Netflix’s new rom-com, The Life List, has been making an unexpected mark on viewers. Rather than simply providing audiences with a feel-good love story, the film has allegedly caused some viewers to reevaluate their own relationships, and in some cases, even end their romantic relationships. The lead actress in the film, Sofia Carson, recently discussed this surprising effect and what she thinks reflects the deeper message of the movie.

And Carson, who has broken through with popular turns in Purple Hearts and Carry-On, embarks on a new kind of journey in The Life List. In the film, she stars as Alex, a woman who must reevaluate her life decisions following the death of her mother, played by Connie Britton. When her mother dies, Alex discovers that she will have to check off a list of goals she wrote at the tender age of 13 before she can receive her inheritance. This range consists of both frivolous and serious experiences, including doing standup, getting a tattoo and camping under a full moon. But it also includes more personal and emotional tasks, like reconciling with her estranged father and finding true love.

As Alex embarks on this journey of self-discovery, a friend encourages her to use a particular set of questions to find out if her romantic partner really is the right match for her. These questions include:

Is he kind?

I can tell him everything about me?

Does he make me the best version of myself?

Can I see him raising my children?

The gravity of these questions forces Alex to assess her current romance, with some major life212 decisions in tow. Apparently, the audiences have had the same reaction.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Carson explained that upon watching the film, several viewers found themselves reflecting on their own lives and posing similar existential questions. Some even chose to leave relationships or jobs that were no longer serving them. Carson, though, takes this as a winning result, as it points to the film’s real message — that people should be trying to be happy and at peace with themselves.

Reactions online have been mostly emotional. Viewers took to streaming sites to express their views, calling it an eye-opener. “The Life List on Netflix just raised my standards,” one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote. 100/10 movie, the movie is perfect and so eye-opening!! Sofia Carson is that girl ahhhhhh oh.” One confessed, “I cried seven times watching The Life List. This movie that made me think about my future or how I want to choose my future partner and especially the worst relationship with my mother. I love this movie so much going to obsess over it forever.”

Some others said that the film made them take personal growth more seriously. Another fan referred to “#TheLifeList” as “the best movie of Sofia’s career. Her acting is magical. The emotions, the very deep places, the places it touches us to — it makes us think about our life and a lot of times try to be our best selves. I want the person whose answer is yes to the four questions. I need to hug my mom tight.” Another wrote, “I just got done reading The Life List and it was so good. So you want to get some motivation in your life.”

Nor is it common for a romantic comedy to provoke quite the degree of soul-searching from its audience, but The Life List appears to resonate with a nerve. The idea of assessing a relationship by putting it to a list of basic questions is hardly original, but the manner in which the movie approaches it — a warm, funny and deeply emotional narrative — speaks to too many. It’s more than romance; it’s about self-actualization and self-worth.

The conversation grew louder as more people started seeing the film. Some viewers think it raises the bar for romantic comedies by making audiences question their own happiness. Some wonder how the unassuming plot can trigger such intense, visceral responses.

And the film’s success — and thought-provoking nature — could make it one of Netflix’s most discussed original films of the year. While rom-coms are generally designed to be comfort food, The Life List dares viewers to know more about their own lives. Whether that results in more breakups or not, one thing is clear: the film is having an impact in a way few people expected.

If you’re interested in the movie’s impact, reading some recent critic reviews might be a good idea before watching. Whether audiences walk away inspired, emotional, or even questioning their own relationships, The Life List is proving to be more than just another love story—it’s serving as a catalyst for change in real life.

Cooper Flagg of Duke put on a show Thursday night and led his team to a 100-93 win over Arizona in this year’s NCAA tournament. The victory sent the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight, one victory away from the Final Four. Flagg capped off with 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks, an all-encompassing showing that proved too much for Arizona to handle.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer called Cooper Flagg’s performance one of the best tournament games that he had ever been a party to. The freshman sensation, having recovered completely from an ankle injury that had forced him to sit out earlier in the month, met the moment, preventing Caleb Love from ruining Duke’s season again. It was love, a long-time Duke antagonist who had helped knock the blue devils out of March sadness in the past.

Arizona for his part put up a hefty 35 points — one shy of his career-high. His offensive explosion featured a stretch where he scored 15 straight points in the second half, trimming what had been a 19-point deficit to just five with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. But it was Duke that emerged with a second straight trip to the next round.

The win sets up a much-anticipated Blue Devils matchup with Alabama in the East Region final. The Crimson Tide, earlier in the evening, set a March Madness record with 25 three-pointers in their 113-88 win over BYU. The next game will be a matchup of a top-seeded Duke team and a scorching-hot group from Alabama with an explosive offense.

A victory would send Duke to the Final Four for the 18th time in program history. The last time they advanced to that round was 2022 when, playing for North Carolina, Love scored 28 points to end the legendary coaching career of Mike Krzyzewski. This time, Love’s heroics weren’t enough to save North Carolina, with Flagg’s leading the way to the victory.

Arizona mounted a strong push in the closing minutes, cutting it to five when Carter Bryant conversion from deep with less than two minutes left to play. But Cooper Flagg made three of four free throws down the stretch, and the Blue Devils as a team hit nine of ten to finish the game and clinch the victory. Scheyer stressed his desire for Flagg to relish the moment instead of deferring to others. In response, the freshman played loose, involved and completely in his element.

Arizona’s defense made Cooper Flagg work for every basket, crowding him whenever he had the ball. Still, he never lost his cool, emerging as the best player on the court. The Wildcats left nothing on the court against Duke, but in the end, the Blue Devils had too many weapons.

For Love, this was the close of a remarkable college career. He missed his first three shots of the game, but then he settled in, making 11 of 21 from the field, five of them 3s. He left the game with seven more points than in the 2022 Final Four, when he was instrumental in knocking out Duke.

