The Art of Just Enough

The bare minimum man is nothing if not a master of balance. He knows just how much to give to keep you interested, yet not enough to offer any real sense of security or stability. His texts are sporadic, his plans vague, and his affection doled out in carefully measured doses. It’s a dance of ambiguity, where you find yourself constantly questioning his feelings, his intentions, and your place in his life. And in this state of perpetual uncertainty, you become hooked, addicted to the highs of his sporadic attention and the lows of his frequent disappearances. You dissect every interaction, searching for hidden meanings and signs that he’s just as invested as you are. But the truth is elusive, always just out of reach, leaving you craving more, needing more, yet uncertain if more is something he’s capable of giving.

The Seduction of Uncertainty

What is it about uncertainty that proves so undeniably seductive? The bare minimum man thrives in this space of ambiguity, creating a magnetic pull that draws you in, time and time again. His unpredictability keeps you on your toes, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation that’s hard to resist. And yet, this very uncertainty breeds anxiety, a constant state of limbo where you’re unsure of where you stand, unsure of whether to hold on or let go. It’s a precarious balance, a tightrope walk between hope and despair, and it leaves you vulnerable, open to the allure of potential and the promise of what could be.

The Addiction to Potential

The bare minimum man is an expert at showcasing potential. He offers glimpses of the man he could be, the relationship that could unfold, if only he would commit, if only he would try. And it’s in these glimpses that we find ourselves ensnared, captivated by the vision of what could be. It’s an intoxicating idea, the notion of being the one to inspire change, to unlock the depths of his affection and commitment. But this addiction to potential is dangerous, a double-edged sword that keeps us tethered to relationships that are always just out of reach, always just a bit lacking. We invest time, energy, and emotion, hoping that our efforts will be enough to bridge the gap, to turn potential into reality. The bare minimum man remains elusive, always just beyond grasp, leaving us chasing shadows and yearning for more.

Breaking the Cycle

So how do we break free? How do we extricate ourselves from the tangled web of the bare minimum man? It begins with introspection, with a deep and honest look within. Why are we drawn to the unavailable? What void are we trying to fill? It’s about recognizing our worth, understanding that we are deserving of a love that is loud, proud, and unequivocal. It’s about setting boundaries, demanding respect, and refusing to settle for anything less than we deserve. And it’s about understanding that sometimes, walking away is the most powerful act of self-love there is.

The journey with a bare minimum man is fraught with complexity, with highs and lows that leave us dizzy and disoriented. But in the midst of the chaos, there is a lesson, a call to action. It’s a reminder to choose ourselves, to honor our worth, and to seek out relationships that uplift, empower, and celebrate us in all our glory. So here’s to breaking the cycle, to stepping out of the dance of ambiguity, and into the light of our true worth. You are worth more than the bare minimum, and it’s time to embrace that truth with open arms.

A relationship that’s destined to play a significant role in your future is often marked by a shared journey of growth that feels both challenging and exhilarating. You and your partner encourage each other to stretch beyond comfort zones, not through force but through a natural inclination to evolve together. This evolution feels as though it’s a path laid out in front of you that you both willingly walk, not just for the sake of each other but for the individual transformation it brings. It’s this very transformation that prepares you for the chapters ahead, signifying that your relationship isn’t just a fleeting interaction, but a profound union meant to endure through the pages of your life story.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

The endurance of a relationship through thick and thin speaks volumes about its place in your future. Relationships that withstand the test of adversity tend to develop an unspoken depth, a silent strength that solidifies their foundation. When you and your partner have sailed through storms together and come out the other side not just unscathed but stronger, it’s a sign that your relationship has the tenacity to span across the chapters of your life. There’s a sense of an unbreakable bond that forms through these experiences, a bond that holds the promise of future togetherness.

Alignment of Life Visions

When you look into the horizon of your future, you see a vision that seamlessly aligns with that of your partner’s. Your core values, dreams, and aspirations seem to dance in harmony, even if the steps you take are sometimes different. This alignment doesn’t demand that both of you want exactly the same things in the same way; rather, it’s an intertwining of paths that complement each other, leading to a shared destination. This synergy of purpose and intent is a clear sign that your relationship is ready to move forward with you as you embark on the next segment of your life journey.

