Mashable

If you buy a ticket purely to experience the action scenes of Boy Kills World, you might get your money's worth. They're spread out at irregular intervals, but they're usually a treat. One of them even features Yayan Ruhian, aka Mad Dog from The Raid, one of the defining action movies of the 21st century. This buys the film — which stars IT's Bill Skarsgård and boasts horror legend Sam Raimi as a producer — some fleeting credibility, if nothing more. Yet there's no getting around the fact that Boy Kills World can be a difficult watch.

The fights, drawn from the deep well of Southeast Asian action cinema, are generally shot and choreographed with expertise. However, getting to them requires sitting through an amateurish dystopian comedy-drama with flimsy political wallpapering. There's a stark difference between what debuting director and co-writer Moritz Mohr brings to the table and the flourishes provided by stunt coordinator and second unit director Dawid Szatarski. The result is two wildly disparate approaches being smashed together with reckless abandon.

Only one of these stylistic halves really works, and without the foundation of the other in place, Boy Kills World seldom stands on its own. The brutal, tongue-in-cheek action scenes are a roller coaster, but Mohr's beats of drama, dialogue, and even comedy repeatedly bring this ride to a jarring halt. 

'Boy Kills World' plays like a half-baked 'Hunger Games.' Famke Janssen in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

The film draws from an array of influences from Japanese anime and American YA fiction — specifically, The Hunger Games — leading to an attempted synthesis of East and West that never fully melds. The film's equivalent of Katniss Everdeen is the unnamed protagonist, "Boy" (Bill Skarsgård), a revenge-driven martial artist, trained by a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) in a forest ever since he was a child.

Boy’s single-minded mission is to take down the Van Der Koys, an ostentatiously dressed media family led by sisters Hilda (Famke Janssen) and Melanie (Michelle Dockery). Their jack-booted thugs run the nearby capital city, and frequently round up civilians for a ritualistic "culling." Such a slaughter killed Boy’s mother and sister several years ago, maiming him and leaving him unable to hear or speak. However, Boy's acerbic inner voice narrates much of the film, commenting on each development.

This internal monologue is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers), whose timing and raspy, caricatured intonations create comedic expectations at every turn. The film certainly tries to follow suit, starting with drug-fueled training montages, and scenes of Boy arguing with the specter of his slain younger sister (the angel on his shoulder, played precociously by 10-year-old Quinn Copeland). However, as soon the plot kicks into high gear and Boy begins violently working his way up the Van Der Koy family ladder, the perspective widens to encompass a number of half-baked supporting villains who are far less entertaining.

Brothers-in-law Glen (Sharlto Copley) and Gideon Van Der Koy (Brett Gelman) bicker in the form of "jokes" that are usually expletive-laden insults with no real set-up. The more they're on screen, the flimsier the movie’s world-building becomes. The social mechanics of Boy Kills World's premise leave plenty to be desired: The only real information we have about the fascist Van Der Koys is their white ethnicity, their Dutch last name, and their use of a militarized, mostly white police force to oppress numerous non-white extras from multiple backgrounds (though plenty of white extras can be seen as well). None of this feels accidental. These echoes of real colonial power might suggest the movie is set in an alternate South Africa where apartheid never ended. (It was also filmed on location in South Africa.) But in the end, these ideas never quite come together in any meaningful way.

Mohr shows little interest in what these political images mean — let alone what it means for Boy, a white liberator, to be the only one seen standing up to the Van Der Koys for most of the runtime. This is a distinctly "turn your brain off" kind of movie, though in flipping that switch, what's left to pass through the lizard brain isn't always entertaining enough.

Boy Kills World is a completely malformed comedy-drama. Brett Gelman in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

The POV through which the story is told is a joke half-considered. Benjamin is an accomplished voice actor with impeccable comic timing, but he's given little to work with. Boy, it turns out, can read lips, and his internal monologue provides wry observations for the benefit of the audience. These serve to make Boy an amusing anchor for the story. Skarsgård’s eyes were his most terrifying tool when he played Pennywise the Clown. Here, he uses them to guide the viewer through the film's mile-a-minute jokes, including the ones that might not fully land. It's a performance composed of reaction shots, even though the character is reacting to his own sarcasm at times.

However, apart from one small gag about a character who speaks in mumbles and thus can't be understood, Boy Kills World isn't really a movie where disability is meaningfully woven into its story, nor it is one where sound (or lack thereof) plays an important part in its craft. 

Boy's lip-reading is taken for granted in practically every scene, with staging paying no attention to how he might be able to view people's lips moving. Yet he absorbs every bit of information conveyed in dialogue, and his hearing impairment plays practically no function within the plot, which makes for uninteresting drama. There are few misunderstandings in the process, and only one memorably funny gag; it involves a cheese grater, which dovetails nicely into some vicious action too. But it has little to do with the way Boy exists within the world he kills, or communicates with the people he fights.

The disconnected storytelling of Boy Kills World kills its charms.  Bill Skarsgård in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

Mundane dialogue carries too much of the film's storytelling to keep things compelling — or even clear. What the senior members of the Van Der Koy family actually do, or how they rule with an iron fist, seems known to everyone, including Boy. But left unspoken, this isn't meaningfully established in any way until it's immediately relevant to the plot. For instance, a Hunger Games-esque TV broadcast where the cruelty is the point turns out to be a central fixture of this world. However, it arrives so late and suddenly that rather than strike fear through anticipation, it feels like an afterthought. 

This approach also knee-caps any plot twists. Boy Kills World's out-of-left-field reveals aren't hard to understand, but they are built on character dynamics so flimsy that figuring out plot implications takes precedence over confronting personal betrayals. There's plenty of "what" but very little "who," "how," or "why."

That said, when the chips are down, and the movie switches from dialogue to action mode, like a video game returning from an overlong cut scene back to its game mechanics, Boy Kills World temporarily bursts to life. 

The action in Boy Kills World is worthwhile.  Yayan Ruhian in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

Along his fight up the Van Der Koy ladder, Boy befriends an enslaved factory worker, Basho, played by Warrior's Andrew Koji, an actor with plenty of on-screen action chops. Together, they engage in some pretty fun and gnarly fisticuffs, including against a prison guard who inhales some mysterious drug that turns him into a rage zombie. This drug is neither established beforehand nor does it come up ever again, but in the moment, it's delightfully silly.

The aforementioned horror-comedy-inspired scene also exemplifies the kind of gonzo action glimpsed throughout Boy Kills World. Skarsgård delivers a committed physical performance, jumping and leaping around in animalistic fashion — he's the real Monkey Man — while Szatarski stages and captures each fight with both geographical clarity and an emphasis on impact. It's a low bar that many American action movies fail to clear (Monkey Man included). Boy Kills World excels beyond this bare minimum, thanks to some loopy, psychedelic imagery that only seems to crop up during fights, as well as momentum-filled drone photography that makes each combat sequence feel truly alive.

Then again, these are strung together by dead dramatic weight, and a story that grows increasingly somber and self-serious as the film goes on, without any thematic or emotional resonance. Were Boy Kills World released as a mere supercut of its action scenes, it would be an incredibly worthwhile watch. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. The result is a movie split down the middle, torn between the stellar action choreography of a stunt coordinator who could very well make the jump to directing (à la John Wick filmmakers David Leitch and Chad Stahelski) and a filmmaker whose debut would be dead on arrival were it not for Szatarski's skills. 

Boy Kills World opens in theaters April 26.

TL;DR: Through May 1, the PowerBand watch band has a built-in MagSafe-compatible charger for your Apple Watch and is on sale for just $29.97 for Mother's Day.

Mother's Day isn't about finding any old thing at the store because you waited too long to think of a gift. Giving her a gift should be about celebrating her with something that speaks to who she is or something she's into. If your mother, wife, grandmother, sister, or mother-in-law relies on her Apple Watch, this could be the gift for her. The PowerBand is on sale for just $29.97 (reg. $49) for Mother's Day when you order through May 1.

The genius of this watch band is that it has a hidden MagSafe-compatible charger built into the design. The small, flat MagSafe-compatible part is made to be ultra-thin, so it doesn't get in the way. Simply attach it to your Apple Watch magnetically when you want to charge it.

PowerBand's durable, lightweight nylon construction is adjustable. And the elasticity helps it form to your wrist comfortably.

The USB needed for your charge is built into the band itself, so you always have both pieces on the band whenever you need a charge. This is a game changer for those who live by their Apple Watches. This flexible, sturdy USB connector remains covered and protected when not being used.

This high-tech watch band is compatible with all Apple Watch series and could make a terrific gift if the special mom in your life relies on the Apple Watch for fitness, work, or communicating with the family.

This year, think outside the box and gift mom with the PowerBand watch band with a built-in MagSafe-compatible charger for $29.97, with guaranteed delivery before Mother's Day when you order by May 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: WonderCube PowerBand: Apple Watch Band with Built-In MagSafe Charger $29.97 at the Mashable Shop
$49.99 Save $20.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 30, this grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Air is on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599).

Whether you saved up enough to get your first computer, your old one is not working as well anymore, or you'd like an extra for the home office, you can get a reliable, powerful machine without paying a premium for the latest tech. Refurbished electronics are kind of a win-win in that you pay less, and the world gets one less computer in landfills — shout-out to Earth Day.

This refurbished MacBook Air is only from the model year 2017. It also has a grade-A refurbished rating. This means it should come in near-perfect condition, having been tested and cleaned, but could possibly have some minor (or zero) cosmetic blemishes. It's on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599) when you order by April 30.

It runs a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, which gives you a smooth ride whether you're creating slides for your work presentation or editing photos from your last family vacation. The Intel HD Graphics 6000 and 128GB SSD allow for easy streaming and storing, while the battery is designed to last for up to 12 hours.

Get online via WiFi networks or hotspots. You can also connect to your peripherals or transfer files using Bluetooth.

True to its name, the MacBook Air boasts a thin, lightweight design at just under three pounds. Its portability makes it ideal for users who need to carry their laptop to class, work, or their local cafe. Despite its easily portable size, it features a 13.3-inch display to deliver vibrant visuals with impressive clarity.

Don't miss this quality computer from a top-of-the-line name at this limited-time 50% savings.

Get yourself or the soon-to-be graduate in your life a grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Air while it's on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599) until April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 Core 8GB RAM 128GB - Silver (Refurbished) $299.97 at the Mashable Shop
$599.00 Save $299.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 30, update your home office with this grade-A refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core desktop for $179.97.

