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Cowabunga, dudes and dudettes! Let's slide on our favorite scrunchies and some totally tubular leg warmers and, like, head to the mall to veg out with a new movie! 

Oh, wait. All of the malls are now decrepit shells where only the rats live? That's not so cowabunga. Well, we'll make due with this bitchin' list of movies from the 1980s that can currently be found on streaming. Just don't forget those leg warmers. They always come in handy. 

1. The Breakfast Club Credit: Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock

As Andrew McCarthy's recent documentary Brats (now streaming on Hulu) made extremely clear, you can't make a list of 1980s movies without including ones that star The Brat Pack and/or were directed by John Hughes. Of course, The Breakfast Club fulfills both of those criteria with flying colors. Setting into stone the high school archetypes that every high school movie since has been grappling with in, The Breakfast Club showed us what happened when "The Jock" (Emilio Estevez), "The Nerd" (Anthony Michael Hall), "The Basket Case" (Ally Sheedy), "The Criminal" (Judd Nelson), and "The Princess" (Molly Ringwald) all stopped being polite and started getting real while trapped together in Saturday detention. As they slowly learn to see one another's common humanity beyond the roles that they've found themselves pigeonholed into, the film is achingly sincere — just like most high school kids are. Just ignore the world's worst make-over sequence (justice for Sheedy!), pump your fist in the air, and don't you forget about them. 

How to watch: The Breakfast Club is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Heathers

The yin to The Breakfast Club's yang, director Michael Lehmann's darkest of dark comedies riffs on all of the types that the John Hughes movies defined, only with any lingering sincerity torn asunder by blistering satire. As the proto-Mean Girls, Heathers sets itself right within a clique of the school's most popular girls — the titular Heathers — who are so vicious they could've made "tough guy" Judd Nelson curl into a ball and weep in ten seconds or less.

Winona Ryder stars as Veronica, who at the film's start is circling the periphery of the Heathers, not quite sure she belongs. She is named Veronica, after all. Because, yes, the Heathers are all named Heather; there's Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and savage queen bee Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), the illustrious wordsmith behind immortal lines like, "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw." 

Enter bad boy J.D. (Christian Slater doing his absolute best Jack Nicholson), who turns Veronica's indecision into action — specifically the action of homicide, as he begins offing the Heathers and their dipshit jock boyfriends one by one, with savagely hilarious results. We often (somewhat facetiously) say that they can't make movies like this anymore, but it truly is difficult to picture a mainstream comedy about teens murdering one another now that the gun lobby's allowed our schools to turn into actual Battle Royale recreations. So, go enjoy this one!

How to watch: Heathers is now streaming on Prime Video.

3. Something Wild Credit: Orion / Kobal / Shutterstock

Vastly underrated within director Jonathan Demme's impressive oeuvre, this 1986 arthouse favorite stars Jeff Daniels as Charlie, a snooze of a New York investment banker who desperately needs to undo his tie and let loose a little. Enter the most manic of manic pixie dream girls, a black-bobbed Melanie Griffith as Audrey, who lightly kidnaps him, jumps his rattled bones, and takes him on a wild road trip across Long Island. (Long Island? Seriously? Yes, just Long Island.) Turns out Audrey is sort of, kind of being hunted down by her sinister ex Ray (a very scary and also hot Ray Liotta). And somehow Demme threads together light screwball comedy with genuine thriller elements, and still sticks an improbable landing. Sexy, funny and legitimately wild stuff.

How to watch: Something Wild is now streaming on Tubi.

4. Cruising

Set in New York City's gay leather scene, William Friedkin's 1980 serial killer thriller drew understandable controversy when it was released, as it riled those understandably hungry for positive gay representation in cinema. However, in today's post-Will & Grace world, there's been plenty of gleaming-teeth positive gay representation. So it's a little easier to see beyond Cruising's seediness to its visceral virtues. Friedkin crafted one heck of a scary ride with Cruising, which sees Al Pacino play a detective going undercover into NYC's BDSM scene to catch a crazed maniac who's brutally — and I do mean brutally — murdering gay men. 

SEE ALSO: A beginner's guide to understanding Dom/sub dynamics

Cruising is fully immersive in its time and place, immortalizing bars like the Eagle's Nest and the Hellfire Club forever; save pornography, nobody was peering into these places circa 1980. Where else were mainstream audiences learning about the hanky code, much less fisting? The tension between terror and desire comes across palpably by Friedkin; the film feels less homophobic to me than it does a dissection of homophobia. It's very much a portrait of its exact moment's mindset. And the eeriness of it immediately presaging the AIDS crisis adds yet another level of darkness. 

How to watch: Cruising is now streaming on The Criterion Channel.

5. 48 Hrs.

While Eddie Murphy's other '80s buddy cop movie, Beverly Hills Cop, turned out to be the more successful franchise, financially speaking — indeed, 2024 has a fourth entry on tap, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F — I've always been Team 48 Hrs. myself. Directed by genre legend Walter Hill (Warriors) and co-starring Nick Nolte at his hilariously gruffest, 48 Hrs. sees San Francisco cop Jack Cates (Nolte) forced to team up with fast-talking convict Reggie Hammond (Murphy) in order to catch Hammond's old partner in crime, one bad dude named Ganz (James Remar).

Considered by most to be the buddy cop movie that invented (or at least popularized) the genre still going strong today, Nolte and Murphy share a monstrously infectious chemistry in these roles. Hill delivers a genuinely action-packed vehicle that gives Murphy free range to flex his comedic chops, turning it into a simultaneously comic romp for the ages. It's the perfect mix.

How to watch: 48 Hrs is now streaming on Paramount+.

6. Working Girl Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Mike Nichols' effervescent 1988 romantic-comedy stars Melanie Griffith (her again!) as Tess, a Staten Island Gal Friday who's tired of being used and abused by the high-powered Manhattan execs that she toils under. Quitting one job because she keeps getting manhandled, Tess thinks she's struck gold when she lands a gig working for a woman; unfortunately, that woman is the ruthless climber Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver, brilliant), whose betrayals manage to cut even deeper.

When Katharine breaks her leg on a business skiing trip and is trapped overseas while she recovers, Tess takes over in her absence and works her own damn way up the ladder. That the big shot Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford at peak hotness) just happens to be standing at the top of said ladder is a bonus I think none of us could or would refuse. With stellar support from a sleazy hot Alec Baldwin and an epically hair-sprayed Joan Cusack, Working Girl tackles and tears apart the corporate world that was at the heart of so much '80s culture with a zany vengeance.

How to watch: Working Girl is now streaming on Hulu.

7. Die Hard 

While the subject of whether or not Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie has proven to be an annual conversation in and of itself, its role as a definitive 1980s action classic has never been in dispute. But in 1988, there was actually a lot of uncertainty surrounding the concept of Bruce Willis as an action star. That smirking dude from Moonlighting? Really? That point of view seems impossible to imagine after decades of Willis proving he's an ace at action, but this was the age of those big lunks Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Then Bruce came along and changed all of that, so now our action heroes could be human-sized and funny. And thank goodness.

SEE ALSO: Why you should stream 'Moonlighting' right now

For the first out of what would end up being five turns, Die Hard sees Willis as John McClane, an NYPD detective who finds himself trapped inside the Los Angeles skyscraper where his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) works after it's been taken over by a gang of terrorists. The leader of said gang is the man, the myth, the legend Hans Gruber, played by the man, the myth, the legend Alan Rickman, with his own malevolent smirk for the ages. And so McClane fights to save his wife and defeat the terrorists, all while director John McTiernan shoots the claustrophobic hell out of it. And lo! Unto us was born a (Christmas) action classic.

How to watch: Die Hard is now streaming on Hulu.