Effortless Communication

In a relationship that’s set to last, communication flows with an ease that feels almost surreal. You find yourselves deeply attuned to each other’s frequencies, picking up on non-verbal cues and speaking in a rhythm that others may not understand. This kind of communication is the result of a profound connection and a level of comfort that has been nurtured over time. It’s a signal that you’ve reached a stage where your hearts and minds converse without barriers, a stage where such communication will continue to thrive in future chapters.

Unconditional Acceptance

The feeling of being unconditionally accepted by your partner is a potent indicator of a lasting relationship. When you can show up as your true self, flaws and all, and receive nothing but acceptance and love in return, it’s a testament to the depth of your connection. This acceptance is a nurturing soil for the seeds of a long-term relationship, allowing you to grow individually and together, secure in the knowledge that you are valued for who you are at your core. This level of acceptance is a cornerstone for any relationship that will transcend the boundaries of time.

A Sense of Home

Finally, one of the most telling signs is the profound sense of ‘home’ that your relationship provides. Home is not merely a shared space or a physical structure where you both reside, but a feeling that you carry within you. It’s the peace that comes from knowing you are exactly where you are meant to be with the person who is meant to be there with you. This sense of home has little to do with geography and everything to do with the emotional sanctuary that your relationship represents. It is this sanctuary that will journey with you into the next phases of your life, providing a base where your future selves will continue to flourish.

Reconciliation with Your Past

If your past still holds a significant charge over your emotions, it may cloud your ability to love freely. Peace comes from the brave act of facing your old wounds, learning from them, and ultimately healing. You know you’re ready to find love when you can recall your past without the emotional upheaval, understanding that these experiences have sculpted you, not scarred you. Achieving this level of peace allows you to enter a relationship not to seek healing from another, but to share the growth you’ve nurtured within yourself.

Self-Sufficiency in Happiness

The second sign is finding joy independently, without the need for someone else to bring it to you. When you derive happiness from your accomplishments, your hobbies, and your self-care, you confirm that your well-being is not dependent on another’s presence. This doesn’t mean isolating yourself or rejecting the idea of shared happiness but recognizing that your primary source of joy is within. A partner then becomes someone who adds to your life, rather than being your sole source of happiness.

Emotional Resilience

Inner peace is also marked by emotional resilience—the ability to bounce back from setbacks and maintain a calm center, even during emotional upheaval. If you find yourself easily thrown off balance by small conflicts or criticisms, it might be time to work on solidifying your inner peace. This strength ensures that when you love, you do so from a place of stability, offering a partner consistency and security, which are essential for a healthy relationship.

Authentic Self-Expression

The fourth sign revolves around being your true self without the fear of judgment or rejection. If you’re constantly molding yourself to fit the expectations of others or to avoid conflict, it indicates a lack of inner peace. Peace comes from the courage to be authentic and the understanding that your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth. In love, this authenticity attracts a partner who appreciates you for who you are, not just for the facets you choose to show.

The Harmony of Being Alone

One of the strongest signs that you’ve found inner peace is your relationship with solitude. Being alone should feel comfortable and enriching, an opportunity to recharge and reflect. If the idea of being by yourself feels daunting and you seek relationships to escape solitude, it may be a signal that your inner sanctuary needs attention. Peace with solitude is not loneliness; it is the foundation of being able to share space with someone without losing oneself.

Independence of Mind and Spirit

Finally, the independence of your mind and spirit speaks volumes about the peace within you. If you hold your values, beliefs, and dreams with conviction, not easily swayed by others or compromised for the sake of companionship, you exhibit a form of inner peace that is vital for a healthy romantic relationship. It means you will not seek a partner to give you direction but rather to walk beside you, each of you with your compass, navigating the journey together.

Netflix’s new series reportedly includes footage that was “stolen,” according to Combs’ attorneys, and which the rapper’s team has never authorized for release. Combs’ spokesperson Juda Engelmayer stated that the material featured in the Netflix trailer was filmed six days before the rapper’s September 2024 arrest, and was in fact intended for Combs’ own long-running personal documentary, which he has been shooting since the age of nineteen. Combs’ representatives also took issue with the fact that Netflix and 50 Cent apparently “misappropriated” the project, and that Combs or his attorneys were not given a screener ahead of time.