If you're redoing your home office for spring, replacing a clunky desktop with a more compact model can free up some space. An easy way to elevate your office setup is with a small but powerful desktop like this Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core, now available at a remarkable 49% discount when you order through April 30.

This little refurbished powerhouse blends performance, compactness, and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for professionals, students, and gamers looking for a high-quality computer without the steep price tag. It also comes with a keyboard, mouse, AC adapter, and WiFi dongle.

While some may be hesitant to buy a refurbished desktop computer, it might help to know that this has a grade-A refurbished rating. That means it is in near-mint condition, with minimal cosmetic blemishes possible on the body.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 offers a robust computing experience with its 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-6400T processor and 16GB RAM. The 256GB SSD storage also allows you to store apps, photos, and other files locally without relying on the cloud. It also comes with Windows 10 Pro, so you can get going nearly right out of the box.

Buying a refurbished device is a smart choice, both economically and environmentally. If you're looking to maximize your home work space and don't want to bust your budget, this could be an option worth considering. 

You can pick up this grade-A refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core desktop with mouse and keyboard for just $179.97 (reg. $349) until April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Core i5-6500T, 16GB RAM 256GB SSD - Black (Refurbished) $179.97 at the Mashable Shop
$349.99 Save $170.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through May 1, order the Auraglow Complete LED teeth whitening kit for just $36.99 with guaranteed delivery for Mother's Day.

This Mother’s Day, gift something unique and thoughtful — the confidence that comes with having a radiant smile. The Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit, just $36.99 (reg. $48), offers a practical way to show your appreciation for the special women in your life.

Whether she’s your mother or wife, this non-traditional Mother's Day gift might be something she'd like to try but wouldn't splurge on for herself. The last day to order this to guarantee on-time delivery before Mother's Day is May 1, so don't wait too long.

Auraglow is said to help you whiten your teeth up to ten shades in as little as seven days, according to a clinical study. This kit uses a 35-percent carbamide peroxide dentist-grade teeth whitening gel, along with the acceleration gained from LED light, to deliver a fast change. The LED activates the gel to help remove stains and do it at a faster rate. It can even help get rid of those tougher-to-remove stains caused by coffee, wine, soda, and smoking.

It's made to be perfectly safe for those with dental work such as crowns, bridges, and caps. The people at Auraglow claim it shouldn't cause any sensitivity, pain, or irritations when used correctly. For best results, you'll need to use the treatment for thirty minutes per day. This kit includes twenty treatments. 

Made in the USA and including all your mom needs to whiten her teeth from the comfort of her own space, it's an affordable gift that you'll be glad you purchased everything you see her smile.

Don't miss the chance to get this dental-grade whitening kit while it's on sale for Mother's Day.

The Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit is just $36.99 (reg. $48), with guaranteed delivery before Mother's Day when you order by May 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Auraglow Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit $36.99 at the Mashable Shop
$48.00 Save $11.01 Get Deal

Can you feel that? Like the tremor that runs through the earth when a T-Rex tromps about, the oncoming summer is shaking us up!

Summer movie season means all kind of things: Pulse-pounding thrills! Heart-racing romance! Blood-curdling horror! Brain-melting plot twists! And summer 2024 is full of films that are sure to excite and entertain. Whether you're looking for epic action sequences (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), superhero mayhem (Deadpool & Wolverine), bombastic buddy comedy (Bad Boys: Ride or Die), tender true stories (Jim Henson Idea Man), enthralling animation (Inside Out 2), or ruthlessly scary horror (A Quiet Place: One Day), we've got you covered.

But hey, the best thing about summer can be the surprises along the way. So be sure to check out our full guide for the indie treasures and hidden gems that'll be hitting amid the could-be blockbusters.

Everything you need to know about summer movies 2024 is below: What films are coming? When? Why should you care? And where can you to watch 'em?

The Idea of You

Anne Hathaway and One Direction fan fiction make for one of this summer's most winning combinations in the rom-com The Idea of You.

Directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and based on Robinne Lee's 2017 novel (and earlier Harry Styles fan fiction), this swoon-worthy flick follows the romance between 40-year-old mother Solène (Hathaway) and 24-year-old boy band star Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine, Mary & George). Their chance meeting at Coachella swiftly spirals into something more — but can their relationship withstand heightened scrutiny and judgment from the general public? Tune in for the surreal One Direction similarities, stay for Hathaway and Galitzine's sparkling chemistry, then get way too invested in the many bops from fictional band August Moon. (Stream "Dance Before We Walk" for clear skin.) — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, and Reid Scott

How to watch: The Idea of You premieres on Prime Video on May 2.

Turtles All the Way Down

YA fans, get pumped! Author John Green's work returns to the screen in the upcoming Turtles All the Way Down, directed by Hannah Marks.

As with many Green works, Turtles All the Way Down takes us inside the mind of a teenager navigating life's countless wonders and woes. This time around, that teenager is Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced, Madame Web), a young woman with OCD who is constantly navigating a stream of intrusive thoughts. As she and her best friend Daisy (Cree, And Just Like That…) embark on an adventure to claim a reward for a missing billionaire, she'll reconnect with her childhood crush (Felix Mallard, Ginny & Georgia), find solace in a professor's (J. Smith-Cameron, Succession) lectures on consciousness, and re-evaluate her own potential for love, friendship, and happiness. — B.E.

Starring: Isabela Merced, Cree, Felix Mallard, Judy Reyes, Maliq Johnson, J. Smith-Cameron, Poorna Jagannathan

How to watch: Turtles All the Way Down premieres on Max May 2.

The Fall Guy

Stunt man turned director David Leitch is campaigning hard for stunts to finally get their rightful due at the Academy Awards with this love letter to movie magic and madcap stunt work. Inspired by the 1980s TV show about a stunt performer who moonlighted as a bounty hunter, The Fall Guy is an action-packed romantic comedy that stars Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers, the eponymous hero, and Emily Blunt as the movie director he's fallen for. When her directorial debut is put in jeopardy by an MIA movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), it's up to Colt to hunt him down, save the day, and not get killed along the way. 

In Mashable's review out of SXSW, I wrote of this romp, "Together, Gosling and Blunt create a could-be couple that's alluring not only for their looks but also their awkwardness. Dumb jokes and fumbling flirtations shrewdly undercut what could be a glossy, unnatural rom-com to make a movie that's endearing and entertaining." — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu

How to watch: The Fall Guy opens in theaters May 3. 

I Saw the TV Glow

In 2021, director Jane Schoenbrun earned critical praise for their trippy thriller We're All Going to the World's Fair. Earlier this year, their follow-up, the mind-bending I Saw The TV Glow, got radiant reviews out of Sundance. In Mashable's review, Siddhant Adlakha declared the eerie thriller "a new queer and transgender classic." But what's it all about?

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine star as a pair of misfit teens who bond over their love for a fictional TV show called The Pink Opaque. Playing as a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the YA series gives them space to connect and imagine a world beyond their depressing lives in the cage that is suburbia. But could there be more to this show than meets the eye? Find out when I Saw the TV Glow plays on the big screen. — K.P.

Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Danielle Deadwyler, Lindsey Jordan, and Fred Durst

How to watch: I Saw the TV Glow opens in theaters May 3. 

Lost Soulz

Having premiered at Tribeca Film Festival last year, Lost Soulz is finally hitting cinemas. The film follows aspiring Texas rapper Sol (Sauve Sidle), who joins up with a collective of hip-hop artists touring America — a journey penned by director/writer Katherine Propper from Sidle's own experiences. Even watching the trailer, with dreamy cinematography from Donald Monroe and lo-fi SoundCloud rap running through every scene, makes you want to join this crew on the road. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Sauve Sidle, Siyanda Stillwell, Aaron "Seven" Melloul, Krystall Poppin, Alexander Brackney, Micro TDH, Malachi Mabson, Tauran Ambroise

How to watch: Lost Soulz is in cinemas May 3.

Evil Does Not Exist

Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's latest film was a critical standout and Grand Jury Prize of last year's Venice International Film Festival, the tale of a man trying to protect his alpine home outside Tokyo from thoughtless development. Reviewing for Mashable, Lex Briscuso wrote, "Evil Does Not Exist is a sobering folk tale of the power of the natural order — and what humans must do to heed it, lest we pay the price. Hamaguchi is undoubtedly back with a strong, well-earned precision in this work, unafraid to show us what we stand to lose." 

In Evil Does Not Exist, Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) finds his village life with his daughter, Hana (Ryo Nishikawa), disrupted by the arrival of a glamping company, which has little time to care about the environmental impact it will have on the community and the surrounding ecosystem. — S.C.

Starring: Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi, and Hiroyuki Miura

How to watch: Evil Does Not Exist opens May 3.

Prom Dates

Best friends making pacts about prom is a bit of a trope, but Kim O. Nguyen’s film promises to breathe new life into it. Prom Dates sees the Never Have I Ever/Survival of the Thickest director bringing best friends Jess (Ginny & Georgia's Antonia Gentry) and Hannah (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' Julia Lester) up to the day before their finale high school hurrah, when they both break up with their dates. Is prom ruined, or will they figure out it's not the worst thing in the world? — S.C.

Starring: Julia Lester, Antonia Gentry, Kenny Ridwan, JT Neal, Jordan Buhat, Zión Moreno, Terry Hu, John Michael Higgins, Chelsea Handler

How to watch: Prom Dates premieres on Hulu May 3.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

If Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire whetted your appetite for ape action, you'll want to mark your calendar for the fourth installment of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise. Set generations after 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, this sequel sets up after the age of Caesar to a time of feral decline. Here, a young chimpanzee named Noa (Owen Teague) calls into question the ways of this planet. With a human sidekick known as Mae (Freya Allan), this brave hero will go on a journey that changes the future of ape and mankind forever.

The Maze Runner trilogy director Wes Ball takes the helm, promising rousing action and serious drama.* — K.P.

Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy

How to watch: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens May 10.

Poolman

Not every movie on this list will be a winner, but sometimes you've gotta see for yourself what the fuss is all about.. The directorial debut of Chris Pine, Poolman failed to make a splash out of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. The noir-comedy about a pool cleaner who stumbles onto a conspiracy in Los Angeles earned only a wave of bad buzz. 