8. Beetlejuice Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

You can't talk about the 1980s without including Tim Burton, who burst out of the gate in 1985 with the comedy classic Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and then went and invented the superhero blockbuster as we've come to know it with his Batman movie four years later. Nestled in between those two is what feels much more like a definitive Burton film — perhaps even The Definitive Burton Film — 1988's weirdo afterlife masterpiece Beetlejuice. 

Winona Ryder (her again!) stars as Lydia Deetz, a teen goth girl who's just moved out of NYC and into a small town fixer-upper with her artistically inclined parents Charles and Delia (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara, the one true god). The only problem is the place is haunted by its former tenants, a desperately sweet couple named Adam and Barbara (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who recently met their sad end in a covered bridge-related car accident. 

SEE ALSO: Watch 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' trailer: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are back

Adam and Barbara want these awful people out of their house immediately, but they don't have much luck haunting them out on their own. So they decide to summon a feisty poltergeist by the name of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), who's supposedly really good at this sort of thing. Unfortunately for everybody, Mr. Juice has plans of his own, and soon enough all Hell and its stripey sandworms are breaking loose. Awash in strange and surreal Burton-esque lunacy, Beetlejuice is totes the ghost with the most.

How to watch: Beetlejuice is now streaming on Prime Video. 

9. Manhunter

Five years before Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs would slurp up all of the 1992 Academy Awards with a nice bottle of chianti, director Michael Mann first introduced us — cinematically speaking — to the cannibal psychiatrist to end all cannibal psychiatrists in this 1986 film. And while I can't and don't want to knock Lambs, Manhunter is a beautiful and scary beast all its own.

Based on Thomas Harris' book Red Dragon (which would get adapted into another movie in 2002, as well as play out across a season of the TV series Hannibal), Manhunter stars William Petersen as FBI agent Will Graham, who is on the hunt for a serial killer nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy." And much like Clarice Starling would eventually have to do, Graham is forced to use the skills of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (played by Brian Cox, aka Daddy Succession) to help him work the case. 

Only Mann's third feature film, after Thief and The Keep, Manhunter is a tropical terror show; it feels as if a nightmare has descended upon an episode of Miami Vice. Bonus points for Tom Noonan's creeptastic turn as serial killer Francis Dollarhyde, one of the scariest ever committed to celluloid.

How to watch: Manhunter is now streaming on The Criterion Channel.

10. RoboCop

If we're talking about definitive 1980s directors, there's no way we can't carve out a space for Paul Verhoeven, who saw right through the glitz of this money-obsessed American decade into its blackest of hearts. Of course, giddy, over-the-top filmmaker that Verhoeven was and still is, he packaged up this messaging in a hilariously mordant satire called RoboCop, a brutal excavation of the decade's copaganda streak that never stops kicking unholy amounts of ass along the way. 

Peter Weller plays Alex Murphy, an upstanding family man and cop whose goodness gets him blown to literal smithereens while out patrolling the streets of dystopian Detroit. Luckily (or unluckily depending on your perspective) for Murphy, the police department has been outsourced to a tech corporation called Omni, and he wakes up not dead but kinda stuffed into a robotic body, which they're now testing out as a new way to police the streets. 

Hyper-violent as they come, RoboCop takes all its ideas to such gore-soaked pop extremes that it's easy enough to find yourself bludgeoned into acquiescence while watching it. But make no mistake, this is a lacerating satire, one that only feels more terrifyingly prescient with each passing year. (Check those robot dogs now patrolling most major cities as the lights in our libraries flicker off.) Like Leonard Cohen, Paul Verhoeven also saw the future, baby, and it was murder.

How to watch: RoboCop is now streaming on Max.

TL;DR: Power up your iPhone quickly with the Speedy Mag wireless charger, on sale for just $34.97 through July 21.

Opens in a new window Credit: Electronic Avenue Speedy Mag Wireless Charger for iPhone (black) $34.97 at The Mashable Shop
$119.95 Save $84.98 Get Deal

If you’re tired of dealing with a tangle of cables every time you need to charge your iPhone, there’s a gadget for that.

The Speedy Mag wireless charger promises to change the way you power up your iPhone. With a price drop to just $34.97, you can save 71% off of the usual price of $119, no coupon required, through July 21.

Designed specifically for iPhone 12 and newer models, the Speedy Mag is designed to charge your phone quickly and conveniently without the mess of wires. Simply place your phone on the charger, and let the powerful built-in magnet and metal plate do the rest.

The Speedy Mag is built to enable you to just stick it to the back of your iPhone, with no need for additional cables or adapters for it to work, allowing you to position your device however you want. The built-in magnet and metal plate provide a secure connection to your phone, so you can pick it up and use it without disrupting the charge. 

Built-in safeguards promise to protect your phone from overcharging, ensuring a safe and reliable power-up. Rapid-charging technology is designed to get your phone back to full power fast, too. 

The Speedy Mag measures just 0.5 inches high, 5 inches long, and 3 inches wide, making it handy to slip into a bag or pocket while still charging.

Upgrade your charging game today and take advantage of this limited-time offer when you purchase the Speedy Mag wireless charger for only $34.97 through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. P.T. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Secure a lifetime subscription to a Matt's Flights Premium Plan for just $79.97 (reg. $1,800) through July 21. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Matt's Flights Matt's Flights Premium Plan Lifetime Subscription $79.97 at The Mashable Shop
$1,800.00 Save $1,720.03 Save up to 90% on domestic and international flights Get Deal

It's not too late to plan your summer getaway. If you've been holding off because of a tight travel budget, Matt's Flights might be able to help you save up to 90% on both domestic and international flights.

A Matt's Flights Premium Plan lets you customize flight deals to your area or desired destination, so you'll be notified about exclusive deals on flights at your selected departure and arrival cities. And you can score a lifetime subscription to save on plane tickets for just $79.97 (reg. $1,800) through July 21. 

Dig up your passport and get ready to explore the world with some help from Matt's Flights. This lifetime premium plan is promised to be like your own personal aviation analyst, with the Flight Fare Fairy sending mistake fares and super-low prices to your email inbox so you can book deals that would otherwise be hard to find.

This premium-level membership offers five times more deals than the free membership and an unlimited amount of custom search requests, so you'll receive even more opportunities to satisfy your wanderlust. Aside from helping you shave money off your airline tickets, you'll also have access to travel planning support from Matt himself. He offers one-on-one support for flight and travel planning 24 hours a day, so your dollar goes even further. 

This offer is good for one device, either desktop or mobile, and updates are included.

Save big on flights with this lifetime subscription to a Matt's Flights Premium Plan for just $79.97 (reg. $1,800) through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a dual USB-C + USB-A 3.2 high-speed flash drive (1TB), price-dropped to $74.97 (reg. $109.99) through July 21. 

Opens in a new window Credit: UGR Tech Dual USB-C + USB-A 3.2 High Speed Flash Drive (1TB) $74.97 at The Mashable Shop
$109.99 Save $35.02 Get Deal

Having easy access and sharing capabilities for all of your important files is a serious issue when you’re constantly on the move.

A dual USB-C and USB-A 3.2 high-speed flash drive (1TB) could be a game-changer for storing and sharing large files. And you can get one sale through July 21 for $74.97 (reg. $109.99). 

This flash drive doesn’t require any software installations or configurations and is built to be easy to use. Just plug it into your device and you can start to load your files. With 1TB of storage capacity, you should have plenty of space for large files, media, and documents. The advanced chip technology offers enhanced reliability and performance.

Weighing just 3.84 ounces, this dual flash drive makes an easy travel companion. It comes with a metal case for extra protection so you can stow it away safely in your bag or pocket. Designed with durability in mind, it's built to be waterproof, dust-proof, and resistant to damage from drops. Rest easy knowing your files have that triple protection.

