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• Why <i>The Tourist</i> Should Be Your Next Netflix Binge–And What to Know Before Watching

Why The Tourist Should Be Your Next Netflix Binge–And What to Know Before Watching

T ake a break from endlessly scrolling through Netflix searching for something new to watch and just press play on The Tourist, the BBC series which stars Jamie Dornan as a mysterious Irishman who wakes up in an Australian hospital with amnesia.

The wry thriller isn’t necessarily new—it premiered on the BBC in 2022 and quickly became one of the U.K.’s most-watched dramas of that year—but it is a recent addition to Netflix, which acquired the exclusive rights to the series last year and started streaming it in February. (Season 1 of The Tourist was previously available to stream in the U.S. on Max.) 

At just six episodes, The Tourist is a low-risk, high-reward viewing experience full of twists and turns that are sure to keep you on your toes. Think Memento if directed by the Coen Brothers . Even better, if you like what you see, you can launch right into season 2, which is now streaming.

Here is what you need to know about your next great Netflix binge . 

What is The Tourist about?

The Tourist begins with an Irish guy (played by Dornan) making a pit stop at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, Australia. Nothing seems too out of the ordinary; he fills up his car, questions the gas station attendant’s bathroom key policy, visits the absolutely filthy restroom, and is on his way. But things get weird once he gets back on the road. He finds himself being harassed by a tractor trailer that seems hellbent on mowing him down. Just when it appears that he’s in the clear, he’s T-boned by the truck and left for dead on the side of the dirt road. 

When he wakes up, he’s in the hospital and has no memory of the accident or who he is. He doesn’t have a wallet or ID or phone on him to help jog his memory. This nameless man is now a tourist in his own life, struggling to understand who he was and why someone wanted him dead so badly. With help from a few kind, but not necessarily trustworthy strangers including Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), local waitress Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin), and Detective Inspector Lachlan Rogers (Damon Herriman), he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leaves him with more questions than answers about his dark past. 

Why it’s worth your time

Let’s start with Jamie Dornan. He played the leading man in the Fifty Shades trilogy and the Academy Award-nominated 2021 drama Belfast , but The Tourist feels like the first time he’s been able to truly show his range as an actor. It’s hard to resist that Irish brogue, but it’s even harder to resist his “ get you a man that can do both ” charm. Fans of the superbly silly Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar already know how funny he can be—not to mention, what a great singer he is. But The Tourist lets him show off his dry, dark wit, while also letting him show off his romantic side. By the end of the series, you’ll be left wondering why he hasn’t yet been cast in a good rom-com. (Sorry, not sorry Wild Mountain Thyme .) In the show’s most gripping action sequences, he manages to channel another amnesiac with killer instincts, Jason Bourne. But thanks to his hangdog expression, Dornan is also able to pull off the existential dread his character feels after realizing he’s not the person he hoped he would be.

Obviously, it’s hard to take your eyes off Dornan, but the scenery in The Tourist isn’t too bad to look at either. The show, set in the Australian outback—like way, way out back—was filmed on location in South Australia around Adelaide, a city known for its coastline. (Adelaide's North Haven Beach serves as the show’s stand-in for Bali’s Kuta Beach.) It was also shot in the Flinders Ranges , the largest mountain ranges in South Australia, and in Peterborough, a small town in an area near Adelaide known as wheat country, which stood in for the sandy outback scenes. (Season 2 takes place in Ireland, so prepare yourself for greenery as far as the eye can see.) Despite all the drama onscreen, The Tourist makes Australia look like a nice place to visit.

What to remember before watching The Tourist season 2

Whether you’ve already finished the first season and need a bit of a refresher or you’re planning to skip straight to Season 2, this is what you need to know before watching the second season. 

Warning: major spoilers for The Tourist Season 1 ahead.

The Irish guy with amnesia is actually Elliot Stanley, and he’s done some really bad things in his life. 

While in the hospital, Elliot finds a note in his pants pocket with an address for a diner in a tiny town called Burnt Ridge. It’s there he meets Luci (Brune-Franklin), a waitress who is actually his ex-girlfriend. She only chooses to tell him his name and their relationship to one another after they discover a man’s dead body stashed in an oil drum that had been buried. The man was Marko (Damien Strouthos), who, like Elliot, worked for Kostas (Alex Dimitriades), an international drug lord and Luci’s fiancé.

Luci isn’t exactly who she claims to be. She’s a scammer who stole a rather sentimental bag of money from Kostas in order to run off with Elliot. Now the Greek gangster is back to collect. But Kostas isn’t all that interested in the cash; a million dollars is chump change to a guy like him. This is about ego. Kostas, a maniac who spikes his water with LSD to be able to speak with his dead brother, wants to punish Elliot for successfully stealing his girl.

Kostas decides to kidnap the wife of Detective Inspector Lachlan Rogers (Herriman) in hopes that it will scare the decorated officer into doing his bidding. It does; Lachlan apprehends Elliot and kills a young sergeant in the process, becoming one of the bad guys. But is Elliot also a bad guy? Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Macdonald), the ambitious cop-in-training assigned to his case, doesn’t think so. She believes the fact that he was willing to save her from being shot by Kostas’ henchman means there is good in there somewhere, even if he has done bad things. But Elliot isn’t convinced that someone can really change. 

After drinking from Kostas’ LSD-laced water bottle, he has visions that offer some insight into who he may have been. He sees his first meeting with Kostas, where he’s hired as his accountant. He is able to relive his meet-cute with Luci and sees how toxic their relationship was. He discovers where he buried the bag of money and dreams of laying in bed with Helen. He also speaks to a Russian woman named Lena Pascal, who he’s seen before in his dreams. She tells him she’s in Adelaide and claims that she can help him “fill in the colors” of his past. 

Elliot worries that what he has seen aren’t memories, but hallucinations. When he finds the bag of money in the same spot he had envisioned it though, he believes that Lena may be real, too. Unfortunately, he can’t go looking for her just yet. After Kostas and Luci are killed in a shootout over the million dollars, Lachlan lies to the police in hopes of saving himself. He claims that Elliot and Helen kidnapped him and went on a shooting rampage à la Bonnie and Clyde, killing the young sergeant. Luckily, Helen is able to access the CCTV footage that shows Lachlan transporting Elliot in handcuffs, catching him in his lie. It saves both her and Elliott from going to jail and allows Elliot a chance to speak with Lena, who was not a figment of his imagination—though after their chat he wishes she was.

When Lena comes to meet him at the jail, she reveals that he wasn’t just Kostas’ accountant as he had dreamt, but helped train the drug mules, mostly young immigrant women who swallowed bags of heroin to transport across the globe. Lena tells a story of two girls who died instantly after the bags Elliot gave them exploded in their stomachs. Lena lived, but not without literal scars. She shows him the long gash across her stomach where she was cut open to retrieve the drugs. She claims Elliot was the one who ordered her to be butchered, worried the heroin would go to waste. He apologizes for his cruelty, but she doesn’t absolve him of his guilt. “You have to live with yourself,” she tells him as she leaves.

Elliot doesn’t think he can and attempts to have himself arrested, but Lena won’t press charges. He then attempts to lose his memory again by getting into another car crash. He flips his car over, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work. He can’t forget what Lena told him and neither can Helen, who after learning the evil that Elliot was capable of decides she can no longer see him. But she can’t stop thinking about him and wondering whether he or anyone should be defined by their worst mistakes. 

Elliot wonders the same, but the guilt is just too much. He decides that he can no longer live with himself and attempts to take his life with vodka and pills. Laid out on his bed, waiting to die, he gets a text: a burrito emoji from Helen.

The burrito references a scene earlier in the show, when Elliot and Helen were eating together in a Mexican restaurant. Helen is his hostage, but the night plays out like a first date. Elliot can’t remember what kind of food he likes so she suggests they order everything on the menu so he can figure out his taste now. She encourages him to stop thinking about who he was and start becoming the person he is meant to be. He later tells her that he equates burritos with happiness and her text becomes a lifeline. He might not be able to forget what he’s done, but she believes he has the capacity to change. The joy on his face when he sees her message makes it seem as if Elliot finally believes he can change too. But fans will have to wait until Season 2 to see if he’s able to become a better person.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Tourist’ On Netflix, Where Jamie Dornan Plays A Man Without His Memory Trying To Outrun His Past

Where to stream:.

• The Tourist

What would you do if you lost your memory? Not just what you had for breakfast, but all sense of who you are and who is in your life? Then you find out that someone really, really wants to see you dead? That’s the idea behind the new Netflix series, which originally ran on HBO Max back in 2022.

THE TOURIST : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Scenes of the arid environment in the Australian Outback. A tiny car drives down an empty road.

The Gist: A man (Jamie Dornan) stops for gas; he’s wearing a generic “AUSTRALIA” tourist t-shirt. He has no idea why the attendant at the station makes him sign out for the bathroom key. We see him come out the back door of the bathroom, next to the Dumpsters.

As he’s driving on the seemingly empty road in his tiny Mazda, a massive tractor trailer bears down on him. When the tractor trailer rams the man’s car, he realizes it’s not just an aggressive driver. After a long chase over some rough terrain, the man thinks he’s gotten away from the truck, when the truck slams into him, causing the tiny car to roll over a few times.

The man wakes up in the local hospital, surprisingly not severely injured. However, he has no idea who he is or what he was doing. He doesn’t even remember his own name. He can recall a song title when he’s in an MRI machine, but that’s about it.

A friendly local cop, Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), goes to his room to take a statement. She is a bit uncomfortable with the man’s lack of memory, but ends up being reassuring to an extent. The only thing he finds in his possessions is a note to meet someone the next day at a diner in a nearby town. Helen says she’ll look into that.

We follow Helen home and see that, like most of us, she has issues with her weight, not the least of which is exacerbated by her fiancé Ethan (Greg Larsen) and their upcoming wedding.

Another thing we see is someone buried underground. Desperate to get out of whatever box he’s been put in, he tries to call someone on his phone, but no one is answering.

The man goes outside to get air, but gets lost inside the hospital, scaring him senseless. He decides to check himself out of the hospital the next day, against medical advice, because he needs to go to that diner and find out just who wanted to meet him there. Helen understands why he wants to do it, and gives him a bus ticket to get there.