From Mashable's review: "That the plot barely makes sense might’ve been forgivable if Pine could elicit from his performers the kind of exhilarating energy and distinctive wackiness we’ve seen in the works of the Coens and Anderson. Instead, his cast, while charismatic, dances between a blurry line of broad comedy and nuanced parody that can't find its footing. Theirs is a world vaguely interesting but never sharply realized. And as such, we, the audience, are always treated as outsiders." — K.P.

Starring: Chris Pine, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, DeWanda Wise, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Jennifer Jason Leigh 

How to watch: Poolman opens in theaters May 10.

Gasoline Rainbow

A coming-of-age road trip movie drenched in youth, promise, and freedom, Gasoline Rainbow created quite a buzz out of its premieres at Venice International Film Festival and SXSW last year. It's from the directorial duo behind the lauded documentary Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, the Ross Brothers, who wrote the screenplay, handled cinematography, and edited the film, too. Having finished school and with their whole lives ahead of them, five Oregon teens hit the road in a van to drive along the Pacific Coast, chatting shit the whole way through the vacillating landscapes of America's West. — S.C.

Starring: Tony Aburto, Micah Bunch, Nichole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia, and Makai Garza.

How to watch: Gasoline Rainbow opens in cinemas May 10.

Babes

Pamela Adlon (Better Things) makes her feature directorial debut with Babes, a comedy about female friendship fronted by Survival of the Thickest's Michelle Buteau. Broad City's Ilana Glazer co-stars and co-wrote the script with Josh Rabinowitz. Playing besties since childhood, these fiercely funny queens of comedy explore some complicated and comical issues of being a grown-up in New York City. This includes everything from the (literal) shit show of homeownership to the excruciating awkwardness of small chat with your gynecologist, not to mention the whole wild ride of pregnancy and parenting toddlers. And it does all this with the outlandish humor we've come to expect from all three of these badass babes.

In our review out of SXSW, I cheered, "Babes is a comedy that is unabashedly outrageous and rambunctiously heartfelt. While you may howl with laughter and gasp at a gross-out gag, you'll also walk away with a big smile — and maybe a bit more appreciation for your own quirks." — K.P.

Starring: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Hasan Minhaj, Stephan James, and Oliver Platt

How to watch: Babes opens in theaters May 17.

Back to Black

Amy Winehouse's songs "Back to Black," "You Know I'm No Good," and "Rehab" demanded the world sing along, but do you know of the real-life pain behind them? Director Sam Taylor-Johnson reunited with screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh, who penned the script for her John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, for this take on the Camden icon. Industry's Marisa Abela stars as the beehived Brit who rocketed to fame with jazzy, endlessly catchy songs and an unforgettable style before dying tragically young in 2011.

Back to Black offers a look at the behind-the-scenes drama in Amy's life as she goes from struggling chanteuse to global sensation caught in a tumultuous relationship. This biopic is made with the support of The Amy Winehouse Estate and Sony Music Publishing.* — K.P.

Starring: Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville

How to watch: Back to Black opens in theaters May 17.

IF

Having handed off the reigns to A Quiet Place, writer/director John Krasinski has turned his sights to monsters who are less menacing and more whimsical. Krasinski offers a family-friendly adventure about a little girl (Cailey Fleming) who discovers she can see everyone's imaginary friends (IFs for short). See, when we grow up, we can't see our Imaginary Friends any more. But far from the horror scenario of Imaginary, IF offers a story of reclamation, as this little girl could help these lost friends find new buddies. 

Steve Carell, Krasinski's co-star from The Office, is just part of a star-stuffed ensemble lending their voices to a variety of wacky imaginary besties, while Ryan Reynolds plays the IFs' (imaginary friends) ally. — K.P.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, and Steve Carell

How to watch: IF hits theaters May 17.

The Strangers: Chapter 1

They're baaaaaack. The three masked killers who first terrorized Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman in 2008's The Strangers have gotten a remake for the kickoff to a new trilogy. Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez star as a road-tripping couple who hope a rustic cabin will be a great setting for romance. Instead, a home invasion with some very familiar elements turns their night-in into a nightmare.

Renny Harlin, who directed such '90s action romps as Cliffhanger, Cutthroat Island, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and the shark-infested Deep Blue Sea, is set to helm all three chapters of this horror relaunch. So, expect some expanded lore from what little we know about the titular intruders. — K.P.

Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso, Rachel Shenton, Ella Bruccoleri, Ema Horvath, and Richard Brake

How to watch: The Strangers: Chapter 1 hits theaters May 17.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Thanks to the rip-roaring success of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, breakout badass Furiosa is getting her very own spinoff prequel. Fury Road director George Miller is back in the fray for what's sure to be a summer blockbuster, and he's brought along Anya Taylor-Joy to slap on the greasepaint for the starring role. Chris Hemsworth is also on board as the warlord Dementus, bearded and nearly unrecognizable. This saga focuses on Furiosa's early life, after she's kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers but before the events in Fury Road.

It's hard to imagine how Miller might top his last Mad Max epic. But from the trailer, it looks like Furiosa will have action fans feeling very shiny and chrome, indeed.* — K.P.

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Alyla Browne, and Tom Burke

How to watch: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga opens in theaters only nationwide on May 24.

The Garfield Movie

Our favorite feline from the Sunday funnies is returning to the big screen with a new computer-animated adventure from Mark Dindal, of Chicken Little and The Emperor's New Groove acclaim. Chris Pratt makes the leap from The LEGO Movie and The Super Mario. Bros Movie to The Garfield Movie, continuing his tireless campaign at voice-acting domination.

Pratt voices the titular cat as he goes on a wild outdoor adventure with his long-lost dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), a street cat who is even bigger and stripier than our lasagna-loving hero. We also learn about his origin story, which involves a fiasco at an Italian restaurant. Along with riling his owner Jon (Nicholas Hoult) and pestering poor pup Odie (Harvey Guillén), Garfield sets forth on an adventure with Vic that gets him way outside of his comfort zone. We assume hijinks ensue. — K.P.

Starring: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, and Bowen Yang

How to watch: The Garfield Movie opens May 24.

Hit Man

If you loved watching Glen Powell deploy his rom-com chops in Anyone But You (or in 2018's delightful Set It Up), brace yourselves for the charm bomb that is his performance in Hit Man.

Powell co-wrote Hit Man with director Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, Boyhood) in their fourth collaboration. He also stars as Gary Johnson: mild-mannered psychology teacher by day, fake assassin-for-hire by night. Gary takes on these fake hit man personas for sting operations, but when he finds himself catching feelings for Madison (Adria Arjona, Andor), a woman who wants him to kill her husband, he'll have to work overtime to keep his many secret identities in check. What follows is, as Siddhant Adlakha wrote in his Mashable review, "nothing short of a perfect crowd-pleaser." — B.E.

Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Reo, Molly Bernard, and Evan Holtzman

How to watch: Hit Man opens in theaters May 24 and hits Netflix on June 7.

The Dead Don't Hurt

Viggo Mortensen clearly loves Deadwood, because when it came time to cast his Western, The Dead Don't Hurt, he peopled the ensemble cast with the show's stars, including Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, and Ray McKinnon. However, this Wild West set tale of romance and revenge doesn't play like the HBO epic. Mortensen, who also wrote the script, headlines as Danish carpenter Holger Olsen, who finds love with Vivienne Le Coudy, a spirited French immigrant who makes her life on the American plains in the 1860s. But harsh terrain and the lure of war aren't the couple's biggest trouble. That would be a spoiled gunslinger with an eye for Vivienne. 

Following its festival run, The Dead Don't Hurt will come to theaters to offer a character-driven Western that's moving — but not best suited to a date night. — K.P. 

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Vicky Krieps, Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, Ray McKinnon, Solly McLeod, and Danny Huston

How to watch: The Dead Don't Hurt opens in theaters May 31.

Flipside

On its surface, Flipside is about a record store, once important but now quietly dying in relevance and solvency. But on the flipside, this daring documentary is about that jarring time in middle-age when you look back at your life and wonder what happened to you — and those youthful ambitions. 

Documentarian Christopher Wilcha takes a personal approach to art and getting older — or maybe the art of getting older. Tying together a bunch of his abandoned past projects and interviews with luminaries like comedy master Judd Apatow, Deadwood creator David Milch, and fan favorite podcaster Starlee Kine, Wilcha offers a story that is surprising, funny, and thought-provoking. As I wrote in my review out of TIFF, which is quoted in the above trailer, “It's beautiful and inspiring, and it might just spur you into some mind-fucking self-reflection." — K.P. 

Starring: Judd Apatow, David Milch, Starlee Kine, Christopher Wilcha, Ira Glass, Herman Leonard, and Uncle Floyd

How to watch: Flipside opens in theaters May 31.

Jim Henson Idea Man

Who was the man behind the Muppets? Director Ron Howard explores the genius and humanity of Jim Henson in this documentary, which will feature interviews with some of the puppeteer's closest friends and family. Looking back on a legacy that includes The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and much, much more, Jim Henson Idea Man will undoubtedly be a must-see for every Muppet lover. — K.P.

Starring: Jim Henson

How to watch: Jim Henson Idea Man debuts on Disney+ on May 31.

Robot Dreams

Pablo Berger's animated film Robot Dreams promises a heartfelt ride through the power of loneliness and the giddy highs of a new friendship. Even if it's a DIY one. Based on Sara Varon's graphic novel, the dialogue-free film follows Dog, a New Yorker who decides to order a buddy to build — that's Robot. Set in '80s Manhattan, the film weaves the tale of inseparable bond between canine and robot over the summer of a lifetime, through Central Park, the subway, and those unmistakeable streets. — S.C.

Starring: Ivan Labanda, Albert Trifol Segarra, and Rafa Calvo

How to watch: Robot Dreams hits cinemas May 31.

Backspot 

Bring It On, but raise the stakes. The intense world of professional cheerleading lies at the heart of Backspot, the new sports drama from debut director D.W. Waterson, who co-wrote the film with Joanne Sarazen. Reservation Dogs' Devery Jacobs plays Riley, a talented cheerleader who is picked for the all-star squad known as the Thunderhawks along with her girlfriend. Leading the squad is formidable coach Eileen McNamara (Evan Rachel Wood), whose need for perfection clashes with Riley's anxiety. — S.C.

