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Brighten and Tighten Tired Eyes With This Peach & Lily Favorite on January 31, 2024 at 3:38 am Us Weekly

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If you often struggle with dark, tired eyes that make you look like you haven’t slept a wink, it can be hard to cover that problem up with makeup alone. It’s often the best idea to go in and try to treat the issue at the source. What’s contributing to that appearance, and is there anything you can do with diet and exercise?

Related: The Best Brightening Eye Creams to Combat Dark Circles

Dark circles, puffy eyes, and fine lines are a frustrating trio that can cause even the most radiant skin to appear tired. Whether it’s because you’re pulling all-nighters for that crucial work project or binge-watching your favorite series well into the wee hours of the night, your eye area is often the first part of your skin to betray your secrets. If you’re tired of covering up those pesky dark circles and puffy eye bags with layer upon layer of concealer and makeup, it’s time to get your hands on a brightening eye cream. 

These specially formulated creams work wonders to rejuvenate the delicate skin around your eyes, giving you that fresh, youthful, and lively look you’ve been craving. But with so many brands and different types of creams on the market claiming to be the ultimate solution, how do you choose the one that’s perfect for you? To help you in this search, we’ll review some of the top brightening eye creams of 2023 and give you a little guide to help as you narrow down your options.

Comparing the Leading Brightening Eye Creams of 2023

Tree of Life Brightening Eye Cream – Best Overall

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Say goodbye to dark circles and hello to brighter, more youthful-looking eyes with the Tree of Life Beauty Brightening Eye Cream. Formulated with a rich blend of nourishing ingredients, including vitamin C and plant extracts, this eye cream reduces the appearance of dark circles and under-eye discoloration. It also helps protect your skin from free radicals and environmental aggressors, keeping the eye area looking fresh and radiant.

Unlike other eye creams, it contains gentle, non-irritating ingredients, so it’s suitable for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. Plus, this product is cruelty-free and PETA-certified. To reap the full benefits, you’ll only have to apply a small amount of product to clean, dry skin around the eyes, and gently pat until fully absorbed. For optimal results, you can use it morning and night as part of your regular skincare routine. Thanks to its skin-friendly ingredients, amazing results, and hassle-free application, this brightening eye cream stands at the very top of our list.

Pros
Firms and smooths fine lines
Calms and rejuvenates the eye area
Suitable for all skin types
Easy to apply
Cons
Might not work well for deep wrinkles

TULA Brightening Eye Cream – Best Ingredients

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The TULA Skincare Brightening Eye Cream is ideal for all your under-eye skin woes. Infused with aloe water, apple, and watermelon extract, this luxurious eye cream deeply hydrates your skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The unique formula also contains probiotics that help restore balance to your skin’s natural microbiome, while caffeine helps to tamp down puffiness, giving you that bright-eyed, wide-awake look. 

This eye cream delivers a cooling sensation to soothe and rejuvenate tired eyes. The balm-to-gel texture glides on effortlessly, leaving a dewy, glowy finish that’s never greasy or heavy. Unlike some other eye creams out there, this one doesn’t contain harmful ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, or mineral oil, so you don’t have to worry about any allergic reaction. Plus, the cream’s lightweight formula easily absorbs into the skin, so you can wear it under your makeup.

Pros
Cools the skin
Free from harmful ingredients
Offers a glowy, dewy finish
Balm form for easy application
Cons
May leave a temporary blue tint behind

First Aid Beauty Brightening Eye Cream – Best for Sensitive Skin

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First Aid Beauty is a market-leading skincare brand that formulates top-of-the-line beauty products to help you achieve healthier skin — and its Eye Duty Brightening Cream is no exception. This eye cream is expertly formulated with niacinamide and pumpkin seed extracts that help brighten, hydrate, and smooth the eye area. This powerhouse ingredient also regulates melanin production, which in turn helps diminish the appearance of dark circles and discoloration. With the inclusion of sodium hyaluronate, this eye cream also delivers a dose of hydration, making your skin appear smooth and youthful.