At the diner, he meets a waitress named Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin), who seems to be fascinated by his amnesia. When she spills lemonade on him, she takes him out to where there are bathrooms. Just then, there’s an explosion, right in the booth where he was sitting. He wonders aloud why in the world someone is trying to kill him.

Pictures from a disposable camera found at the crash site help him retrace his steps, as well as video from the gift shop he visited. It brings him back to the gas station and its bathroom. He doesn’t find out his name though, as he signed the key sign-out sheet as “Crocodile Dundee.” But he finds something else; a stuffed koala that he hid next to the Dumpster. Much to his surprise, it starts ringing.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Take the movie  Memento and cross it with the quirkiness of the first season of the  Fargo series, and you’ve got the vibe of  The Tourist.

Our Take: The Tourist , written by Harry Williams and Jack Williams ( The Missing, Fleabag ) looks like it’s a complex show with a twisty plot, but when you really take a close look, it’s pretty straightforward. Dornan’s character has no idea who he is; all he knows is that someone wants to kill him. With the help of Helen and others, he’ll try to piece things together before those that are after him, including Billy (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), the whistling man who almost squashed him in the tractor trailer, catch up to him.

In the first episode,  The Tourist  evolves from what seems like a thriller to a more personal narrative. It’s why we get involved in Helen’s life when she’s off-duty. In a Weight Watchers-style meeting, she claims she doesn’t like her body, even though everyone is yelling about body acceptance. But it also feels like she’s more there because of her fiancé than anything else. So even though Helen knows her name, who’s in her life and what she does, she also hasn’t found herself. Plus, she seems to be made to feel guilty about just about everything.

Perhaps as she gets more involved in the life of Dornan’s character, the more she will figure out who she is. At least that’s what we hope, because Macdonald is utterly charming as Helen, who is very much in the vein of Allison Tolman’s portrayal of Molly Solverson in the aforementioned  Fargo. She’s good at her job, even if she’s a bit green, but also is a friendly and helpful sort who needs to help herself most of all.

There is definitely a bit of a sense of humor running the first episode, but the Williamses aren’t trying to make the show quippy. The humor is there when people seem to be fascinated with Dornan’s character’s amnesia, though he assures them it’s no picnic. The humor creeps in along the edges of the show, but it does just enough to ease what is a pretty serious and grim performance by Dornan.

There is one twist near the end of the episode that we won’t spoil here, but it does make us wonder if, as things get more complicated for Dornan’s character (notice we haven’t named him yet, because the character has none as yet), the plot will become more convoluted. We hope not, as it seems the straightforward manner in which this story is being told suits  The Tourist just fine.

Sex and Skin: Nothing in the first episode.

Parting Shot: When the stuffed koala starts ringing, the man digs out a burner phone and answers it. When the man who’s buried starts yelling in relief that he answered, the man says, “Uh, who’s this?”

Sleeper Star: Shalom Brune-Franklin does some compelling work as Luci, and we know that she’s much more involved in this story than most of the first episode lets on.

Most Pilot-y Line: Nothing we could find.

Our Call:  STREAM IT.  The Tourist  hooked us in with its story, plus the performances by Dornan, Macdonald and Brune-Franklin. Let’s hope the story continues to be interesting as the season goes on.

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

• Jamie Dornan
• Stream It Or Skip It

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'The Tourist' Season 2 Review: Jamie Dornan’s Netflix Thriller Remains a Killer

This series continues to hit the mark with a punchy second season that is filled with unpredictable twists and turns.

The Big Picture

• The Tourist Season 2 continues its captivating storytelling in Ireland, filled with dark twists and unpredictable writing.
• Jamie Dornan shines as the leading man, showcasing versatile acting and dynamic emotions alongside co-star Danielle Macdonald.
• The series maintains its unique tone, blending genres like horror and comedy with influences from filmmakers like the Coen Brothers and David Lynch, as well as films like Saw and Psycho .

When The Tourist first premiered on Max in 2022, its smartly written ending felt like the perfect conclusion to the puzzling, dark comedy. The neo-Western reminiscent of Coen Brothers classics like Fargo and Blood Simple about one man’s amnesia-filled romp across the Australian outback was a captivating odyssey blending action, mystery, and dark humor. But despite showrunners Harry and Jack Williams and series star Jamie Dornan , insisting it was never meant to be more than one season, an abundance of critical acclaim and an astounding audience of 11.4 million viewers following its BBC run proved there was more story to tell. With The Tourist making its anticipated U.S. debut on Netflix this month, Season 2 tonally hits all the right notes for a uniquely twisted, action-thriller that is genuinely fun and engrossing .

Originally produced for the BBC and premiering Season 2 on its new streaming home at Netflix on February 29, The Tourist continues to show its strengths by not wasting any time. Trading the desert-hued ambiance of the Australian outback for lush, sprawling vistas of Ireland where Dornan’s character Elliot Stanley is from, things take a wild turn when he returns home for answers. Though the premise feels similar to the first season, as Elliot still can’t remember who he is, The Tourist remains self-assured while crafting a real sense of distinction through unpredictable writing and authentic performances that will keep you glued to your seat.

What Is 'The Tourist' Season 2 About?

After a heartbroken Elliot (Jamie Dornan) swallows a bottle of pills and former Constable Helen Chambers ( Danielle Macdonald ) decides to give him another chance in the Season 1 finale, we learn the two nomads are eagerly traveling the globe together. The series quickly establishes their relationship, revealing the pair are very much in love . While they are in the middle of their Southeast Asian trip, Helen tells Elliot she received a letter from someone named “Tommy,” who claims to know him. When they try and meet up with the mysterious stranger in Ireland, Elliot is shortly kidnapped by the Donal family in what is also one of the funniest scenes from the dark comedy , which finds Dornan running up a hill in a heartstopping chase as his assailants play The Pretenders’ “Don’t Get Me Wrong.”

Though it appears he’s escaped after tumbling down a long emerald hill, Elliot's pursuers find him and things get a little ugly — think Saw . Meanwhile, Helen calls the police and reports to Detective Ruairi Slater ( Conor MacNeill ) that her boyfriend is missing. While at the station, she meets Niamh Cassidy ( Olwen Fouéré ), who was sent a photograph of her kidnapped son Elliot – except, his name is “Eugene” and the last time she saw him was when he was 27.

How 'Reacher' & 'The Tourist' Depict Two Different Types of Action Hero

As Elliott and Helen try to find the truth and get stuck in the most outlandish situations while apart, their energizing love story raises the stakes for how The Tourist has evolved from Season 1 . Through smart and precise pacing that locks down interest through thoughtful writing, a lot happens across the show’s six episodes. As Elliot navigates all he learns about his past and discovers a bloody rivalry between two warring families, the Irish countryside is the perfect setting for his psyche as we go through literal peaks and valleys thanks to dark twists and turns. Whereas a barren and bleak outback served as a strong character in Season 1, the second season's new landscape is a clever addition to this chapter of Elliot’s life.

Jamie Dornan Is the Beating Heart of 'The Tourist' Season 2

One of the show’s greatest appeals is its cast. Showcasing a magnetic versatility, Dornan proves he is a tremendously watchable leading man . While audiences might be quick to think of him as Christian Grey, the actor has distinguished himself as a real force with a refreshing energy. In taking on the complex role of a man continually finding new information about himself, Dornan makes profound use of his diverse acting strengths as a character who has met some painful, fragmented truths. As Elliot makes sense of who he is, the actor’s approach blends complex emotions eloquently through striking expressions and delivery. These nuances, filled with wide-eyed panic and unease, find Dornan seamlessly embodying a multitude of emotions while remaining dry, humorous, and humbly charismatic.

Complimenting Dornan in the series is Danielle Macdonald, who is every bit as magnetic as her co-star . If Dornan is The Tourist 's heart, Macdonald is its compass. Her infectiously likable personality is a delight on-screen as she makes the darker tones of the series brighter with her genuine warmth . With all her character’s quirks and a discerning eye for the particulars, Macdonald’s portrayal gives off some big Marge Gundersen à la Fargo vitality. Her chemistry with Dornan is effervescent, giving the series the boost it needs amid shadowy elements .

The supporting cast rounds out The Tourist most impressively. While Season 2 sees the return of Helen’s (hilariously) awful ex-boyfriend Ethan ( Greg Larsen ) as he tries to make amends, his appearance makes for some laughable moments between him and Dornan’s Elliot. Olwen Fouréré joins the series in its second season as Elliot’s mother/badass crime lord matriarch. While her performance is focused and deep, she adds a nice weightiness to the series’ more shadowed tones. Also new to the show is the Garda detective played by Conor MacNeill ( best known for The Fall , which also stars Dornan), who portrays a gripping character rooted in some deeply grim events. While his character takes a serious turn and creates one of the show’s more WTF moments , it’s an absorbing juncture straight out of the shadiness of a Coen Brothers film and sets the tone for what more we can expect from these bizarre characters surrounding Elliot.

'The Tourist' Season 2 Excels With Its Smartly Applied Influences

With strong writing and ambitious plot turns that will give you serious whiplash, The Tourist is edgy, brutal, and laugh-out-loud funny. Taking audiences on an unpredictable journey through the glorious backroads of Ireland, there is a lot to love about this show and the various genres it pulls up most naturally . Playing with horror through strong nods to the aforementioned Saw and even Psycho , The Tourist is clever and gripping in every way imaginable without ever feeling overdone.

Thanks to atmospheric and unsettling sequences, The Tourist is every bit a neo-Western that sprinkles in the manic traits of the Coen Brothers, David Lynch , and Quentin Tarantino films. It might sample some of these filmmakers’ best works, but it’s a series all its own due in part to its enigmatic plots and characters. Accentuating themes of antiheroes and identity all wrapped into six compelling hours, showrunners Harry and Jack Williams have managed to create a world that evokes a deeply spirited, edgy, and pointed rhythm . Woven through a distinct narrative approach characterized by sharp dialogues and bold visuals, the series’ kinetic energy can get quite dark but is challenged by some very uncommon storytelling threads. The Tourist Season 2 can feel quirky and outlandish thanks to its consistent chaos, but it works; there is a distinguishable stylishness to the Williams siblings’ production that encompasses some deeply nail-biting suspense and snappy humor .