Starring: Devery Jacobs, Evan Rachel Wood, Noa DiBerto, Kudakwashe Rutendo, Thomas Antony Olajide, Oluniké Adeliyi, Wendy Crewson, Shannyn Sossamon, Adrianna Di Liello, and Marlee Sansom.

How to watch: Backspot opens in cinemas May 31.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence first thrilled audiences with their buddy cop action-comedy Bad Boys way back in 1995. This hit and its sequel Bad Boys II were helmed by Michael Bay, and brought with them the action auteur's signature explosive style. In 2020, however, Bay handed over directing duties for Bad Boys for Life to emerging directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. They turned in a threequel that made over $426.5 million at the box office.

Often billed as Adil & Bilall, the pair were set for a super-powered follow-up with a Batgirl movie. But Warner Bros./Max infamously canceled the movie despite it being in post-production, leaving its final cut never to be seen. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is Adil & Bilall's return to theaters, and a backhanded chance to prove to Warner Bros. just what they're missing out on. This go-round, Miami PD detectives Mike and Marcus are out to clear the name of their trusted captain (Joe Pantoliano) when he's posthumously accused of corruption. Naturally, there will be much action and punchlines, hitting hard and hilariously. — K.P.

Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Joe Pantoliano, Tiffany Haddish, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, and Eric Dane

How to watch: Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens in theater June 7.

Cora Bora

One of our faves out of SXSW 2023, Cora Bora stars Hacks scene-stealer Megan Stalter as an aspiring musician whose long-distance relationship is fizzling out. To revive it, she goes back to her hometown to reconnect with her girlfriend (Jojo T. Gibbs). But once there, she must confront some stressful complications, including a new girl in her partner's life.

In our review out of SXSW, I wrote, "On this quest of self-love and reclamation, Cora will fumble into group sex, accidental dognapping, and wonky flirtations with a suspiciously kind while hot stranger (The Good Place's Manny Jacinto). The circumstances are absurd yet familiar, because we all have that friend who can turn a simple errand into major drama. (If you don’t have that friend, I regret to inform you that you may be that friend!) Whatever her wobbles, the film roots for her, even as we may cringe at her catastrophic social interactions." — K.P.

Starring: Megan Stalter, Thomas Mann, Chelsea Peretti, Manny Jacinto, Margaret Cho, and Jojo T. Gibbs

How to watch: Cora Bora opens in theater June 14.

Inside Out 2

In the 2015 hit Inside Out, much Joy and Sadness was explored inside the head of a young girl named Riley who was trying to cope with moving across the country — and the terrible pizza she finds there. Now, the feelings crew is back as Riley hits puberty, and so comes a new array of emotions!

The first teaser introduced Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke (Stranger Things). Then the second trailer (seen above) revealed Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment. As Riley attends a hockey camp and confronts some tough decisions about friends, the old emotions and the new get into a power struggle. And as you might predict, that conflict expresses itself through some emotional meltdowns on Riley's part.

It's OK, girl. We've all been there! And good luck, Riley. As Turning Red showed with its Red Panda plotline, growing up can be a wild ride. — K.P.

Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, and June Squibb

How to watch: Inside Out 2 opens in theaters June 14.

The Watchers

Summer 2024 means family fun — specifically Shyamalan family fun. The Watchers is not only the latest film produced by mind-bending moviemaker M. Night Shyamalan, it's also directed by his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan, who wrote the screenplay, adapted from the A.M. Shine novel. So, we're expecting this horror thriller to get twisted. 

Dakota Fanning stars as Mina, a young woman whose life is derailed when she is stranded in a forest in Ireland. There, she is taken in by a band of humans who live to perform for unseen creatures, the watchers. What they are — even what they look like — is unknown by their captive players. But if Mina wants to escape, she'll need to disrupt this gnarly nightly ritual of voyeurism and torment. — K.P. 

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré

How to watch: The Watchers opens in theaters June 14.

The Bikeriders

If Dune: Part 2 has you yearning for more Austin Butler as a badass fighter, you won't want to miss The Bikeriders. For his latest, writer/director Jeff Nichols — who has delivered such riveting character-focused dramas as Take Shelter, Mud, and Midnight Special — found inspiration in the Danny Lyon photo book The Bikeriders, which captured portraits of a 1960s Chicago-based motorcycle gang.

In the film, Butler stars as a biker named Benny who runs with a gang led by the surly Johnny (Tom Hardy). As teased in the trailer, much of the story's insights come from Benny's best girl, Kathy, played by Killing Eve's Jodie Comer, conquering another tricky accent with aplomb. Together, this ensemble ignites onscreen, bringing to life a time of machismo, rebellion, and fatally impulsive decisions. — K.P.

Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Norman Reedus, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist, and Michael Shannon

How to watch: The Bikeriders opens in theaters June 21.

Fancy Dance Isabel Deroy-Olson and Lily Gladstone star in “Fancy Dance.” Credit: Apple TV+

Following an Oscar-nominated turn in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone stars in Fancy Dance, the directorial debut of Native American filmmaker Erica Tremblay. 

The drama, set on the Seneca–Cayuga Nation Reservation, follows Jax (Gladstone), a woman desperately trying to hold her family together once her sister goes missing. While helping her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) prepare for an upcoming powwow, Jax also seeks to discover what happened to the girl's missing mom. And when Roki's dad (Shea Whigham) threatens to take custody of her, auntie and niece hit the road in search of their missing family member. With rave reviews out of film festivals, Fancy Dance seems sure to be treasured this summer. — K.P. 

Starring: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, and Shea Whigham

How to watch: Fancy Dance opens in theaters June 21; premieres on Apple TV+ June 28.

Janet Planet

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker makes her directorial debut with Janet Planet, a remarkable mother-daughter story.

In the summer of 1991, 11-year-old Lacy (newcomer Zoe Ziegler) observes her mother Janet (Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown) as she connects with boyfriends and old friends. This simple slice of life set-up allows Baker to explore the layers of Lacy and Janet's very close relationship, one that can seem sweet one moment, cloying the next. Boasting Baker's trademark silences and standout performances from Nicholson and Ziegler, Janet Planet's quiet thoughtfulness makes for a nice bit of counterprogramming to summer blockbuster fare. — B.E.

Starring: Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Elias Koteas, Will Patton, and Sophie Okonedo

How to watch: Janet Planet hits theaters June 21.

Kinds of Kindness

Hot off their much acclaimed and Oscar-winning collaboration on Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos and Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone have reteamed for Kinds of Kindness. Honestly, that alone is enough for the Mashable team to be stoked about this one. The cast list (seen below) is just gravy.

But if you want some sense of a plot, here's the official log line:

Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.

— K.P.

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer

How to watch: Kinds of Kindness opens in theaters June 21.

Thelma

Imagine if Mission: Impossible were about a nonagenarian retiree determined to get her stolen money back from a batch of scammers in Los Angeles. The delightful and daffy result is Thelma, in which June Squibb and the late Richard Roundtree dodge concerned family members and aid workers to pursue their destiny! 

In Mashable's review out of Sundance, I wrote, "Following in the footsteps of action-comedies like the sports spoof Shaolin Soccer and the student heist flick Bad Genius, Thelma treats its low stakes with a tongue-in-cheek intensity. Action sequences — like a mobility scooter chase around a retirement home — are less nerve-rattling and more rib-tickling. Remarkably, the joke is never on the old folks at the movie's heart." — K.P.

Starring: June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, and Clark Gregg

How to watch: Thelma opens in theaters June 21.

The Devil's Bath

Austrian filmmaking team Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala first knocked horror fans out with their unforgettably chilling tale of twin terror, 2014's Goodnight Mommy. (Not to be confused with its underwhelming English-language remake!) Afterward, they delved into anthology horror with a vignette in The Field Guide to Evil, then delivered icy frights with The Lodge. Now, well, they have us hooked by the title alone: The Devil's Bath. 

SEE ALSO: Comparing ‘Goodnight Mommy’: remake vs. original

But hey, if you need a plot to get pumped, here goes: A young bride is initially pleased to wed her beloved. But when the reality of the duties of being a rural wife sink in, she feels trapped. Could an act of horrid violence be her only way out? — K.P. 

Starring: Anja Plaschg, Maria Hofstätter, David Scheid, and Natalija Baranova

How to watch: The Devil's Bath hits Shudder June 28.

A Quiet Place: Day One

After the success of A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, the frightening franchise is expanding with this prequel. While director/star of the first two, John Krasinski, has a "story by" writing credit, Day One centers around new characters and has a new writer/director in Michael Sarnoski, who brought us the tense and unique culinary thriller Pig in 2021. 

Bringing together stars from Stranger Things, Hereditary, and Us, this prequel is set in New York City, where the noise-chasing creatures arrival brings absolute havoc. How can anyone survive in this city that never sleeps? We'll find out this summer. — K.P.

Starring: Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Lupita Nyong'o

How to watch: A Quiet Place: Day One opens in theaters June 28.

Gassed Up

The Hard Stop director George Amponsah teams up with writers Archie Maddocks and Taz Skylar for Gassed Up, a London-set crime drama about a group of teens who find themselves turning to robbery. The film hinges on Ash (Boiling Point's Stephen Odubola), who finds his way into a gang run by Dubz (Skylar). It's a means to provide for his younger sister Jas (Rawdat Quadri) as his mother struggles with addiction. But things quickly get more hectic than they began — first stealing smartphones on mopeds but quickly moving up to bigger things. — S.C.

Starring: Stephen Odubola, Taz Skylar, Craige Middleburg, Rawdat Quadri, Mohammed Mansaray, and Tobias Jowett

How to watch: Gassed Up opens in cinemas and VOD June 28.

Horizon: An American Saga

Fresh from the immensely popular Yellowstone series, Kevin Costner's back in the director's chair. Following 2003's Open Range and 1990's Dances with Wolves, Costner's about to launch a two-part Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga. Co-written with Jon Baird, the films are set during a 15-year period that includes pre-and post-Civil War expansion and the settlement of the American West. Notably, this includes the war's impact on Indigenous nations, communities, and families. — S.C.

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Danny Huston, Colin Cunningham, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Georgia MacPhail, Douglas Smith, Luke Wilson, and Isabelle Fuhrman

How to watch: Horizon: An American Saga will be released as two films, the first of which is in cinemas June 28, the second out Aug. 16.