Netflix has categorically denied all the claims made by Combs’ legal team. The streaming service shared a statement on the matter through director Alexandra Stapleton, saying the film team had “verifiable proof that all of the footage presented in the film was obtained legally, and all rights are in place for the use of the footage in the film.” Stapleton also said the team “moved heaven and earth” to ensure the anonymity of the individual who provided the material, and that the fact Combs has been filming himself “obsessively” for decades means that footage of him and his life are “not only voluminous, they are ubiquitous.” Stapleton also said the filmmakers “made numerous attempts” to contact Combs’ legal team ahead of the docuseries’ release in order to “conduct interviews and get comment for use in the film” but were not answered.

This only adds a further layer of tension given that 50 Cent, who has been a long-running public enemy of Combs, was involved in the project. Combs’ team specifically slammed Netflix for enlisting “one of Diddy’s longtime adversaries with a personal vendetta,” which they argue “calls into question the legitimacy of the docuseries.” The cease-and-desist letter explicitly notes that Combs “will not shy away from aggressively litigating this matter, if necessary,” and that he has sued media companies in the past, including filing a $100 million defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal in February over the same subject matter.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning bills itself as an exploration of Combs’ fame and influence and “investigates the allegations that have followed him through every stage of his career.” The series features “exclusive interviews, never-before-seen footage, and commentary from friends and associates,” and arrives during a tumultuous period for Combs, who is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence for convictions of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs was acquitted on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering in July, but also faces multiple civil cases, many from those who have accused him of sexual abuse.

Ella Enchanted (2004)

A wonderfully messy modern riff on a book that was already a riff on Cinderella, Ella Enchanted definitely polarized people upon release: book purists had Opinions™. One thing everyone could agree on? Anne Hathaway was born to play this part. In the midst of her princess phase, she delivered Ella with the right mix of sweetness, edge, and straight-up movie-star energy. Ella’s predicament was being “gifted” by a well-intentioned but misguided fairy with complete obedience and is what sets her off to find her own agency and take control of her own story. It’s a pleasure to watch Hathaway use that journey as a showcase for pretty much everything she’s great at: comedy, pathos, singing, dancing, heroism … she’s got it all. She even becomes a full-on civil-rights leader for elves and ogres, because why the heck not?

The whole thing is whimsical, it’s funny, it’s unabashedly fairy-tale-camp, and Hathaway grounds it with so much heart that many fans today view the film as the book’s “equally charming” version. Plus, her musical numbers are still criminally underrated.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Pitting yourself against Meryl Streep is nerve-wracking enough, but having to go head-to-head with her as Miranda Priestly is a cinematic trial by fire. Streep weaponizes every furrowed brow and frosty silence, so when naïve and woefully out of her depth Andy Sachs steps into the office, she’s basically on the menu. Yet, Hathaway doesn’t just hold her own –she actually excels. Her Andy is charming, real, and disarmingly earnest, the perfect emotional yin to Miranda’s icy yang. Any other actress would’ve been eaten alive in Streep’s wake, but Hathaway grounds the whole movie in heart and humanity. Andy is an aspiring journalist who takes the job “a million girls would kill for” without really having an interest in fashion or considering it more than a means to an end. After Nigel’s brutally honest (and objectively legendary) wake-up call, she reinvents herself not to get Miranda to like her, but to show herself she’s capable of the job. The process changes her in both small and large ways, putting friendships and relationships to the test and forcing her to confront who she really wants to be.

Full disclosure: This movie is a permanent fixture on my rewatch rotation, and Hathaway is a huge reason why. She gives us a heroine who’s both relatable and imperfect, capable of being both earnestly ambitious and beautifully messy and messy, all at once. It’s an anti-romantic comedy in the absolute best way you’re actively rooting against every man, and only for Andy to choose herself. It’s funny and sharp and stylish and it cemented Hathaway as a bona fide fan favorite.