The Tourist

The Tourist remains pitch-perfect and hits all the right notes for a uniquely twisted and fun action-thriller.

• The Tourist remains self-assured while crafting a real sense of distinction through unpredictable writing and authentic performances.
• Dornan makes profound use of his diverse acting credits as a character that has met with some painful, fragmented truths.

The Tourist is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix

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Season 1 – The Tourist

Where to watch, the tourist — season 1.

Watch The Tourist — Season 1 with a subscription on Netflix.

What to Know

Jamie Dornan makes for a compelling guide through The Tourist , a beguiling drama that deepens its mystery with solid shocks and welcome moments of levity.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Jamie Dornan

Danielle Macdonald

Helen Chambers

Shalom Brune-Franklin

Luci Miller

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Billy Nixon

Geneviève Lemon

Danny Adcock

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Season info.

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The Tourist review – Jamie Dornan is intense in explosively entertaining outback thriller

An Irishman wakes up in Australia with amnesia in this pulse-pounding series packed with humour and philosophical questions

F anging it down an outback road when he is rammed by a truck driver from hell, Jamie Dornan experiences a terrible accident that gives him amnesia – making him forget about all that bondage paraphernalia from Fifty Shades of Grey .

In the explosively entertaining six-part series The Tourist, created and written by Harry and Jack Williams, the Irish actor and former Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein studmuffin plays a louche loner who can’t remember who is he, what he is doing in Australia or why he appears to have “kill me” stamped figuratively speaking across his forehead.

Dornan joins a coterie of famous foreign actors who have been plonked in the thick of arid, unforgiving Australian land and left to fry in the sun for our dramatic amusement. See also: Gary Bond in Wake in Fright , who drank a lot of beer and went mad; Dennis Hopper in Mad Dog Morgan , who drank a lot of moonshine and went mad; Johnathon Schaech in Welcome to Woop Woop , who spent a lot of time with the locals and went mad; and soon to be Zac Efron in Gold, who, the trailer suggests, finds gold in them thar desert and then goes mad.

Come to think of it, Dornan’s character in The Tourist – billed as “The Man” – is pretty sane compared with these rather rabid fellows. He’s like Guy Pearce in Memento in that he’s determined but displaced (in this instance geographically as well as mentally) and constantly banging against the walls of his own mind. If the whole being rammed into near-oblivion wasn’t enough, “The Man” is also a mite concerned when, after meeting the friendly and charming Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin) at a diner, there appears to be another (rather spectacular) attempt on his life.

The show’s central mystery has something to do with a man who has been buried alive and calls “The Man” from inside a barrel, begging to be found post-haste. Director Chris Sweeney (who helmed episodes one to three, with Daniel Nettheim steering the others) shoves a camera inside a tight coffin-esque space, evoking memories of Ryan Reynolds in Buried.

A big, beefy, cowboy shirt-wearing villain emerges in Billy (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), who whistles cheerfully but with absolute menace, his merry tune a harbinger of impending doom. In the series’ second half, Alex Dimitriades emerges as another prominent bad guy, hamming it up in super-villain style.

Certain characters aren’t who they say they are, though that does not apply to Helen Chambers – a fair dinkum what-you-see-is-what-you-get probationary constable battling with low self-esteem. She is superbly portrayed by Danielle Macdonald (who played the gossip columnist Lillian Roxon in I am Woman ), bringing loads of colour and detail to what could have been the simple sweet hick. Macdonald’s performance vividly contrasts with the rough and tough Dornan – also perfect in a high-intensity role as a man who is something of a blank slate, frightened by who he is or who he may be. There are philosophical questions about identity to ponder – if viewers pause for a breather and stop chewing their nails – including to what extent each of us are defined by our past actions.

There’s also an oddly good performance from the ever-reliable Damon Herriman, offsetting his recent menacing work by playing a detective inspector in a way that’s both funny weird and funny ha-ha, suiting the show’s quite dry approach to comedy. Many scenes are humorous in a cagey way, sans explicit signposting: at one point for instance we discover a traffic pile-up has been created by two turtles rooting in the middle of the road. Elsewhere, in the aftermath of an intense confrontation, in a shot one could imagine belonging to a Coen brothers movie, the show cuts to a framed picture on a wall bearing the following message: “LIFE IS MADE OF CHOICES. WIPE YOUR FEET OR SCRUB THE FLOOR.”

The Tourist is very well shot by Ben Wheeler and Geoffrey Hall (who was also the cinematographer for Chopper , Red Dog: True Blue and Eden ), with colour grading that’s a little off, a little sickly, as if the blues and greens (hard to find in arid outback) in particular have been poisoned from the inside. This is a clever way of visualising the feeling that something isn’t quite right. Sweeney and Nettheim (whose directorial work includes episodes of Halifax: Retribution , Tidelands and Line of Duty) establish a cracker pace that creeps, creeps, creeps up on you, then explodes with a great big thunderclap of action then creeps, creeps, creeps up again.

The “bugger me dead, it’s hot!” action-thriller, as it shall henceforth be known, is by now very familiar, but The Tourist is different: a pulse-pounder that feels fresh despite many genre elements, particularly of the neo-noir variety. The show has a great forwards and backwards momentum, contrasting cliffhanger moments with questions about the past and the ambiguities therein. It’s a vision of Australiana that’s less “ where the bloody hell are you? ” than who the bloody hell are you, and what the bloody hell will happen next? And – summarising my personal response – bloody hell, this is good.

• Australian television
• Jamie Dornan

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HBO Max continues stealth drops of some of the best drama mini-series on television. Last year highlights included “The Head” and “ Station Eleven ,” and they start 2022 strongly with the fantastic “The Tourist,” a twisty tale that plays like an Aussie version of “ Fargo .” With sharp dialogue, clever plotting, and career-best work from Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald , this is a great little thriller, a show that constantly keeps you guessing and entertained in equal measure.

The “ Belfast ” and “ Fifty Shades of Grey ” star plays an unnamed man (at least for a while) who is driving through the very remote Australian outback. He stops at a station to use the bathroom, banters with the guy behind the counter, and hits the road again. Looking in the rearview mirror, he sees a truck gaining on him with remarkable speed. The Man twists off the road to avoid it and the trucker follows, revealing through a POV from his cab that this is very intentional—he’s trying to kill this tourist. They race through the desert until The Man’s car crashes. He wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or how he got there.

Enter a small-town officer named Helen Chambers (Macdonald), engaged to an awful man named Ethan ( Greg Larsen ) and thrust into a mystery about who this handsome Irishman is in a hospital bed. When The Man finds a note with a time and a location in his pocket, he heads to a small town called Burnt Ridge, where he meets a woman named Luci ( Shalom Brune-Franklin ) who might know about his past, ends up crossing paths with a sociopath ( Ólafur Darri Ólafsson ) who clearly wants him dead, and gets a phone call from a man who’s been buried underground. And then things get even weirder.

Created by the people behind the excellent “ The Missing ” (which aired stateside on Starz), the writing on “The Tourist” is a metronomic back and forth between reveals and how those reveals propel the narrative in a new direction. Pushing their way through all the chaos are Dornan and Macdonald, both phenomenal. Dornan finds a quirky, unsettled way to play a man who doesn’t know who he is without resorting to the cliché of the lost soul. If anything, he leans into more of a blank slate interpretation of amnesia, playing a guy who’s more open to what comes next because he can’t remember what came before. And Macdonald is charming and so incredibly likable that she becomes the heart of a show that can be cold at times.

Echoes of “ Memento ” and “Fargo” aside, “The Tourist” also has its own quirky personality. Some of those quirks get a bit extreme in late-season episodes in ways I can’t spoil, but the show is never boring. It’s a reminder that the Dornan who was so great in “ The Fall ” is still out there, and I hope it leads him to more bizarre, challenging roles like this one. There’s an argument to be made that there’s an even-better 100-minute movie in this six-episode mini-series, but that’s not the world we’re in right now. A story like this has a better chance to be told in the TV system than the mid-budget film one, and the writers don’t drag their feet or spin their wheels like so many streaming thrillers. They’re constantly moving our hero forward, keeping us uncertain about his past and even his moral center.

Some will argue that “The Tourist” gets too convoluted and I’ll admit that I enjoyed the playful uncertainty of the first half of the season more than the intensity of the second half. Although the show does get deeper in how it unpacks lies we tell ourselves and those we listen to from other people. It turns out that everyone on "The Tourist" has a secret or two, and almost all of them could use a car accident to reset the hole they've dug for themselves. 

I'm not sure how intentional it is but the show never stopped reminding me of some of my favorite early Coen films—the noir danger of “ Blood Simple ,” the open roads of “ Raising Arizona ” (and a bearded hunter who seems unkillable), Macdonald’s very Marge Gunderson character—and yet these nods to greats are embedded in a breakneck plot that never slows down enough to distract from its own inspired storytelling. Take the trip.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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The Tourist (2022)

360 minutes

Jamie Dornan as The Man

Danielle Macdonald as Helen Chambers

Shalom Brune-Franklin as Luci

Damon Herriman as D.I. Lachlan Rogers

Alex Dimitriades as Kostas

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Billy

Greg Larsen as Ethan Krum

• Chris Sweeney
• Daniel Nettheim

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Danielle Macdonald really liked the script for The Tourist which is good because she was cast in the show

Macdonald stars opposite jamie dornan in the netflix show about a man with amnesia.

It’s always reassuring to know that an actor actually likes the project they’re promoting. For every teary final table read or video of the cast of The Good Place being genuinely shocked at the twist in their own show , there’s, well, a Madame Web . But for Danielle Macdonald, the appreciation for her writers’ work goes back even further than a series or even a season one finale. In an interview with The A.V. Club , she revealed that she was enamored with her Netflix show, The Tourist , before she had even secured the part.

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“When I first read the Tourist scripts, I was blown away,” Macdonald said, recalling that her roommate was watching a movie that she also loved in the living room when she first opened the document. “I remember I sat down on a chair for four hours and read the first four scripts back to back, and I completely ignored one of my favorite movies on the TV because I was so blown away. I was like, I need to know what happens next.”