Despicable Me 4

You can't stop the Minions or their extended family. Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage have been part of this franchise in one way or another since the beginning, and now they're co-directors on this fourth installment.

Despicable Me 4 brings the audience back into Gru's house, where he (Steve Carell), his partner Lucy (Kristen Wiig), his adopted daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Skyy Polan), and their lovable Minions are joined by a bouncing baby boy named Gru Jr. But their idyllic life is thrown into chaos when an old enemy resurfaces. Naturally, this will lead to a heist and much hijinks, as well as the age-old battle of baby versus badger. — K.P.

Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Madison Skyy Polan, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, and Steve Coogan

How to watch: Despicable Me 4 opens in theaters July 3.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley returns for the fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, paired with new partner Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). With Axel's daughter in trouble in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the detective calls on some old friends — Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) — for assistance. Directed by Mark Molloy, the film was written by Zack Snyder's Justice League/Aquaman scribe Will Beall with Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten, who wrote The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (which Gormican directed). — S.C.

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, and Kevin Bacon.

How to watch: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F hits Netflix July 3.

MaXXXine

First Ti West and Mia Goth brought us the sexed-up slasher X. Then came their campy prequel, Pearl. Now, the final entry in the X trilogy is going to make summer hotter than ever.

Goth reprises her role as the first movie's sole survivor, Maxine Minx. This time, far away from the blood-soaked Texas farm, this porn starlet is chasing her dreams of fame in Los Angeles. But with the notorious serial killer known as the Night Stalker on the prowl, her brush with brutality is far from over. What fresh hell does West have in store? We can't wait to find out. — K.P.

Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon

How to watch: MaXXXine opens in theaters July 5.

Fly Me to the Moon

Talk about star power! Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum reteam up for Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon), this movie boasts a stellar premise. He's the hard-nosed director of NASA, prepping for the much anticipated launch of Apollo 11. She's a sassy marketing specialist, looking to give the government agency a glow-up — which includes plotting a fake moon landing in case the launch goes sideways. 

With a wonderfully wacky premise, A-list movie stars, and plenty of '60s flare and fashion, Fly Me to the Moon seems to harken back to the winsome rom-coms of Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, and Doris Day. Tatum and Johansson have shown their appreciation for classic Hollywood before in the Coen Bros comedy Hail, Caesar! So, we're confident this romantic reunion will be out of this world. — K.P. 

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Ray Romano, and Woody Harrelson

How to watch: Fly Me to the Moon opens in theaters July 12.

Longlegs

Director Osgood Perkins has brought horror fans such wicked treats as The Blackcoat's Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, and Gretel & Hansel. Next up, he offers Longlegs, a cryptic tale of a serial killer. 

It Follows star Maika Monroe headlines as FBI agent Lee Harker, investigating an unsolved homicide case in 1974. Is the occult involved? Does her past give her a clue to the undiscovered killer? And what role does Nicolas Cage play in all this? We can't wait to find out! — K.P. 

Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, and Blair Underwood

How to watch: Longlegs opens in theaters July 12.

National Anthem Charlie Plummer and Eve Lindley fall in love in "National Anthem." Credit: TIFF

Directed and co-written by Luke Gilford, National Anthem is a tale of queerness in a rural setting. Drawing from his own experiences, Gilford spins a story of a young cowpoke (Charlie Plummer) who is working tirelessly to support his little brother and single mom. But when he comes across a ranch where a chosen family of LGBTQ+ folk aren't just surviving, they're thriving, his eyes are opened to a life-changing romance with a beguiling cowgirl named Sky (Bros' Eve Lindley).

In Mashable's review out of TIFF, I wrote, "Grounded by vulnerable yet effervescent performances, National Anthem is a celebration of rural queerness. It's not a rallying cry, but instead a firm declaration of existence and the pursuit of happiness. Wrapped in the sunny hues of the New Mexican desert and floating on the charisma of a sexy and vulnerable ensemble, this drama charts its own path with clear eyes and queer hearts." — K.P.

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, Mason Alexander Park, Rene Rosado, and Robyn Lively

How to watch: National Anthem opens in theaters July 12. 

Sing Sing

Hot off his Oscar-nomination for Rustin, Colman Domingo returns with Sing Sing, a moving drama based on a true story of men who are incarcerated and found a new lease on life through an in-prison theater program. Director Greg Kwedar explores identity and the healing power of creation with a cast led by Domingo and people who were formerly incarcerated. 

Out of film festivals, Sing Sing has been gathering rave reviews. Siddhant Adlakha wrote for Mashable out of SXSW that the film had a boldly documentary feel and a humane approach, concluding, "Kwedar, through his gentle visual approach, affords each imprisoned character (and formerly imprisoned actor) the room — and just as importantly, the time — to tell their own stories, in ways that cinema seldom does. The result is a heartrending, visually enrapturing balm for the soul." — K.P. 

Starring: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, and Paul Raci

How to watch: Sing Sing opens in select theaters July 12, with a nationwide debut to follow.

Touch

Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur has got serious range. Not only does he helm gripping action movies like the heist hit Contraband and the buddy action-comedy 2 Guns, but also he's brought to the big screen the stranger-than-fiction true story of survival that was Adrift. So, following the Idris Elba-fronted man-versus-lion thriller Beast, it's hard to guess what he might have coming next. But would you have wagered a tender tale of romance and regret?

Based on Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson’s best-selling novel of the same name, Touch centers on Kristofer, an Icelandic man who once found love with a Japanese woman named Miko in 1960s London. Decades later, he looks to reconnect with this lost love, setting forth on a new adventure while reflecting on his past. As some in the trailer asks bluntly: What if he can’t find her? Oh. But what if he can?! — K.P.

Starring: Egill Ólafsson, Kōki, Pálmi Kormákur, Masahiro Motoki, Yoko Narahashi, Meg Kubota, Tatsuya Tagawa, Charles Nishikawa, Sigurður Ingvarsson, Benedikt Erlingsson, Kieran Buckeridge, Ruth Sheen, María Ellingsen, and Masatoshi Nakamura

How to watch: Touch opens in theaters July 12.

Twisters

Back in 1996, audiences went wild for the cow-flinging disaster movie Twister. Now, 28 years later, Warner Bros. is stirring up a franchise with this standalone sequel helmed by Lee Isaac Chung, who won critical praise and an Oscar nod for his semi-autobiographical family drama Minari.

As a powerful tornado threatens to touch down, a squad of storm chasers ready for action. The first trailer teases a look at the weather-centered drama, a windstorm romance, and a star-studded cast led by Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones and Hit Man's Glen Powell. But that's not all. As the title teases, this isn't just one twister. As one excitable adventurer cries in the above trailer, "We've got twins! TWINS!" — K.P.

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Katy O'Brian, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, and Nik Dodani

How to watch: Twisters opens in theaters July 19.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Who would have ever thunk watching the detested X-Men Origins: Wolverine that Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds would once more reprise these roles together? After a pair of successful R-rated Deadpool movies, Marvel is risking this gambit for a team-up that's sure to be absolutely outrageous.

SEE ALSO: 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Super Bowl trailer promises to save the MCU

The teaser for this new adventure shows Wade surrounded by loved ones (and familiar faces) when trouble comes literally knocking at his door. Now officially a Disney character, Deadpool has come to be — uh — "Marvel Jesus" and save us from superhero fatigue. How does that connect to Wolverine? Hard to say at this point! But Reynolds has been having a blast online sharing cheeky "leaked" photos from set. Sure, they're fake, but they suggest that the irreverent fun of previous Deadpool movies is going strong in this one too. — K.P.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, Karan Soni, Emma Corrin, and Jennifer Garner

How to watch: Deadpool & Wolverine opens in theaters July 26.

Kneecap Credit: Obscured Pictures

Winner of the NEXT audience award out of Sundance 2024, Kneecap is a raucous comedy that unfurls the stranger-than-fiction origins of the Irish hip-hop band for which it's named. 

Big picture: the Belfast band Kneecap was coming up as the debate around their mother tongue was becoming a hot topic. Their rap lyrics, which integrated English and Irish with a flurry of curse words and references to sex and hard drugs, became an unexpected point of pride for the "ceasefire babies." But don't let the political element of this movie fool you. In his directorial debut, writer/helmer Richard Peppiatt brings early Guy Ritchie energy (think Lock, Stock, and Two Smokin' Barrels) to his high-energy romp. Even more compelling, band members Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí play themselves in the film, and do a bang-up job — even when appearing opposite a sneering Michael Fassbender as a tough-as-nails dad. Trust us: this one rocks.* — K.P. 

Starring: Naoise Ó Cairealláin ("Móglaí Bap"), Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh ("Mo Chara"), JJ Ó Dochartaigh ("DJ Provaí"), Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds, Adam Best, Simone Kirby, and Michael Fassbender

How to watch: Kneecap opens in theaters Aug. 2.

Borderlands

For those who love the action role-playing video game, which has gained fans for its addictive loot-and-shoot missions, the Borderlands movie promises to be a giddy celebration of violence and spectacle. For those who are new to this world of alien monsters, eccentric bandits, and unchecked mayhem, it seems the stuff of a Hollywood Mad Libs.

Two-time Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett teams up with 13-time Teen Choice Award nominee Jack Black and gory horror director Eli Roth for this riotous video game adaptation. In the film, Blanchett stars as a flame-haired bounty hunter named Lilith whose latest gig is finding the daughter of an infamous outlaw. Unfortunately, this requires her to return to Pandora, "the most chaotic planet in the galaxy." Jack Black voices Claptrap, an absurd robot sidekick from the game. And it just gets weirder from there.

With a trailer full of color, attitude, and Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, Borderlands is looking to deliver a bombastic popcorn movie this summer. — K.P.

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Olivier Richters, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gina Gershon, Ariana Greenblatt, Edgar Ramirez, Bobby Lee, and Cheyenne Jackson

How to watch: Borderlands opens in theaters Aug. 9. 

Cuckoo

Body horror, an isolated mountain resort, and Euphoria's Hunter Schafer in full scream queen mode? Say no more, Cuckoo. I'm hooked.

Director Tilman Singer's upcoming horror film stars Schafer as Gretchen, a moody teenager on a family trip to a mysterious resort in the German Alps. The strange owner (Dan Stevens, Abigail) hooks her up with a receptionist job to pass the time, but it's not long before strange things begin to go bump in the night. Chilling screeches erupt from the nearby forest, and a red-eyed woman chases Gretchen — what sinister secrets could this resort be hiding? — B.E.