Share, store, or transfer data faster with its fast 20-30MB/S read and write speed. The flash drive is compatible with most devices including PCs, laptops, Android phones, car stereos, smart TVs, etc. Be sure your device has an updated operating system of Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11, and 10.6 and above for Mac.

You can get this dual USB-C and USB-A 3.2 high-speed flash drive (1TB) for just $74.97 (reg. $109.99) until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: This 7-inch touchscreen wireless car display is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it's on sale for $79.97 (reg. $139.99) through July 21.

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart 7-inch Wireless Car Display with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Compatibility & Phone Mirroring $79.97 at The Mashable Shop
$139.99 Save $60.02 Get Deal

Driving an older vehicle has its charm, but technology has come a long way since many of these cars first hit the road. If you’ve ever wished your car could keep up with the latest in-car tech, there’s good news.

You can add modern convenience to your vehicle with a 7-inch wireless car display that features compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and phone mirroring, for just $79.97 (reg. $139) through July 21. This sleek device is designed to be easy to install and might just transform your driving experience.

One of the most valuable things is its compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These systems allow you to connect your smartphone wirelessly to the display, bringing your favorite apps and functions to your car’s dashboard. This gives you a digital hub like the more modern cars on the road. You can even use the phone mirroring feature for a user-friendly interface that mirrors your smartphone’s layout. 

Whether you’re navigating with maps, streaming music, or staying connected through calls and messages, the HD touchscreen is designed to have almost everything at your fingertips. In addition, voice control through Siri or Google Assistant should let you keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

The best part is that you can do it all on a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen that supports 1920 x 1080P and most video and audio file formats.

Don't miss the chance to get this dash display for your older car at a reduced price. The 7-inch touchscreen wireless car display is on sale for $79.97 (reg. $139.99) through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a 4K dual-camera drone with intelligent obstacle avoidance for just $64.97 (reg. $119) through July 21.  

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance $64.97 at The Mashable Shop
$119.99 Save $55.02 Get Deal

Planning some big outings this summer? If you're spending time outdoors, you can make sure you have proof of your adventures with drone footage. If you've been putting off getting into drone photography because it seems too complicated, this 4K dual-camera drone is a great option because it's designed with intelligent obstacle avoidance and other features for easier flying and image capturing.

Equipped with two cameras, this device is built to help beginners achieve clear drone photography without any prior drone experience. And you can currently save $54 off the usual price and get one for $64.97 if you order by July 21. 

This remote-controlled drone comes equipped with an HD 4K 90-degree front camera and a 120-degree wide-angle bottom camera. The optical flow positioning helps it capture activities down below as it hovers while it snaps away. 

Built with drone newbies in mind, this model has a one-key start and stop to make taking off and landing much easier. Gesture control is designed to allow you to make hand motions from below to take photos or videos, and the three-way obstacle avoidance is built to prevent your drone from collisions. It's a good learning tool for aspiring drone photographers and kids alike. 

The foldable and adjustable design should be handy for taking it along on your adventures, or simply for when you want to pack it away.

Get the 4K dual-camera drone for beginners with intelligent obstacle avoidance for only $64.97 (reg. $119) through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

We're halfway through 2024, so it's time for a roundup of the most recent and best listening opportunities available in the form of the podcast. This time, we've got everything from nostalgic rewatching to journeys into the darkness of the human mind to interrogations of history. You'll find well-known favorites with new seasons, like Slow Burn and Long Shadow, plus some debuts onto the scene in the form of neat packages, like Three. 

So peruse our list, and get ready to spend the second half of the year inside your latest obsession. 

1. Again With This

A great rewatch podcast enables a listener to engage with their nostalgia, while also making sure they don't take it too seriously. Again With This is hosted by Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting, co-creators of Television Without Pity and Previously.TV; this podcast returns us to the days when our TVs brought us the weekly magic that was Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and most recently, Dawson's Creek. Ariano and Bunting revisit every episode with an unflinchingly shrewd eye toward the details we either never noticed or pretended we didn't see (i.e., the felonious relationship between young Pacey Witter and his teacher). Prepare to see the blush fall off the rose of your youth, and get ready to laugh boisterously in public. 

How to listen: Again With This is available on Spotify.

2. The Secrets We Keep

Is there something you've never told anyone? What would it take for you to reveal that secret? In this five-part series from New England Public Media, host Karen Brown talks to folks about the secrets they have around topics considered taboo, including abortion, money, and sexuality, and how keeping their secrets has impacted their lives, especially for those who come to occupy the political stage. Here's a podcast that can help us feel less alone as we ask ourselves the question: Do we ever have a responsibility to tell our secrets?

How to listen: The Secrets We Keep is available on Spotify.

3. Three

On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese disappeared into the woods in Wayne Township, Pennsylvania, across the state line from her home in Star City, West Virginia. In December 2012, Neese's best friend, Rachel Shoaf, confessed that she, along with Neese's other best friend, Sheila Eddy, had stabbed Neese to death that night in July. Created and hosted by journalists Justine Harman and Holly Millea, Three is a 10-episode series about the events that led up to Neese's murder. Harman and Millea interview Skylar's family and close friends, as well as investigators on the case, about the chilling dynamic at the heart of this teen triangle — and how it reached its sinister pinnacle. 

How to listen: Three is available on Spotify.

4. Radio Rental

Remember, if you can, the sound of a videotape sliding into a VCR (if you don't know what I'm talking about, here you go). If that sound makes you feel nostalgic and ready to watch some movies that will make your blood curdle, do yourself a favor and listen to this horror-comedy podcast. In it, Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson) is the owner of Radio Rental, an '80s video store that houses a collection of strange, scary, and true stories told from the point of view of the people who experienced them. In each episode, Carnation narrates the goings-on inside the store — sometimes there's a void; sometimes a creepy little girl; almost always his very vocal cat, Malachi — setting the scene for tales of the macabre. So grab your fanny pack, get comfortable in your beanbag chair, and don't forget to rewind. 

How to listen: Radio Rental is available on Spotify.

5. How to Know What's Real

What are the things we've come to believe? Why do we believe them, even if and when we know we're constantly confronted with false information every second of the day? Join The Atlantic's Andrea Valdez and Megan Garber as they investigate how our brains process avalanches of disinformation and how we can become more critical. They tackle the idea of "prebunking," how not to perpetuate the spread of bad information, the role of emotion in getting us to click that link, and how your Vanderpump Rules addiction could be impacting your real-life relationships. In a world where we don't always know what to believe, Valdez, Garber, and their expert guests are here to give us the tools to read between the lines. 

How to listen: How to Know What's Real is available on Spotify.

6. Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain is a podcast about human behavior — namely, why we do the things we do, even when we can't explain them. Host Shankar Vedantam dives deep into loneliness, trying too hard, feeling empty, balking when it comes to political conversations, and more. Every episode is a clever and comforting opportunity to glimpse the reasoning behind our most common, and complicated, experiences of being humans. 

How to listen: Hidden Brain is available on Spotify.

7. Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 134 mass shootings in the first four months of 2024. In the most recent season of Long Shadow, host Garrett Graff contemplates how we got here. Starting with the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, Graff traces the origins of the Second Amendment, the rise of the NRA and its response to widespread gun violence, as well as the impact on a generation of kids who were raised with lockdown drills. This season will surprise you, as it answers questions you didn't know you had about guns in the U.S. and why, when it comes to keeping each other safe, we can't seem to get out of our own way. 

How to listen: Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust is available on Spotify.

8. Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs  

"Hope is getting your ass kicked and getting back up," says California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, setting the tone for the latest season of Slate's Slow Burn. Host Christina Cauterucci and her guests take a close look at the Briggs Initiative, the first-ever referendum on gay rights. The 1978 ballot proposition sought to ban gays and lesbians from working in California public schools, igniting the burgeoning violence against the LGBTQ community and inspiring generations of activists in a fight for their jobs, their chosen families, and their futures. 