She was so excited to talk about the Netflix show, which stars Jamie Dornan as a man who wakes up in an Australian hospital with amnesia after a bus crash, that she forgot to tell us what movie she didn’t watch. But it wasn’t just the movie—it sounds like Macdonald would have ignored a lot to know the end of the series’ first season; like, say, the fact that she wasn’t even officially in it yet. “I met with the writers and with the director the next day, and I think one of the first things I said was, ‘If I don’t get this that’s fine, but can you please tell me what happens because I feel like a junkie right now. Like I really need to know what happens next. I’m going crazy’” she recalled.

One of the things that was revealed after Macdonald accepted the part was the fact that her character, probationary constable Helen Chambers, has a bit of a love story with Dornan’s protagonist, Elliot. (She had only read the first four episodes of the season before signing on.) In this particular arc, she was actually able to help craft some of the scripts she loves so much. “The writers were amazing,” she said. “They’d watch the rushes (raw footage) every day and they kept writing more and more for us and what we were bringing to the screen, and that process was amazing.”

The Tourist seasons one and two are now available on Netflix.

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The Tourist

Revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.

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• Angelina Jolie
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• 528 User reviews
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• 37 Metascore
• 4 wins & 4 nominations

• Frank Tupelo …

• Elise Clifton-Ward

• Inspector John Acheson

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• Colonnello Lombardi

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• Trivia Angelina Jolie admitted in an interview with Vogue Magazine that the only reason she agreed to do this movie was because she knew it would be a "quick shoot" in Venice, Italy.
• Goofs At the cafe in Paris when Elise orders her breakfast, the waiter says "un croissant beurre". On her plate, when she finishes reading her letter is a "pain au chocolat".

Elise : Invite me to dinner, Frank?

Frank Taylor : What?

[Elise gives Frank a look]

Frank Taylor : Would you like to have dinner?

Elise : Women don't like questions.

Frank Taylor : Join me for dinner.

Elise : Too demanding.

Frank Taylor : Join me for dinner?

Elise : Another question.

Frank Taylor : [thinks for a moment] I'm having dinner, if you'd care to join me.

[Elise smiles at Frank]

• Connections Featured in The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2011)
• Soundtracks Cat's Pyjamas Composed by Jack Alfred Courtesy of Extreme Music

User reviews 528

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• Jul 12, 2011
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• December 10, 2010 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Sony Pictures (United States)
• Du Khách Bí Ẩn
• Venice, Veneto, Italy
• Columbia Pictures
• Spyglass Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $100,000,000 (estimated)
• $67,631,157
• $16,472,458
• Dec 12, 2010
• $278,780,441

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• Runtime 1 hour 43 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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5 best shows like 'The Tourist' to watch after season 2

Here are more thriller TV series like 'The Tourist'

Imagine waking up in a hospital room, in Australia, without any identity about who you are and why you are there. That's the premise behind the trending series on Netflix, "The Tourist."

"The Tourist" seasons 1-2 are streaming on Netflix .

Jamie Dorman stars as the main character, who has no memory of who he is and how he landed in the hospital. A variety of strange, helpful and quirky characters help him along the way. The fantastic blend of mystery, action, and a sprinkling of dark humor has made the show a top choice on Netflix.

Season 1 just became available in the U.S. on the streaming network earlier this year and season 2 just dropped on Feb. 29. When you're done binge-watching, here are some shows like "The Tourist" that offer up the same or similar vibes to fill the void.

Listed as one of the top-rated TV shows by IMDb, this show has endured for five seasons and has received numerous awards and nominations, including six Primetime Emmy wins. The anthology series changes the time period and location for each season, although there is some slight overlap of characters. Each installment focuses on a crime that somehow manages to connect to the city in North Dakota, which the show is named after. 

Fans of the movie will recognize it's a spinoff of the famous film. In addition, if you are familiar with Coen brothers movies , you are sure to spot references to their catalog of work through the show.  This is the perfect follow-up to "The Tourist," considering the mystery woven throughout every season and the dark humor throughout. However, there is plenty of violence in the show, so make sure you are prepared for that. 

Watch on Hulu

'The Missing'

This show is a no-brainer follow-up to "The Tourist" since it was also written and produced by brothers Harry and Jack Williams. However, "The Missing" has less of a humorous touch than its Australia-set counterpart. Season 1 of the show focuses on a little boy who goes missing and his father's motivation to find him. Season 2 shifts to the mystery of a teen who wanders off campus and gets kidnapped, only to come back with a story of another missing girl.

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Much like you see with "Fargo," each season is an anthology where there is very little overlap, and you can easily watch them independently of each other. The main connection is the French investigator, Tchéky Karyo as Julien Baptiste, who investigates both cases. 

Watch on Starz

'Three Pines'

If the mystery behind "The Tourist" is what drew you in, you'll love "Three Pines." Based on the novel by Louise Penny, the single-season show centers on Alfred Molina's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who is solving perplexing murders in the small Quebec village of Three Pines. The residents aren't exactly happy to see him, but despite that cold reception, he is drawn into the villagers' lives and spots numerous possible suspects, giving the show an intriguing Agatha Christie vibe. 

Sadly, despite its positive reviews, it was canceled after the first season because there was disagreement between the production companies. However, it still stands on its own as a miniseries. You'll be pleased to know there is an ongoing request for signatures to renew the show on Change.org if you find yourself enthralled by season one.

Watch on Prime Video

'Mr. Inbetween'

For those enticed by "The Tourist's" Australian setting, you don't want to miss Mr. Inbetween. Scott Ryan's Ray Shoesmith is a charming but violent hitman in Sydney. The mockumentary "The Magician," released in 2005, was about the same character. The show tells Ray's story more seriously and the title points to the ongoing struggle that he faces while balancing his criminal activities with his obligations to friends and family. No surprise, his work takes a toll on his relationships.

There is plenty of crime, romance, and comedy to be found within this series created by our Aussie friends. The series lasted for three seasons, coming to an end simply because Ryan was done playing the character. Considering he played the role in an independent film and a major series, it's no surprise he was done.

'Underbelly'

Another Australian show to add to your streamlining list is "Underbelly." As the title implies, it takes place in the underbelly of the Australian world, focusing on both sides of the law. What really will pull you into this show is each series is based on true-life events.

The first three seasons are based on the book "Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld," while the fourth season is based on the book "Razor" by Larry Writer and the fifth season is on real-life convicted murderer Anthony "Rooster" Perish. The sixth season, set between 1915 and 1927, is about Melbourne gangster Squizzy Taylor. Then, the final season tells the story of gangster Mark Read, otherwise known as Chopper. For crime fans who love a show based on true stories, this one is certain to draw you in and not let you go.

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Nicole Pyles is a writer in Portland, Oregon. She loves movies, especially Lifetime movies, obscure TV movies, and disaster flicks. Her writing has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Mental Floss, WOW! Women on Writing, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and more. When she isn't watching movies, she's spending time with family, reading, and writing short stories. Say hi on Twitter @BeingTheWriter.

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Wynn’s macau business is recovering strongly, will the stock return to pre-inflation shock highs of $140.

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MACAU, CHINA - 2023/07/25: People take photos during an art show at Wynn Resorts Macau in Macau ... [+] Island. (Photo by Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Wynn stock currently trades at $96 per share, roughly 31% below its pre-inflation shock high of $140 seen on March 17, 2021. The stock was impacted by the Macau operations, which saw business largely collapse over 2021 and 2022, due to stringent Covid-19 restrictions which hurt tourist inflows into the region. Now things have recovered considerably in Macau over the past year. Tourist arrivals at Macau have rebounded strongly and Wynn and other casino players are seeing pent-up demand. Tourist arrivals into Macau increased by 79.4% to 8.88 million for Q1 2024, approaching roughly 86% of pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, spending has also picked up. Market-wide mass gaming revenue for Macau reached about $5.9 billion for Q4 2023 (or roughly 105% of 2019 levels). Wynn is gaining some market share in Macau as well, driven by the premium mass market, and higher VIP rolling chip volumes.

Looking at a slightly longer period, WYNN stock has seen a decline of 15% from levels of $115 in early January 2021 to around $95 now, vs. an increase of about 40% for the S&P 500 over this roughly 3-year period. However, the decrease in WYNN stock has been far from consistent. Returns for the stock were -25% in 2021, -3% in 2022, and 10% in 2023. In comparison, returns for the S&P 500 have been 27% in 2021, -19% in 2022, and 24% in 2023 - indicating that WYNN underperformed the S&P in 2021 and 2023.

In fact, consistently beating the S&P 500 - in good times and bad - has been difficult over recent years for individual stocks; for heavyweights in the Consumer Discretionary sector including AMZN, TSLA, and TM, and even for the megacap stars GOOG, MSFT, and AAPL. In contrast, the Trefis High Quality Portfolio , with a collection of 30 stocks, has outperformed the S&P 500 each year over the same period. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics . Given the current uncertain macroeconomic environment with high oil prices and elevated interest rates, could WYNN face a similar situation as it did in 2021 and 2023 and underperform the S&P over the next 12 months - or will it see a recovery?

Returning to the pre-inflation shock level means that Wynn stock will have to gain roughly 45% if the stock recovers from $96 currently to its pre-shock highs of $140 per share. While the stock may recover to those levels, we presently estimate Wynn’s valuation to be around $105 per share, about 10% ahead of the current market price. While we believe that Wynn could see gains, we think that the upside for the company in the near term could be limited by concerns about the global economy and a potential slowdown in consumer spending. Our detailed analysis of Wynn upside post-inflation shock captures trends in the company’s stock during the turbulent market conditions seen over 2022. It compares these trends to the stock’s performance during the 2008 recession.

2022 Inflation Shock

Timeline of Inflation Shock So Far:

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• 2020 - early 2021: An increase in money supply to cushion the impact of lockdowns led to high demand for goods; producers were unable to match up.
• Early 2021: Shipping snarls and worker shortages from the coronavirus pandemic continue to hurt the supply
• April 2021: Inflation rates cross 4% and increase rapidly
• Early 2022: Energy and food prices spike due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fed begins its rate hike process
• June 2022: Inflation levels peak at 9% - the highest level in 40 years. The S&P 500 index declined more than 20% from peak levels.
• July - September 2022: Fed hikes interest rates aggressively - resulting in an initial recovery in the S&P 500 followed by another sharp decline
• October 2022: Fed continues rate hike process; improving market sentiments help S&P500 recoup some of its losses.
• Since August 2023: the Fed has kept interest rates unchanged to quell fears of a recession.