Unlike other eye creams with iffy ingredients, this one is free from drying alcohols, artificial colorants, artificial fragrances, lanolin, mineral oil, and parabens. This means even folks with sensitive skin can use it without any issues. Thanks to its lightweight and creamy formula, it’s super easy to blend into your skin as well. Plus, it won’t leave behind an oily residue or clog up your pores, so you can use this eye cream both day and night.

Pros
Improves skin texture and discoloration
Lightweight and non-greasy texture
Suitable for all skin types
Unscented formula
Cons
Shimmery finish may not appeal to everyone

Origins Brightening Eye Cream – Best for Depuffing Eyes

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The Origins Ginzing Brightening Eye Cream would make an excellent addition to your daily skincare routine. Formulated with a powerhouse of natural ingredients and potent actives, this eye cream targets dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines, all while brightening and rejuvenating the delicate skin around your eyes. It also contains skin-firming peptides that help restore elasticity and firmness, giving your eyes a more plump look. 

This cream features a lightweight formula that glides on easily and absorbs quickly into the skin. It has a gel-like consistency that feels refreshing and cooling, which makes it perfect for a rougher morning. Plus, it will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, with no sticky residue or white film. And what’s even better is that you can apply this cream under your makeup without worrying about creasing or smudging. This cream also has a pleasant fragrance, which makes it even more enjoyable to use.

Pros
Smooths out skin texture
Reduces puffiness
Lightweight and gentle formula
Absorbs well into the skin
Cons
May not help with very dark under eyes

Olay Brightening Eye Cream – Best for Wrinkles

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Olay’s Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream is the ultimate solution to rejuvenate and illuminate your delicate eye area. This luxurious eye cream is specifically formulated with powerful ingredients, including aloe vera, that help reduce inflammation and redness. This will leave your delicate eye area looking and feeling revitalized and refreshed. The cream also includes benzoyl peroxide to aid in clearing out acne and blemishes while minimizing the appearance of crow’s feet and wrinkles.

It even comes enriched with essential nutrients like vitamin B3 and C that supports the skin’s natural barrier and helps improve texture and tone. The formulation can also protect against environmental stressors while promoting collagen production for a firmer, brighter, and more youthful-looking eye area. 

The cream’s lightweight texture will effortlessly melt into the skin without leaving behind a greasy residue. Plus, you can use it in the morning to tamp down puffiness or at night to boost radiance, making it a versatile addition to any skincare routine.

Pros
Can reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time
Combats puffiness and dark circles
Suitable for all skin types
Fast-absorbing formula
Cons
May not be hydrating enough for some
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Brightening Eye Creams: A Buyer’s Guide

Tired of looking tired? Fed up with dark circles and puffy bags stealing the spotlight from your beautiful eyes? Fear not, the solution to all your eye woes is a miraculous brightening eye cream! But before you sprint to the nearest store or click ‘add to cart’ online, it’s essential to know the ins and outs of its features. Keep reading to uncover the key factors you should consider before investing in an eye cream. 

What To Look For Before Buying Brightening Eye Cream

Skin type

Just like any other skincare product, eye creams may have special formulations for different skin types. Identify whether you have dry, oily, sensitive, or combination skin, and choose a cream that will complement it. This will ensure the product will work with your skin’s natural balance and target your unique concerns.

Ingredients

The brightening eye cream’s ingredients will determine its overall effectiveness. Look for brightening ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, and kojic acid to combat dark circles. To reduce puffiness, seek out caffeine, green tea extract, aloe, or even cucumber. If fine lines and wrinkles are your concern, opt for creams with retinol, peptides, or hyaluronic acid. Always be sure to read the label and avoid products containing harmful chemicals or artificial fragrances, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Consistency

The area around your eyes is delicate, and a heavy cream might cause irritation, milia, or acne. Try to choose a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula, such as a gel or serum, that won’t weigh down your skin or cause unwanted side effects. If you have dry or more mature skin, a thicker cream may be better. 

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Cruelty-free brands

As an informed and compassionate consumer, you’ll want to consider the ethical practices of the companies behind the products you purchase. Many brands use cruelty-free practices and display certifications from organizations such as Leaping Bunny or PETA. By selecting a cruelty-free eye cream, you can contribute to a more humane and ethical beauty industry while still enjoying the benefits of high-quality brightening eye cream.