Starring: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, and Jessica Henwick

How to watch: Cuckoo opens in theaters Aug. 9.

Trap

M. Night Shyamalan, who brought us such dark thrills as The Sixth Sense, Signs, and Knock at the Cabin, returns with Trap. And he's bringing terror to a frenzied space. With Beyoncé's Renaissance tour and Taylor Swift's Eras tour, parents around the world scrounged up big bucks to treat their daughters to a show-stopping concert they'd never forget.

This is what one devoted dad (Josh Hartnett) is looking to do when he brings his rosy-cheeked daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to see her fave performer, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan — M. Night's real-life daughter!). But something sketchy is going on behind-the-scenes as security is out in force and police seem to be congregating. Turns out, the cops got a tip that the on-the-loose serial killer "The Butcher" is at this concert, and they've set a trap to catch him. Where some filmmakers might center on a panicked dad looking to keep his kid safe from a known murderer, the trailer for Trap suggests this dear ol' dad is that killer. But with Shyamalan pulling writing and directing duties, we're assuming there's more than meets the eye here. — K.P. 

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, and Hayley Mills

How to watch: Trap opens in theaters Aug. 9.

Alien: Romulus

It's a face-hugging, chest-bursting kind of summer, because we're getting a new film in the Alien franchise.

Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez (Don't Breathe), promises another tale of spacefarers versus Xenomorphs. This time, we're tagging along with a group of young space colonizers as they undertake a scavenging mission on an abandoned space station. Only it may not be quite as abandoned as they thought! The film's trailer teases plenty of alien encounters, not to mention star Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War) embracing her inner Ripley. Bring it on (and be sure to keep your mouth shut around any face huggers you may meet). — B.E.

Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu

How to watch: Alien: Romulus opens in theaters Aug. 16.

Close to You Elliot Page stars in "Close to You." Credit: Greenwich Entertainment

Elliot Page headlines and produced this family drama, in which he plays a trans man returning to his hometown after years of estrangement from his family. Page is also credited as a co-writer alongside Close to You's director Dominic Savage. However, as our review out of the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival noted, the movie is largely improvised, boasting an ambitious 53-minute take that was considerably cut down to fit into the frictional story of a fractured family reunion. While the drama is raw and the intimacy admirable, the lack of structure and script can make for a very uneven viewing experience.

Still, fans of Page will be at rapt attention. — K.P.

Starring: Elliot Page, Hillary Baack, Andrew Bushell, Daniel Maslany, and Wendy Crewson

How to watch: Close to You opens in theaters Aug. 16. 

The Crow

It's been 30 years since The Crow awed audiences with its stirring tale of love and revenge — and an absolutely epic soundtrack. This summer, Eric Draven returns in this curious reboot, with Bill Skarsgård donning the iconic black-and-white face paint for his performance as the murdered rocker returning to wreak havoc on those who killed him and his beloved Shelly (FKA twigs).

Director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman, Ghost in the Shell) will be bringing a different spin to the source material, James O'Barr's cult-adored comics. Could this resurrect a franchise that's already boasted a string of sequels and a short-lived Canadian TV series? We'll find out this summer. — K.P.

Starring: Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs, and Danny Huston

How to watch: The Crow opens in theaters Aug. 23.

Kraven the Hunter

When the trailer for this Spider-Man spinoff hit last summer, we were quick to rejoice. Where the MCU has been wallowing in grief post-Snap and the DCEU got bogged down in dramas onscreen and scandals off, Sony was chasing the weird spirit behind the Venom movies with this story about an animalistic anti-hero who oozes sex appeal and rips off his foe's noses without blinking an eye. And we've been stoked to see it since then, even though it got bumped nearly a full calendar year without explanation.

Sure, Madame Web (another Spidey spin-off) got thrashed in theaters and online. But hey, it was better than Morbius. So even with this delayed release, we're cautiously optimistic. — K.P.

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, and Christopher Abbott

How to watch: Kraven the Hunter opens in theaters Aug. 30. 

Oddity Credit: Shudder

One of our favorites out of SXSW 2024, Oddity is an Irish horror film from emerging auteur Damian McCarthy, who gave us the terrifically creepy 2021 movie Caveat. This follow-up, which seems set in the same sinister world, begins with an impossible predicament: Stay in a home where an intruder may lurk or flee with a stranger who came knocking at night. 

Combining elements of ghosts, slashers, witchcraft, folk horror, and psychological thriller, Oddity gives viewers plenty of scares. As I wrote in my review, "McCarthy takes each of these elements and uses them as a hue in his distinctive palette of horror. He blends them beautifully and harrowingly, pulling us in with their mystique and making us howl with their darkest revelations." — K.P. 

Starring: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, and Caroline Menton

How to watch: Oddity opens in theaters in August.

* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list. 

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 26 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 26

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, April 26, 2024:

AcrossImperfection in a diamond

• The answer is flaw.

Bit of cheek makeup

• The answer is blush.

Tall and lean

• The answer is urges.

Compulsions

• The answer is lanky.

Something shared by wetlands and woodwinds

• The answer is reed.

DownRoadside emergency marker

The answer is flare.

Glute-strengthening exercise

• The answer is lunge.

The "A" of FAQ

• The answer is asked.

Fundamental reasons

• The answer is why's.

Zoom call effect for a distracting background

• The answer is blur.

Google offers a range of productivity products, across Drive, Gmail, and Photos, and with all of it, storage is a consideration. Every Google account hands users 15 gigabytes of free cloud storage across these products, but for many, this isn't enough.

Enter Google One, the company's subscription cloud storage service. Here's a guide to the service and how it works.

SEE ALSO: How to turn on 3D buildings in Google Maps navigation What is Google One?

Google One is a cloud storage service that offers different tiered membership plans for monthly fees. The service can be used for Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

There are other benefits to the service, including photo effects, discounts on Google products, and access to Google experts for various tech questions. Certain plans also now offer access to Google's AI tool.

How is it different to Drive?

While Google Drive offers free storage to users, Google One replaced Drive's storage plans back in 2018. Drive is now a place exclusively for files and documents. One is a subscription service.

How much does Google One cost?

Google One offers various membership plans.

• 100-GB Basic Plan: For $2 per month or $20 per year (£1.59 or £16 in the UK)

• 200-GB Standard Plan: For $3 per month or $30 per year (£2.49 or £25 in the UK)

• 2-TB Premium Plan: For $10 per month or $100 per year (£8 or £80 in the UK)

• 2-TB AI Premium Plan: For $20 per month (£19 in the UK)

For every plan, starting from the Basic tier, family-sharing is allowed for up to five people.

Tiers vary after that, with the 2TB Premium Plan, for example, offering Google Workspace benefits. The AI-Premium plan, meanwhile, offers all Premium benefits alongside AI-powered products: Gemini Advanced, and Gemini integration into Gmail and Docs.

There are other plan options with increased storage, but as Wired points out, it is unlikely that 2TB won't be enough.

• 5TB: $25 per month or $250 per year (£20 or £200 in the UK)

• 10TB: $50 per month (£40 in the UK).

• 20TB: $100 per month (£80 in the UK).

• 30TB: $150 per month (£120 in the UK)

How do you sign up Google One?

Head over to Google One and sign up using your Google login. From there, you can choose your preferred membership plan.

The eternal fight between light and dark may have just ended, and darkness won. At least on Android.

According to Android Authority, there's a hidden setting in an Android 14 beta that was released in January, allowing you to "make all apps dark."

Yes, this means users should be able to force all apps into dark mode, even those which don't natively support it, thus making the darkening of their Android phones complete. As a long-time dark mode connoisseur, I use it whenever possible, and I avert my eyes in pain from any app that blinds me with anything lighter than a very dark grey.

The setting, which resides in Settings -> System -> Developer option, is described as follows: "Applies to apps without their own dark theme. Some apps may have display issues, like inverted colors."

This is similar to an existing developer option that also applies a dark theme to all apps, but developers can opt out of that one. Likewise, there's an option to invert colors in the Accessibility settings, but that one often has odd results.

The new setting looks to be something intended for users, not developers, and it has better results, though according to Android Authority, which has a gallery of apps with forcefully applied dark mode, it's still not perfect.

SEE ALSO: Android 15: The tech used for Google Pay may be used to charge your devices

The feature isn't available in the latest Android 15 beta, but it's likely to show up in a future release, possibly during Google I/O 2024, scheduled for May 14.

Threads, which is growing in numbers, is expanding on its features too.

The app, flagged as a rival of X (Twitter) since it launched, has announced an elevated "hidden words" feature. Previously, the feature allowed people to filter out "unwanted content" from replies on Threads. But now, users can filter out words, phrases, and even emoji from their feeds.

These will then be automatically muted across Threads – from both "following" and "for you" feeds, in addition to search results, replies to posts, and profiles.

Post by @mosseri View on Threads

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update on Threads, writing, "I hope these features give you more control over your experience on Threads and help keep it a place for positive conversation."

Mosseri also teased forthcoming updates to the app, which is currently being tested: controlling who can quote reply to posts on Threads, and the ability to mute notifications on posts.

These guardrails are important for any wide-reaching social networking app. Threads has already struggled with a hate-speech problem, including allegedly rampant transphobic, Islamophobic and anti-abortion posts on the app. The Meta-owned app has launched its own fact-checkers to combat issues like misinformation, and it seems like their latest updates are also an effort to give Threads users a more positive experience.

Threads has generally been playing around with how people view content on the platform, with a recently-launched trending topics feature, for instance. Still, chronological search results – a highly-request update – won't be coming to the app anytime soon.

Acerbic and bleakly funny, Joanna Arnow's feature debut is as intentionally awkward and opaque as its mouthful of a title: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. At once overstated in its dialogue and restrained in its visual style, it follows a thirty-something Brooklyn woman through a series of sexual encounters and situationships, as she tries to find what satisfies her — in bed, and in life.

The film's withholding nature makes for a perfect handshake with its glum protagonist — played by Arnow herself — whose disconnect from the world around her motivates amusing aesthetic turns. Tonally, it's a work that consistently simmers on a medium flame, underscored by a purposeful sense of millennial dissatisfaction.