In contrast, here’s how WYNN stock and the broader market performed during the 2007/2008 crisis.

Timeline of 2007-08 Crisis

• 10/1/2007: Approximate pre-crisis peak in S&P 500 index
• 9/1/2008 - 10/1/2008: Accelerated market decline corresponding to Lehman bankruptcy filing (9/15/08)
• 3/1/2009: Approximate bottoming out of S&P 500 index
• 12/31/2009: Initial recovery to levels before accelerated decline (around 9/1/2008)

Wynn Stock and S&P 500 Performance During 2007-08 Crisis

WYNN stock declined from nearly $164 in October 2007 to $21 in March 2009 (as the markets bottomed out), implying that the stock lost over 85% of its value through the drawdown. However, the stock rebounded strongly to over $58 by early 2010, an increase of about 178%. The S&P 500 Index saw a decline of 51%, falling from levels of 1,540 in September 2007 to 757 in March 2009. It then rallied 48% between March 2009 and January 2010 to reach 1,124.

Wynn Fundamentals Over Recent Years

Wynn’s revenues declined from around $6.6 billion in 2019 to about $2.10 billion in 2020 as the spread of Covid-19 impacted gaming and hospitality-related revenues. The number recovered to $3.8 billion in 2021 and stood at $3.75 billion in 2022, as a recovery in the U.S. was partly offset by weakness in Macau. Revenues rose to $6.5 billion in 2023. While the company posted a profit of over $300 million in 2019, it remained loss-making between 2020 and 2022, as the pandemic weighed on its business. Net income stood at about $730 million in 2023.

With the Fed’s efforts to tame runaway inflation rates helping market sentiment, Wynn stock has the potential for gains once fears of a potential recession are allayed.

WYNN Return Compared With Trefis Reinforced Portfolio

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15 Best Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Friday the 13th: every jason voorhees mask, ranked, every character m. night shyamalan played in his own movies.

• The most iconic slasher villains in horror movie history have racked up the kills while terrifying audiences, often across entire franchises.
• The likes of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, and Ghostface helped define the slasher subgenre throughout the '80s and '90s.
• Meanwhile, characters like M3GAN, The Grabber, Pearl, and Art the Clown are defining the modern era of the slasher movie.

When it comes to slasher villains in horror movies , their history dates back to 1960, although the slasher horror genre didn't exist under that name until the 1970s. The earliest movie that many consider to be the grandfather of slasher movies was the Alfred Hitchcock horror movie Psycho , but it wasn't until the 70s that movies like Black Christmas and Halloween actually created the genre , with the rules and staples that many fans know to this day. From the babysitter killer motif and the murder of young adults in remote locations to the idea of the Final Girl, by the time the 1980s rolled around, slashers were horror's most popular subgenre.

However, slasher movies fell out of favor by the 1990s as more self-referential horror movies came into favor, and while there were still slashers created in that decade, they had to change and grow with the times to fit into the new horror subgenres. Today, there are great slasher movies that exist in various forms, often melding with found footage, self-referential, and even torture porn, allowing the modern-day slasher villains to make a comeback when directors figure out how to revive them in genres that Hollywood prefers to put its money into for modern-day sensibilities.

What are the best horror movies of all time? Every fan has their opinion, but these movies have stood the test of time to become certifiable icons.

30 Mr. Slausen

Tourist trap.

A lesser-known early slasher, Tourist Trap is a weirdly charming, or perhaps just charmingly weird take on the classic setup. Mr. Slausen runs the titular tourist trap that the carefree and soon-to-be-dead young people of the movie stumble into and appears as a kind and folksy presence who only wants to protect the kids from his evil brother. But it turns out that Slausen doesn't have a brother, and he's been toying with his victims the whole time.

Nevertheless, the charm of actor Chuck Connors (Lucas McCain from The Rifleman ) shines through, even if his sad backstory is likely all a lie. The movie shares an inspiration with more surreal projects by directors like Alejandro Jodorowsky ( El Topo ) and Luis Buñuel ( Un Chien Andalou ). This was also an early attempt at making the slasher villain supernatural, as Mr. Slausen has psychokinetic powers. The movie was a cult favorite but was never big enough for a sequel.

Black Christmas

Black Christmas is a 1974 horror movie from A Christmas Story director Bob Clark. The Canadian slasher centers on sorority girls who are stalked and killed by a crazed killer during the holiday season. Throughout the film, the teenagers get strange and threatening calls from the killer known as Billy. Black Christmas recieved mixed reviews upon release but has since become a cult classic.

Billy may be one of the most significant killers in the development of the horror genre. Black Christmas served as a source of inspiration for John Carpenter's Halloween and all that followed it. This was the first slasher movie for many, especially if they don't count Psycho as part of the genre . However, what keeps Billy from matching up with other slasher killers is that he is never really seen in the original movie, adding to the sense of unease. He is mostly just heard through the obscene phone calls he places to the victims.

Billy was the precursor for Jason, Michael Myers, and many more to come.

Whatever Billy's precise hangups are, they seem deeply rooted in misogyny, and what little the audience knows makes him disturbing. The movie's slasher villain is also iconic as he sets the table for the future antagonists who hide in houses, remain unseen, and only come out when it is time to kill a new young victim. Billy was the precursor for Jason, Michael Myers, and many more to come.

28 The Creeper

Jeepers creepers.

Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror film by writer-director Victor Salva. Headed home for spring break, siblings Trish and Darry Jenner are briefly tailed by an aggressive truck driver. Deciding to investigate him after seeing him dumping strange body-shaped bags into a nearby well, the two quickly discover they may have bitten off more than they can chew when they learn of the driver's supernatural and monstrous nature.

Jeepers Creepers is a slasher movie franchise that had an amazing first movie, but lackluster follow-ups since then. The killer in these movies was simply known as the Creeper, an ancient demonic serial killer that goes on a rampage every 23 years and kills and eats people for 23 days . Unlike many slasher killers, the Creeper also blends in with the monster horror movie subgenre thanks to its appearance and supernatural powers, including flight and superhuman strength. The first two movies take place over 23 days and there were two other sequels.

What keeps the Creeper down is its lack of memorable moments. The movie franchise looked destined for greatness when Victor Salva directed the first movie, but he put the series on hold after the first sequel due to outside reasons, and by the time he returned to it in 2017, most people had forgotten about The Creeper, so whatever magic the monster once had was lost forever.

In this horror thriller from the creator of the Conjuring universe, a woman named Madison is tormented by visions of grisly murders. When she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities, she attempts to unlock her repressed memories to find the killer and stop him.

Gabriel is one of the newest slasher villains in Hollywood, the killer from Malignant . The movie itself is about a woman named Madison Mitchell who finds herself haunted by nightmares and real-life murders that seem to paint her as the killer without her understanding what is going on. The big twist here is that Gabriel is unlike almost any other slasher killer. He is the parasitic twin of Madison, conjoined at the brain, who was left to die after separating from Madison.

However, he not only survived but was able to get Madison to kill for him, trying to eventually get to their mother as well. This was one of the most creative slasher villains in any horror movie, with the connotations and background trauma that goes along with his creation. There is always a good chance he could return, although it might lack some of the creativity of the first movie since his origin is now known. Even so, with 48 kills in one movie , Gabriel has a high murder count even if Malignant 2 never happens.

26 Maniac Cop, Of Matt Cordell

In the original Maniac Cop , Matt Cordell is an NYPD officer who's put in prison, mutilated in an attack by inmates, and then left for dead . So, naturally, he's more than a little vengeful himself, and it's easy to see what his motivation for his rampaging is. However, one of the reasons that Cordell was put in prison in the first place was police brutality, which his behavior as a slasher villain seems to confirm quite emphatically.

He could just take revenge against those who wronged him, but he instead attacks people seemingly at random at times, striking fear into the heart of the city that he swore to protect. There were three movies in the Maniac Cop franchise, but the first movie (with Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell in lead roles) remains a true cult classic and shows everything that is great about this iconic slasher villain. The rest of the franchise had him as an undead monster, which lessened the effect.

25 The Miner, Or Harry Warden And Axel Palmer

My bloody valentine.

My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian-made horror/slasher film that follows a group of people who decide to throw a party for Valentine's Day to disastrous results. The dance, which had been banned for two decades prior due to a tragic mining incident it had caused, is brought back, only for those involved to incur the wrath of a miner as he picks them off one by one.

From My Bloody Valentine, The Miner doesn’t actually appear as often as most slasher villains do , being the antagonist of only two movies (including the remake), but he makes a grand impression in both films. He’s become popular enough in recent years to join the pantheon of slasher villains along with greats like Michael and Jason. Unfortunately, though, he doesn’t have much personality beyond the effectively simple costume, as his identity is deliberately kept mysterious.

The motivations of the original killer, Harry Warden, and the copycat murderer, Axel Palmer, mostly make them seem spiteful and jealous, yet deadly. The first movie was a mostly lower-budget slasher movie and received an infamous reputation when it needed several cuts to make it to an R-rating during a time of the video nasties era . The remake was a larger budgeted movie with the gimmick of being in 3D, but it also has a better cast, with Jensen Ackles ( Supernatural ) and Jaime King.

24 Pamela Voorhees

Friday the 13th, friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th is a horror-slasher film by director Sean S. Cunningham and follows a group of camp counselors who are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer known to be the site of a child's drowning and a grisly double murder. The film began a decades-long franchise that would eventually lead to the creation of Jason Vorhees, one of the most popular horror icons of all time.

One of the all-time great horror movie trivia questions is " Who is the killer in the original Friday the 13th? " This is because many people assume that it's Jason Voorhees but as all big slasher fans know, the killer in the first movie is actually Jason's mother, Pamela. Considering that her motivation is vengeance for the death of her son, who drowned in Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the counselors, she's always been viewed in a slightly more sympathetic light than most slasher villains.