Packaging

Exposure to air and light can cause some active ingredients to degrade or lose their potency. Look for eye creams packaged in opaque, air-tight containers, which will help maintain the product’s effectiveness.

Brand 

Before purchasing an eye cream, complete some thorough research on the brand and its reputation in the market. Read customer reviews and testimonials to get a better understanding of the product’s performance. It’s also a good idea to consult with a dermatologist or esthetician for their recommendations.

People Also Asked

Q: What’s the difference between a brightening eye cream and a regular eye cream?

A: Brightening eye creams and regular eye creams serve different purposes. Brightening eye creams are specifically formulated to target dark circles, uneven skin tone, and pigmentation around the eye area. They usually contain ingredients such as vitamin C, niacinamide, and other lightening agents to help brighten and even out the skin tone. Regular eye creams, on the other hand, focus more on more on daily hydration. They often contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants to nourish and protect the delicate skin around the eyes.

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Q: How do I use brightening eye cream?

A: To use a brightening eye cream, you should start by cleansing your face and patting it dry. After applying any serums or treatments you use in your skincare routine, gently dab a small amount of the brightening eye cream onto your ring finger. Apply the cream in a tapping motion along the orbital bone, avoiding direct contact with the eye. Begin at the inner corner of the eye and work your way outward, making sure to cover the entire area where dark circles and pigmentation are present. Allow the cream to fully absorb before applying any other products, such as moisturizer, sunscreen, or makeup. Keep in mind that it’s important to use the cream consistently for the best results. 

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Q: When should I start using a brightening eye cream?

A: It’s never too early to start a preventive skincare routine. Most experts recommend starting to use an eye cream sometime in your 20s or when you begin to notice the first signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles or dark circles. Plus, many young people can suffer from dark under-eye circles due to genetics, so it’s not a bad idea to consider a brightening cream! 

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Q: Should I use brightening eye cream in the morning or at night?

A: You can use many brightening eye creams both in the morning and at night. However, it’s essential to consider the specific product and its ingredients. If the brightening eye cream contains ingredients that make the skin more sensitive to sunlight, such as retinol or certain acids, it’s better to use it at night. If the product contains antioxidants and sunscreen, it’s typically more suitable for daytime use.

Q: How soon will I see the results of my brightening eye cream?

A: The time it takes to see results can vary depending on the product, your skin type, and your concerns. Generally, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months to see noticeable improvements in the appearance of dark circles and pigmentation. Consistency is key, so make sure to use the brightening eye cream as directed for best results.

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Q: Should I apply my brightening eye cream before or after sunscreen?

A: You should apply your eye cream before applying sunscreen. This allows the eye cream to fully absorb into the skin and provide its benefits. After the eye cream fully absorbs, follow up with a broad-spectrum, eye-safe sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

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If none of that helps, then a transformative eye cream is often one of the best avenues you can explore. But there are countless eye creams you can buy, so where do you start, and what should you look for? We’ve found one in particular that you could absolutely start with and begin to see some real results from.

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This eye cream is less than $50, and it’s made to target all of these specific problems, including fine lines and dehydration. And it’s from one of the skincare lines famous for its products that promise “glass skin”, so you’re probably already familiar with the brand.

Peach & Lily

Get the Pure Peach Retinoic Eye Cream for just $43 at Peach & Lily! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, January 30, 2024, but are subject to change.

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The Peach & Lily Pure Peach Retinoic Eye Cream is an effective but gentle eye cream with a cocktail of ingredients that are clinically proven to help your eyes look smoother, firmer, more hydrated, and otherwise healthier using the brand’s Retinoic Complex, which includes 0.5% bakuchiol, rosehip seed oil, superfoods, and more to make a real difference in your eye area.

Related: 17 Best Eye Creams for Puffiness in 2023

Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Learn more! Puffy eyes, a common skincare concern, can make you look tired and older than you feel. Fortunately, there are thousands of eye creams on the market today that can help reduce puffiness and leave […]

This mixture of ingredients, with bakuchiol acting as a retinol alternative, can handle any of your eye issues and more. And a little goes a long way, so all you have to do is pay $43 for a bottle that’ll keep you going for some time, given that you don’t need very much at a time.

