fat and really locked in on the most interesting characters and actors. Mismatched partners Cudlitz and McKenzie along with Regina King’s Det. Lydia Adams and Hatosy’s Det. Sammy Bryant became the core four. McKenzie became a TV star on the primetime soap that was The O.C., but he proved his acting bonafides on Southland, delivering his first real adult turn, and demonstrating true inner conflict as Ben, who repeatedly has to confront why he’s actually doing this job. And after a long career that included appearances in dozens of hit shows, including ER, 24, Band of Brothers and Lost, Cudlitz finally got his big shot with Southland, and he responded by giving the best performance of his career. To his partners, Cooper comes off as an overly-critical commanding officer who takes too much pleasure in his power over them, but much of it a shield for his struggles with his sexuality and painkiller abuse. And for anyone watching Southland, it came as …

This dark comedy could end up being the most underrated new show on Netflix in 2026

This dark comedy could end up being the most underrated new show on Netflix in 2026

Published by skeptic

We aren’t very deep into 2026, but we’re already getting excited about all the new TV coming down the pike. Around here, our tastes usually run towards fantasy and sci-fi, but we can expand our horizons. There’s also a lot of great drama and comedy shows on the way. In particular, a new dark comedy coming to Netflix has caught my eye, and it should have yours too. Get ready to make some Big Mistakes The creator of Schitt’s Creek gets together another dysfunctional family As outlined by Netflix itself, Big Mistakes is about a pair of “deeply incapable siblings” who are somehow blackmailed into the world of organized crime, although we don’t know the details. The siblings, Nicky and Morgan, are played by Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega. Of the two of those, Levy’s name is more likely to ring a bell. Along with his father Eugene, he created the sitcom Schitt’s Creek, which over the course of six seasons went from underdog cult comedy to comfort food modern classic. And even though we …