SEE ALSO: 'Big Mood' review: A brilliant dramedy that captures friendship and mental health in all its messiness

It's also incredibly frank with its depictions of kink and sexuality. It presents physical intimacy as an act so casual — even unremarkable — that its sex scenes and plentiful, full-frontal nudity harbor not even an ounce of trepidation or shame. The result is a relaxing, remarkably self-assured film about uncertainty.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures What is The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed about?

The film opens with Ann (Arnow), a mostly quiet and assuming woman, lying naked in bed with Allen (Scott Cohen), an older man she's been involved with for a decade. Despite the longevity of their affair, she hasn't found the right sexual rhythm with him, or a rhythm of any sort. Their conversations are brief and blunt, and while their sexual escapades involve experimental powerplay and complicated instructions, nothing he does seems to work for her.

Ann has a vague idea of what she wants — to be dominated with passion — but specificity, and being brought to orgasm by a sexual partner, always seem to elude her. This lack of spark and excitement bleeds into her everyday interactions, whether with her coworkers at her mundane office job, or her overbearing Jewish family, with whom she doesn't really click. She doesn't talk as much as they do, nor does she seem to really listen (a flaw of which she subtly accuses Allen without recognizing it in herself).

Across the film's 87 minutes — divided into 5 chapters, whose names become a running gag — she begins seeing numerous different partners in an effort to find a new "master," each more neurotic than the last, until she finds a man with whom she's comfortable. Along the way, she becomes a willing participant in various humiliation rituals, sexual encounters the movie mirrors with her attempts to reconnect with her much more outgoing and well-adjusted older sister. In either case, something's missing, and until she finds what that is, The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed takes on a languid appearance, with filmmaking and comic timing that verge on the absurd.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow's filmmaking is precise and absurd

Nearly the entire movie is filmed at a distance, using carefully crafted long and medium shots that capture Ann's movement within space. The camera almost never moves, allowing life — in all its idiosyncratic hues — to play out uninterrupted.

Arnow, who also wrote and edited the film, proves herself a singular voice with the way she crafts each scene: purposefully and unconventionally. Whether a mechanical sex scene, or an equally humdrum conversation, she drops the audience in the middle of ongoing physical, verbal and emotional transitions, and cuts away as soon the central point of a scene — its emotional essence — has come to the fore.

This gives the film a feeling of weightlessness despite its gloomy tone, as though it were a stone casually skipping across a pond. Few debut features have been this downright easy to watch, welcoming viewers with open arms into Arnow's world of sexual self-discovery, in which she spends nearly every scene completely naked.

There isn't a wide range of emotional or aesthetic contrast from start to finish, though that's sort of the point. However, when Ann's rut becomes more intense and inescapable, the film too begins to feel like a ticking clock, going back and forth between sex scenes, work conversations, and uneventful family dinners faster and faster, as though they were fleeting obligations.

But when Ann finally meets Chris (Babak Tafti), a sweet man who doesn't quite share the same sexual interests, but is much more interested in her as a person, the film finally switches gears, albeit ever so slightly. It seems to gain its missing spark in the form of establishing shots of the bustling city, the occasional close-up, and dialogue that sounds at least partially (if not fully) engaged, rather than the monotone delivery that has defined each interaction thus far.

It's hardly the kind of movie where time stands still, or where its quiet absurdism gives way to some euphoric formal sweep. But there's a noticeable enough injection of energy, when Ann and Chris connect, that it introduces the possibility of some phantom happiness — not necessarily within immediate reach, but somewhere on the horizon.

A major reason this transition works, however, is the film's performances, which Arnow both leads and directs with clear-cut vision akin to Greek Weird Wave virtuosos like Christos Nikou and Yorgos Lanthimos.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow delivers a fine-tuned, vulnerable performance

As Ann, Arnow turns inward, playing each emotion close to her naked chest, and burying it under the kind of uncertainty that has festered so long that it's become an unremarkable equilibrium. Though she didn't originally write the role for herself, it's hard to imagine anyone else embodying it so completely, with a sense of complete physical comfort in front of the camera, and a commitment to the kind of laconic line delivery that runs the risk of feeling robotic.

The film's performances, across the board, often ride all the way up to that line, with awkward spoken dialogue that lack contractions or colloquialisms, but are imbued with sharp intention. The silent gaps between each line result in scenes feeling as though they've been sapped of all urgency and passion, leaving behind a depressed husk of a woman who drifts between work and home and family, in search of some missing part of herself.

When she finally seems to find this missing piece, Arnow's performance (along with Tafti's) is ever-so-subtly modulated in tone. Ann and Chris, unlike so many other characters in the film, feel engaged — with each other, and with their surroundings — and fill the silences not with animus, but with a subtle sense of comfort and contentment. It's a wry film about little victories, told through a brusque tale of sexual experimentation, and finding oneself incrementally through the fog of daily existence.

How to watch: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is in theatres from April 26.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is on sale for £48.51, saving you 80% on list price.

Headway Premium is a mobile app that provides fun and easy self-growth within 15-minute bite-sized nonfiction book summaries. Now you can get a lifetime of advice with Headway Premium for just £48.51 for a limited time.

Unfortunately, many people are caught up in busy lives, and making time to sit down and read a 300-page book may not be realistic for some of us. That’s where Headway comes in. You’ll gain access to a library of insight with over 1,5000 summaries and up to 50 new summaries added each month to help you streamline your learning process and become better with every read. From personal development and health insights to business strategies, Headway has a world of knowledge right at your fingertips.

If you’re unsure of where to begin, that’s okay. Headway offers a customised approach to learning, picking content according to your specific goals and needs. It also provides thousands of bite-sized actionable insights and tips to help you progress in your 2024 goals, whatever they may be. The Headway app helps users worldwide feel motivated, learn, and do more by making it easy to track your progress, collect achievements, and get positive reinforcement to keep you motivated all year long.

With over 15 million downloads worldwide, Headway has been recognised as App of the Day on the U.S. App Store four times in a row and Apple Editors’ Choice. 

Create a sustainable self-growth habit in a format that works best for you. Watch, listen, and read your way to self-improvement with a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium for only £48.51.

Opens in a new window Credit: Headway Premium Headway Premium (Lifetime Subscription) £48.51 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 IPL season is in full swing, and as we approach the fourth week of matches, who's next in line?

Cricket enthusiasts will be eagerly awaiting the next fixture as the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will soon take to the pitch. Fans can expect to see players such as Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan in the lineup for the 42nd match of the season.

Hooked on the action? Don't worry, you can watch all the IPL games including Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free from anywhere in the world. Keep reading to find out how.

When is Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings?

Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings starts at 3 p.m. BST on April 26. This fixture will be played at the Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, India.

How to watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free

JioCinema is giving you the chance to live stream every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app, for free.

JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but by using a VPN, you can bypass this geo-restriction. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in India

4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

5. Watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) Learn More

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By utilizing these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without parting with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch your favorite IPL fixtures for free.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including India

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We'll let you in on a little secret: MotoGP is where the really fun racing can be found. Sure, F1 gets most of the attention. But MotoGP is far less predictable and a whole lot more fun. If you're into watching extremely talented riders constantly swapping positions on very fast bikes, you should check out MotoGP.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix?

The MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix takes place at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto. The 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix race starts at 8 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. BST on April 28.

How to watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free

Every MotoGP 2024 race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking free streaming platforms like ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Real Madrid haven't been officially confirmed as La Liga champions just yet, but a few more wins should do the job. Next up for Carlo Ancelotti's side is a trip to San Sebastián to play Real Sociedad. It's not going to be an easy game, but any team with Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kroos, and so many more stars will always be favorites.

If you want to watch Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid?

Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on April 26. This fixture takes place at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián, Spain.

How to watch Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free

Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid will be broadcast live on ITV4, with free live streaming available on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK. This process makes it look like you're connecting from the UK, so you can access ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga for free with ExpressVPN.

Shopping and sex toys. Those are two distinct avenues of pleasure that don't always go hand-in-hand. For starters, there's a massive embarrassment factor when shopping for sex toys. Which is why it's probably easier to buy your sex toys online, where it's much easier to stay anonymous. Thanks to Amazon then — a one-stop shop whether you're buying books, toys, clothes, or a mega-powered rabbit vibrator.

Indeed, there are stacks of options on Amazon for solo play, couples, long-distance love, and everything else. And, as you can probably imagine, these sex toys come in every size, shape, and style possible. But where do you start? Right here, that's where.

In other words, we've tried to take the stress out of sex toy shopping by researching the Amazon listings and reading a whole lot of reviews. With this wealth of knowledge, we've attempted to answer some of the most important questions you should ask yourself before beginning the purchasing process.

What are the benefits of using sex toys?

Sex toys are for everyone. Whether you're avoiding the dating scene and focusing on yourself, looking for something to spice up things with your partner, or simply looking for some fun. Sex toys can help. There's a massive range of plugs, vibrators, rabbits, rings, and much more out there to satisfy every need and desire.

According to research published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 36% of women require sustained clitoral stimulation to orgasm. This means a sex toy may be the difference between an unfulfilled and satisfactory sex life.

Also, there are plenty of devices that can help with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. What we're saying is that while we shouldn't forget that sex toys are primarily designed for fun, they can also provide serious benefits to sexual health.

How do you choose a sex toy?

Shopping for a sex toy is not a task to take lightly. You’re buying something that’ll go inside, around, and on your most intimate bits. You should always do your homework before investing in anything. Start by keeping the following factors in mind:

• Power supply — It's important to be aware of whether your sex toy of choice is battery powered or USB rechargeable. Both options are good for portability, but the latter saves you the hassle of stocking up on batteries.

• Price — There is something for every budget out there, with budget-friendly sex toys and premium models to consider. You just need to find something that performs where it counts without breaking the bank.

• Sound — This goes without saying, but you should think about how much noise your sex toy is going to make, especially if you live with family or friends. We don't want any embarrassing moments because your new toy can be clearly heard through the walls.

• Type — There are a lot of options out there, with everything from rabbits to bullet vibrators to consider. The wealth of options can be intimidating, so it's best to start off by thinking about what turns you or your partner on. It's not complicated.

• Water resistance — If you're hoping to use your sex toy in the shower or bath, you'll need to find something that is waterproof. Fortunately, there are plenty of options.

Keep these factors in mind when shopping around for your next sex toy.

What is the best sex toy?

We’re not here to tell you which sex toy should be at the top of your list. Instead, we’re here to lend a helping hand, so to speak. To make your life even easier, all of these sex toys are available on Amazon.