However, the people who she takes her rage out on didn't have anything to do with it, but in her mind, it is all justified after what she lost . The rest of the franchise moved on to her son, Jason Voorhees, who it turned out survived his childhood drowning incident. While he remains the most iconic slasher villain from the franchise, it is easy to remember why the first movie was considered the best in the series, and much of that is thanks to a more human killer in Pamela Voorhees.

Jason Voorhees' hockey mask is one of the most iconic visages in all of pop culture. Over the years, he's enjoyed some makeovers and mask upgrades.

23 The Tall Man

Phantasm is a sci-fi fantasy horror movie that follows horror icon the Tall Man, an undertaker from another world with supernatural powers as he terrorizes a small town to build his army. When thirteen-year-old Mike begins to suspect the town mortician of being a demon in disguise of a man, he'll have to convince his sister and her friend that the threat is real and that they're all in grave danger.

The Tall Man is another slasher villain who teeters on the edge of other horror subgenres, especially with his demonic status. He is the main villain in the Phantasm movies and is a very imposing figure. He stands as one of the tallest horror villains in cinema , but he also uses small sentinel spheres that fly through the air and slash at victims with blades.

He is also mostly immortal, a scientist from the Civil War who can travel through time and space with a machine he created , and his travels turned him into an evil entity who traveled to different towns, killing everyone there, so he could turn them into his zombie minions. He appeared in five movies, and while the supernatural elements of his time travel confused the story somewhat in the later movies, the original look at this towering giant slasher killer hunting down children to kill remains one of the most frightening moments of the late 1970s.

22 Victor Crowley

In 2007, Adam Green created his Hatchet slasher horror series. The movie was a throwback to the slashers of the 80s , and Green was able to really play into that by casting Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees) as the slasher villain Victor Crowley , Tony Todd ( Candyman ) as Reverend Zombie, and Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) as Sampson. Luckily, Green was skilled enough to make the movie worth all these horror icons' time, and it ended up as a cult classic.

Green directed two of the three sequels to Hatchet , with Crowley stalking the swamps of New Orleans, killing anyone who dares enter his domain . What really makes the Hatchet series, and Victor Crowley in particular, so memorable is that Adam Green is a true fan of classic slasher movies, and the respect that he paid not only his killer, but the story and the actors he brought into his world shows through. While the sequels after Green were lackluster, Crowley remains a great slasher villain.

21 Blissfield Butcher

Freaky is a film directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day 2U) and centers around a young girl in high school that swaps bodies with a deranged serial killer. When four teenagers are found dead, the Blissfield Butcher's re-emergence has made the town somewhat on alert. While waiting for her ride home at the end of a football game, Millie Kessler is attacked by the butcher with a mysterious dagger called La Dola, which then swaps the two into one another's bodies in a Freaky Friday-like fashion. Millie discovers that to get back to her original body, she needs to get her friends and family to believe that their bodies have swapped - and she needs to reverse the ritual in twenty-four hours, or the switch will remain permanent.

The 2020 slasher movie Freaky was a mishmash of genres. It was a typical slasher movie where the Blissfield Butcher was killing people in a small town. However, the other half is a body-swap movie like the comedy Freaky Friday , but this time with the Blissfield Butcher and a high school girl named Millie switching bodies . It ended up as a lot of fun, with Vince Vaughn playing the serial killer and then playing the confused high school student, while Kathryn Newton was able to switch easily between her high school persona and her mimicking of Vaughn's mannerisms.

Sadly, the Butcher died, so there won't be another Freaky without a different slasher killer. With that said, the idea of the Freaky Friday slant to the slasher movie genre could warrant another look at the story with a different killer. It might be hard to really catch lightning in a bottle twice with Netwon and Vaughn so masterful in their portrayals of the killer, but that isn't to say that it couldn't be done with new actors giving it a try.

20 Angela Baker

Sleepaway camp.

The 1983 cult classic slasher horror Sleepaway Camp follows Angela Baker (Felissa Rose), an introverted teenage girl who's sent to summer camp years after a traumatizing event deeply affected her. However, she is constantly bullied and abused, and everyone at Camp Arawak begins to die, one by one.

Angela Baker went down in history as one of the most infamous slasher villains in movie history after the first Sleepaway Camp . At first, the 1983 slasher movie seemed like a generic copy of Friday the 13th , with kids at a summer camp killed by a mysterious villain. Throughout most of the movie, Angela looks like one of the hapless victims running for her life. That turned out to be a ruse, as Angela was the slasher killer with the twist that she was born a boy but raised as a girl by parents who wanted a daughter instead of a son.

The movie remains problematic with the transphobic and homophobic implications that surround the final twist. However, Angela is still a beloved slasher icon who appeared in four films in the series and the first movie in the series remains one that slasher movie fans often revisit. While it does border on offense in the same way that looking back on Silence of the Lambs does, it is also more of a campy splatterfest that doesn't take itself seriously enough to deserve that deep of a look.

19 Mick Taylor

Wolf Creek is a 2005 horror film where three friends get stranded in Australia and fall victim to a psychopathic torturer. Wolf Creek was then followed by Wolf Creek 2 in 2013 and a TV show in 2016. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been viewed in a more favorable light in recent years.

The 2005 Australian slasher movie Wolf Creek was based on a true story of the murders of backpackers in the 1990s. In this movie, three backpackers in Australia end up captured and then hunted down by the evil Mick Taylor. What makes Mick such an intriguing slasher villain is his nihilistic worldview. As he tells his victims, it is his job to wipe out the weak in society and that is the only reason he has for killing his victims . Unlike other slasher villains in movies who have tormented pasts and kill almost nonchalantly, Mick is sadistic and bloodthirsty and does this almost for sport.

Mick enjoys murdering tourists and feels it is his right since he is the dominant of his species, and he is just wiping out those who don't match up. While this is a rough idea to accept, it makes him such a different slasher villain than others who are killing for much more abstract reasons. Mick Taylor is just a bad person who loves what he does, and that makes him very dangerous. Mick Taylor survived the first movie and returned in a sequel and TV series, and he wins in every version of his story.

18 Frank Zito

Maniac is a 2013 remake of the 1980 horror film of the same name starring Joe Spinell. Elijah Wood replaces Spinell as Frank Zito, a serial killer who scalps young women and attaches the skin to mannequins. Unlike the original film, which is set in New York, this Franck Khalfoun-directed remake is set in Los Angeles.

Maniac is one of the hardest slasher movies to watch for many viewers. This is because the entire movie is shot from the point of view of the slasher killer, Frank Zito. He is only shown on screen when he looks in a mirror (and that is when viewers see he is playing by Elijah Woods). Frank took over his family's mannequin restoration business after his mother died, but he also dealt with trauma from his childhood when his mother, a prostitute, forced him to watch her involved in sexual acts with various men.

By forcing viewers to watch the murders from the slasher's point of view, it creates a disturbing experience that is hard to forget. The movie is actually a remake of a 1980 slasher movie starring Joe Spinell and directed by William Lustig , who went on to produce the remake in 2012. The original was released unrated in 1080, although it was never labeled as a video nasty. It also didn't play out in the first-person POV of the killer, which really made the later version of Zito even more frightening.

17 The Grabber

The black phone.

Based on Joe Hill's short story of the same name, The Black Phone follows teen Finney Blake (Mason Thames) after he is abducted by a man known only as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Trapped in a basement with only a disconnected phone, Finney begins to hear from the Grabber's previous victims, each of which gives him cryptic clues to help him fight back against his captor.

Ethan Hawke was a big part of the recent horror renaissance. He appeared as a victim in one of the scariest horror movies of the century in Sinister and in Black Phone , Hawke took on the role of a slasher villain who kidnaps and kills children. The movie is based on a story by Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, and focuses on a boy who The Grabber abducts who starts to get phone calls from the spirit of a former victim . The former victim then sets out to help the new boy escape the grasp of The Grabber.

While his backstory was never fleshed out, he killed five boys before he grabbed Finney, and between his mask and his personality, he was one of the most memorable modern-day slashers. With Scott Derrickson ( Doctor Strange ) in the director's chair, he was able to really turn Ethan Hawke's Grabber into an iconic and scary villain. That he targets children makes him even scarier and even when the supernatural works against the slasher killer in this movie, it doesn't take away from his status.

16 Leslie Vernon

Behind the mask, behind the mask.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was a 2006 horror movie that completely deconstructed the slasher genre as it was set up in two halves. The first half was a mockumentary, with a film crew following slasher killer Leslie Vernon to create a documentary about how a slasher killer operates. Leslie shows them how things in houses always fail when a victim needs them and how a slasher can look like they are walking slowly, but always catch up. Explaining the unexplained makes this movie one of the best slasher movies in the genre.

The fact that it goes from a mockumentary similar to a found footage movie to an actual straight horror movie really shakes up the story and helps it rise to another level.

After this brilliant deconstruction, the movie switches to a regular slasher when Leslie lets the documentary crew know they are his next targets. The fact that it goes from a mockumentary similar to a found footage movie to an actual straight horror movie really shakes up the story and helps it rise to another level. Sadly, Leslie Vernon only appeared in one film, even though he survived in the end — as another homage to old-school slasher movies.

Creep is a 2014 Horror film directed by Patrick Brice. The found-footage style release stars Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice and revolves around a videographer who takes a job recording and chronicling the life of a supposedly dying man that will be showcased later to his unborn son.

Filmmaker Mark Duplass played a slasher villain in the 2014 horror movie Creep and its sequel . While a slasher movie, this also doubled as a found footage movie . Director Patrick Brice stars as a videographer who travels to a remote cabin to meet Josef (Duplass), who says he has an inoperable brain tumor and will die before his wife gives birth to their child. He wants a video diary for his child to see. However, it all turned out to be a lie and Josef was a slasher killer with the videographer as his latest victim.

Josef is one of the most eccentric and bizarre slasher killers and his weird rules and fondness for his victims made him a cult figure. Co-produced by Blumhouse and the Duplass Brothers Productions, the first movie was a huge success, debuting at South by Southwest and receiving mostly positive reviews. With a 90% fresh rating , Creep shows that a slasher killer who remains mostly mysterious will always remain more terrifying than one who is always showing his face when he makes his kills.