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley added 15 points to Love’s effort, but it fell short of an upset. The Wildcats were looking to repeat a similar matchup in 2011 when they faced Duke in the tournament and defeated them when they were once again a top seed. This time, the last laugh belonged to the Blue Devils.

Texas Tech edged Arkansas, 85-83, in another thrilling Sweet 16 game. The Red Raiders mounted a fierce comeback after having trailed by 16 points in the second half. It was Darrion Williams who came through big, hitting the winning basket with just 7.3 seconds remaining in overtime. He had just sent the game into overtime with a clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation.

The comeback was the second-largest in Sweet 16 history. Arkansas had dominated most of the game, ahead for almost 39 minutes, while Texas Tech had been up for just over three. The Red Raiders advanced into the West Region final, where they will meet top-seeded Florida with an opportunity to reach their second career Final Four.

For the majority of the game, it appeared Texas Tech had no chance of winning. Arkansas had established a 10-point lead early and appeared destined to run. A layup by Johnell Davis with less than five minutes left pushed the Razorbacks to 13 points ahead. But the Red Raiders weren’t going to let up. Christian Anderson hit three big three-pointers and Williams had several big baskets in the final minutes. His most momentous shot came with 9.7 seconds remaining in regulation, when he drilled a long three to knot the game. Arkansas had an opportunity to win in regulation but Jonas Aidoo missed a key free throw and Texas Tech forced overtime.

In overtime, JT Toppin put the Red Raiders in front for the first time since early in the game. The teams exchanged baskets until D.J. Wagner, a leading candidate for next year’s N.B.A. draft, knotted up the score for Arkansas with 34 seconds left. That paved the way for Williams, who powered his way inside for the game-winning bucket. Arkansas got one last chance, but Wagner’s buzzer-beater hit the front rim, and Texas Tech erupted in celebration at midcourt.

There was only disappointment on the face of John Calipari, as the coach walked off the court as his team squandered a huge lead. The defeat sealed a long, heartening season at Arkansas with an unthinkable loss and also stood as an undoing for Anderson as he sought to become the first coach to take four different programs to the Elite Eight. The 16-point blown lead was the largest in any N.C.A.A. tournament game by a Calipari team.

Anderson scored 22 points for Texas Tech, and Toppin and Williams scored 20 apiece. On the Arkansas side, Davis had 30 points, while Karter Knox had 20. The Red Raiders reached the victory without key shooter Chance McMillian, who sat out his fourth consecutive game because of an oblique injury. The defeat was particularly painful for Arkansas, which had just gotten Adou Thiero back from a knee injury that had sidelined him since late February. But Thiero only logged five minutes and was unable to have a significant effect.

Texas Tech will now gear up for a difficult showdown against Florida, and Duke, meanwhile, will turn its attention to a clash with Alabama. The tournament action keeps rolling, as both of these teams look to punch their ticket to the Final Four.

The new Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon see a slew of actors from Fox’s original ”X-Men” movies joining the roster for its new film “Avengers: Doomsday.” Others returning actors are Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. These actors originated their roles in over 20 years ago in the 2000 film “X-Men.” But because of the Marvel multiverse concept, there is a chance they could be playing alternate versions of their characters or new ones altogether.

Channing Tatum as Gambit is one of the most anticipated returning hits. Tatum has long wanted to bring the character to the big screen, having announced plans to star in a Gambit solo film at Fox before the project was scrapped after Disney acquired the studio in 2019. Tatum’s first Gambit appearance arrived with “Deadpool and Wolverine” finally, and reception of his performance was overwhelmingly positive among the fans. Expressing excitement over the opportunity, Tatum stated on social media that he thought that he had lost the chance to play Gambit for good, thanking Ryan Reynolds for fighting to get him involved in the film. The positive reception has since fueled speculation of a Gambit standalone film, of which Tatum has expressed interest in, though he admits that it really comes down to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Sure, we already saw Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Charles Xavier, but he’s another well-known face returning to the MCU. Stewart first played the character in “X-Men” and returned for various sequels, including “X2: X-Men United,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Logan.” He also appeared in the MCU’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” As he has held the role for many years, fans can only speculate how the character will fit into “Avengers: Doomsday.”

Likewise, Ian McKellen reprises his role as Magneto, which he originated in “X-Men,” and continued in “X2: X-Men United,” “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” McKellen’s return implies that elements from the original “X-Men” timeline may be featured in the film, though the particulars of his character are being kept under wraps.

Returning to the X-verse is Kelsey Grammer as Beast. He first played the character in “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and cameoed in the post-credits scene for “The Marvels.” His appearance in “Avengers: Doomsday” also indicates that the Beast is likely reprising his role in the MCU’s evolving storyline.

readmore label=”READ MORE: ” link=”56168840″ Despite appearing in just one “X-Men” movie, his turn as the teleporting mutant is fondly remembered, and his return should thrill longtime fans of the franchise.

Rebecca Romijn, who played Mystique in “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men United” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” is also returning. Though Jennifer Lawrence took on the role for the prequel films, Romijn’s return seems to imply that there can exist different iterations of Mystique across the multiverse.

James Marsden, who played Cyclops in “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men United,” “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” is another familiar face to return to the MCU. Since Cyclops is such a buzzworthy Marvel superhero, his presence in Avengers: Doomsday could eventually become vital to the movies’ collective narrative.

Particulars of these characters’ roles in “Avengers: Doomsday” haven’t been established, but their return is a moment of consequence for both Marvel and longtime admirers of the “X-Men” brand. Due out on May 1, 2026, the film will deal with the implications of the multiverse and will likely bring together previous and current versions of some of Marvel’s best-known characters. “Avengers: Doomsday” is sure to be a ride full of nostalgia and thrills with such an all-star cast.