Peach & Lily

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If you’re ready to take the time to transform the way your eye area looks, be sure to grab a bottle for yourself and see how quickly this cocktail of ingredients can help bring things more into focus. You’ll be seeing results soon enough, and all for less than the price of a facial!

Get the Pure Peach Retinoic Eye Cream for just $43 at Peach & Lily! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, January 30, 2024, but are subject to change.

Not what you’re looking for? See more Peach & Lily products here and don’t forget to check out Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

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Shop With Us tip: Find the best gifts on Amazon personalized to your shopping history here!

Related: 13 Best Eye Creams for Wrinkles

Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Learn more! Hustle culture, step aside. Self-care and wellness have entered the chat. In a world that encourages you to hustle 24/7 or even start a side hustle (alongside a full-time job), it’s no wonder we’re […]

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more!

If you often struggle with dark, tired eyes that make you look like you haven’t slept a wink, it can be hard to cover that problem up with makeup alone. It’s often the best idea to go in and try to treat the issue at the source. What’s contributing to that appearance, and is there 

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Entertainment

STREAMING PREMIERE · JUNE 13, 2026

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Laughter Meets Inspiration: Our Ladies Show Lands on The Roku Channel

A bold new sketch comedy series for women premieres June 13 across the U.S., U.K., and Canada — arriving on the back of a festival-winning run that has critics and audiences already paying attention.

It isn’t every day a brand-new comedy arrives already wearing a row of trophies. Our Ladies Show does. The seven-episode inspirational sketch comedy series — created, written by, and starring Christin Jezak — begins streaming on The Roku Channel on Friday, June 13, 2026, available free to viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Produced in partnership with global media services leader Encompass Digital Media, the series sets out to do something rare in today’s streaming landscape: make women laugh out loud and leave them lifted. In a media moment crowded with noise and cynicism, Our Ladies Show is a deliberate counterweight — comedy with a conscience, built for women of every age and background.

A Show Built Around Real Life — and Real Laughs

Each of the seven episodes opens with a monologue from one of the cast members introducing the theme, then rolls into three or more sketches that hit the subject from every comedic angle. The series tackles the things women actually carry: holding grudges, comparison, beauty, patience, gift giving, the importance of community, and dealing with anxiety.

The comedy comes from a place of warmth rather than mockery — a “laugh at ourselves” spirit that runs through a gallery of unforgettable characters: a nosey neighbor, an overwhelmed mom, relentlessly optimistic flight attendants, beauty pageant winners past their prime, and a crew of unruly campers with a counselor who simply cannot hold it together.

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Then the show does something most sketch series don’t. In the final segment of every episode, the cast gathers in a living-room setting and invites the audience in — sharing real inspiration drawn from the theme, the sketches, and their own personal stories. It’s the moment the laughter turns into something that stays with you.

The Women Behind the Show

Our Ladies Show brings together three performers with serious range:

  • Christin Jezak — creator, writer, and star (Miracle at Manchester, Raising Hope, Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
  • Hillary Hawkins — (Primal, Nick Jr.’s Play Along, Gullah Gullah Island)
  • Sarah Hernandez — (Nefarious, Unplanned, House of Payne)

“In a world with so much division and depression, I hope women of all ages and backgrounds will watch this show, laugh, be reminded of how beautiful, unique, and loved they are, and remember how much we need each other.”— Christin Jezak, Creator & Star

Already a Festival Favorite

The series’ recurring long-form sketch, Neighborhood Watch, didn’t arrive quietly. Originally released as a web series and revamped for Our Ladies Show with new footage, sound, and music, it has been sweeping the festival circuit:

  • 🏆 Best Webseries — 2026 New Media Film Festival (Los Angeles)
  • 🏆 Best Web/TV Series — Paris Film Awards
  • 🏆 Best Web Series — Dallas Movie Awards
  • 🏅 Additional wins at the London Movie Awards, Florence Film Awards, and Hollywood Gold Awards
  • 🎬 Official Selection — 2026 Harvard Divinity School Film Fest
  • ⭐ Finalist — Houston Comedy Film Festival
  • 📣 Three nominations — 2025 Content Christian Media Conference, including Best Actress in a TV and Web Series nods for both Christin Jezak and Sarah Hernandez

Where and When to Watch

Our Ladies Show premieres Friday, June 13, 2026, streaming on The Roku Channel — the home of premium and free entertainment — in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. All seven episodes deliver the series’ signature blend of sharp sketch comedy and genuine encouragement.