How to listen: Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs is available on Spotify.

9. Second Sunday

Second Sunday is a podcast that illuminates the universal inside the particular. Hosts Darren and Esther delve into the experiences of being queer inside the Black church. Every episode features a guest with perspective on how to hold complicated ideas and feelings. How do you not only stay, but flourish, in places where you aren't accepted for who you are? When do you hit the eject button, if ever? How do we take care of ourselves? In season two, Darren, Esther, and their guests examine what it looks like to explore faith outside of a traditional church setting, with creative voices imagining identity and religion beyond rigidity. 

How to listen: Second Sunday is available on Spotify.

10. Embedded: Supermajority  

The latest season of Embedded, NPR's documentary podcast, takes us to Tennessee, where host and reporter Meribah Knight follows three conservative moms as they confront the state legislature after the 2023 shooting at The Covenant School, only to learn that the very same political structures that have seemingly been on their side for years actually have no interest in helping them. As we know, politics and identity go hand in hand, and this season will go on to reveal what happens when events make us question who we are, what we believe, who we can trust, and how we can make change. 

How to listen: Embedded: Supermajority is available on Apple Podcasts.

The universe may teem with tiny alien microbes.

After all, scientists suspect such primitive organisms could even dwell nearby on other worlds in our very solar system — in briny oceans beneath shells of ice. We can't be sure, of course. Microbes can't beam us any messages. (Though we have plans to look for them.)

But scientists have been getting a clearer picture of why no far-off intelligent civilizations — among the trillions and trillions of planets in the universe — have called us, or why we haven't picked up even a hint of their existence. A compelling new idea, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows how challenging it would be for a planet to gradually evolve intelligent, communicating life. Such a world, they argue, would need both oceans and continents, and the surface must be in geologic motion (which we call "plate tectonics") for at least some 500 million years.

When other factors are considered — such as the fraction of hospitable planets that host any life at all and how long a signal-emitting civilization might last — the possibility of many active, communicating civilizations in space looks implausible.

"It's like winning the lottery," Taras Gerya, a geophysicist at the research university ETH Zurich in Switzerland and an author of the study, told Mashable. "It can be so rare that we don't have much of a chance to be contacted," added Gerya, who coauthored the study with Robert Stern, a geoscientist at the University of Texas at Dallas.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Estimates of the number of advanced communicating civilizations in our galaxy range widely, but are generally high. They all use an elegant, simple formula, called the Drake Equation (shown below), to guide the prediction. The Drake equation itself, created by astronomer Frank Drake in 1961, doesn't predict anything — but calculates an answer based on several inputs. A recent proposal suggests there should be at least 36 civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. Drake surmised there could be some 10,000 civilizations scattered around our galaxy — which would make for a bustling, Star Wars-like realm.

"It's like winning the lottery."

The new research estimates, however, are considerably lower.

"It can be as low as only four out of 10,000 galaxies having one civilization," Gerya said. "But having one or two per galaxy is still not impossible," he added.

Indeed, this galaxy has at least one. But other galaxies might not be so lucky.

An artist's conception of the exoplanet Kepler-186f, an Earth-size world 500 light-years away orbiting in its solar system's "habitable zone," meaning the planet could host liquid water. Credit: NASA Ames / JPL-Caltech / T. Pyle The scarcity of alien civilizations

It's not unusual for experts to suspect that communicating civilizations are scarce. Pascal Lee, a senior planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, an organization researching the origins and prevalence of life in the universe, thinks the number of intelligent, communicating civilizations in our galaxy, which NASA estimates has some 100 to 400 billion stars (and many more planets), is around one.

"It's not too surprising that we could be alone in our galaxy," Lee, who had no role in the new research, told Mashable.

Both Lee and the new study have separately focused on a specific component of the Drake Equation, which they find dramatically lowers the likelihood of a communicating civilization: It's the variable "fi" (pronounced "f sub i"), which SETI describes as the fraction of life-bearing planets on which intelligent life emerges.

Here's the Drake equation with the important variable fi:

N = R∗ × fp × ne × fl × fi × fc × L

• N = the number of civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy that can communicate

• R∗ = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy

• fp = the fraction of those stars with planets

• ne = the number of planets around each star harboring suitable environments for life

• fl = the fraction of planets where any life emerges

• fi = the fraction of planets with life that develops intelligent life / civilizations

• fc = the fraction of civilizations with technology to emit detectable signs of their existence

• L = the average length of time a civilization produces signs of their existence

What made Earth special, the new research argues, isn't just that it harbored the relatively pleasant conditions for temperate oceans to exist among sprawling continents. The outer part of Earth also operated geologically for hundreds of millions of years — meaning the tectonic plates that make up our planet's crust gradually moved, altering the continents and seas. These conditions stoked the biological evolution that eventually spawned our civilization, the researchers say.

But these planetary factors occurring together, which they propose make up the fraction of planets that develop civilizations (fi), is probably an extreme rarity (for example, it's probably uncommon for a planet to have the right recipe of materials, size, and gravity for plate tectonics to occur). The researchers estimate it's a range between under 0.00003 to 0.002 percent of all planets. That means, quite optimistically, two out of 1,000 planets where life actually emerges might develop a civilization.

A deep view of the cosmos captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Every object, except for the six-pointed foreground stars, is an entire galaxy. Credit: ESA Webb / NASA / CSA / A. Martel

Why might shifting plates on Earth's surface, such as the Pacific and North American plates, be so critical to the evolution of advanced communicating civilizations? Imagine two planets with large continents and oceans: one with a billion years of plate tectonics, and one without. On the planet with no movement, like Mars when it harbored seas, the land masses do not move. Everything is largely static. "As a result, life stays as is or evolves very slowly," Gerya explains. "You're happy as is, so why should you evolve?"

Yet dramatic changes in continents — and their coastlines, climates, and beyond — drive species to evolve. "That's what plate tectonics does," Gerya emphasized. "It's always pushing complex species to change." On Earth, during the Neoproterozoic Era (around 1 billion to 540 million years ago), modern plate tectonics "dramatically accelerated" the emergence of complex species, the authors argue. "Species are pushed toward adaptations or dispersal," Gerya said. "It creates a very dynamic situation."

After 3 billion years of microbes dominating Earth, the first fossil record of animals appears during this period. The seas teemed with life. The first dinosaurs emerged. Sharks, reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals came into existence.

"That's what plate tectonics does. It's always pushing complex species to change."

This was the start of the long, uncertain highway towards a civilization. We arrived, but not long ago: human civilizations have only been around for some 5,500 years.

Yet the long-lived tectonics argument is far from the only thing, or things, that might have allowed rare intelligent life to eventually blossom on Earth.

"The problem is we don't know what factually allowed life to really emerge and become intelligent," said SETI's Lee, emphasizing there are a number of intriguing possibilities.

Plumes of water ice shooting out of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The briny ocean below could potentially sustain life. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI

A giant asteroid wiping out most dinosaurs (but not the avian ones!) may have helped the human cause. In the aftermath of the cataclysmic event, mammals and burrowing animals could now dominate a surface largely devoid of dinosaurs. "They became the apex predators on the surface of Earth, and eventually led to us," Lee noted. Some have made the argument that our unusually large moon (relative to Earth) is responsible for creating the balanced environs needed for life to thrive. The gravitationally-influential moon stabilized our world's chaotic spin, so it would no longer wobble dramatically over time, like on Mars, igniting climate chaos. Or, perhaps, the reason it took so long for intelligent life to evolve on Earth was simply because for eons there was no evolutionary need for life to become smart enough to build interstellar-voyaging craft and beam signals through space.