M3GAN tells the story of a lifelike robotic doll who arrives in a little girl's life to help her cope with the death of her parents. As the young Cady befriends the robot, its designer, Cady's aunt Gemma, realizes her self-aware invention is too dangerous to be kept alive. Blumhouse's 2022 horror phenomenon mixes Chucky's creepy inclination for violence with the Terminator's unstoppable nature to craft a terrifying look at the dangers of Artificial Intelligence.

Following in the footsteps of Chucky, a new killer doll arrived in 2022 with M3GAN . Unlike Chucky, M3GAN is not a possessed doll killing for vengeance. Instead, she is a doll with an advanced AI that was created to help and protect its owner. In this case, the roboticist who helped create her gives her to her niece Cady, whose own parents had died. Cady is alone, and often bullied, and soon M3GAN gains self-awareness and decides she will protect Cady at all costs, even if she has to kill everyone she perceives as a threat.

From her awkward dance inspiring countless TikTok mimickers to her bizarre movements, M3GAN became a new slasher icon, leading to M3GAN 2 . The big difference between M3GAN and Chuckie is that the new killer doll is not a demonically possessed being and is instead a robot created to protect its owner, and that makes M3GAN a little more sympathetic and her kills a little more understandable, at least until she starts to grow out of control, and then she is more like HAL from 2001 ​​​​​​.

13 Kevin Wendell Crumb

M. Night Shyamalan's Split follows Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man with dissociative identity disorder, who kidnaps three teenage girls and imprisons them in an underground facility. When Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) realizes that she can play Crumb's personalities against one another, she begins to form a plan for escape before she is sacrificed to a creature he refers to as "the Beast". 

M. Night Shyamalan made his triumphant return to box office success with his horror movie Split . The movie starred James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a slasher killer with 23 alters, one of which had supernatural powers . In the movie, he hunted down and kidnapped three girls. However, one of the girls (Anya Taylor-Joy) ended up being more than he could handle and held her own against his murderous rampages. Kevin was one of the most interesting slasher villains, as his alters all had different personalities, some good and some bad.

He also had a second appearance in Glass , where he battled David Dunn from Unbreakable in a fan-favorite crossover. There are some problematic moments concerning Kevin Wendall Crumb when it comes to his dissociative identity disorder portrayal , but James McAvoy went all in on creating so many unique alters that it was one of the most entertaining slasher killers in this subgenre and one that disappointingly won't return after the events of Glass .

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has played characters in 11 of his movies, ranging from starring roles to the smallest of cameos.

12 Miss Pearl

X & pearl.

Mia Goth returns as Pearl, the titular killer with dreams of being a star but is resigned to a life as a caretaker on her family's farm. Pearl desperately yearns for a Hollywood life, but her devout mother and ailing father keep her grounded in a life she doesn't want. When a talent recruitment group comes to her small town, she decides to try her luck and show off her "X" factor. However, to get what she wants, her dark tendencies get the better of her, sending her on a path of carnage to escape to a life of stardom. 

Miss Pearl was one of the most unexpected slasher villain icons to appear in recent years. Her first appearance came in the Ti West 2022 horror movie X , where she was an elderly woman who began killing young adults who borrowed her guest house to shoot a porn movie. However, her story really began to shine in the prequel Pearl , which came out six months later and showed how Pearl went from a young woman living at home alone while her husband was in the war to a slasher killer.

Played by Mia Goth (who also played the Final Girl Maxine in the first movie in a double role), Pearl became a huge horror favorite after her two appearances . There will be so much more from the genre, even if Pearl's story has ended. Mia Goth will bring back her character of Maxine for MaxXxine as the world of this story continues, and from the look of it, MaxXxine will pick up where Pearl left off, and with Mia Goth playing both characters, it might be fun to see how much of Pearl exists in the new slasher killer.

11 Pinhead, Of The Hell Priest

Hellraiser (1987).

Based on the novella The Hellbound Heart,  Hellraiser is a 1987 supernatural horror film written and directed by the novella's original author, Clive Barker. After an unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, demonic entities known as cenobites pursue him after he escapes their sadomasochistic underworld. 

Pinhead is one of the lead Cenobites in the Hellraiser franchise; Clive Barker also refers to him as the Priest or the Hell Priest . Unlike many slasher villains, Pinhead (as he’s been nicknamed by crew members and fans alike) is a relatively articulate villain. He explains his motivations and appears to be capable of both great evil and mercy , as he’ll take lives as well as spare them, depending on his own moral code.

However, for all his monologuing, he is also one of a large group of Cenobites and was even gender-swapped in the recent reboot of the franchise to lesser acclaim. What really makes Pinhead stand out is that he is not a slasher killer who sets out to kill innocent people and slaughter them with no recourse. While there was some of that in the later. lesser-quality sequels, the real basis of Pinhead is that he is only there to award pain to those who call on him and ask for it. For Pinhead, there are no innocent victims.

• Horror Movies

Money blog: AI-powered mortgage lender cuts rates; what Traitors winner has spent his prize on

The police are "not interested" in handling shoplifting, the chair of M&S has said. And a new trend is hitting Michelin starred restaurants: "fast food". Read this and more in the Money blog - and watch Business Live With Ian King below.

Tuesday 14 May 2024 16:35, UK

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• Strong wage growth shrinks hope of interest rate cut
• The 'fast food' trend hitting Michelin starred restaurants
• Traitors winner reveals what he's spent his prize money on so far  
• Gen Z would rather deliver parcels than work in restaurants, Michel Roux Jr claims

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An AI-powered mortgage lender has cut rates for a second time this week. 

MPowered has reduced all its two and five year fixed deals, with rates starting at 4.37% down from 4.59%. 

"The swap markets are moving at pace at present, and it is important that as a responsible lender we are able to react and pass on any savings we can to borrowers," said Matt Surridge, sales director of MPowered Mortgages. 

"I'm therefore really pleased we are one of the first, if not the first, to cut rates this week, having already cut rates once in the past week." 

The company uses AI in its mortgage process and is a fully digital platform. 

McDonald's has decided to remove the iconic smile from its Happy Meal box in a bid to teach children about their emotions. 

Instead, a sheet of stickers depicting different moods will be placed inside, which children can use to express their feelings. 

A QR code for a mental health hub will also be placed on the red packaging to provide its younger customers with different resources about emotional wellbeing. 

The move comes as part of Mental Health Week, with research by the fast food chain finding nearly half of children feel pressure to be happy all the time. 

Football legend Rio Ferdinand has teamed up with the company to support the campaign, which runs until 19 May. 

The father-of-five said: "It's our job to empower our children to express themselves freely and support them every step of the way in understanding that it's okay to not be happy all the time." 

The Traitors' winner Harry Clark has revealed he's only spent some of his prize money so far, and it's gone towards clearing his relatives' debts. 

The 23-year-old won £95,150 after successfully convincing his fellow contestants that he was a faithful in the second season of the show. 

Speaking on the TV BAFTAs red carpet, the former British Army engineer said his dad has stopped him from spending the cash and has been looking after him. 

"He's got his head screwed on. He's been making sure I can get my first place," he told reporters.

"I've just given my family some dosh, just to pay off their debts and stuff like that, so they don't have to worry anymore. 

"That's all I've wanted to do in my life." 

Police are no longer interested in dealing with shoplifting and retailers are being forced to spend "a lot of money" on protecting themselves, the chairman of M&S has claimed. 

Archie Norman said stores have resorted to installing new camera systems and employing store detectives to try to keep crime rates down. 

"We get very little help from the police," he told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.

"I think we have to accept that the police are not interested in this sort of crime any more. Whether we like it or not, that's the way it has gone." 

Shoplifting is at the highest levels since records began in 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

It has risen by 37% since last year.

Mr Norman said thefts had surged since the pandemic, and the rising cost of living crisis was also causing problems. 

"When people are hard up, or particularly when there's a growth in other forms of crime, particularly drugs-related crime, then one way of financing it is to go and steal from shops… it's understandable given what we've been through in the last couple of years, we've seen more of that," he added.

A change to the law in 2014 now means shoplifting goods worth less than £200 is only a summary offence. 

This may have prompted police to pay less attention to it, and it has been on the rise since.

Home Office data also show the number of shoplifting charges has fallen in recent years. 

Taking further action wasn't considered to be "in the public interest" in most cases. 

Sky News has contacted the Home Office for comment.

By James Sillars , business news reporter 

The prospects for a Bank of England interest rate cut are almost 50/50.

That's according to the latest financial market expectations in reaction to this morning's employment figures.

They showed the pace of wage growth remaining stubbornly high - overshooting the expectations of economists.

Strong wage growth is not what the Bank wants to see, as it fears a surge in consumer spending power driving a new wave of inflation.

There is a further set of wage data before the Bank's next rate-setting meeting on 20 June.

That may not help those seeking a cut in borrowing costs, however, as it will reflect the impact of April's big rise in the National Living Wage.

Away from the interest rate cut speculation, the FTSE 100 has opened flat for a second day.

Currys is among stocks doing well on the wider stock market.

The electricals retailer saw its shares trading almost 8% higher in early deals after it raised its annual profit outlook.

Those of Greggs, however, were down almost 1% despite a leap in sales.

The bakery to fast food chain said its performance was in line with expectations and, as such, it had no impact on its forecasts for the full year.

Wages grew by 6% in the three months to March, excluding bonuses, according to the Office for National Statistics.

This is slightly above economists' expectations - bad news for the Bank of England, which wants to see wage growth fall to help ease inflation as it weighs when to cut 16-year-high interest rates.

The Bank is watching wages closely as it looks to bring inflation back to its 2% target, and cooling earnings growth is seen as being key to paving the way for it to begin cutting rates.

In real terms - taking Consumer Prices Index inflation into account - pay rose 2.4% across the period.

In March alone, that figure was 3% - the highest level of growth since July 2021, when it hit 3.9%.

"Earnings growth in cash terms remains high, with the recent falls in the rate now levelling off while, with inflation falling, real pay growth remains at its highest level in well over two years," said ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown.

Meanwhile, unemployment ticked up to 4.3% from January to March, compared to 4.2% in the previous three months, December to February. 