Click Here To Get Tickets

Watch the trailer now on your platform of choice:

For more information, visit www.ourladiesshow.com and follow @ourladiesshow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.


About Christin Jezak

Christin Jezak has worked for over 15 years in the entertainment industry. She created and stars in Our Ladies Show and the award-winning web series Neighborhood Watch. She produced the EWTN TV program For the Sake of the Gospel and the all-women web series Ladies Keepin’ It Real, played Dr. Sam in Miracle at Manchester (starring Dean Cain, Daniel Roebuck, and Eddie McClintock), and voices Agnes in the podcast Confessions of a Catholic Single. She held a lead role in a short film for NTT Data directed by Academy Award–winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, has co-starred on Raising Hope, and appeared in Jimmy Kimmel sketches and a Grubhub Super Bowl commercial.

About The Roku Channel

Roku pioneered streaming on TV and is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, Dec. 2025). The Roku Channel is the home of premium and free entertainment, alongside Roku’s Howdy and Frndly TV services. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, California.

About Encompass Digital Media

Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company — technology-driven, software-defined, and people-powered. Trusted by world-leading broadcasters, networks, sports rights-holders, and OTT platforms, it processes over 25,000 hours of content daily, serves 850 channels to 84 countries, distributes over 243,000 live events annually, and reaches 400 million radio listeners weekly worldwide. Learn more at www.encompass.tv.

Media & Interview Requests: To interview creator Christin Jezak or the cast, contact Christin at cjezak@p2ptheatre.com.

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What Filmmakers Should Actually Steal From Euphoria

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Most of the talk about Euphoria asks one question: was it realistic? That’s the wrong question if you make films. The better one is simpler. How did Sam Levinson get an audience to feel addiction from the inside? And what did it cost him to end the show the way he did?

Strip away the noise and Euphoria is a clinic in three choices: point of view, style, and the ending. Here’s what’s worth taking — and what isn’t.

1. Put the Camera Inside the Character

Most shows about drugs watch from across the room. Euphoria doesn’t. When Rue is high, the camera is high too. Walls breathe. Floors tilt. Time skips. You’re not watching her — you’re stuck inside her head.

That’s the lesson: point of view is a decision you make with the camera and the cut, not a mood you add later in color. Levinson builds it into the lens, the blocking, and the edit.

So before you shoot a scene through a character’s eyes, ask one thing on set: whose eyes is this lens standing in for? Then make every cut respect that.

2. Your Style Has to Mean Something

The glitter. The slow push-ins. The impossible club lighting. Euphoria‘s look got copied everywhere. That’s the trap.

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The style worked because it carried weight. The beauty wasn’t decoration — it was the lie addiction tells you, the reason the next high looks worth it. The camera made self-destruction gorgeous on purpose.

The copies missed that. A thousand music videos took the look and left the meaning behind, and you can feel how hollow they are. So here’s the test: if your signature style could be swapped onto any other project and still “work,” it’s not a style. It’s a filter. Every choice should have a reason behind it.

3. The Ending Tells the Audience What It All Meant

When Euphoria ended for good in Season 3, Levinson killed Rue — an accidental, fentanyl-laced overdose. He called it “the honest ending,” saying he wanted to tell a true story about addiction and grief in a time when one mistake can be the last one. Reportedly, that wasn’t the original plan; the death of Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, changed the script.

Forget whether you agree with the choice. Study how it works. An ending is the last instruction you give your audience about how to read everything before it.

By ending on consequence instead of recovery, Levinson reframed seven years of beautiful chaos as a story about cost — not a celebration of it.

It’s also the show’s most debatable move, and that’s worth noticing too. A show that spent years making pain look beautiful had to fight to make that pain land as loss. Did it earn the ending, or enjoy the wreckage too long to stick it? Smart filmmakers will disagree — and that argument is exactly what a good ending is supposed to start.