"Dinosaurs never needed to come up with a radio telescope or an FM radio," Lee said. (Dinosaurs persisted for 165 million years. Our species has been around for some 300,000 years, and only invented the lightbulb 145 years ago.)

"Dinosaurs never needed to come up with a radio telescope or an FM radio."

Indeed, it might be that our world is exceptional. Perhaps, on average, only one communicating civilization exists in a galaxy at any one time. Or four for every 10,000 galaxies. Or somewhere in between. The only certainty we have is a communicating civilization, for all of its woes and flaws, exists on Earth. And it's achieved great things.

"It would be a big loss for the universe if our civilization failed," Gerya said.

There are times you just need a chill down your spine to shake off the doldrums and know you’re alive.

When this craving hits, nothing satisfies quite like a great thriller. Such suspense-rich movies give us a first-class ticket to journeys wild, winding, and exciting. They invite us to live vicariously through charismatic crooks, on-the-run assassins, vengeance-seeking vigilantes, and twisted souls who thirst for destruction.

If you're in search of cinema that will rattle your nerves and leave you breathless, we've got just the thing. Whether you want something new or classic, fun or frightening, mind-bending or heartwarming, there’s a perfect pick just for you.

Here are the 20 best thrillers on Max now available.

1. M

"M" is the mark of a murderer in this unnerving Fritz Lang classic, which boasts layers of sinister thrills. Released in 1931, this German gem explored the terrors of "stranger danger" way ahead of its time by tracking the crimes of a sneaky child killer. Rather than show kids slaughtered onscreen, Lang employed German Expressionism to imply carnage, thus turning an abandoned balloon into a horrific image. Suspense is wrought not only from the threat that this merciless murderer will strike again, but also from a raging mob's mounting quest for vigilante justice. With wide eyes and an unsettling screen presence, Peter Lorre made his mark with this role of a revolting fiend. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: M is now streaming on Max.

2. Kimi Credit: HBO Max and Warner Bros Pictures

What would you do if you overheard a crime being committed? That's the curious question that plays at the core of Steven Soderbergh's 2022 thriller, written by Jurassic Park's David Koepp. Named for a virtual personal assistant that recorded audio of a seemingly deadly incident, Kimi stars Zoë Kravitz as Angela Childs, a tech worker whose sharp ear and big heart mean she can't walk away once the screams play. In tracking down the truth, Angela will face off against corporate greed, mysterious stalkers, and her struggles with crippling agoraphobia. Laced with psychological suspense and a mesmerizing mystery, this thriller will have you on the edge of your seat...and maybe side-eying your Echo. — K.P.

How to watch: Kimi is now streaming on Max.

3. Black Swan

Natalie Portman justly won the Best Actress Oscar for her fiercely committed turn here as lead ballet dancer Nina Sayers, whose tippy-toes aren't the only thing snapping under the weight of all that stress in writer/director Darren Aronofsky's 2010 psychological thriller. Boxed in by a smothering mother at home (Barbara Hershey) and a handsy artistic director at work (Vincent Cassel at his seductive-slimiest), all it takes is for a rival dancer named Lily (Mila Kunis) to start poking at her for Nina to completely unravel into a heap of black-and-white feathers on the floor. 

With a tone pitched somewhere between Showgirls and The Red Shoes, Aronofsky drags us pirouette-first into the mindset of a dancer's obsession with achieving athletic perfection, no matter the damage; Nina basically wills her bones to snap into the exact right place or else. All that, plus Winona Ryder chewing the scenery as the Cristal to Portman's Nomi – such camp, such bliss, such sinister fun.

How to watch: Black Swan is now streaming on Max.

4. Blood Simple Credit: © Circle Films / Courtesy Everett Collection

The Coen Brothers made their name right out of the gate with this killer 1984 neo-noir, their very first film. The film stars John Getz as Ray, a bartender at an Austin dive bar who begins having an affair with Abby (Frances McDormand), the wife of his sleazy boss Julian (Dan Hedaya). Enter a private detective named Visser (a classic turn from legendary character actor M. Emmet Walsh), and soon enough everybody's double-crossing each other and it's all turning to shit as quick as you can say holy gumshoe. If that plot sounds like the plot of a million noirs that came before it, just you wait. The Coens' script is as knotty as we've now come to expect from the pair, twisting those rote noir conventions into pretzels and then exploding it all outward into a brutality that truly leaves a mark. 

How to watch: Blood Simple is now streaming on Max.

SEE ALSO: Every single Coen brothers movie, ranked from 'Blood Simple' to 'Drive-Away Dolls' 5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

While there's a lot of competition for the title of Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos' nastiest movie, I don't think anyone would raise a ruckus if you named this 2017 film of his, which stars Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman as a married couple who find their family inexplicably terrorized by Martin (a pre-Saltburn Barry Keoghan).

Martin just shows up one day and happily informs Steven's family that they will all start going through several horrible stages of illness, all leading to death for everyone if one member of the family isn't sacrificed. And then we're forced to watch him sloppily eat spaghetti in a white t-shirt. It's traumatic! Like a home invasion thriller on a ketamine drip, The Killing of a Sacred Deer feels like what would happen if Michael Haneke had a sense of humor. Truly deranged.

How to watch: The Killing of a Sacred Deer is now streaming on Max. 

6. Clear and Present Danger

Before Tom Clancy's famed CIA agent Jack Ryan got himself a streaming series starring John Krasinski but after he was played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford tackled the role in two films directed by Philip Noyce — Patriot Games in 1992 and this 1994 thriller. Both are worth your time, and both are streaming on Max, but I'm partial to the second one, which is so thick with ace character actors having a blast in diabolical little roles that you'll find it dizzying from scene to scene. We're talking Willem Dafoe, Henry Czerny, James Earl Jones, Anne Archer, and Donald Moffat and those illustrious eyebrows of his. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled Clark Gregg and Benjamin Bratt as hot little babyfaces in uniform. The plot is some typically convoluted nonsense about conspiracies and drug cartels and double- and triple-crosses — it's all just an excuse for Harrison Ford to furrow his brow and kick some ass. Which is the best excuse there is!

How to watch: Clear and Present Danger is now streaming on Max.

7. It Comes at Night Credit: Eric Mcnatt / Animal Kingdom / Kobal / Shutterstock

Terrifyingly intimate and awash with a truly creepy darkness, this thriller from writer/director Trey Edward Shults has acquired an extra level of resonance since its release in 2017. Paul (Joel Edgerton), Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) live together in a small, boarded-up cabin in the woods. The world around them has been decimated by a horrific disease, and they've just narrowly managed to avoid being infected themselves. All's going well enough — or as well as can be expected, given the whole "deadly global pandemic" thing — until another family (Christopher Abbott, Riley Keough, and Griffin Robert Faulkner) show up, and quickly the suspicions and mistrust between them all becomes too much to bear.

SEE ALSO: Not just for scares: Horror films like 'It Comes at Night' have something to say

During the first few months of our real-world COVID pandemic, everybody talked about going back and rewatching Contagion and Outbreak, but too few gave this one, the scariest of them all as far as I'm concerned, a chance. Rectify that!

How to watch: It Comes at Night is now streaming on Max.

8. Parasite

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho had been making popular and critical hits in his home country for almost two decades before he made the 2019 class thriller Parasite. But all of that previous success couldn't have prepared anybody for the phenomenon his latest would become; it raked in over $262 million worldwide at the box office and then danced home with four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

A nesting doll of get-rich-quick schemes, Parasite is centered on the poor Kim family (including the legendary Song Kang-ho as its patriarch) who become obsessed with bilking the wealthy Park family out of every cent they can. They do this by infiltrating the oblivious Parks as their servants, one by one — until the Parks' actual servants start taking their revenge, that is. It all comes to a head with weaponized peach fuzz, a biblical rainstorm, and a bloody birthday party from hell. This frazzled tale of the haves versus the have-nots surfed straight to the top of zeitgeist, with good reason. 