The number of job vacancies remains about pre-pandemic levels, but has been declining for 22 consecutive months, said Ms McKeown.

"With unemployment also increasing, the number of unemployed people per vacancy has continued to rise, approaching levels seen before the onset of COVID-19."

By Jimmy Rice, Money editor

Michelin starred restaurants are supposed to be the antithesis of fast food, a place to enjoy ingredients that have been laboured on for days over several hours. 

But with hospitality struggling like never before due to staff shortages, inflation and changing consumer habits, it seems even those at the top end of the food chain are having to adapt. 

An increasing number of the country's most celebrated restaurants are now promising you a tasting menu in less than an hour. 

One-starred Pavyllon is located in the Four Seasons on Hyde Park, the kind of place you might have seen bustling with pinstriped business lunchers in another decade. But these days it's attracting customers with its "Lunch in 55" menu for £55.50 - four courses for half the price of its regular offering. 

Head chef Benjamin Ferra Y Castell says the industry is having to adapt. 

"Living costs have increased so, understandably, in general people will spend less," he tells the Money blog. "It's important to have a more affordable option at lunch." He says the amount of competition at this end of the market in London means you have to get creative. 

"It's noticeable that more restaurants across London are offering affordable lunch menus, including Michelin starred establishments and across Mayfair."

Castell says half the people now coming in for lunch are choosing the in-and-out option. 

"Four courses served in less than an hour fits in with busy schedules and offers convenience and versatility," he says. 

In the past couple of weeks, the flagship restaurant of Great British Menu winner Adam Handling launched its own speedy lunch. 

Frog by Adam Handling usually charges £195 for a full tasting menu but its new lunch offering has been priced at £100, with a mailing list promotion assuring people they can be out within an hour (though they can stay longer if they wish). 

"People aren't indulging at lunch like they used to and we just had to adapt," Handling told the Money blog. "We understand that things aren't going to go back to the way they were, at least not for a while. 

"Inflation has hit everyone hard and people don't have the luxury of spending time to sit and eat three to four-hour lunches." 

UKHospitality data shows 40% of Britain's restaurants are barely breaking even - but Handling is optimistic that better times are ahead. 

"We're not expecting it [cheaper, speedy lunches] to be a long-lasting trend," he says. "We won't be keeping it forever but, for now, we understand things are difficult at the moment and so, as we always do, we're adapting to our guests needs."

By Jake Levison , news reporter

Basically, PIP (personal independence payment) is a tax-free payment given to people to help with the extra costs caused by long-term ill-health or disability.

There are two parts to it:

• A daily living part - for those who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• A mobility part - for people who have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around

It's possible to meet the criteria for one part or both parts, and payments vary for each.

Who is eligible?

People aged 16 to 64 can get PIP regardless of whether they work if they expect their difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started.

Anyone told they may have 12 months or less to live can also apply and may get PIP more quickly.

Those with both physical disability and cognitive or mental health conditions like anxiety can meet the criteria for both types of PIP.

There is no list of medical conditions that qualify you for PIP. Instead, you're assessed on the level of help you need with specific activities.

For the daily living part, you might need help with things like:

• Preparing food
• Eating and drinking
• Managing your medicines or treatments
• Washing and bathing
• Using the toilet
• Dressing and undressing
• Socialising and being around other people
• Talking, listening and understanding.

For the mobility payments, it's things like:

• Working out a route and following it
• Physically moving around
• Leaving your home

How does the government make its decisions?

The Department for Work and Pensions carries out an assessment to work out the level of help a person should receive.

A person's needs are judged through a points system, wherein the more severe the impact in a particular area and the more help required, the more points a person gets and the more money they receive.

The answers are assessed by health professionals, who then provide a report for DWP case managers with recommendations on what to give the applicant, if anything.

Applicants can provide assessors with additional medical evidence as part of a claim, but it's not a requirement, as a person's self-assessment about the impact their condition is prioritised when making a decision.

What does the government want to change?

It is looking at changing PIP in a number of ways, potentially affecting those who are eligible for it and the type of help those who are granted it will get. Below we summarise the key points in the consultation:

Different assessment model

The government is looking at introducing an assessment model based entirely or partly on the diagnosis given to an individual.

It says it is considering whether "evidence of a clinical diagnosis made by a healthcare professional could provide a more objective assessment of need" than a self-assessment.

Eligibility reform

This is an alternative to changing the assessment model.

The government says it may keep the current assessment, but change the questions so that they are less repetitive and to "ensure they are working as intended".

The government is also considering looking at changing the length someone needs to have been suffering for due to their disability before they become eligible for PIP, because "we know many people who have short-term illnesses can make a full recovery".

It has not specified the length of time this would change to. As it stands, people have to show that the negative effects of their condition have been present for three months before applying and that they are likely to last for another nine months after PIP is first given to them.

Changes to payments

In the current system, PIP claimants are given monthly cash payments which they can use as they see fit, whether that be things like aids and mobility devices, covering increased energy costs due to special equipment or paying higher premiums due to their condition.

The government says claimants often use the money for common household costs or some "view their PIP award as compensation for being disabled rather than as an award for extra costs".

With this in mind, the government is considering the following alternatives to cash transfer:

• Catalogue/shop scheme - where there would be an approved list of items from which disabled people could choose items at reduced or no cost
• Voucher scheme - where disabled people could receive vouchers to contribute towards specific costs
• Receipt-based system - where claimants buy approved aid, appliances or services for themselves and then provide proof of purchase to claim a contribution from the government
• One-off grants - a contribution to specific, significant costs such as for home adaptations or expensive equipment.

Why does the government say it wants to change PIP?

It says PIP caseloads and costs are "spiralling" as there are now 2.6 million people of working age claiming it.

There are 33,000 new awards for PIP each month, which it says is more than double the rate before the pandemic.

In its proposal, the government adds: "This is expected to cost the taxpayer £28bn a year by 2028/29 - a 110% increase in spending since 2019.

"This is in part fuelled by the rise in people receiving PIP for mental-health conditions such as mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, with monthly awards doubling from 2,200 to 5,300 a month since 2019."

It says its main three priorities through making changes are:

• Providing the right support to the people who need it most
• Targeting our resources most effectively
• Supporting disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to live independently and reach their full potential.

Announcing the consultation on 29 April, Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, told the Commons: "This government's priority is to make sure that our welfare system is fair and compassionate. Fair on the taxpayer, by ensuring that people of working age who can work, do work, and fair on those who are in most need of the state's help."

What do critics say?

Some believe the proposed changes are going to target people with mental health problems and stop them getting PIP, and they have not been encouraged by the fact the government has not specified which conditions would be eligible for PIP under reforms.

Mr Stride suggested to the Times that people with "milder mental health conditions" would no longer receive financial support, adding talking therapies, social care packages and respite care could be used as alternatives.

James Taylor, the executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, called for an end to the "reckless assault" on disabled people and to fix the "real underlying issues".

"It's hard to have any faith that this consultation is about anything other than cutting the benefits bill, no matter the impact," Mr Taylor said.

The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) branded the consultation "cynical and cruel".

Speaking on behalf of DBC, Ceri Smith head of policy at the MS Society, said: "If the government truly wants a 'stronger, healthier and fairer society', they should start by addressing NHS waiting lists and fixing social care. Instead, this approach will punish disabled people and push even more into poverty."

How can you have your say?

You can view the consultation, which is open until 23 July,  here .

Once you have read it, you can respond online  via the government's form  or by emailing [email protected]

Read other entries in our Basically... series:

Young homebuyers are being forced to gamble with their retirement prospects by taking on ultra-long mortgages, according to a former pensions minister.

Sir Steve Webb described data - supplied by the Financial Conduct Authority to the Bank of England - as "shocking".

It suggests that more than one million new mortgages have been issued over the past three years with end dates beyond the state pension age.

The ex-Liberal Democrat MP, who is now a partner at the consultancy firm LCP, voiced fears that borrowers could be forced to raid their pension savings to clear their mortgage in a worst-case scenario.

Sir Steve saw the potential for harm in any case, as longer-term mortgages deprive people of a period running up to retirement when they could be mortgage-free and boosting their pension.

What does the data say? 

• 42% of new mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2023 - or 91,394 - had terms going beyond the state pension age;
• In the final quarter of last year, people aged 30 to 39 accounted for 30,943 new mortgages lasting beyond state pension age;
• People aged 40 to 49 accounted for 32,305;
• Under-30s made up 3,676 of these mortgages;
• People aged 50 to 59 accounted for 18,854, and there were 661 who were over 70.

Mortgage rates have been rising since the end of 2021 when the Bank of England began action to tackle rising inflation.

Taking home loans with longer maturity dates tends to be more attractive when interest rates are high, as monthly repayments are lower.

You can read more on this story below...

Waitrose has become the only supermarket to receive a royal warrant from the King. 

The recognition means the company has regularly provided the royal household with products for at least five years. 

It also means it can use the King's coat of arms on packaging, as part of advertising or on any stationary it creates. 

Waitrose was first granted a royal warrant in 1928 for supplying King George V with groceries and cleaning materials.

"We are honoured and proud that His Majesty has granted us his warrant," James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, said. 

"It means the world to all of us, and our farmers and suppliers. There couldn’t be a more powerful symbol of our commitment to service and quality, and our determination to have the highest environmental and animal welfare standards." 

Waitrose was previously granted a royal warrant by the late Queen in 2002 and the King when he was Prince of Wales in 2010.

The Queen has also granted her first royal warrants, picking seven companies, including luxury department store Fortnum & Mason and the florist that supplied her coronation flowers, Shane Connolly & Company. 

The royal nod could be bad news for customers, however, with a brand finance expert telling Sky News that having a royal warrant allows firms to charge a price premium.

David Haigh said his company's research estimated this to be "between 10% and 25%".

A royal warrant says a company or a product is luxurious, high quality and sustainable, he explained. 

He estimates the scheme is "worth billions to UK companies and… therefore it's a very high value to the UK economy".

"And one of the reasons for that is that a lot of foreign tourists and buyers have a preference for royal warrant holder products. We found that 100% of Chinese buyers would pay in excess of 10% for a royal warrant holder product."

Read more on the Queen's choices here :

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