Streaming may be a gut punch to the theatrical model, but it lets us catch films we missed the first time around.The following thrillers made little noise at the U.S. box office. You likely haven’t heard of them, even if you once saw their movie posters fly by while scrolling on Netflix or Tubi. All three are well worth a look. In fact, these indie gems offer thrills that their big-budgeted peers can’t always match.Cat-and-mouse games never go out of style. Nor do films where a put-upon heroine must do all she can to survive a deranged stalker.Big-time studios could learn a lesson or two from these indie thrillers.'Backcountry' (2014) A couple head into the woods for a romantic camping trip. The problem? The besotted Alex (Jeff Roop) wants to impress Jenn (Missy Peregrym), but his survival skills aren’t up to par. Map? I don’t need a map.Spoiler alert: He needed a map (and a few cans of bear spray).The mood sours when the pair stumble upon an Irish hiker (Eric Balfour) who flirts with Jenn and undercuts Alex’s romantic plans. That’s just the appetizer to the main disaster course. The lovers aren’t alone in the woods, and a surly black bear is ready for his close-up.Small cast. Tiny budget. Big, bold thrills. “Backcountry” takes its time introducing the couple in question, so when the bear makes his first, shocking appearance, the stakes are real. This isn’t a horror film in a traditional sense, but the shocks are expertly framed. And the feature’s makeup team has its work cut out for it.The running time is a taut 92 minutes, perfect for this kind of no-nonsense thriller. Even better? Roop and Peregrym make a believable couple, credibly tender yet resourceful under duress. And said duress is extreme.“Backcountry” isn’t for the faint of heart, and it will make audiences think twice before their next outdoor adventure. If you only see one “bear in the woods” movie (after “The Revenant”), this is it.(Available free, with ads, on the Roku Channel.)'Beast' (2018) We all know how talented Jessie Buckley is after her Oscar-winning turn in “Hamnet.” This British sleeper gave the theatrically trained actress her big-screen debut. She plays Moll, a flighty woman at odds with her loving but cold family. Enter Pascal (Johnny Flynn, Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” reboot), a troubled type who rescues her when a bar hookup takes a dangerous turn.Romantic sparks fly. So do accusations that Pascal is responsible for the death of a local woman. He’s nothing but doting to Moll, and she falls for his soulful blend of danger and sincerity despite his Samsonite-level baggage.Is he as guilty as local law enforcement suggests? Can Moll’s family protect her from him? Or is Pascal the man who can save her from herself? She’s no saint, as a critical part of her backstory reminds us.RELATED: King of comedy: 1988 'Naked Gun' tops list of 100 funniest flicks Paul Kaye/Bonnie Schiffman/Getty ImagesWe know what Buckley can do on screen, but Flynn is note-for-note her equal in this smart, patient thriller. This isn’t a bare-knuckled story with car chases and other B-movie tics. It’s a character study that throbs with tension just below the surface. And while many modern films don't stick the landing, the final moments of “Beast” are smart, stark, and satisfying. Buckle in.(Available free, with ads, on the Roku Channel.)'Alone' (2020) Cat-and-mouse games never go out of style. Nor do films where a put-upon heroine must do all she can to survive a deranged stalker.Jules Willcox stars as Jessica, a woman mourning the death of her husband. She gets into a road-rage altercation with another vehicle. The car’s driver (Marc Menchaca) later tries to apologize for the incident, hoping they can put it behind them. The two part amicably.He seems friendly enough, but tell that to Jessica’s Spidey-sense, which spikes during the apology chat.When they meet again, Menchaca’s character reveals his true, cruel intentions. Once again, a tiny cast and modest budget can’t restrain a story that’s all meat and zero filler. There are no girl-power flourishes or eye-rolling escapes here, just blood-and-guts storytelling with actors who prove equal to the material.Slick. Taut. Smart. Engrossing. And, sadly, overlooked by media outlets during its COVID-19-era release date. Streaming can right that wrong.(Available via VOD platforms like Prime Video and iTunes.)