How to watch: Parasite is now streaming on Max. 

9. Infernal Affairs Credit: Miramax / Everett / Shutterstock

Remade in 2006 by no less than Martin Scorsese as The Departed, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's twisty 2002 thriller stars Hong Kong legends Andy Lau and Tony Leung as a cop-turned-criminal and a criminal-turned-cop who both get themselves in seriously over their heads. The twosome's clashing machinations to keep their various deeds under cover from the forces out to get them leads to ruin for pretty much everybody. As each one tries to out the other before they get outed first, it's chaos, beautiful chaos! Every action movie in the past two decades wishes and prays it has some of the expertly wound tension this film sparks off with ease. 

How to watch: Infernal Affairs is now streaming on Max.

10. Funny Games

If you like your thrillers to double and triple underline the meaninglessness of human existence, have we got the movie for you! Austrian director Michael Haneke's 1997 classic of cinematic despair stars Susanne Lothar and Ulrich Mühe as Anna and Georg, average middle-class parents to young Schorschi (Stefan Clapczynski) who are heading out to their lake house for a relaxing weekend. Their plans go swiftly awry when two strange young men in tennis whites (Arno Frisch and Frank Giering) show up at their door politely asking to borrow some eggs. Neighborly niceties quickly dissolve into a home invasion nightmare, one from which logic and reason have about as good a chance of escaping as does any object that comes too close to a black hole. (The black hole in this instance is Michael Haneke's heart.)

How to watch: Funny Games is now streaming on Max.

11. Diabolique

At a run-down boarding house in the suburbs of Paris, the headmaster Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse) is cheating on his sickly wife Christina (Véra Clouzot), a teacher at the school, with a younger sexier teacher named Nicole (Simone Signoret). Michel is such an asshole to everybody that the women team up together to murder him, just to get themselves out from under his thumb. But as we've seen time and again, such diabolical plans never land simply, and director Henri-Georges Clouzot wrings incredible amounts of tension from this simple premise. Diabolique is a true masterpiece of the genre, although I have a bizarre and perhaps singular soft spot for the 1996 remake, with a camp-tastic Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani. Watch it now and be amazed at how every thriller's been thoroughly ripping it off ever since.

How to watch: Diabolique is now streaming on Max.

12. The Thomas Crown Affair Credit: MGM / Kobal / Shutterstock

1999 was so stacked with cinematic masterpieces that this incredibly entertaining heist film, a remake of the 1968 Steve McQueen picture, doesn't get nearly as much love as it should. From Die Hard and Predator director John McTiernan, this version stars Pierce Brosnan (in between James Bond movies at the time) as a billionaire who steals a $100 million painting from the Museum of Modern Art, and finds an insurance investigator (Rene Russo, burning up the screen) hot on his tail. In more ways than one! 

Facts: This movie is a better Bond movie than any of Brosnan's actual Bond films. It's a sexy and thrilling adult-oriented travelogue full of lush locations, action sequences, and gorgeous mountains of killer clothes. And if you're old enough, you'll remember all of the embarrassing press over the "nude" dress that the then-45-year-old Russo rocks in a memorable dance scene in the movie — because in 1999 it was apparently mind-boggling for a 45-year-old woman to be viewed as sexually desirable? Thank goodness we can all see how silly that was now.

How to watch: The Thomas Crown Affair is now streaming on Max.

13. The Assistant 

Although the name "Harvey Weinstein" is never uttered in this 2019 #MeToo horror film from writer/director Kitty Green, it doesn't have to be. It's clear that Weinstein (and all of the many Weinstein variants out there) is the monster behind its door, each of them using their power to prey on any woman within pawing distance. The great Julia Garner stars here as Jane, a young woman on the verge who we follow over the course of a single day in her duties as an assistant at a film production company in lower Manhattan. 

Present and mindful enough to witness the horrifically inappropriate behavior her boss is engaging in but low enough on the totem pole that nobody will listen to her when she tries to speak up, The Assistant is a troubling study of complicity, one that unnerves in its every frame.

How to watch: The Assistant is now streaming on Max.

14. Cujo

The 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's book about a rabid Saint Bernard is monstrously simple, but all the more effective for that. Director Lewis Teague (who also did the King adaptation Cat's Eye) spends the vast majority of Cujo's 90-minute runtime focused on Donna (Dee Wallace) and her son Tad (Danny Pintauro), who are trapped in their increasingly hot car with a dwindling amount of food and water — all the while, Cujo is foaming at the mouth just on the other side of their car window, eager to tear them apart. It's as lizard-brained basic a survival tale as they come.

How to watch: Cujo is now streaming on Max.

SEE ALSO: Stephen King teases extract from upcoming 'Cujo' sequel 15. The Hitcher 

In The Hitcher, '80s twink C. Thomas Howell plays Jim, a young man tasked with delivering a car across the country. But Jim makes the rookie mistake of picking up a hitchhiker, and one who looks like Rutger Hauer at that. He doesn't actually just look like Rutger Hauer – he is played by Rutger Hauer! Even scarier. Nothing good has ever come from the presence of Rutger Hauer. Giving Jim the hilarious fake name of "John Ryder," the hitcher torments Jim up and down the deserted roads of Texas, eventually dragging a sweet little diner waitress named Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh) into the melee too. Bodies pile up left and right, and it all leads to a truly shocking climax — one that could've been avoided if silly old Jim had just obeyed the road's Golden Rule: "Avoid all Rutger Hauers." Well, now he knows.

How to watch: The Hitcher is now streaming on Max. 

16. The French Connection

Famed for its legendary car chase through the streets of New York City, this 1971 police thriller from director William Friedkin stars the great Gene Hackman as the detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, one of his most iconic roles. Doyle is on the hunt for French drug-runner Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) who's smuggled a shit ton of heroin into the country walled up inside of a fancy automobile. Although nobody will be mistaking this for a John Wick movie (and thank goodness for that) The French Connection is still very nearly 104 straight minutes of chase sequences leading into more chase sequences, with Doyle hot on Charnier's tail in an increasingly panicked fashion, all while Hackman gives us a complicated, messy hero sweating and swearing across the margins.

How to watch: The French Connection is now streaming on Max.

17. The Skin I Live In Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Although there have been plentiful Hitchockian criminal elements laced throughout legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's films over the years, none have leaned quite so hard into straight thriller territory as does this very strange and frequently horrific 2011 film. Riffing fairly explicitly on the classic 1960 horror film Eyes Without a Face, The Skin I Live In stars Almodovar's male muse Antonio Banderas as plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Ledgard. When he's not busy accepting awards for his revolutionary medical procedures, Robert spends his time at home relaxing and grafting human skin onto mice. He also keeps a woman named Vera (Elena Anaya) trapped on his estate so he can practice making her physically perfect. Deeply twisted in psychosexual ways that only Almodovar could dream up, The Skin I Live In should burrow itself right under yours.

How to watch: The Skin I Live In is now streaming on Max.

18. Notes on a Scandal 

Richard Eyre's 2006 film, an adaptation of Zoë Heller's novel, veers so hard into pure melodrama at times that it is fine to admit its thriller elements are on occasion undercut by the bigness of the performances and the lurid atmosphere. It often feels more like one of those '90s trashy thrillers, like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle or The Crush — just with Oscar-winning thespians Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench as the ones boiling the bunnies this time. But what delicious bunnies they boil!

Blanchett plays Sheba, the new art teacher at the school where hissing old piece-of-work Barbara (Dench) has long ago resigned herself to a life of cat-clutching bitterness and scorn. The two strike up a tentative friendship, which with great speed transmogrifies into an unhinged obsession on Barbara's part. Hey, we get it. She's Cate Blanchett after all. So, when Sheba starts having sex with an underage student, Barbara sees her in — blackmail the pretty lady into loving you! That always works out, right? 