The Princess Diaries (2001)

When you were five years old, did you ever fantasize about being a princess? Now, at the ripe age of 30, you find that not only was this not possible, but you also had no reason to think it was even remotely within the realm of possibility? Mia Thermopolis is why that fantasy ever felt real. To see the painfully awkward, frizzy-haired, near-invisible 15-year-old realize that her father was secretly Crown Prince Philippe Renaldi of Genovia was the ultimate wish fulfillment. Adapted from Meg Cabot’s popular series of books, the film was Hathaway’s feature film debut and she has publicly stated that being able to hug Julie Andrews every day on set was like living in a dream. C’mon, you’ve got to give it to her. Coming out of nowhere to play a slightly pathetic teenager who turns into a princess because she gets tutored by Julie Andrews is one hell of an introduction to the world. The audience knew right away that she was a star and that we were going to see her have a huge career matched up against Andrews is an intimidating prospect to have from the very beginning, but few could have done it as well as she.

If you were a goofy, frizzy-haired child and everyone and their mother insisted that you “look just like Mia” (as you first saw her tripping over bleachers or getting punched in the face for no reason, of course), that could cut deep, especially since your first lesson in Mia-dom is you’re ugly, but get a blowout and you’re “beautiful”? Man, traumatic! Despite the fact that this movie might have stung a little for us curly girls who have been stuck in our grief over the lack of acceptance since the ‘80s, this film is iconic. It’s so touching, it’s so funny, and it’s so rewatchable. I was a mess of a teenager but adult me is 100% obsessed and super bitter that we don’t have these tutorials, methods, and just broad acceptance of curls like little curly kids do now, while Mia and the rest of us were left in the dust.

Interstellar (2014)

As the Earth spirals into environmental collapse due to dust storms, withering crops, and a climate-change-induced apocalypse, Interstellar drops Anne Hathaway into one of her most quietly intense roles. Her character, Dr. Amelia Brand, is the mission’s chief scientist whose entire purpose is “nearly unfathomable to the minds of humans”: finding a new home for humanity before it’s too late. She and Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper, an ex-NASA pilot who’s been recalled for one last mission, work together to “explore the galaxies” and bring back a glimmer of hope for the human race. Anne Hathaway reunited with Nolan after her stint in The Dark Knight Rises, and Brand is her most “smartest person on the ship” character without ever feeling emotionally removed. While Cooper is the heart of the story, Brand is the mission’s brains, and seeing those two ideas in motion is one of the movie’s best elements. Hathaway makes Amelia the picture of softness in a hard, scientific situation; she’s level-headed but still shatters under the impossible decision she has to make, and she has an unshakeable belief that the human race is worth saving.

We ABSOLUTELY cannot talk about this movie without that monologue of hers. The one where she explains love as something that defies the constructs of time and space. In a film about wormholes and black holes and all the mysteries and vastness of the universe, Anne Hathaway’s monologue about love nearly derails the entire project. It’s one of her least showy performances, but it serves as an important emotional throughline, and Nolan has even gone on record as saying casting her for the part changed the movie. Hathaway herself, meanwhile, has said the part changed her career. Interstellar is the movie many fans credit with realizing just how seamlessly Anne Hathaway can embody smarts, heart, and high-stakes sci-fi action.

Les Misérables (2012)

With less than 15 minutes of screen time, Anne Hathaway gave a performance in Les Misérables that was so sad, so bleak, so gut-wrenching and ultimately unforgettable that she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. As Fantine, the young mother banished from society and forced into prostitution to provide for her child, Hathaway does it all. She lived the role; she lived the suffering. She went without food, lost a tremendous amount of weight, and even asked her husband to leave their home while filming to further wallow in Fantine’s emotional journey. “I needed to go further into that negative place,” she later said. “I needed to fall into a pit.”

Fantine’s suffering in Victor Hugo’s epic has always been heartbreaking, but Hathaway takes it further. Her “I Dreamed a Dream” (sung live, her every breath quivering on camera) is a complete emotional breakdown masterfully captured in one long take. You see the pain in her eyes, hear the weariness in her voice, and feel the fragile determination of a person who has nothing left to lose. It’s the type of acting that makes you wonder how she does it and made even more special by the fact that she’s only in the film for a small sliver of its three-hour running time. Audiences and critics were stunned. Hathaway won over 10 major awards for her work as Fantine, and it’s easy to see why – it’s rare that an actor can make you feel the devastation of a character’s downfall, but the even rarer feat is to make you see the fragile humanity still burning inside. It’s one thing to sing through tears; it’s another entirely to make the whole world cry with you.