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What Not to Take

The neon grief is the most copied part. It’s also the least useful. Take the surface — the colors, the slow-mo, the trauma-as-texture — and you get the costume without the body.

The real craft is underneath. Commit your camera to a real point of view. Make every stylistic choice earn its place. Treat your ending as the point of the whole thing. Do that, and your work won’t look like Euphoria. It’ll do what Euphoria did.


This piece touches on addiction and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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How a 22-Person Film Crew Each Walked Away With $300,000

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In the spring of 2020, with Hollywood shut down and most film workers suddenly out of a job, Zendaya made a movie in a single house with a crew of 22. The film was Malcolm & Marie. What happened to that crew afterward is the part worth paying attention to — and it’s quietly become a blueprint indie filmmakers are borrowing five years later.

Instead of paying everyone the standard flat day rate and sending them home, Zendaya structured the production so the crew owned a piece of it. They received “points” — a share of the film’s revenue.

When Malcolm & Marie sold to Netflix for roughly $30 million, those points turned into real money. Because one point typically equals 1%, a single point on that sale was worth around $300,000.

For a crew used to being paid by the day, that’s a life-changing number.

The Math That Makes It Click

The reason points are so powerful is that their value scales with the film, not with your hours on set:

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  • At $30 million in revenue, 1% equals $300,000
  • At $50 million, 1% equals $500,000
  • At $100 million, 1% equals $1 million

Now hold that against traditional indie crew pay, which runs roughly $300 to $800 per day. A 20-day shoot totals somewhere between $6,000 and $16,000 — full stop, no upside, no matter how well the film does. The points model flips the entire logic: you stop getting paid for time and start getting paid for success.

This Isn’t New — It’s Just Newly Accessible

Backend deals are how the biggest names in Hollywood get rich. Robert Downey Jr. reportedly earned tens of millions from his Avengers: Endgame backend; Keanu Reeves made a fortune off The Matrix through profit participation. The leverage to demand that kind of deal has always belonged to A-list stars.

What changed with Malcolm & Marie is who got a seat at the table. Zendaya didn’t reserve the points for herself and a couple of producers — she extended them to the crew, the people she described as laying the tracks and doing the heavy lifting. That’s the shift indie filmmakers are now studying: ownership as something you share down the call sheet, not hoard at the top.

Why Indie Filmmakers Should Care

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Independent films usually run on budgets between $50,000 and $500,000, where labor can eat up 40% to 60% of total costs. That creates a permanent squeeze: how do you attract genuinely skilled people without torching the budget before you’ve shot a frame?

Equity is the pressure valve. Offering ownership instead of higher upfront pay lets you reduce immediate production costs, attract more experienced collaborators, and — maybe most importantly — build a team that actually wants the film to win.

How to Apply It to Your Own Project

You don’t need a $30 million Netflix sale for this to work. Say your budget is $250,000 and your revenue goal is $500,000, making 1% worth $5,000. Instead of stretching cash thin across every line item, you might offer 1% to a cinematographer, 1% to an editor, and 1–2% to a producer. You preserve cash during production and hand your key people a real reason to overdeliver.

Ownership Changes How People Show Up

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A stake rewires behavior. People who own a piece of the outcome stay sharper on set, pitch in on marketing and promotion without being asked, and stay invested long after wrap. That last part matters more than it sounds — a crew that’s financially tied to the film becomes part of its distribution engine, not just its production.

Read the Fine Print

Equity is not a salary, and it’s honest to say so. Malcolm & Marie worked because it sold to Netflix at a high price — that’s the upside scenario, not a guarantee. If a project underperforms, points can be worth little or nothing. So if you use this model, do it cleanly: define revenue participation explicitly in contracts, spell out recoupment structures so everyone knows who gets paid and in what order, and offer partial upfront payment where you can to balance the risk. The whole thing runs on trust, and trust runs on transparency.

The Bigger Picture

What Zendaya pulled off with a 22-person crew in one house pointed to something larger about how creative work gets valued. In an industry where funding is the hardest wall to climb, ownership has become its own currency. You may not control access to millions in financing — but you fully control how value gets shared on your set. And that, more often than not, is the difference between a film that stalls in development and one that actually gets made.

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