Darrell Norman Williams told KTRK-TV he was riding his bike on Easter Sunday night in Wharton, Texas, when a group of boys approached him and began throwing objects at him."The dudes were just chucking bottles at me and rocks and stuff," Williams, who is mentally disabled, told the station.'They treated him like a piece of trash.'Williams told the station the group of boys soon knocked him to the ground.KTRK added that one of his attackers recorded video of the brutal assault, and it shows them kicking and punching Williams as he tries unsuccessfully to block the blows.RELATED: Gang of teens caught on video beating up, robbing victim in shopping mall; similar attack happened at same mall last month "They kicked him all in his head and all in his gut, all of that," Diondre Brown, who's cared for Williams for nearly 15 years, told the station. "They literally took the bottom half of his pants down and ripped them apart."Brown added to KTRK that "they took his bike, they took his shoes."Police told the station the video of the attack was sent to them four days later, and on Tuesday, police announced they had identified all six of Williams' attackers — and they're all 12 to 14 years old."They treated him like a piece of trash," Brown added to KTRKWilliams noted to the station that "I do nothing to them. I said nothing to them."Police told KTRK that four of the suspects are being held in juvenile detention while the other two were released to their parents.They're being charged with aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity, the station said, adding that their names aren't being released because of their ages."I feel so, so sorry," Brown told KTRK, adding that "I was sorry with myself as well because I wasn't there to protect him when he needed me most."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Local police are investigating a murder-suicide involving a Democrat who was once second in command in Virginia. Shortly after midnight on Thursday, Fairfax County police responded to a 911 call at a home in Annandale, Virginia, finding an adult male and female deceased. The victims were later identified by police as Democrat former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, 47, and his wife, Cerina, 49, who were reportedly going through a divorce. His campaign was heavily eclipsed by sexual assault allegations.The couple's son and daughter were at home at the time of the murder-suicide but were unharmed. "Shortly after midnight, officers responded to the 8100 block of Guinevere drive in Annandale, where they located an adult male and an adult female deceased inside of a residence," Captain Chris Cosgriff said in a video statement on the scene. "Preliminarily, it appears that the adult male shot the adult female before shooting himself in a domestic-related incident."RELATED: Speculation mounts over mysterious deaths and disappearances tied to US space and nuclear program Fairfax served as Virginia's lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D). Fairfax launched his own bid for governor in 2021, but his campaign was heavily eclipsed by sexual assault allegations from two women. Fairfax vehemently denied the allegations and maintained that their relations were consensual. Despite his denials, Fairfax finished in fourth place in the Democratic primary. This is a developing story.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rail transportation is the backbone of the American economy, and a proposed $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern threatens to overconcentrate market power in an already highly consolidated industry.The consequences will ripple across the economy, raising transportation costs, weakening service, and squeezing industries that depend on rail, from agriculture to energy.At a moment like this, regulators shouldn’t take merger parties at their word. They should demand evidence. That’s exactly what we have called for when it comes to evaluating this mega-merger, and we are pleased that the Department of Justice and the Surface Transportation Board have agreed.This merger could further entrench consolidation in freight rail, reducing competitive options for shippers and ultimately increasing costs for businesses and consumers.The Justice Department — in a notable recommendation consistent with its review of mergers outside the rail industry — urged the STB to require that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern produce certain executive-level information regarding their internal assessments of the merger.The STB took an important step in that direction on March 18, requiring Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to turn over internal documents assessing how the deal would affect competition, pricing, and market dynamics.These are the kinds of materials the Justice Department has long relied on to evaluate mergers because they reveal how companies themselves expect a transaction to play out.Attorneys general across the country have warned that this merger could further entrench consolidation in freight rail, reducing competitive options for shippers and ultimately increasing costs for businesses and consumers.The merging companies point to a limited “open gateway” commitment as proof that competition will be preserved. But Union Pacific itself dismissed similar promises in the recent Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern rail merger in 2023. Now it asks regulators to accept vague assurances that it will maintain open gateways at “commercially reasonable” terms without enforceable guarantees.Union Pacific argues that the merger will drive growth, including taking 2 million trucks off the road by shifting their freight to rail. But this is an optimistic forecast that UP would face no repercussions for missing. Indeed, the recent CPKC rail merger has fallen well short of a much more modest target of 65,000 truck-to-railway conversions. The companies also promise efficiencies and new investments but offer little detail about their pre-merger plans or whether similar gains could be achieved through other means, such as partnerships or joint ventures — much less how any such efficiencies will benefit shippers, rather than shareholders and executives.RELATED: Digital trade corridors can fix our outdated supply chain JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty ImagesIn other words, regulators are being asked to accept sweeping claims with limited substantiation.The STB is right to push back on the “just trust us” approach. Internal company analyses can reveal whether executives expect service disruptions, pricing power, or integration challenges that could undermine supply chains.They can also test whether the merger’s benefits are actually realistic. This level of scrutiny is basic due diligence, particularly in an industry where reduced competition can have economy-wide consequences, and especially when the merging railroads claim that this transaction will change American railroading for the next hundred years.At a time when businesses and consumers are still grappling with inflation and the cost of goods, it is hard to overstate the risks of this mega-merger.As this review proceeds, the STB should ensure that all stakeholders have the information needed to assess the merger’s true impact and the time to be heard, resisting pressure to rubber-stamp a deal this consequential for the rail industry and American consumers. Anything less risks locking in higher costs and fewer choices for years to come.The American economy runs on rail. The STB should make sure it stays on track.