Jurassic World: Rebirth had previously earned the actor plenty of box office attention back in the summer, when the blockbuster became one of the year’s highest global grossers with $339.6 million in domestic earnings and $868.8 million worldwide. While it has since been outpaced in total worldwide ticket sales by a number of other films (including A Minecraft Movie, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch, and the Chinese-produced Ne Zha 2), the combined box office draw from Bailey’s only two film credits this year has outpaced every other actor’s.

Bailey takes on the role of Fiyero in Wicked: For Good, finding himself caught up in the intensifying feud between Elphaba and Glinda as the Wizard grows increasingly more malevolent in the prequel’s second act. Sharing the screen with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the actor has received plenty of attention for his role, most recently being named PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive earlier this month. In a statement to PEOPLE about the title, he called it a “completely absurd” yet flattering “honor.”

Bailey has also recently drawn the public’s attention with a statement about potentially withdrawing from acting to give more time to The Shameless Fund, the LGBTQ+ charity he started a few years ago. While he assured fans that he won’t be “vanishing into thin air in 2026,” he did confirm that no movie or television projects are currently in the works for the next calendar year, with the obvious exception of his Bridgerton return when filming on the series’ third season resumes in January.

Wicked: For Good is now in theaters, while Jurassic World: Rebirth is streaming on Peacock, so it appears as though 2025 will remain all about Jonathan Bailey until the calendar year is over. As it stands, the actor’s historic box office performance shows no signs of slowing either.

Represented by one of Hollywood’s biggest agencies, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, which oversees production standards and protects authenticity of the Italian product, is looking to place the cheese in films, television shows, and streaming content worldwide. In other words, Hollywood’s latest up-and-comer is not looking for lines, it’s looking for shelf space, screen time, and maybe even a dramatic grating sequence.

United Talent Agency, one of the industry’s largest players, will work with the Consortium to leverage its vast entertainment network, scouting opportunities for the cheese to make appearances on-screen. According to the Consortium, the partnership will work to elevate the cheese’s history, strict production regulations, and its global status as a quality ingredient. As head of marketing Carmine Forbuso said, recent export numbers have shown that the product is more international than ever, with 52% of the total production exported abroad in the first eight months of 2025.

Parmigiano Reggiano has been produced using raw milk and traditional methods in the designated Italian provinces for nearly a millennium. It has Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning that only cheese produced in the designated area can use its name. The handcrafted, tightly controlled pedigree is a key part of its selling points and the reason it’s the ideal candidate to tell its brand story on screen.

Actors have been eating it for years, but Hollywood has always had an appetite for product placement. From Reese’s Pieces in E.T., to sneakers in Forrest Gump, a well-timed product placement can vault a product into cultural history. It seems the time is ripe for a dairy-powered debut. Whether it’s a chef’s counter in a prestige drama, a rom-com kitchen montage, or a documentary about Italian cuisine, Parmigiano Reggiano is looking to make its close-up.

How many cheeses can claim to be represented by the same agency that represents musicians, actors, designers, and bestselling authors? Just one. If all goes to plan, the next time you settle in to watch a Hollywood blockbuster, you might find yourself wondering less about the plot and more about what’s being grated in the background. If Hollywood has a soft spot for breakout stars, it may soon discover that one of its brightest stars is aged, crumbly, and completely irresistible.

Sources close to the investigation said VanOtterloo had been boarding the young girl’s horse and had been in contact with the minor after the horse was no longer in her care. The teen girl ran away from home and sources say she lived with VanOtterloo. VanOtterloo allegedly took the teen’s horse from its home barn and tried to hide it. She is accused of spray painting over the horse’s brand or other identifying marks and fabricating papers for it, and she allegedly also tried to move the horse to another boarding barn to hide it as police were searching for it.

Folks close to the investigation said VanOtterloo deliberately misled police and investigators by taking them to a boarding barn where the horse was not found. They also said she made fake social media accounts under other names and posted she was looking for the missing teen and horse, despite having already led investigators astray and despite the teen girl now being found at her house. One source close to the investigation says VanOtterloo later called police herself to report the teen girl was at her house.