In a long and much-respected career of excellent performances, Dench's seething turn as a hardened closet case will always and forever be my favorite work of hers. The nastiness of her set-in repression feels like acid pouring from Barbara's every pore, and oh, how Dench makes it sting.

How to watch: Notes on a Scandal is now streaming on Max.

19. Good Time

Propulsive is a good word for what the Safdie brothers accomplished with Good Time, their 2017 thriller starring Robert Pattinson as a sleazy crook who drags everybody around him into a heap of trouble at every possible turn. Pattinson plays a Queens lowlife named Connie who kicks things off by yanking his brother Nick (Benny Safdie), who is intellectually disabled, out of a therapy session so they can rob a bank together. 

SEE ALSO: I'll never forgive the Oscars for snubbing 'Good Time'

From there, every choice Connie makes leads to awfulness, and yet Connie keeps slipping out of the dire situations he creates like a cockroach making its way through the most invisible of cracks. But as repugnant as Connie is, Pattinson gives what might be his greatest performance to date in the role. The stacked cast includes the late Buddy Duress, a Safdie brothers regular, plus Jennifer Jason Leigh and Barkhad Abdi. This movie is so amped up, it'll propel you right into a heart attack. 

How to watch: Good Time is now streaming on Max.

20. Ex Machina

Now that artificial intelligence is actually knocking on our doors, demanding it be let in and take over all of our jobs, why not go back and visit Alex Garland's 2014 nightmare about a sentient, sexy robot who turns out to be far more than her makers can comprehend? 

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a programmer who's won the honor of spending a week at the extremely fancy estate of the company's CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Nathan is a sexy billionaire tech genius (and thank goodness that none of our billionaire tech geniuses actually look like Oscar Isaac, because that would get very confusing about who we should be rooting for) and he's set up some extra homework for Caleb to do while he's there. Caleb is going to take part in a Turing test with Nathan's latest invention, Ava. Part whirring cyborg, part Alicia Vikander, Ava is all honey pot for Caleb.

SEE ALSO: Every Alex Garland movie, ranked

Trapped inside Nathan's middle-of-nowhere modern masterpiece of a manse, the threesome — alongside a silent servant named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) — delves into the scientific theories surrounding human consciousness. The results are shockingly sexy… and deeply dangerous.

How to watch: Ex Machina is now streaming on Max.

Opens in a new window Credit: Courtesy of Max Max Watch Now

UPDATE: Jun. 27, 2024, 2:57 p.m. EDT This list was updated to reflect the current streaming options.

Even if you're not sold on robot vacuums, manual vacuuming still doesn't have to feel like a chore — not if you have an upright vacuum that you enjoy breaking out. The best stick vacuums are simultaneously compact enough to zip around one-handed and powerful enough to conquer pet hair on carpets and debris blowing around on hard floors. And not for nothing, they're able to reach the spots that a botvac just can't.

Which is better: Robot vacuums or upright vacuums?

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

The convenience of not lifting a finger to clean isn't always worth the cringe that comes with watching a robovac ignoring crumbs under the cabinet lip or eating a laptop charger. Despite impressive upgrades in smart mapping, AI small obstacle avoidance, and debris and floor type sensors over the past few years, even the best robot vacuum cleaners can't match the precision of, you know, an actual human with a brain.

SEE ALSO: The best Dyson vacuums: A guide to the latest versions of stick, ball, and handheld cleaners

However, your willingness to do it yourself also matters: Whether or not a robot vacuum is worth it really comes down to the time you personally care to spend on vacuuming. I personally have both at the ready at all times and can argue for the value and practicality on either side, depending on the situation. And while I wouldn't want to completely live without the convenience robot vacuums provide when I'm frazzled, I haven't been able to shake the reflex to reach for a cordless stick vacuum in more cases than not. Have scientists looked into this as a genetic trait? Because I'm officially my mother.

So yes, the ideal setup would be to have both — perhaps splitting your budget into spending a few hundred dollars on each rather than splurging on one. But if that's not practical in your home, a cordless upright vacuum is the more robust choice.

Cordless stick vacuums are generally more powerful, as their design is optimal for airflow and includes the real estate to house more powerful motors, cyclone systems that create extra force on top of suction power alone, and a larger dust bin. Manual operation is especially crucial for the upkeep of tricky spots that aren't even on a robot vacuum's radar, like staircases or cars.

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

A robot vacuum's motor can't exceed the three or four-inch clearance that the vac needs to scoot its whole body under furniture. The motor of an upright vacuum typically lives completely separately from the vacuum head and roller brush and is thus under fewer constraints. So, not only do stick vacuums have bigger, better motors that create stronger centrifugal force, but you can also bring the vac to the exact right spots because you're the one steering.

After testing top vacuums from brands like Dyson, Shark, and LG, we created this guide to the best cordless stick vacuums. Go ahead and free yourself from the shackles of the wall outlet in 2024.

The Detroit Police Department arrested three people after bad facial recognition matches, a national record. But it’s adopting new policies that even the A.C.L.U. endorses.

TL;DR: Live stream action from all 16 days of Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This has been a huge year for sport. We've been treated to the T20 World Cup, Euro 2024, Copa America, and a host of other top competitions, but the biggest event of the year is still to come: Paris 2024. There really is nothing that can compare.

The best athletes in the world are converging on Paris for weeks of non-stop action in everything from judo to the high jump. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a festival of athletic excellence.

If you want to watch Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is Paris 2024?

Paris 2024 is an international multi-sport event taking place in France. Paris is the main host city, with 16 other cities around Metropolitan France and Tahiti hosting events. Paris 2024 will feature 329 events in 32 sports.

When is the Paris 2024?

Paris 2024 is scheduled to take place from July 26 to Aug. 11.

How to watch Paris 2024 for free

Coverage of all 32 events at Paris 2024 is available to live stream at BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer 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, meaning you can access free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

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 the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only 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 leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to stream all the action from Paris 2024 before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, 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.

Live stream Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Euro 2024 group stages delivered on every level, so expectations are high for the knockout rounds. Germany cruised through their first three games without ever really needing to be at their best, but that all changes now. There is no room for error at this stage of the tournament, particularly as Denmark are a dangerous side stacked full of talented players.

If you want to watch Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Germany vs. Denmark?

Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on June 29. This fixture takes place at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany.

How to watch Germany vs. Denmark for free

Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 is being broadcast by ITV, 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, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ITVX from anywhere in the world. The process is actually really straightforward.

Access 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 Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but the best VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to stream every remaining Euro 2024 fixture for free from anywhere in the world.

And if you do choose to continue with the service, you'll secure permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice 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 Germany vs. Denmark in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Euro 2024 has been nothing short of magical. We've experienced stunning goals, last-minute drama, and electric atmospheres from just about every group-stage fixture. And we're expecting more of the same in the knockout rounds, with Switzerland and Italy kicking things off in a fascinating matchup.

If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Switzerland vs. Italy?

Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 kicks off at 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST on June 29. This fixture takes place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.

How to watch Switzerland vs. Italy for free

Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 is being broadcast by BBC/, with free live streaming available on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer 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, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Access BBC iPlayer 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 BBC iPlayer

5. Stream Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are unfortunately not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to stream every remaining Euro 2024 fixture for free from anywhere in the world.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, 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 Switzerland vs. Italy in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch South Africa vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final for free on Disney+ Hotstar. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final is finally here, with South Africa and India facing off in a battle for the trophy. We're expecting fireworks from these two exciting sides, and you can watch all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch South Africa vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is South Africa vs. India?