These are the best sex toys in 2024.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for April 26's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Self-obsessed.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #1042 is...

VAPID.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for April 26's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Stuffy Downton Abbey vibes

• Green: Nautre's skin toner

• Blue: Heart to heart

• Purple: Words that are also numbers

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Refined Sensibility

• Green: Catch Some Rays

• Blue: Emotionally Sway

• Purple: Numbers with First Letters Replaced by "S"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #320 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Refined Sensibility: ELEGANCE, GRACE, STYLE, TASTE

• Catch Some Rays: BAKE, BASK, SUN, TAN

• Emotionally Sway: AFFECT, IMPACT, MOVE, TOUCH

• Numbers with First Letters Replaced by "S": SEN, SIGHT, SINE, SOUR

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

People usually want to make sure their iPhones and other Apple devices are extremely easy to find should they ever get misplaced.

But the Find My iPhone feature isn't always for everyone, and you might want to turn it off.

Find My iPhone is Apple's way of helping you locate your lost or misplaced phone, even if the device is offline. (Huge!) By accessing the Find My feature in Settings, using the Find My app, or using Find My on iCloud.com, you can find your lost or misplaced devices and easily share locations with friends and family members.

There are clear benefits to utilizing the technologically advanced feature, but if you're concerned about privacy and location sharing, are getting rid of your phone, or want to disable the feature for whatever reason, you can easily turn it off. As Apple notes, just keep in mind that when Find My iPhone is disabled, you'll no longer be able to use it to locate, lock, or erase your device.

If you're set in your decision and want to temporarily (or permanently) disable Find My iPhone, here's how to do so.

1. Locate "Find My" in your phone's settings

Before you can turn off Find My iPhone, you'll need to locate Find My on your phone. You can do this by making your way to "Settings," clicking on your name and selecting the "Find My" option.

Click, click, click. Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 2. Click "Find My iPhone" to turn off individual features

Once you've selected "Find My," you'll have the ability to disable "Find My iPhone" and "Find My Network" by switching their corresponding toggles from green to gray. Gray means you have turned off the Find My features.

If you're still curious, you can learn more about the Find My feature and related privacy perks by selecting the blue "About Find My & Privacy..." link located under "Find My iPhone."

If you've decided you do want to turn off Find My iPhone, once you tap the toggle you'll be asked to input your Apple ID password for safety reasons. Before you can turn off Find My network, you'll also be asked if you really want to lose the ability to find your device when it's not connected to WiFi or cellular. From there, you should have successfully turned off the Find My features selected.

How to find "Find My" Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple

This turn-off method should work on any device using iOS 13 or later. But if your device is on iOS 12 or earlier, you'll go to Settings, click your name, then select "iCloud." There, you'll be able to turn off Find My after entering your Apple ID password.

3. Turn off "Find My" by disabling iCloud

Another way to turn off the Find My feature is by turning off iCloud. You can do this by going to Settings, clicking your name, and selecting "iCloud." Then, switch the toggles for all iCloud features from on (green) to off (gray). This method turns off Find My features in one fell swoop by turning off all iCloud features.

Individually turn off iCloud settings. Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 4. Permanently turn off "Find My" for a device

Let's say you got a new phone, traded in your old one, or gave it to a pal. Whatever the scenario may be, the point is, that you no longer need to keep tabs on that particular device. If that's the case, you'll want to turn off Find My and remove the phone from your Devices list. (When this happens, Activation Lock is also disabled.)

If you want to permanently turn off Find My for your phone, you can head to iCloud.com and remove it using your account. You can also search for the app by typing "Find My" into your phone's search bar. Select the app, click "Devices," tap the device you want to remove and click "Erase This Device." Then, say farewell to your old friend.

Time to open the Find My app Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 5. Turning off "Find My" on an iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product

If you're reading this article, you're likely searching for ways to turn off Find My on an iPhone, but have you considered disabling the feature on your other devices as well? Here's a rundown on how to disable Find My on your iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product:

Disabling "Find My" on an iPad or iPod Touch

• If you're ever looking to turn off Find My on an iPad or iPod Touch, we've got great news: The instructions are the same as they are for the iPhone, so you're already a pro.

Disabling "Find My" on a Mac

• To turn off Find My on your Mac you'll need to navigate to the trusty Apple menu in the upper lefthand corner of your screen. If you have macOS 10.15 or later select System Preferences, click your Apple ID, select "iCloud," and unselect "Find My Mac." (If you have macOS 10.14 or earlier, you'll just click "iCloud," then deselect "Find My Mac.")

Apple has more info on turning off Find My on devices such as an Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats products.

Related Video: 5 game-changing iPhone hacks for 2021

The grind never stops for rapper I.M, who is currently preparing for a summer tour across Europe, the U.S., and Asia by beating the hell out of his abs. "[When working out] I usually separate my body into chest, back, shoulder, arm, [and] legs," he says over a Zoom call from Seoul. "But I do abs every day."

As a member of the K-pop group Monsta X, I.M paired this physical brawn with lyrical machismo. But as a solo artist, I.M's music is more like his mind: introspective with a melancholic yearning. His new EP, "Off the Beat," is as ruminative as ever; lead single "Lure" loops through a one-sided conversation with a paramour about going public.

We asked I.M to get out of his head for a bit and tell us about what he likes listening to and watching online when he's not making music.

1. Ty Dolla $ign - "Zaddy" [Music Video]

I.M: "Zaddy" is one of my favorite songs of Ty's, and when I have to test my audio — my headphones, my big speakers — I test with this song because the bass is dope.

Mashable: You know what zaddy means, right?

I don't know what the song means. I just like the vibe. I don't know what zaddy means.

I think I have seen fans call you "zaddy."

Oh, it means "daddy," right?

Yeah, but like cooler and younger.

Is it OK to take it as a compliment?

Yeah, for sure.

OK, I'm zaddy! [laughs]

What other artists have you been listening to?

Chase Shakur and RAAHiiM. And of course, Bryson Tiller. He's my favorite. And Solomon. They make the same kind of music as I do — chill R&B, a bit of a sticky, sexy vibe.

How would you describe a sticky sound?

When you listen to a really original, classic [piece of] music, do you feel like it's sticky? It's kind of like the vibe of a song. Do you nod? When you listen to a rock song, you swing your head like this [moves head up and down]. But when you're listening to R&B, your vibe is more like [moves head slowly to a beat]. It's like the groove.

2. LET ME KNOW - "偽愛とハイボール (Love and Highball)"

I found this band on Instagram, I was scrolling, and I heard the song and was like, "Damn, they're good." It's a different vibe from what I've listened to before. The genre is city pop, I think. It felt quite fresh when I heard it.

How often do you discover new music like that?

I don't dedicate time to it because when you play a song [on Spotify] it plays more songs with a similar vibe. I need ideas, new things, and fresh air, and Spotify gives me those suggestions. I listen to their curated playlists a lot, too.

3. League of Legends gameplay videos from 롤박사 해도리

I play League whenever I have time after work. I started playing in quarantine, in 2021 or 2022. You play with a random team, and sometimes I play with my friends if they're online. If they're offline, I play by myself. I like playing games, but I'm not a gamer. A gamer is, like, addicted to games.

Gamers have a chair and lights and the whole setup.

Of course, I have a chair, but it's for my back.

It's a gaming chair, but you use it for your back?

It's an office chair. I use it for my health.

What other games do you play?

Nothing else, just League. You can assume a character's personality with your playing style, and every single tiny movement is really meaningful. [Laughs] Ah man, I sound like a gamer. I play as Kindred, a wolf trained in archery. That character gives life and death. And if you're really good at that character, it's easy to carry the game. You become important, the MVP, and can face five versus one. When you kill someone, you get a "stack" that gives you more power. As that stack grows, you get super strong. My lane is "jungle," so I needed to find a jungle character.

Your lane?

Yeah, my lane. There are five lanes inside the game: top middle, jungle, ADC, and support. After I took some time to understand the game, I chose jungle because it's complicated. You need lots of knowledge, and you have to come up with lots of strategies inside your head. I hate when I'm bad when I play the game, so I go back to the moments that I was bad and try to figure out what I could have done to fix it.

The game reflects my personality. If you're greedy in the game, it can be a mistake. It can cause lots of death and cause your team's death, too. So balancing my greed with [other elements of my] personality allows us to win the game. How you control your character inside the game is an extension of your personality outside the game.

4. Spaceman

This is a movie I recently watched about a guy who goes to space and is visited by an extraterrestrial creature in the shape of a spider.

When the spider came out, the visual of that was quite disgusting. But the things he said were so straightforward. There was a line, "Listen to the silence," that punched my heart. It's kind of a weird sentence, "Listen to the silence," because silence is not a noise. Silence happens when you don't realize it, and it's like, "Oh, it's quiet." That line was huge for me. To me, it means, "You need to slow down and be thankful."

5. 미국 근본의 맛 ("A taste of American roots") @dudely_08

I watch this kind of content to kill time. I don't like aggressive, intense videos. I like to watch things that don't mess with my vibe. Sometimes I have to watch my diet [for work] and can't eat a lot, so I try and satisfy [my appetite] with videos. I don't like traditional mukbangs where people sit and eat. This guy is different; he reviews the food, the view, and the presentation.

In general, I'm not really that greedy about eating food, it's just something I need to live. I enjoy eating, but the process of it all— choosing from a menu, for example — is stressful to me. So I'd be fine if someone were to choose something for me [to eat], but I'd hope it'd be delicious.

What else do you do to chill out?

Sometimes when I'm really exhausted, I listen to a song with no lyrics, just instrumentals. Because if there is something to think about, my brain tries to keep working. So [I listen to] jazz music and drink some whiskey. Every alcohol has a different kind of vibe. Whiskey can feel very lonely, and it's easy to get drunk on. But beer is quite light and easy to drink, so I drink that when playing League. It fits the game.

You said earlier that League is a balancing exercise for you between your needs and the needs of the team. Does that apply to your real life?

I'm not trying to fool myself about who I really am. I love everything I do on my own, and I love being with my Monsta X team. So balance isn't that important or that hard because I love every moment when I'm doing music. I try to do my best in every moment but it's important to face reality and acknowledge what you're capable of doing 100 percent. I'm not really a positive guy, but I do my best to not waste an opportunity and to face challenges when I can.