VanOtterloo’s actions in the horse community have been questioned in the past. At the beginning of the summer, she received a citation because horses in her care were found roaming in local neighborhoods. Locals reported the animals were malnourished and were foraging for food and water. Doorbell cameras captured several incidents of the horses in the streets.

Police have not yet released what VanOtterloo might be charged with and the details of the case are not known until after the investigation is complete. The young teen girl had been found at her home, along with the alleged stolen horse. VanOtterloo is currently being held. More information will be provided by authorities once the investigation has been reviewed.

The teen is safe and unharmed, as is the horse. Sources close to the situation say children are particularly susceptible to influence from adults. The girl is also described as having a loving family. Despite being spray painted, the horse is also said to be safe and unharmed.

At this time all parties involved in this case are considered innocent until the facts are known and any allegations are proven. The information contained within this report is from people who are directly involved or otherwise closely linked to the situation, and who provided documents to support their information. More vetted information will be added as the public release by authorities is made available.

Jonas had spent the better part of two decades on stage with his brothers, but had never taken the lead vocal spot. He’s said in the past he often held back, wondering if his voice was actually cut out for such a prominent role. Fenway put that feeling to the test. As he stepped out onto the stage, Jonas said he was a ball of nerves and adrenaline, and in fact recalled little of the performance itself because he was so focused on getting through the song. He only had any real sense of the significance of the moment when he saw his wife Danielle’s reaction, and how proud she was to be witnessing it with him.

The road to that moment started months earlier when Jonas messaged songwriter and producer Jason Evigan in search of a song that might feel like it was made for him. He went a long time without a reply, but eventually Evigan texted him with news that he’d found a track he thought Jonas should hear. He listened, and knew right away that it was the right song. Jonas flew out to Los Angeles to record vocals for the track and walked out of the studio knowing that it was time to release something on his own.

It took him years to feel that clarity. Following the Jonas Brothers’ first split, Jonas went through a period of depression and a sense of having to figure out who he was when not performing with the band that had been his main outlet since he was a teenager. Returning to the band helped him get some sense of balance back in his life, but he said therapy he underwent in the aftermath of their most recent tour recalibrated him both emotionally and creatively, helping him to see that he needed time to reset and be present at home and to reevaluate what he wanted for himself as an individual rather than as part of the Jonas Brothers’ never-ending touring cycle.

He is quick to say that this upcoming solo project is not an attempt to reinvent himself. This is just the next step now that he has reached a point where he is ready to take it. Fenway proved to him he could handle the pressure of taking that step, and the new song he recorded proved to him that he was finally ready to make a choice that he had avoided for so long. Jonas has since recorded more material, and he approaches this moment not as a break from the Jonas Brothers but simply as the right time to finally pursue something of his own.

You watch the camera pan through a marketplace of commodities that appear ridiculous in their first blush. Flip-over bulletproof desks. Toy-sized “barky” robot dogs that howl for help and guard exits when triggered. Inflatable shields for first graders. Bulletproof backpacks. Ballistic window film. Classrooms retrofitted as reinforced shelters. Bulletproof whiteboards. Alarms. Locks. Framed “wall art” designed to stop rifle fire. One vendor sells a skateboard that also serves as a defensive shield. The seller tells us that “every time there’s a tragedy, it economically benefits my family” and predicts that by the time the film airs he’ll be a $300-million company. This is not parody. This is not fiction. It is all real. It all exists because a country has come to accept the idea that children will be murdered at school and that the answer, somehow, is more gear.

The directors, Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock, take a kind of quiet, disquieting neutrality to their material. They frame their subjects formally, their compositions are mostly still. Their interview subjects sometimes gaze directly at the camera, at other times they sit silently, sometimes covered in convincing prosthetic injuries provided by the companies that specialize in latex bullet-hole makeup for use in these drills. The cinematography lingers on faces, on gestures, on the moments of confusion, or resignation, or humor. There is no narrator telling us what to think. We ALL have heard the title of the film – a phrase that Americans now know well as an empty political placeholder carries its own weight of commentary before a single word is spoken.