South Africa vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final starts at 10:30 a.m. ET on June 29. This fixture takes place at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

How to watch South Africa vs. India for free

Smartphone users in India can watch the 2024 Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for free on Disney+ Hotstar, including the final between and South Africa vs. India.

This content is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can access these free live streams with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access Disney+ Hotstar from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the T20 Cricket World Cup 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 India

4. Download the Disney+ Hotstar mobile app

5. Watch South Africa vs. India in the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup final for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the T20 World Cup without parting with any cash. This is clearly not a long-term streaming solution, but it does give you time to watch the final before recovering your investment.

And if you do choose to continue using a VPN, you can retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world.

What is the best VPN for Disney+ Hotstar?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on Disney+ Hotstar, 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 always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• 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.

Watch South Africa vs. India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Canada vs. Chile in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

With the 2024 Copa America being held in the United States, North American teams have once again been invited to take part. Which means exciting times for Canadian football fans, as Canada has been trying to make a name of the international stage.

The Canadians were celebrated underdogs at the 2022 World Cup, but fell at the group stage without a single win. Can they do any better at the 2024 Copa America? They were runners up in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, so they do have some momentum.

They certainly won't have an easy time against Chile, who have flourished in recent years of Copa America action. Indeed, the Chileans won both the 2015 and 2016 editions of the tournament. And after falling at the round of 16 last time out, Chile are looking to prove themselves once again.

If you want to watch Canada vs. Chile in the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Canada vs. Chile?

Canada vs. Chile in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on June 29. This fixture takes place at the Exploria Stadium, Orlando.

How to watch Canada vs. Chile for free

Canada vs. Chile in the 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia.

Sportitalia is a free streaming platform based in Italy. That means it's geo-blocked for viewers in Italy only. But viewers in other countries can still access the platform via a VPN. By using a VPN you can obscure your IP address, which means masking your real world location, and then connect to a secure server in Italy. This simple process will enable you to skip by any geo-restrictions and watch the 2024 Copa America free of charge — no matter where you are around the globe.

Access free live streams of Copa America 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 Italy

4. Visit Sportitalia

5. Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming do require a fee, but you can still watch the 2024 Copa America without spending a dime. That's because the top VPN providers offer incentive deals that include free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. And it's easy to leverage these deals. All you need to do is sign up and take advantage of the trial period. That way you won't spend anything in the long run — and you'll have enough time to watch every 2024 Copa America fixture.

What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking Sportitalia to stream live sport for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Italy

• 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 for a limited time — that's an overall saving of 49% off the usual price. Within that deal you'll also get an extra three months of usage with no additional cost, plus an entire year of unlimited cloud backup for your data, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Canada vs. Chile for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Argentina vs. Peru in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's hard to not see Argentina as the clear favorites to win the 2024 Copa America. Not only do they have a certain Lionel Messi in their side, but Argentina are also the defending Copa America and World Cup champions.

It stands to reason that Argentina should come out on top in this group game against Peru. For starters, Argentina are 12 games undefeated against Peru. However, that could provide some extra motivation for Peru. And let's not forget that Peru reached the semi-final of the last Copa America tournament.

If you want to watch Argentina vs. Peru in the 2024 Copa America for free — no matter where you are — we've put together some useful information.

When is Argentina vs. Peru?

Argentina vs. Peru in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on June 29. This fixture takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.

How to watch Argentina vs. Peru for free

Argentina vs. Peru in the 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia.

Sportitalia is a free streaming platform based in Italy. It's geo-blocked, which means it's for viewers in Italy only. But viewers in other countries can access the platform by using a VPN. With a VPN you can obscure your IP address, which will hide your real world location, and connect to a secure server in Italy. That process will enable you to skip past any geo-restrictions and watch 2024 Copa America fixtures free of charge — no matter where you are in the world.

Access free live streams of Copa America 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 Italy

4. Visit Sportitalia

5. Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming do require a charge, but you'll still be able to watch the 2024 Copa America without spending anything. That's because most VPN providers offer incentives such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. It's easy to leverage these deals. Simply sign up and use the trial period to watch the 2024 Copa America. That way you won't spend a penny in the long run — and these generous deals will give you enough time to watch every 2024 Copa America fixture.

What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking Sportitalia to stream live sport for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Italy

• 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 for a limited time — that's a generous saving of 49%. As part of that deal you'll also get an extra three months of usage with no additional cost, a entire year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Argentina vs. Peru for free with ExpressVPN.

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 June 29'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:

Chris Rock's character in 2005's Madagascar.

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 Z.

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 #1106 is...

ZEBRA.

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 June 29'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: Are you asking for the number or adverb

• Green: Assemble

• Blue: Lay on the ground

• Purple: Types of flowers

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: Homophones

• Green: Connect

• Blue: Placed Down

• Purple: ___Flower

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 #384 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Homophones: TO, TOO, TUE, TWO

• Connect: COUPLE, TIE, UNTIE, WED

• Placed Down: LAID, PLACED, PUT, SAT

• ___Flower: MAY, SUN, WALL, WILD

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.

Summer, what’s not to love? The days are longer, the shorts are shorter, and road trips and beach days beckon. If you’re totally onboard with summer this year and are looking for devices and gear to take it over the top, Walmart’s got you covered.

Whether you want to throw a Fourth of July dance-off or go off-grid camping for a week and work the entire time, check out these Walmart deals and party on.

Blast your summer soundtrack Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Soundcore Select Pro Portable Speaker by Anker $69.99 at Walmart
$99.99 Save $30.00 Shop Now

This old-school-style boom box has precision-engineered drivers and pumps out party-worthy sound for up to 16 hours, unplugged. The rainbow LED lights blink to the beat — a pretty rad touch — and it’s also fully waterproof. When it accidentally gets knocked into the pool, it will float and the music will play on. 

Work from anywhere Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Ultra Slim Bluetooth Keyboard $20.23 at Walmart
$27.93 Save $7.70 Shop Now

Sync this ultra-thin keyboard with your tablet or phone and take your work setup to your backyard or the beach. This baby is 30 percent smaller than most keyboards and probably weighs less than your phone, so it’s super portable and will slip right into your pack. 

Off-grid travel buddy Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker PowerCore III Sense 20K Portable Charger $39.79 at Walmart
$59.94 Save $20.15 Shop Now

Glamping without an outlet in sight? This super-slim power bank will keep your devices juiced up for days. The massive 20,000mAh cell capacity can fast-charge an iPhone XS five-and-a-half times and an iPad mini 5 two-and-a-half times via the two PowerIQ USB-A outputs and Power Delivery USB-C input. 

Make cool stuff Opens in a new window Credit: Cricut Cricut Explore Air 2 $179.00 at Walmart
$229.00 Save $50.00 Shop Now

If your idea of summer is crafting tee shirts and party invites with the A/C cranked, this cutting machine will be your obsession. Just download the Cricut Design Space app and utilize the six tools to cut, write, score, and foil everything from card stock to fabric and iron-ons. This deal comes with $30 in free content, including a bunch of cool images to get you started. 

A breeze in the heat Opens in a new window Credit: Hyper Skute Commute E-Scooter $298.00 at Walmart
$398.00 Save $100.00 Shop Now

Need more ice? Hop on this sturdy e-scooter. The electric motor makes erranding a breeze, and the basket is ideal for hauling party goods. It’ll go 15.5 mph and up to 15 miles on one charge. The LED headlights and rear lights put safety first, and the handlebars fold in for easy storage. 

Blast the beats Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones $129.00 at Walmart
$179.00 Save $50.00 Shop Now

Summer isn’t summer without these wireless Beats to keep the tunes rolling. The Spatial Audio sound is mind-blowing, and the adjustable headset is cushy enough to wear all day. The battery can last up to 40 hours to power you up for music, gaming, and streaming, and they come with a travel case for road trips.