Thoughts & Prayers documents an entire national apparatus that has been constructed on the idea that nothing meaningful will be done to stop school shootings. Instead, tens of millions of Americans across the country prepare to survive them. More than 20 million adults have received active shooter training. Ninety-five percent of schoolchildren now practice lockdown drills, some as early as pre-K, where the word “gunman” is sanitized with “dinosaur” in a patently half-hearted attempt to make the threat less foreboding. Children rehearse bleeding out, hiding, and escaping in drills so elaborate that they include the participation of the entire school, SWAT teams, realistic gore makeup, and “fake press conferences” staged by students and school administrators at the end of the simulation.

In Utah, we see teachers trained to shoot in six-week programs that also include tactical weapons familiarization, self-defense, emergency medical care, and certification to carry concealed weapons. In that state, teachers are legally allowed to bring firearms into classrooms without even notifying administrators or law enforcement, and the film shows them enrolling in and training inside high-intensity virtual simulations normally used in police academies. We hear one of these teachers speak about how her heart was beating 133 beats per minute inside of the simulator, and then watch her relive the scenario of rounding a corner and taking down a gunman in an instructional space where an instructor reminds her to take deep breaths and only focus on the threat at hand.

In other locations, teachers learn lockdown techniques, how to barricade rooms, how to disarm an active shooter. In Oregon, we watch educators participate in ALICE training, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. We also see school districts there conduct drills in which masked “shooters” move room-to-room, barking orders and firing blank rounds in hallways. In New York, we hear a young girl describe school shootings as if they are natural disasters, a choice by the filmmakers that then cuts to footage of hurricanes and mass-casualty events. Across states and school-age groups, the message is the same. Normalization. Children and teenagers talk with heartbreaking lucidity about what they live in fear of: fear of walking into classrooms, fear of losing friends, fear of teachers caring more about their own gun rights than about their students.

The final act of the film is centered on one huge drill at a Medford, Oregon, high school in the wake of the arrest of a janitor who confessed to planning an attack at the school. He had weapons, a written plan, explosives. Students are covered with latex injuries. Police and first responders scour the hallways. A podium is festooned with a sign that reads “fake press conference,” where officials practice the messaging of how many were killed, how many wounded, how they responded, and how they wish it had not happened. All of this is clearly simulated, all of it is clear practice. Then, the drill ends and the superintendent simply flips the sign from red to green, changing “fake press conference” to “real press conference.” He turns to face the screen in the exact same tone, acknowledging the sadness of these exercises, and missing the larger point that they make so plain. They are conditioning us to the idea that tragedy is inescapable.

The filmmakers also capture what is often the ideological escape hatch that gets inserted into conversations around gun violence. We see political bickering flit by on television screens within the film. Senators shouting. Pundits accusing one another of politicizing the issue. All of it is fleetingly captured. They almost never linger on this angle. They do let a trainer named Thrasher make the case that the cause of gun violence is actually family structures and a supposed “lack of tribalism.” It’s an astonishing statement, one the film pointedly cuts away from instead of dismantling with argument. A counterpoint to Thrasher is instead provided by a teenager named Quinn who says the simplest, most heartbreaking thing.

“I don’t think that a lot of adults care about our opinions. We go through this every single day. We go through, like, being afraid of going to school because we might get shot, or we might lose a friend, or we might lose a teacher. And a lot of people care about their … rights, I guess, more about, ‘Oh well, I want to have the ability to own a gun, and so I don’t care if you get shot in your class.’ It’s just kind of disheartening. ‘Cause it’s like, oh, you care more about yourself than all of the students in America.”

Thoughts & Prayers is not a call to action, nor a policy argument, nor an essay on solutions. It is a document of what America has agreed to live with. It shows teachers being trained in combat alongside pedagogy. It shows schoolchildren drilled like emergency responders. It shows companies built to profit from the fear that spikes after each massacre. It shows communities treating mass shootings not as crises to stop but as disasters to endure. It shows a country building a $3-billion survival industry because it refuses to stop the conditions that make that industry necessary.

The result is a portrait of a country that has replaced solutions with simulations, prevention with preparation, and policy with products. A country where drills become traditions, trauma becomes routine, and children themselves become the country’s clearest witnesses to the cost of adult indifference.